Work Text:
Johnny turned on the oven light, bending down to check on the result of his new, possibly failed, attempt at baking. Then he heard someone knocking on the door. When he opened it, he was met by Sam, holding little Laura.
“There are my girls!” he exclaimed, hugging them both in a big hug, “come in, come in..”
Sam walked inside, then he closed the door behind her.
“Let me see my baby girl, oh look how heavy you are...” he took the baby from her, playfully moving her up and down, both smiling joyfully at each other, “what are they feeding you?”
“Something smells... burnt, Johnny!”
“Oh shit, my cupcakes.”
He passed the child over to Sam again, opening the oven door, but it was too late, they were all burnt.
“Oh, Johnny, I’m sorry...”
“Don’t worry, they were ruined anyway, they shrunk, I don’t know what I did wrong.”
“Did you add baking powder?” Sam asked, analysing the ruined cupcakes. Johnny turned to her in surprise.
“Oh.”
“Look, it’s okay, I’ll help you. Okay?”
Sam took the baby to her room, putting her down to nap inside her crib, then got back to the kitchen to help him out.
In minutes they whisked the ingredients together, then poured a spoonful of batter into each mould. Thankfully Sam knew a whole more about baking than Johnny did, so this time chances were they would turn out perfect. Although Johnny felt honoured and pleased to share that moment with her, he couldn’t help but notice how unusually quiet she was.
“Your father loves those... he’ll be happy.”
“Good...”
“So... how’s everything?” he probed, watching closely as she skilfully evened out the batter.
“Everything’s fine... what about you? Dad?”
“Sam.” he looked at her straight in her watery eyes.
She sighed, putting the moulds inside the hot oven.
“How... what is married life like for you and dad?”
Johnny pulled a chair for her to sit at the dining table, then sat down himself.
“Hmm... what do you mean?”
“Like... do you ever get stuck in routine?”
“I... I don’t think so, Sam... I mean, your father... he’s an amazing man...” Johnny watched as her browns furrowed, her eyes drifting lower. “What’s going on, Sam? Are you and Miguel having problems?”
“It’s not like that...”
She looked back at him, and he was looking at her, waiting. Unlike any other adult in her life, Johnny didn’t have all the right answers at the tip of his tongue. He didn’t judge her, or make grand speeches of what she should do. In fact, he was so doubtful about life’s intricacies as she was, and that’s exactly why she felt she could open up to him, she knew he would try his best to help her come up with an answer to her most intimate problems.
“It’s just... Johnny, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“When you... when Robby was born... you weren’t with his mother anymore, were you?”
“No, I... I made a lot of mistakes, Sam. When Robby was born... I was... I was a fool, and I paid the price. If it wasn’t for your father... and if Robby wasn’t such a good man, I’d be... I don’t know what would happen to me”, he choked up a bit, and Sam held his hand. “That’s why I keep saying to you, what matters to me is that you are happy. You, Miguel, you are my family, and... are you happy, Sam?”
She thought about it for a second or two, in silence.
“Well... I love him, Johnny.”
“Oh, good.” he breathed, relieved.
“It’s just that sometimes I feel we’re more like friends than... anything else, I mean... he’s been working hard, I know, but... it just feels like we hardly talk to each other anymore, you know. We haven’t even had sex after the baby was born .” She whispered the last part, making Johnny lose some of his cool attitude.
“Oh... hm...” Johnny cleared his throat, letting go of her hand, setting his thoughts straight, he didn’t want to say anything he shouldn’t. “Sam, look. I think... I mean, if you love each other, that’s what really matters. I... well, in my case, I never... I had never... really... loved anyone until your father. So...”
“I think I got it, Johnny.” she smiled.
“Good.” he concluded. “If you love each other... if you really do, put your heart into it, Sam. But if you ever feel like... it’s not love anymore, I don’t want you guys to stay together just... for convenience, to please other people. Your parents, me, we just want you to be happy, alright?”
“Right.”
“And you can always, always, talk to me, okay. I’ll do my best to help you, got it?”
“Got it.”
Then they heard Laura’s soft cries from the other room.
“I’ll get her, let me.”
He soon came back with the baby in his arms, her little legs squirming as she laughed at the silly faces he made just for her.
“You know... tomorrow is Saturday. Why don’t you leave this one with us this weekend, so you and Miguel can have some time for yourselves, go on a trip, I don’t know...”
“Really? You’d do that for us?”
“Of course! Besides, it’s our gain...”
She stayed until later that day, and when she left, she gave Johnny a long tight hug.
“Thank you, Johnny... really.”
“You got it, kiddo. You have fun and, hey” he broke the hug “wear a condom, okay, one is enough!”