He briefly flashed in the mirror one of his winning smiles complete with dimples before climbing out of the vehicle. He trudged in his slow manner, without rushing, to the front door. He waited patiently for someone to answer the door after he rang the bell.

His idea of an evening of pleasant chitchat was shattered as soon as the door was flung open.

“Oh, good! Ruben! You’re here,” Kimberly Locke said in half hysteria as she ushered him into the house. Not only did the tone in her voice plainly tell that something was amiss, but her rushed appearance also told the tale.

“What’s going on, Kim?”

“Clay will fill you in, I’ve gotta go. Could you please help him out, with the baby and all? Sorry Ruben!” and without a breath she was out the door.

Ruben blinked stupidly, trying to slow down what she had just said at high speed.

“Baby?” he asked aloud. His eyes then doubled in size at an invading thought. He smiled as he further entered the foyer.

“Clay?!” he called into the house. Just as the volume of the word left his mouth, Clay entered from the kitchen. At the sudden loud call, he jumped noticeably, dropping the half-eaten donut he munched on.

“Ah! Ruben! Don’t do that,” he said stamping one foot in protest at his lost snack.

Ruben clapped his hands in amusement, giggling at his long missed friend. He swiftly drew the slender man into a bear hug, strong enough to scare him, but not actually hurt him.

“Air,” Clay wheezed.

“So what’s all this about. Kim looked really upset, and what about a baby? I knew it wasn’t a good idea for you two to move in together,” Ruben replied releasing him for the embrace.

Ruben could see his cheeks go red at that last comment. He was ever the decent one.

“Ruben! Don’t be silly,” he reached down to retrieve his soiled pastry. “Kimmie’s fine, she just got a call from her aunt who is in town. She must’ve gotten into some car trouble. I don’t know all the details. I mean, she called minutes before the door bell rang. Anyway, Kim’s baby cousin is here. We’ve gotta keep an eye on her till they get back. Sorry, Ruben. I know how much you wanted to just sit around and catch up. But, don’t worry. Baby Beth hasn’t made a sound in hours. I’m sure we won’t have to do anything drastic.”

As soon as the words left his mouth the piercing sound of a wailing child came from one of the rooms.

They both looked at each other and then at the direction the cries were coming from. Clay smiled apologetically before trudging down the hall to the room. Ruben was soon in the doorway witnessing how his friend dealt with the screaming child.

“I don’t think she went potty, I think she’s hungry,” he looked up at Ruben. “That’s your department.”

Ruben gave him that you-better-watch-yourself look, that sent Clay trembling in mock fear. Approaching him, he thrust the wailing infant into his arms. Ruben took the child uncertainly.

“Hey, Clay. I’m not so good- I mean,” but Clay had already left the room, leaving him to stare at a face that was mostly just an open mouth, crying out its objections.

“Just hold on to her for a minute, I’ve gotta set up the baby seat,” Clay shouted from the kitchen.

Ruben tried to reposition Beth in his arms, but was only rewarded with louder screams. He hurried into where the other man was setting out various baby foods.

“Come on Clay, take her. I’ve never been great with kids. At least not ones so small.”

Clay's face contorted into one of utmost disbelief and shock, complete with dropping his jaw.

“The Velvet Teddy bear is not good with kids!? Now, I think for that alone, I should’ve been the American Idol.”

“Just get over here and take her, You’re used to dealing with screaming girls.”

“Very, funny,” he then took the child and placed her in the seat. “You’d think that kids would just take to you, what with your face and dimples. After I get her fed, you’ve gotta hold her again.”

Clay quickly unscrewed the cap to the baby food that had a strange orange color. He dipped the small spoon in, and much to Ruben’s surprise began to cliche act of pretending that it was an airplane. Ruben smiled and shook his head. This man never ceased to amaze him.

After the first bite was successful, Clay clapped his hands, and was rewarded with a smile from Beth.

“I don’t know who’s entertaining who.”

Clay merely laughed and continued with a couple more bites.

“It’s easy, come on, you try now,” Clay said as he brought another spoonful to the child’s mouth. As he glanced up to see what Ruben’s reply would be, one of Beth’s arms hit it, sending the contents flying right into Clay’s eye.

Not only did the big man start to laugh, but little Beth thought this was amusing also and joined Ruben in his booming laughter.

“Nah, man. I’d much rather watch,” he managed to choke out between chuckles. He grabbed a napkin from the top of the fridge and handed to Clay. He mumbled a ‘thank you’ as he mopped the orange substance from his face. He then stood to throw the soiled napkin away.

Ruben stopped in mid-giggle at the smell of something.

“Uh, Clay, were you sure about that not going potty thing?” Ruben said as he sniffed at the surrounding air.

“What do you me-” he stopped as soon as his nose caught drift of what Ruben’s already had.

“She must’ve just gone. I’ve already got food all over me, it’s your turn,” he plucked the child out of the seat and started coming toward Ruben. Julia started to fuss at her uncomfortable pants.

“Oh, no! Listen, I didn’t come over here for this.”

“Come on, be fair,” He gave him a pout-y face that was more comical than convincing.

“No,” Ruben bluntly responded.

“Alright, be that way. But you have to help.”

Ruben followed, but something other the changing of diapers was occupying his mind. There was something soothing about all this. He enjoyed having this type of time with Clay. Seeing how good he was with children, even when they dirty him in some way.

“Hand me that diaper bag, will ya, please?”

Ruben was quick to hand it over and then retreated about three feet.

“Oh, come on, Ruben. Don’t be such a baby.”

“You’re doing such a good job at being Mom who am I to hinder you?”

“Get over here.”

As Clay started to peel off the diaper, Ruben demonstrated his disgust by overdramatizing his facial expressions. He was rewarded by Clay’s clear chuckle.

“Oh, stop it. Here, throw this away,” He shoved a heavy bundle in his direction. Reluctantly, and with as few fingers as possible he took the thing from him and made a mad dash for the bath, disposing of the dirty diaper. He took his time on the trip back, admiring on the way the many funny faces his friend could come up with to entertain the child as he replaced the old diaper with the new one.

“See, now that wasn’t so hard?”

“Yeah, whatever,” Ruben said as nonchalantly as possible. He turned and headed out the door and to the kitchen. He needed something to get his mind off of the strange thoughts about Clay. He had been examining him more than usual. Did he really miss him that much?

He shook his head while opening the fridge and pulling out whatever ingredients would make a proper sandwich. Though not before he thoroughly washed his hands.

As he started to compile his snack together, the redhead strolled in from the other room and made himself, and his cargo comfortable on the couch, and turning on the television.

“Oh, no,” Clay said, his accent thick in his words, as he playfully covered the eyes of the infant to shield her eyes from whatever corrupt happenings plagued the television. Ruben could only guess that it was Oscar the Grouch being particularly nasty.

Ruben smiled and chuckled to himself. He took a hearty bite of his completed sandwich, and continued to analyze his friend. A true friend he had been too. During the past few couple of months he had barely been able to see his favorite contestant, and he knew that he was feeling the repercussions of it. He had been a bit cranky without his lanky fellow southerner to joke with. Nobody made him laugh quite like Clay. He could be just be cute like a little boy or lost puppy and it got Ruben chuckling.

“Take a picture, Rubbie,” Clay said in his most girly voice. (which actually could have been mistaken for a real female voice.)

Ruben shook his head to clear his mind of the lingering thoughts to find that he had been staring at Clay, and Clay had noticed.

“Sorry, man. Just blanking out for a moment,” he quickly to another bite of his turkey sandwich to hide the blush that he knew must be apparent.

He sank his weight in a local easy chair beside the other two. Beth yawned and looked at Clay as if he were the most interesting thing in the room. ‘She ain’t far from the truth either,’ Ruben thought. Clay himself then yawned.

“Bed time for little girls,” his eyes sparkled as he made eye contact with the child. Ruben wished he could take a picture of the priceless scene. He smiled genuinely.

Clay scooped up the girl and started toward the room where the crib was set up. Ruben’s attention was taken from Clay when the front door was opened. The sound of two female voices soon flooded his hearing. He glanced at his clock and was surprised to find that it was already pretty late.

“Oh, Ruben! Thank you so much,” Kim said as she entered the room and threw her arms around him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she then proceeded to cover his face in small kisses that were more like pecks.

“Mercy,” he said playfully trying to push her off.

“Ruben, this is my Auntie Rebecca.”

Ruben stood and shook hands with the middle-aged woman. “Pleased to meet you.”

He then turned to Kim. “I’ve gotta run, Kimmie. We need to get together more often when the schedule isn't so tight.”

“So soon, Ruben?”

“Yea, I’ve gotta say bye to Clay, I’ll be back,”

As he plodded to where he was sure his friend was he began to realize that it would probably be weeks, and maybe months till he saw them again, till he saw Clay again. This small visit was a cruel tease. He might have been better off staying home, where reliving of old times wasn’t so fresh in the mind. Though he had realized something that night. He really adored the other man, the moments he was with them during any situation made him feel like he was actually alive, complete almost. Would it be so wrong to even say that he loved Clay?

He stopped in the doorway, watching Clay. He was humming some indistinct lullaby as the child closed its eyes finally in sleep. So gently he laid the baby down in the crib.

Ruben knocked timidly on the open door before stepping beside Clay. Clay didn’t acknowledge him. He just continued to stare at the sleeping infant.

“Sorry that everything didn’t turn out tonight,” he whispered.

“Now, don’t you start. I’ve had enough from Kim, If I hear another ‘thank you’ or an apology then I’m gunna be the one apologizing soon for all the pain,” he then playfully slapped him on the back, leaving his hand there.

“I’ve gotta run though. I just came to say bye to the baby,” he said leaning over the crib and lightly touched the cheek of the infant. A thought then came to him. He couldn’t bear the idea of leaving without telling Clay even in the smallest of hints, what he felt for him.

“And to say good night to my baby,” Ruben said in all seriousness as his hand lightly caress the back of Clay’s neck. It was a very small suggestive remark, he hoped it infested Clay’s mind as much as Clay himself did to Ruben’s mind. A moment of silence passed before, the big man turned and left Clay to wonder about his last comment.

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