Four-Letter Word

Life: June 28, 2009-January 7, 2010

life \līf\ n, pl lives \līvz\ 1 : the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body or inanimate matter; also : a state of an organism characterized esp. by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction 2 : the physical and mental experiences of an individual 3 : BIOGRAPHY 4 : a specific phase or period <adult ~> 5 : the period from birth to death; also : a sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of a person's life 6 : a way of living 7 : PERSON 8 : ANIMATION, SPIRIT; also : LIVELINESS 9 : living beings <forest ~> 10 : animate activity <signs of ~> 11 : one providing interest and vigor <~ of the party> — life-less adj — life-like adj

Merriam-Webster and Garfield Dictionary (1999)

---

Callie struggled with putting the key into the door of Richard's apartment. Her head was still reeling from the information she got a while ago, and she didn't know what to do with it. She did what she normally would do when she has a problem: run to Richard, her best friend, for advice.

Only this time, this one was Richard's problem too.

Finally the key fit and she stumbled into Richard's bachelor pad. Two boxes of pizza—one empty, the other half-empty—and a six-pack were on the center table just in front of a black leather couch, where Richard was lying, playing PS3. Sounds of gunfire and bomb explosions echoed around the room because of his Dolby Digital surround sound speakers. Those same sounds usually give Callie headaches whenever she at Richard's place and he's abusing his PS3. The only fun thing about those same set of speakers that Callie can appreciate was when she and Richard do movie marathons.

Some of Richard's clothes were draped over the loveseat to the right of the couch, while his towel was over one of the two lampshades in the living room. Rubber shoes and slippers were laid abandoned a few inches next to the shoe rack, a product of haphazardly throwing them towards that direction instead of placing them properly there.

One of his quiet, I'm-so-bum days—no radio show as it was Friday, his day off, and no hosting gigs or modeling stints. No dates, too, apparently.

Richard, in only his boxers, immediately paused the game he was playing when he saw Callie enter his pad. He saw her nose crinkling at the sight of his dirty apartment, causing him to stand up and tidy up the living room in under thirty seconds, something he perfected ever since Callie started to come over and she would almost always find his place in a mess. Callie, ever the neat freak, would give him hell for the mess. Over the years, Richard learned to manage his mess when he's around Callie.

She didn't give him hell this time—she just flopped on the couch he vacated. Richard frowned, weirded by Callie's actions.

"What's wrong?" he asked, grabbing one of the shirts he had lying around, tossing it on. He sat next to her, playfully placing an arm over her shoulder. Callie pushed it off, facing him, her eyes on her hands in her lap. He took a can of beer, popping the tab off and then took a swig.

She exhaled loudly. "Richard, I'm pregnant."

Richard drew in a sharp breath, choking on the beer. "What?" he asked Callie, and she repeated what she said, not even rewording anything. When she finally lifted her head to look at him, she saw what she didn't expect to see—happiness.

"You are?" Richard asked, elation evident in his voice. He reached for her hands and held them tightly. "We're pregnant?" he asked again, and Callie nodded, the fears she earlier had about Richard running away from her or something quickly dispelled by this kind of reaction.