the past and the future

Bella didn't feel right pushing Gibson in the stroller. She couldn't see him. There were a few mall walkers about, but really there weren't that many at the mall this morning.

"I think I can fix it where you can see him," Whitney told her.

"Really? Would you?" Whitney had done everything else she'd asked. Put gas in her car. Made sure the car seat was in properly, which is wasn't. Really Whitney was just too good to be true.

She worked with the stroller to set it where the baby was facing who was pushing the stroller instead of away.

"How many times are - are you and Kal going at it?" Bella wanted to know.

"Going at it?" Whitney winced as if she might have a good guess but acted as if she didn't understand.

"Sex? What else?"

"Enough." Whitney gave her a bit of a scowl.

"Come on, you can tell me." Bella shrugged holding Gib, sitting on the bench next to the water fountain.

"Not until you tell me how many times a day you and Fish, you know-"

"Oh that, well, its not once a day," she said. "We can't."

"Twice a day." Whitney gave her final answer quick and sharp.

"Twice? Just twice a day?" Bella pondered. "God, when I was on the road with him, he could have done it every ten minutes, but then I got this urinary infection. Probably Kal's fault. He's like the Every Ready Bunny."

Whitney just crossed her arms and looked at her as if it was time to shut up now.

"Sorry, I guess you didn't want to hear that." Bella tried to fake a smile as if she was still cute, but she wasn't. She finally managed to put Gib back in the stroller then. Now she could see him. "Thank you. Really." Bella nodded.

"You don't really like me, now do you?" Whitney was very forward about it. "You don't want Kal to be with anyone. You want him to suffer, don't you? Like forever."

"No I don't. I mean, about him suffering and all. Yeah, I wish he could have gone nine months with a big fat rock lodged in him to poop out, so he would have known what its like to be a mother." She sighed. "But I like you Whitney, I'm just wondering if he's actually changed."

"I think he's changed."

"It was always me, me, me, when we were together. Whatever he wanted. He didn't give a shit about me." Bella told her.

"I know it was terrible for you, but you met Fish and you know he thinks the world of you. You can just see it when he's around you." Whitney told her.

"Really?" Bella needed someone to tell her that. "He's so sexy. He really is." Bella couldn't deny that.

"Good. You're happy with him." Whitney nodded.

"I'd be happier if we had sex," Bella said. "Anywhere, but at home."

"Yes, its a little cramped at Kal's Mom's house, but we're doing all right." Whitney smiled.

"I want to move out of the house," Bella confided.

"I see." Whitney looked a little puzzled. They were stopped in front of The Baby Gap now.

Bella got out a newspaper clipping from her purse. It was a picture of an old house just down the street from Kal's place.

"Its just, I don't know if we can do this all alone," Bella let her take a look at the three bedroom place with a full basement. "Do you think you and Kal would be interested?"