El Paso, Texas, Tuesday Night

[weldedtomyspine]

"Have I mentioned how much I like that dress?" Jaime asked with a grin as he held the door open for Momoko. Because he did. Not that he didn't like Momoko in lots of things, but some dresses just... really worked for her.

"Also, I hope this place is good. I mean, the reviews say it is, but I haven't been here before."

He took a moment to exchange a few words with the hostess about their reservation.

"But if they aren't the best Italian place you've been to this year, don't blame me, okay?"

Comments

[heromaniac]

"Mmm?" She tilted her head a little at him missing a chance like that. "No teasing back. Did you suddenly realize you agreed to let me have sugar and caffeine and alcohol all in the same meal?"

Speaking of, there was a waiter was hovering and waiting for a sign they were ready for the next course.

[weldedtomyspine]

"No. Though," Jaime shook his head. "Now that you mention it, that should probably be terrifying me, shouldn't it?"

He grinned, checked the state of Momoko's plate, and waved for the waiter over.

[heromaniac]

With a soft murmur of apology, the waiter swept in and exchanged the salad plates for the next course, deftly refreshed their drinks and left them again.

Momoko leaned forward for her drink as soon as he was gone and raised it to Jaime. "Definitely should. And look, he even brought me another."

Don't worry, Jaime. She was going to make this one last the rest of dinner.

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime put on a little smile. "So he did. What a thoughtful guy."

He fell silent again, lost in thought for a moment. He hadn't actually thought about an old conversation he'd had until a couple of minutes ago, but now he couldn't stop.

"Hey, um." He wasn't really sure how to put this.

[heromaniac]

"Hmm?" Momoko was poking at her risotto, torn between her faith in a chef's skills at putting flavours together and her first impression of the rice on her plate.

[weldedtomyspine]

He picked at his own food, though not for the same reasons Momoko was. "So, you remember Elena, right?"

[heromaniac]

"Ele- Of course?" Momoko looked up at him and then around the restaurant in concern. That particular Fandom weird had never happened while they were off the island, but who knew what the rules were for that sort of thing? "Kids didn't show up today, did they?"

She wasn't panicked except for the idea that there were possibly unknown children wandering an unfamiliar city looking for parents that didn't exist.

[weldedtomyspine]

Oh. That hadn't even occurred to him. Jaime felt a moment of panic, but then remembered that Momoko was right. They hadn't shown up today.

That probably would have been extra awkward.

"Did she ever tell you when she was born?" he asked, still looking down at his plate.

[heromaniac]

"What are you thinking about that you're asking that," Momoko reached for her glass with a snicker. "And no. Well, she mentioned that she had almost gotten no cake for her birthday once as a punishment. Or maybe that was Sophia?"

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime took a deep breath. "I don't know the exact date, but she told me that her birthday's in November."

Another breath.

"Of 2017."

[heromaniac]

"You got SPOILERS?!?!" Momoko gasped excitedly, almost dropping her fork.

And then the last bit of what he said got through and she did drop it. "Wait what?"

[weldedtomyspine]

Yeah. Actually, despite how he felt at that moment, Jaime couldn't help but snort.

"She told me to do the math."

[heromaniac]

"Ah! That was totally teen!Elena," Momoko recovered her silverware. "Little!Elena wouldn't say something like that to her beloved papa."

"... Wait. Jaime! THIS November? That means..." And this time her fork landed on the floor as she started counting on her fingers, her face paling.

[weldedtomyspine]

"Yeah." He could tell that Momoko had done the math, too.

"This November."

[heromaniac]

She had and she was now leaning across the table and reaching for his hands. "I'm not pregnant! I promise Jaime!"

She'd know, right?

RIGHT?!

"Am I?"

She couldn't be! They weren't married!!

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime blinked. Because that had not been a response he'd been prepared for.

"What? No!"

"Um. I don't think so?"

He cocked his head for a moment. "No. Definitely not." He trusted Khaji'Da on that front.

[heromaniac]

So did she! "See? Okay." She breathed again. And then took another breath and sat back down.

"Okay."

[weldedtomyspine]

"Jeez." Jaime shook his head. "Don't scare me like that. I hadn't even thought of that." And Jaime was usually the worrier.

[heromaniac]

"Hmm?" A totally oblivious relaxed again Momoko was going to try to eat her risotto with her spoon now, thanks Jaime. "Why'd you bring it up, then?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"Because I don't know when in November," Jaime said.

He sighed, looking down at his food again. Which he hadn't really tasted despite eating some of it already.

"She said you always told her we had a very nice Valentine's Day."

[heromaniac]

"That is something I'd say, isn't it." Momoko set down her spoon as that finally broke through. "Did... Did she seem like she was joking?"

[weldedtomyspine]

"I'm not sure," Jaime admitted a bit ruefully. For all that the girl was supposed to be his daughter, he didn't really know her very well.

"I don't think so, though?"

[heromaniac]

"So that means this month is the month that we," Momoko wasn't sure she had enough sugar in her drink for this. "That she is conceived, right?"

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime went still, but that tone in her voice had him looking up at her across the table, staring into her eyes.

"Somewhere, yeah." In some timeline.

[heromaniac]

"Yeah." He probably wouldn't like the look he saw there, because Momoko was realizing a few things and she was feeling very conflicted and upset about them.

They weren't married. They weren't ready. She knew that and would totally be the first to admit it. But if it wasn't this month then didn't that mean they would never have Elena? That whole future where everyone, all of them, they were all so happy and... well, a family. She'd wanted that.