Re: After the wake - Richie/Rachel
"And what's that?" Richie asked as they started toward the door, his free hand straightening his jacket collar.
Rachel chuckled and squeezed his hand gently before holding their clasped hands up between them. “This.” She grinned.
“Well that’s easy!” he laughed, feeling nicely relaxed after the evening of sharing drinks and chat with many who were in the pub that night to farewell Marta. “And here I thought you were going to give me some major challenge,” he added as they walked out onto the pavement in the night air.
Rachel shook her head, smiling. “Nope. Nothing too hard.” She laughed. “Even though I know you could handle a tough one.” She grinned at him, which caused her to miss a step and stumble, nearly falling off the curb.
“Woah, hang in there!” Richie laughed, reaching out and putting his arm around her waist, lifting her back onto the pavement so he was walking on the roadside. “Like I said, lots of dangers out here at night, like marauding curbs that disguise themselves in the dark!” he teased, arm sliding from around her waist to grab her hand again.
“Thanks.” She cleared her throat and blushed, looking down. “It’s a good thing there’s not much traffic around here.” She chuckled, trying to make light of things. She squeezed his hand again. “I’m really glad you’re my friend, Richie. I don’t think I say that enough.” She pursed her lips and watched the sidewalk ahead of her.
“I’m glad I’m your friend too!” he replied, smiling widely and looking at her with a sideways glance. He saw her head down and reached over with his free hand, lifting her chin up. “Look down there and next thing we’re going to have is stampeding light poles.”
“Can’t go running into those.” She chuckled. There was a small scar just under her hairline from having done exactly that a few years before. “I’m really lucky, you know? I’ve got you and Tim and my sister and so many people that care about me….” She trailed off. “I mean, we all do. Your parents and Aunt Maryanne and Uncle Clint and Mr. Barton.” She chuckled. “And the Steves and just…..everybody.”
“Yeah, we’re just one real big happy family!” Richie laughed, remembering for a moment the family dinner Maria had arranged for that Sunday coming. “Some bigger ‘n others,” he added, thinking about all the kids to come and shook his head in amusement for a moment.
“You’re going to have to change your own diapers.” Rachel giggled, bumping his shoulder with hers as they walked. “Is that going to be weird? Actually seeing yourself as a baby like in real life?” She knew she had nearly a year before having to deal with it herself.
Richie screwed up his nose when she talked about that, the concept one he’d already considered, and he still wasn’t too sure how he felt. It was weird enough seeing his Mom’s bulging tummy, and knowing what was going on with her and Dad and, well others. All while he was… there. That was weirding him out even more.
“Yeah, that’s gonna be weird,” he replied, figuring Rachel really didn’t need to know too much more about his parents and their private lives. “But how are you and Sarah handling it? I mean you two were always together, or at least always around each other when we were all growing up, and now?” He stopped walking for a moment, holding her hand and stopping her and looking her up and down. “Now you’re just so different!” And he liked the ‘different’.