Out of This Orbit (Cosmic Soul Mates)

by Jeanette Lynn

He's too... smarmy.

  He reminds me of a snake oil salesman, I thought to myself and shuddered.

  "Just wanted to say 'Hi' and all that," he said cheerfully. Too cheerful... hmmm... maybe I should go count the silver...

  If you can’t beat em, hit em where it hurts most

  Darlah

  Jaye seemed so nervous today, I noticed as he fidgeted with his pants pocket again.

  What is going on? I thought absently as we made our way to the tables to fill up our plates and ‘get our grub on’, as Mol is so fond of saying. He seems so off kilter today.

  He’d seemed more happy yesterday and I had stopped worrying.

  Maybe I was wrong?

  “Is something wrong Jaye?” I asked frankly.

  “No,” he replied instantly, but I wasn’t convinced.

  “You’re fidgeting,” I said pointing to his leg as it jiggled up and down like a jack hammer.

  He stopped immediately and gave me a kiss. “All better now. Man I am starving, looks good, let’s eat, huh?”

  He started to dig in and I started to feel a knot forming in my stomach. He was lying to me. I could feel it in my gut.

  But why?

  I started to feel a little nauseous and made my way to the restroom.

  Once there I splashed my face with cold water until I felt a little better.

  I kept my breathes slow and even and that seemed to help. I exited the bathroom and at first I thought it was Jaye standing there, maybe waiting for me, or something.

  Was a line forming? I wasn’t in there that long.

  “You must be Darlah,” the blue Rellian male in front of me drawled. It took me a minute to put his face to his name.

  “Exinn, right?” I said holding out my hand for him to shake. “Jaye’s cousin,” I continued.

  He ignored my proffered hand and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “Tell me,” he said giving me an odd look, “How does it feel to be married to someone who doesn’t even like you?”

  “What?” I asked startled at his question. “Look,” I said after a moment, “I think you have the wrong person....”

  “Oh, he cut in,” looking me up and down like he found me lacking. “Has to be you. He called you some kind of pet name, what was it?” he said tapping his lip, as if in thought.

  “Oh, that’s right!” he said snapping his fingers. “Mouse! He calls you mouse or something like that,” he said waving his hand around as he talked. “Probably referring to how ‘plain jane’ you are, but what do I know,” he shrugged and smiled at me, but it wasn’t a nice smile.

  My stomach felt like I was going to be sick and I had an intense heavy feeling in my chest, like someone was crushing it.

  I had a terrible feeling it was going to be a big assed Rellian named Jaye responsible for the crushing. I cleared my throat and looked at him uncertainly.

  “Well, Exinn, what do you know, how do you know it, and how do I know you’re telling the truth?” I asked him, unsure if I should really believe him or not.

  “Why don’t I tell you what I know and you can go ask him for yourself?” he said amiably and grinned at me.

  I nodded at him and gestured for him to continue.

  “I heard him telling Neyenn’s wife he accidentally married you and didn’t want you to know. That proof enough for you? I was at their house yesterday. You can check if you like,” he said, got up from his position against the wall and started walking away. “Can’t say that I honestly blame him, to be truthful,” he said over his shoulder and sauntered back into the party.

  I was so shocked, I forgot to breathe for a minute. Bile rose up in my throat and I ran into the bathroom to throw up.

  After I had cleaned myself up, I made my way back to the party, determined to get some answers.

  He’s wrong, I told myself, he has to be, he’s lying. Jaye cares, I know he does.

  I started to remember all those things that had me worrying the past weeks and I started to feel my doubts surfacing.

  My stomach was drowning with dread as I searched him out.

  I found him talking to Magenta again and I froze in place, watching as an insane feeling of rage, jealousy and hurt rushed through me.

  I waited until my heart rate slowed down a bit and walked right up to him in the middle of the room.

  “Is it true?” I asked shaken and pale. I knew my face was probably ashen by now, because I felt cold all over.

  Jaye turned to me concerned and went to reach for me, but I backed away from his touch. I looked up into his face and asked him in front of god and everyone.

  “Are we married? Did you marry me and not want me to know Jaye? Have you been,” I paused, swallowing past the lump in my throat, keeping my unshed tears at bay. “lying to me?”

  The room went dead quiet, waiting for his answer as well, it seemed.

  He looked at me and I could see everything I needed to, written right there on his face, for everyone to see... he looked... guilty.

  “Yes,” he said quietly, looking at me searchingly. Anger followed closely, riding out all of my other emotions.

  “What’s the matter Jayevellan,” I said snidely. “Couldn’t stomach being married to a Mouse?!” I shouted and stormed out of the room.

  Everyone just stood there staring at us taken aback.

  Jaye

  I stood there stunned, unable to move. I felt frozen in place. Terror clawed at my chest as she started to leave.

  She’s leaving me! I thought and panicked.

  “Wait, Darlah! Wait! Let me explain! You don't understand!” I pleaded chasing after her.

  I grabbed her arm, careful not to hurt her and she threw her arm out, pulling out of my grasp.

  “Oh, I understand perfectly,” she said, hurt lacing her voice and it killed me.

  “Yes, Jaye, do tell, we are just dying to know,” Exinn said mockingly, grinning smugly at me.

  “YOU!” Molilah shrieked from the back patio door. “You’re dead meat, you smarmy, ease dropping snake in the grass!” she ranted and started charging towards Exinn, a grill scraper in her hand.

  Exinn came out of his shocked stupor when he saw Mol gunning for him.

  His eyes bugged out of his head, his lips turning into an ‘O’ and he took off running around the yard; trying to avoid Mol as she chased him around with a grill scraper, telling him exactly what she was going to do to him when she got her hands on him.

  God he screams like a girl!

  It looks like Darlah had taken off as soon as the chaos started. Slipping away quietly while everyone’s attention was diverted, mine included.

  I wanted to go to her desperately, but Mama told me I should wait and give her time to cool down.

  I figured I should listen to her, I have no desire to make things worse than they already are. With that thought foremost in my mind now, I decided to take out the trash. So, where is Exinn? I wondered.

  The little weasel had some explaining to do.

  I found him and was a little surprised that it was, Nona, who had Exinn hog tied to a chair in the garage, not Mol.

  “Tell me you little twit,” Nona said patiently, pulling at her bright yellow and white polka dotted top to straighten it up a little.

  She had on a fuchsia skirt, but I wasn’t really all that surprised. The woman has no sense of style or color coordination. She paired the out fit with bright red hooker heels and she had a fake bird poking out of her beehive like 'hair do'.

  ...And people say I’m a hot mess, I lamented.

  She held Pudge up to Exinn’s face and he struggled to get away from the little dog, who growled at him.

  Pudge is Nona’s little terrier mix, he weighs like six pounds. Pudge snarled, and Exinn started shaking, like he was scared.

  What the hell?

  Was he truly frightened of sweet little Pudgy? What the.... and then Nona jiggled Pudge a little and he pulled back his lips, snarling at Exinn.

  I guess
it was supposed to be menacing, but I couldn’t help thinking about how adorably, un-ferocious, he looked.

  His tiny little ears were perked up, hackles risen, chubby body quivering. He looked more like an angry stuffed sausage to me.

  Not so much to Exinn, though, who screamed like a girl and started talking in a high strained voice.

  “Okay! Okay! I’ll talk! Just keep that little beast away from me! Please!” he exclaimed, trying to scoot his chair away from the little furry menace.

  This was just embarrassing, I thought ruefully, shaking my head at the scene in front of me.

  I stayed, however, waiting to hear what ‘Cousin Emasculating’ had to say.

  Darlah

  “Darlah, Honey, look, I know your home.... I’m standing right outside your door...” Jaye said into my answering machine.

  “I know what it looked like the other day Mouse, but that’s not why I didn’t tell you... and please don’t shut off the answering machine again, you know I’ll just keep calling,” he said and I knew it was true.

  He had waited a day and then he started knocking on my door, calling me every hour on the hour, anything and everything he could think of to get me to talk to him.

  I woke up this morning and realized something else too... I’m pregnant.

  It didn’t click until I had gotten sick again this morning and had searched out my antacids to settle my stomach.

  I’d opened the medicine cabinet and came face to face with my feminine products, and everything had clicked.

  I took a test, just to be sure, and it came back positive.

  I’m pregnant, I thought again.

  Another thought struck me, I wonder if Jaye had suspected it as well? We hadn’t been using protection and he did keep making off with my calendar. Maybe he was seeing if I had put some sign on them to mark my menses or something.

  It would make sense and explain away the calendars.

  Jaye’s voice drifted back to me over the answering machine and I cocked my head to listen.

  “...I love you Mouse. I didn’t tell you about our marriage because I wanted you to choose me, because you wanted to be with me, not because a law made it so.

  I’m sorry, though, I should never have kept anything from you. Please forgive me... I love you so much Darlah Mae Harvick... I’m proud and honored to be your husband. Please call me, Honey, I miss you,” he said sincerely and I sat there for a minute taking in everything he’d just said.

  I started to cry right then, big sobbing tears that blurred my vision.

  The answering machined clicked off, letting me know that the message had ended and I wiped at my face, trying to calm another one of my crying jags.

  He had seemed so sincere in the message and I don’t think he would be trying so hard to get me back if he wasn’t. Why would you try to get back your unwanted wife if you didn’t want her? If he was truly embarrassed by me he wouldn’t claim me so openly in front of his family and friends would he? No, he wouldn’t.

  He wasn’t embarrassed of me after all, I reflected after a moment. I grinned, wiping at my tear stained face and chuckling happily. I got up and got dressed quickly, fixing my hair in a hasty ‘up do’.

  I hurried to the door and then remembered my newly found out pregnancy. I rushed into the bathroom to get my test to show him.

  I ran back into the living room and rushed to the door, flinging it open wide.

  There was no sign of Jaye though, he must have gone. I peered around looking for any sign of him and came back empty.

  He must have really left.

  I closed the door and slumped against it, remembering how I had reacted at the party and the things I had said to him, accused him of.

  I didn’t even give him a chance to explain, I berated myself... I can’t lose him now... I need a plan, I contemplated suddenly.

  I’m going to get my Manwhore back! I assured myself. If it’s the last thing I do!

  Doctor! Doctor! Give Me The Cure!

  Jaye

  The paper crinkled beneath me as I waited impatiently for him to tell me.

  I rubbed at my chest again, grimacing at the pain. My constant companion, lately, I thought to myself.

  Don't they say it's better to feel something than nothing at all? It's better than nothing, I guess.

  "You can tell me Doc, I'm ready," I said, sighing heavily.

  He opened his mouth and started to say something but then stopped and grimaced.

  "Well, uh, the thing is Mr.....ah Mr. Harvick, we've run several tests on you and..."

  I cut him off with, "Don't sugar coat it Doc. Just tell me, is it bad, it's bad isn't it?"

  He opened his mouth again as if to say something.

  I groaned and covered my face with my hands. It's gonna be bad, I just know it.

  There was a terrible commotion and it sounded like it was coming from right outside of the room I was currently in.

  The door was suddenly thrust open and Mama came rushing in.

  "Oh, my god! My Baby! Is he okay, he's okay right! Oh, my god, my little 'Jaye Jaye'!" Mama started to wail, running over to stand by the table I was on.

  "Mama? What are you doing here?" I asked, truly surprised to see her here.

  An out of breathe Molilah came rushing into the room.

  "I don't know how they found out Jaye, you know I wouldn't do that to you. I didn't say a word, swear. I tried to stop her," she said motioning towards Mama.

  "But they tricked me! So, sorry Jaye!" she exclaimed exasperated.

  "They?" I asked incredulously.

  Nona came toddling up behind Molilah right then, a self satisfied smirk on her face, wiping her hands together like she was dusting them off.

  "I may be old honey but I aint' that old, not yet at any rate," Nona chuckled.

  "Nona distracted them so your mom could slip passed them," Mol explained.

  I glanced at Mama and she shrugged, then glared down at me.

  "Hey! No one would tell me anything!" she huffed indignantly, crossing her arms over her chest and giving me that 'mom look' that said 'I dare you to say something, I dare you'. I wisely kept my trap shut.

  The doctor looked flustered, sputtering at the scene unfolding before him. "You can't all be in here. This is a ..." but he didn't get to finish.

  A rushed looking Neyenn burst into the doorway, breathing heavily. He was carrying a bubbly Eilahna, strapped to his chest in one of those baby carrier dealies.

  "I didn't do it on purpose!" he jumped in before anyone could say anything. He looked at Mol sheepishly, nodding his head at her stomach. "I was worried. I thought it had to do with the baby," he told Mol, quietly. His tone was soft and held a wealth of emotions. Relief, happiness, love, the utmost out of all of them being love.

  All of the things I ache for and think about when I think of my little mouse.

  I rubbed at my chest again, the pain back full force. I sat up slowly grimacing, trying valiantly to hide it.

  Luckily everyone else was preoccupied with Neyenn's little bombshell and I went unnoticed.

  "A Baby?" Mama chimed in, hope and excitement lacing her voice.

  Molilah blushed prettily and smiled, nodding her head. "I'm not that far along, so we haven't told anyone yet," she said and looked over at Neyenn, her eyes full of love and contrition.

  "I'm sorry 'Blue Balls' I didn't mean to worry you, I was just trying to respect Jaye's privacy," she apologized. "He asked me not to say anything yet," she added and Neyenn pulled her close, kissing her sweetly.

  "I, ah, I'm sorry too. You said it was important, but didn't tell me exactly where you were going, or what was going on.... so I called Mama to see what she knew and told her where you said you two were headed. Jaye's physician is the only place around here that she could think of... so, uh, there it is," he said sheepishly.

  The doctor cleared his throat again, getting impatient, it seemed. "You can't all be in..." he started only to be cut of once again.

  "MO
VE IT SISTER! or I will Mow. You. Down!" came screeching from the hallway.

  I jerked up at that. She's here! I thought, excitedly. My eyes were glued to the door.

  A very flushed looking Darlah came running in, her purse half on, half off her shoulder, wide open, things spilling everywhere in her rush.

  Hope she didn't need anything that fell out, I thought absently.

  She had her blouse buttoned wrong and her hair had rubber band marks from where she must have had it up at one point.

  "And who the heck are you!?" exclaimed the doctor.

  "His WIFE!" she snarled and glared at the doctor, giving him what was probably supposed to be a smile, but looked more like a flash of teeth... more like a warning. Her posture screamed don't mess with me buddy.

  She searched the faces in the room, until she met mine.

  Our eyes locked and everything else fell away. I felt a rush of emotions run through me then and I could see them mirrored in hers, the most important one there being love. I saw her love.

  I held out my hand to her and gave her a wan half smile.

  She rushed over and grabbed my hospital gown, kissing the shit out of me.

  She pulled back after a very long satisfying kiss and cupped my face in her hands, planting small noisy kisses all over my face.

  We were both murmuring to each other, apologizing to one another and whispering words of love, not giving a shit about the fact that we were in a room full of people.

  My heart beat wildly in my chest in excitement and I felt whole again with my little mouse in my arms.

  Complete. I felt complete.

  "This is like a damn circus," the doctor muttered, shaking his head and I laughed at his bewildered tone and expression.

  He cleared his throat, "Now, if you would just let me finish," he said curtly looking around the room sternly, and then glancing at the door, making sure no others were going to crash our little party.

  "I was just going to say that you are, by all accounts, fine and ask if something was weighing heavily on you. From the look on your face, however, I can surmise that, for the most part, your issues are resolving themselves. Yes?"