Joey tapped her fingers on the kitchen counter as she held the phone to her ear. “No, Anne…it’s okay, really. She’s been complaining of a tummy ache all day and she just fell asleep on the couch watching her videos. I wouldn’t feel right going out knowing she might be coming down with something and if she is coming down with something I don’t want your kids to get sick, too…so, I’m just going to stay home tonight. Yeah, yeah…I know. Thank you…I’ll talk to you later.”

She lowered the phone, clicking it off with a press of her thumb and gazing thoughtfully at the dial pad. She heard Pacey come into the kitchen behind her and she quickly tossed the phone onto the counter to turn and face him.

“The lumberyard didn’t cut those boards for the stairs the right length. I think I might still have that small power saw here.” He mumbled, almost to himself, as he hesitated at the basement door.

“Oh, okay.” Joey nodded, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “There are a bunch of your tools packed away under the big workbench down there.”

Pacey watched her face a moment. “You know, if you have plans tonight, I can take Meg.”

Joey’s mouth fell open slightly. “Um, no. It’s not that big a deal and you just had her all last weekend. I’m sure you already have plans and I…”

“All I was going to do tonight was meet Jack out for a couple of beers.” Pacey chuckled. “And something tells me I’ll most likely have the opportunity to do that again in the future.”

Joey smirked and nodded, but cast her eyes to the floor.

“Hot date?”

She looked up quickly and couldn’t help but smile as his gentle, teasing blue eyes met hers. “I wouldn’t say that.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “A guy in one of my classes just asked me to meet him out for drinks and appetizers. I mean, we’re not even having dinner, I’ll probably just have a glass of wine and come home but…”

“So, I’ll take her.” Pacey cut in with a shrug.

“She really isn’t feeling well.” Joey sighed. “I appreciate the offer but I wouldn’t feel right packing her up and sending her out of the house for the night. She still isn’t used to sleeping at your new apartment and…”

“Well, if you want, I can just stay here with her.” Pacey offered again.

Joey hesitated, frowning slightly. “Well, um…”

“Just go out, Jo. You just finished midterms, right? Go have some fun. I don’t mind staying with her.”

Joey looked at him uncertainly. “Well, okay. But I already planned on coming home early, so don’t feel like you have to go and cancel your plans with Jack.”

“Whatever.” Pacey smiled and shrugged his shoulders, turning to head down the basement stairs, Scupper following close behind on his heels.

“Thanks, Pace.” Joey called after him before turning to gaze morosely out the kitchen window.

Joey made her way through the bar, glancing around at the faces in the crowd until she saw him. She paused to quickly reach down and adjust the strap on her shoe as she balanced herself on the back of a barstool, not remembering the last time she wore anything with a heel. She straightened up to smile and wave as she caught his eye and he motioned her over.

“Hey, Kevin.”

They were in a couple of the same classes at Boston Bay and had struck up an immediate friendship early in the semester. He had an affable, kind personality and was attractive in sort of a nondescript way, with his perpetually messy hair and boyish features. Joey had been genuinely surprised when he asked her out, as she really had never thought of him as anything but a friend. She figured there was no harm in accepting, however, as she enjoyed his company and he seemed to be relatively easy-going about the whole thing.

“Hi.” He smiled. “They’re saving a table for us over by the window. Do you want to have a drink at the bar first?”

“Um, no.” Joey shook her head. “We can just go over to the table.” She cringed inwardly at her words, hoping they didn’t sound as rushed to him as she felt they did. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to be out tonight, because she had been looking forward to it. But now she couldn’t help that all her thoughts were centered on home.

Kevin waved to the waitress and Joey fell in step behind him as they were led to their table. She smiled at him as he moved around to pull her chair out for her to sit.

“Would you like anything?” Kevin asked, holding up his beer as he sat down as well. “I’m already ahead of you here and, believe me,” He joked. “I’m much more interesting after a few drinks.”

“Thanks for the warning.” Joey laughed and turned to the waitress. “I’ll have a glass of chardonnay, please.”

She glanced around the restaurant, looking out the wide windows at the lights of the city. “This is a nice place.”

“You’ve never been here before?” Kevin looked mildly surprised. “I thought everyone came here on the weekends.”

“No.” Joey shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t get into Boston much except for classes.”

“That’s right.” Kevin nodded. “I keep forgetting you hail from the suburbs.”

“Well, that and the fact I have Megan.” Joey reminded him, watching his face. She carefully adjusted her blouse, wondering briefly if she underdressed for the restaurant he had chosen. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she glanced discreetly around her to appraise the other diners. It wasn’t that she had really been expecting him to comment on how she looked, but she had put some effort into getting ready, even going as far as to apply some make-up, and thought he might at least say something in reference to the difference from her usual day-to-day appearance.

Kevin smiled and nodded amiably. “I would imagine that kids do tend to inflict on the social life a bit, huh?”

“You could say that.” Joey smiled. “But you’re usually too tired to care.” She glanced over the menu sitting in front of her on the table with a sigh. He obviously didn’t even notice a difference from her usual day-to-day appearance. “And it doesn’t help that good babysitters are few and far between.” She mumbled absently as she perused it.

“So, who is she with tonight?” Kevin asked, looking down at his menu as well as he took a sip of his beer.

Joey looked up quickly, hesitating before she spoke. “She’s, um…with her dad.”

Kevin studied his beer bottle a moment before meeting her eyes again. “You two seem to have kept up a fairly good relationship, huh?”

Joey dropped her head with a small smile. “Yeah. I guess we have. We’ve just…well, we started so young and we went through so much. We grew up together in so many ways. I think it would be kind of…sad, I guess if we didn’t stay friends after it all. And we have someone else to consider, so, you know, we always want to do what’s best for her.”

“So…” Kevin began tentatively. “You two must have still been in high school when you had her, right? And please tell me if I’m invading your privacy here at all.”

“No, no…” Joey shook her head and smiled again. “It’s okay.” She shrugged. “It’s my life. I don’t mind talking about it. And, yeah, Pacey was my high school boyfriend and we ended up…I ended up getting pregnant at the end of our senior year. Right after all my college acceptance letters came in the mail.” She smirked, just a trace of irony in her voice.

She hesitated before continuing, glancing out the window. “When we found out…well, it’s one of those questions in life that there is no right answer for. I guess what it came down for us was that we felt like we’d already made a mistake and that we didn’t want to add to it. Not that I’m any sort of advocate for teenage pregnancy or motherhood.” She added hastily, meeting his eyes again. “I’m the furthest thing from that. But what we did was right for us. It was the one decision we both could live with. We didn’t even tell anyone when we got married. We just went down to the Justice of the Peace a few days after we graduated. I think we figured people would try to talk us out of it and we didn’t want to have to listen to it.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Both of us were kind of used to being on our own, fending for ourselves. Stubborn, I guess would be the word.” She added the last part with a soft laugh.

“Besides, I had already been basically living with him since I found out. It was a lot easier for me not to have to face my family during that time, although my sister ended up being such a huge support to me. We both got jobs that summer and worked as many hours as we could. When our friends were out buying things for their new dorm rooms at college, we were buying cribs and car seats and baby clothes. I was due in January, she was supposed to be a New Years baby, but I ended up going into premature labor so Megan was born two months early. There were all kinds of complications and she had to stay in the hospital. It was so awful to have to leave and not be able to take her with me, and she was so tiny with all these tubes and machines…it was really, really scary for us. Then there were these operations she had to go through further down the line. But she was a little fighter even back then, and she seemed to suddenly turn a corner one day and start to thrive.”

Joey sighed heavily. “That was a really strange time for us, too. All our friends were coming home for the summer after their first year away at college, talking about parties and frats and crazy roommates, and we had spent months sitting in a hospital everyday wondering if our little girl was going to ever come home with us. Not knowing if she was even going to make it.” She smiled widely, her eyes shining as she spoke. “But she turned out to be perfect and wonderful and healthy and amazing. My husb…my ex-husband, Pacey, is really the one who got us through it all. He’s just a very…he’s a very strong person. Even after all that, he started working two jobs so that I could start at college part time that next fall and he was still always there for Megan.” She smiled at Kevin. “She is definitely a Daddy’s girl.”

Joey paused for a moment, her voice lowering. “But, you know, we went through so much in those first few years of marriage that I think sometimes we used up all our…” She hesitated, frowning slightly. “My friend Jen’s grandmother used to always say that God never puts more on your plate in life than you can handle, but I don’t know if that’s necessarily true. We had to overcome so many big problems, that we didn’t seem to have anything left when all the little things started to hit us, you know?”

She shrugged, meeting Kevin’s eyes again as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat and gave him a half smile. “So, here I am, sometimes feeling like the world’s oldest college student, but I guess my story turned out okay.” Her voice drifted off as she gazed down thoughtfully into her glass of wine, her smile fading before she looked up quickly, clearing her throat. “I think we can safely say that is quite enough about me for one night. Sorry about all the rambling.”

“No, it’s okay.” Kevin smiled reassuringly, shaking his head. “I have to admit that when you first told me you had a little girl while you were so young yourself, well, it did make me a little curious about your life. I’ve been sitting here listening to you and trying to imagine what my life would have been like if I had gotten my high school girlfriend pregnant. I think it says a lot about you that you made the best of it.”

“I can’t take the credit for it.” Joey shook her head as she sipped her wine. “It was Pacey.”

Kevin raised his eyebrows, watching her curiously as he opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the waitress appeared at their table.

“Are you ready to order?”

Joey looked over at him expectantly and Kevin shook his head. “We just need another minute.” When the waitress left, he turned to Joey with a cheerful smile, clearing his throat. “So, let’s see what looks good on this menu.”

Joey stepped inside the house, quietly closing the door behind her. She glanced into the living room, frowning in confusion as she saw Megan lying on the couch, sleeping soundlessly under a light blanket. She walked down the front hall to the empty kitchen, glancing around before she turned to start up the stairs.

“Pace?” She called out softly.

“Yep. Up here.” She heard his voice drift out from Megan’s bedroom.

Walking into the room, she saw him tugging a fitted sheet over the small mattress and moved over to help him tuck it in. “What’s going on?”

“Ah…we had a little problem. Of the throw-up variety.” Pacey chuckled.

“Oh, no.” Joey sighed. “All over her bed?”

“Oh, yeah.” Pacey grinned at her as he reached for the top sheet folded on the bureau behind him. “Like something out of ‘The Exorcist’. I wasn’t sure where you had the extra sheets, so I put her on the couch with a video while I washed these. She just fell asleep about an hour ago.” He handed her a pillowcase as she helped him make the bed. “She actually said that she feeling better after you left, but I guess, in retrospect, ordering a pepperoni pizza for dinner probably was not the best idea.”

Joey made a face, giggling softly. “I think I could have told you that, Pace.”

“Yeah, well, that’s why you’re the mommy.” He smiled at her as their eyes met. “How was your night?”

“Fine.” She shrugged, tearing her eyes from his. “There wasn’t really a lot on the menu there that appealed to me.”

“Well, there’s plenty of pizza left over from earlier if you’re still hungry.”

Joey straightened up as they finished adjusting the blue and yellow flowered bedspread. “That actually sounds good. I think I’ll go heat it up. Do you want to have some with me?”

“Nah.” Pacey laughed, shaking his head. “I think it’ll be a good long while before I’ll be in the mood for pizza again.”

Joey grinned. “Yeah, I don’t know who ever came up with the notion that vomit should be any less disgusting just because it is coming out of your own child.”

“I think our trip to the Barnstable Fair two years ago disproved that theory.”

“Eww.” Joey wrinkled her nose as she followed him from the room, groaning under her breath. “Thanks a lot for reminding me of that. Now I think I’ve lost my appetite, too.” She shook her head as Pacey chuckled to himself.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and Pacey turned to face her. “I’ll carry her up for you.”

“That’s all right. I’ll take her up in a while.”

“Okay, then. I guess I’ll see you later.”

“You don’t have to…” Joey’s voice drifted off as she quickly dropped her head and mumbled. “I forgot. You’re meeting Jack, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. I told him I might catch up with him at some point. He’s usually pretty easy to find on a Saturday night.” Pacey smiled. Her head was still bowed and he let his eyes rest on her for a minute as he lowered his voice. “You look pretty tonight. I meant to tell you that earlier.”

Joey raised her head, her wide eyes shining at him. “Thanks.” She whispered with just the hint of a smile. She slowly followed him to the door, leaning against it as she watched him walk out. “And, thanks again…you know, for staying with her tonight, Pace.”

“No problem.” He shrugged his shoulders and gave her a small wave. “I’ll talk to you next week.”

“Okay.” Joey replied, frowning as she watched him descend the front steps. She hesitated and then stepped forward to call after him as he got into his car, but the sound of the engine turning over cut off her voice. She sighed, closing the door slowly as she watched him drive down the street.

Pacey stepped through the doors, looking up to see Jack waving to him from across the bar. “Hey Witter! Over here.” He called out, pointing downwards next to him with the hand he had been waving with. Pacey could just make out the top of Jen’s blond curls through the crowd.

He grinned as he approached them, giving her a hug as he lifted her off the ground. “I didn’t know you were going to be out tonight. What’s the occasion?”

Jen stepped back out of his arms as he lowered her to the floor, holding up her hand. Pacey’s grin turned to a laugh as he saw the sparkling diamond in the dim light of the bar. “Get out. Are you telling me that boyfriend of yours is finally making an honest woman out of you, Lindley?”

“Yep. Afraid so.” She giggled.

“So, when did this happen?” Pacey nodded his thanks to Jack as he passed him a beer from where he was talking to the bartender. “Joey didn’t even say anything about it to me.”

Jen shifted side to side where she stood, wringing her hands together nervously as she played with the ring on her finger. “Um, I, ah, haven’t actually told her yet. I was just…I didn’t want to make her feel bad at all.” She finished helplessly as Pacey’s smile faded.

“I think your underestimating her a bit, Jen. She’d only be happy for you.”

Jen shrugged. “Yeah, I know. It was just a little weird the last couple of times I talked to her on the phone. I have a birthday present to drop off for Megan, so I think I might stop by the house tomorrow anyway. I’ll tell her then.”

Pacey frowned in concern as he took a swig of his beer. “Weird how?”

“You know, it’s nothing. I probably just imagined it.” Jen said dismissively. “How’s my Meggie?” She asked brightly, changing the subject.

“She’s great.” Pacey smiled, his face softening as his eyes lit up at the mention of her name. “She was sick this weekend but other than that, she’s great.”

Jen smiled as well, watching him. “I was hoping that you’d be meeting us here tonight. I’ve actually been meaning to call you. I had lunch with a friend of mine from college last week. She said she’d met you at a bar recently and while you two were talking you figured out you both knew me. Her name is Amanda? Tall, blond, great body?”

Pacey squinted his eyes as he thought. “Does she have short hair? She’s originally from Texas or somewhere out west?”

“Yeah, that’s her.” Jen nodded. “So, you remember meeting her? She said you were with some guys from work and playing pool at some bar over near Quincy Market?”

Pacey nodded slowly, taking another swig of his beer as he glanced around the bar. “I think I vaguely remember that, yeah.”

“Hmm.” Jen replied thoughtfully, nodding her head as well. “Because she was actually kind of interested in you.”

“Oh, really?” Pacey chuckled, absently running his hand over his stomach. “Was it my charming nature that won her over? My rugged good looks, perhaps? My witty and scintillating conversation? Or…” He sighed with mock resignation. “Was it once again my butt? Because I have to say, I’m getting really tired of being viewed as simply a sex object, just a piece of meat. There’s so much more to me than that and I really feel…”

“God, will you just shut up?” Jen laughed, shaking her head. “She said you had nice eyes.”

“Nice eyes?” Pacey frowned. “That’s all? Could she not see my butt?”

Jen laughed again. “You’ll never change, Pacey.” She lowered her voice discreetly as she glanced over at Jack, who was still absorbed in conversation with the bartender. “She claims that she came right out and told you she was interested but, according to her, you said that you were married. She asked me about because she didn’t see you wearing a ring.” Jen paused briefly. “Now, if I didn’t already know what a sweet person she was, and if I haven’t seen guys almost crash their cars craning their necks to get a better look when she walks down the street, I might think that was just something you said to let her down gently, but for some reason I am getting a different impression here.”

Pacey dropped his head to look at the floor and shrugged his shoulders but didn’t say anything in response.

Jen sighed, reaching up to brush her hair out of her eyes. “Pacey, I know how hard these past couple of years have been on you, but I really think you need to start and try to put it all behind you. I’m starting to worry about you. It’s been a while and I haven’t seen any signs of you moving on with your life. Your own life.” She put a quiet emphasis on the last part.

“Well, maybe I can’t suddenly change everything I know, just because some official looking envelope shows up on my doorstep one afternoon, Jen.” Pacey looked up to meet her gaze, his blue eyes dark and stormy. “I’ve been married to her since I was eighteen years old and I…”

“And you’re not married to her anymore.” Jen cut in softly, furrowing her brow sympathetically.

Pacey’s eyes darkened even furthered before he looked away.

Jen sighed. “I’m sorry. I know this is none of my business, but I love both of you so much and you’ve both been through so much and I just want…”

“Don’t worry about it.” He cut her off with a careless shrug as he took another swig of his beer. He smiled at her finally, reaching over to take her hand and admire her ring again. “Marriage is a state of mind, Jen.” He hesitated before continuing. “All I ever wanted was for her to be happy. Now she is. So, who am I to say anything about it, right?”

“What makes you so sure she’s happy now?” Jen asked gently.

“Because there would be no need for us to even be having this conversation if she wasn’t.” Pacey sighed, looking away again.

Joey wrapped her arms around Megan to lift her up off the couch, trying unsuccessfully not to wake her as the little girl began to cry.

“Mommy, I threw up.” Megan sighed tearfully against her shoulder.

“I know.” Joey kissed her on top of the head, holding her hand to her forehead to see if she felt hot. “Daddy told me. Do you still feel sick? Does your tummy still hurt?”

“No.” She admitted, swiping at her nose with her hand as she sniffed. “Can I sleep in your bed tonight?”

“Okay.” Joey sighed, too tired to argue under the circumstances.

“And can I have a story?” Megan asked, softly pleading, as Joey began to carry her up the stairs.

“Yeah, but just a short one. It’s late.”

Joey tucked her into the bed, smoothing her hair back out of her face as she snuggled up next to her.

“Where did we leave off?”

“The prince saved the princess from King Fricke’s dungeon of furnaces and they were hiding in Upside Down Town.”

“Got it.” Joey nodded and smiled to herself.

“Oh, and you have to talk backwards, Mommy, because everyone in Upside Down Town talks backwards all the time, no matter what. Daddy says so.”