Mandy's He-Man (12 page)

She sat, feeling miserable, on the cold tiles of the bathroom floor, her head hanging over the toilet bowl as she threw up for the second time. This was the third day in a row that she had been physically ill, and she was starting to get worried, thinking a trip to the doctor was probably needed, when there was a soft rap on the door.

“Mandy, it’s me, Caitlin. Can I come in?”

“Yeah, if you’re game. I think I’m finished puking up.” Mandy watched as Caitlin entered the room. A huge, bright smile was covering her friend’s face, and Mandy groaned at the look of happiness her friend exuded. “What’s the hero done to make you so happy?” she said, referring to Caitlin’s nickname for Brodie.

“Oh, Mandy, don’t you realise what’s going on? Goodness, didn’t your parents tell you about the birds and the bees? What makes a woman tired, her breasts feel tender and full…and makes her vomit at the smell of food? Doh! Think about it, girl!” Mandy could feel Caitlin stroke her back tenderly, obviously waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.

“Oh, my
God
!” was all Mandy managed to get out before she threw up again, the retching sounds cutting off any more exclamations.

It was at about the same time that the door banged open and JT stormed in, looking fiercer than ever before.

“Enough! It’s time you finally told me, Mandy. I’m big, not stupid. I know what’s going on here, and I’m a bit pissed you haven’t told me yet.” JT was standing down at Mandy. She could see the disappointment and maybe a little anger in his expression. “I want to yell to the world that we are having a baby. I want to hold you when you’re sick. I want to share this wonderful blessing with you, woman. Not stand on the sidelines as if I’ve been benched. I love you. Why are you keeping such good news from me?”

“Settle down, JT. I think I’ll leave you both to it. Be gentle, big boy—it’s not you chucking up,” Caitlin joked as she squeezed by the huge mass of a man. “I think you guys need some privacy, and Brodie and Riley must be wondering what in goodness is going on.”

“He-Man, just hold up…” Mandy tried to stand. She wobbled a little and had to take JT’s hand, grateful for his assistance. She rinsed her mouth under running tap water, then turned to him. 

“Firstly, I am well aware that you are, in fact, extremely above average in the intelligence department. In fact, maybe you could have clued me in on what was happening to me, seeing as I seem to be last to know.” She giggled nervously as she continued, “Maybe I’m just small and stupid, Jon. I didn’t even think about being pregnant, not until Caitlin just mentioned it. I’ve had the contraceptive injection. It was a while ago, but I thought I was still safe… This shouldn’t be happening.”

Mandy, after taking a deep breath and grabbing hold of JT’s big hands in her smaller, quite clammy ones, asked him the all-important question.

“So… How
do
you feel about the chance I might be pregnant? That you might be a father?”

“Mags, baby,” JT said without a moment’s hesitation as he pulled her into his embrace, lifting her feet from the ground, his strong arms holding her to his chest, “if you have our baby growing inside you, my life will be almost complete.” Although Mandy was not sure what he had meant by ‘almost complete’, she was surprised by the tears her strong man was shedding, feeling them wet against her skin.

“I think I need some weak tea and toast,” Mandy said, in an effort to try to get them out of the bathroom and back to their friends. “Maybe you should go to the chemist, JT, and get me a pregnancy test so we can confirm our news, and then you can blab to the world. But first, you need to put me down, He-Man.”

“That, you gorgeous woman, is a fantastic idea. Let’s go gently persuade Caitlin to make the tea so I can shoot off and get those tests,” JT happily replied as he carried Mandy out to see the others, who were still waiting patiently to wish her a happy birthday.

Mandy and JT had cleared some of the art studio to make a little living area, complete with a small, two-seat sofa and matching chair with a coffee table in between. JT had fixed a small television to the wall so he could keep himself amused while Mandy worked. As JT carefully placed Mandy on the sofa, brushing a confused Riley out of the way, he grabbed Brodie by the arm.

“C’mon, mate, I don’t think I can drive. We need to go pick up some things. Hey, Caitlin, could you make Mandy some tea and toast while we’re gone?”

As a confused and slightly worried-looking Brodie and Riley left with a smiling JT, Mandy sighed. 

“Could my life be any better?” She rubbed her hand lovingly over her possibly pregnant tummy and daydreamed about being a mum, envisioning her baby as a little version of JT, with black hair and dark eyes, or maybe a curly, dark-haired girl with Mandy’s unusual eye-colouring.

Mandy daydreamed the time away while waiting for the tea and toast Caitlin had offered to make, and it wasn’t long before the two men and Riley returned from their shopping expedition. JT had purchased five different varieties of pregnancy test. A laughing Mandy went off to the bathroom to do some serious ‘peeing on sticks’, as she called it.

“Thanks for the mental picture, Mandy—I really could have lived without it!” Riley, obviously embarrassed by the image, groaned behind her as she left the room. “Yuck! Girls say the most disgusting things. I’ll never understand why you guys get so gushy around them,” he grunted, obviously speaking to JT and Brodie.

Mandy used three tests, and placed the sticks carefully on the vanity top. She called for JT to join her. JT sat on the closed toilet with Mandy in his lap as they waited the required length of time for the results to show. Time seemed to slow, and the anticipation built as the minutes ticked past.

“Okay, Mags, time’s up. Are you going to look?”

“No, I’m too nervous! Jon, can you do it, please?” Mandy begged.

“If you’re sure, honey.” JT lifted Mandy gently and stood up. He picked up the first stick.

“It says positive.”

He placed it back down and picked up the second stick. ”This one’s showing two pink lines in the little window…”

JT picked up the third…

The next thing she knew, Mandy was being showered with kisses by an enthusiastically cheering JT. Before long, the bathroom was crowded—her friends were also there to congratulate them, hugging and just being happy for her and JT in their special moment.

* * * *

JT had seemed particularly nervous before today’s game, Mandy had noticed, and wondered if it was under the weight of the news about the baby. She was deliriously happy, her mind so bright with colour that she wished she could wear some sort of mind sunglasses to turn down the light. She giggled aloud at the thought. JT looked over to her from the driver’s seat of his panther-like car, raising an eyebrow in question.

As usual, JT parked in the team’s reserved parking area. He jumped from the car and after grabbing his bag from the boot, he insisted on helping her from the vehicle, then took Mandy’s hand in his, leading her towards the entrance to the grandstand.

Mandy was floating along, happily touching her tummy all the time in wonder. She hadn’t even noticed that they had stopped. The sound of cheering and clapping had Mandy looking around wondering what was going on. Finally, she noticed the giant scoreboard—her name was lit up brightly in huge, neon lettering. Mandy read the words written alongside her name.

‘Mandy, love of my life

Make me the happiest man alive

Agree to be my wife

I love you

Jonathon ‘JT’ Thomson’

Mandy looked back to JT, who was now kneeling in front of her and holding out a ring. Even kneeling, JT was still almost at eye level with her.

Mandy didn’t mean to wait, but it took a minute for her brain to catch up before she threw her arms around the love of her life and agreed wholeheartedly to be his wife. The sound of cameras clicking and people cheering were almost muted by her happiness and desire for her man.

After placing the ring on her finger, JT escorted Mandy to her seat next to a teary-eyed Caitlin. Brodie, having used Mandy’s seat to watch the show, stood and clapped JT on the back in congratulations. Mandy was amazed to see the stand nearly full of people who had arrived early, just to see JT’s proposal.

“Pretty confident there, He-Man. What would you have done if I’d said no?” Mandy asked JT teasingly.

Looking down at her with a deadly serious expression, he replied in a slow, sure tone. “Died a million deaths, Mandy. I couldn’t imagine life without you. You are the love of my life.”

Tears threatened to spill from Mandy’s eyes as her man gently kissed her goodbye and went to prepare for the game. His words had been so heartfelt, they’d caused a shiver to run up her spine and goosebumps to erupt over her skin. She would never forget that simple statement, or the look on his face as JT had answered her.

Watching the game was getting no easier for Mandy. She still cringed every time JT was involved in any part of the action, only managing to breathe normally at the times he was off the field. Players were often substituted during a match—a fresh player could have an impact in a game as others became tired.

Mandy was starting to understand a lot more about what JT’s role was in the Jets team. With JT being so strong, it often took many of the opposition players, all working together, to wrestle him to the ground. Even then, JT was often still able to run many metres first. If he passed the ball on to one of his teammates before he went to ground, they could often find a space to run, given the fact that so many of the other team’s players were already distracted by JT. He was also very good at stopping the opposition from running when they had the ball, slamming players hard into the ground before they could get very far.

Even with her little experience of the game, Mandy could see how talented JT was. No player on the opposite team gave the Jets the amount of trouble that JT gave in return. It was good to have Riley explaining the rules and finer points of the game to her. Mandy was impressed with the boy’s knowledge. She couldn’t say she actually enjoyed the game, but did appreciate the skill involved.

JT’s and Brodie’s Jets team won again. They were being touted as the team to beat in the finals. The regular season was coming to a close in a few weeks—then the top teams would play for a chance to compete in the grand final and ultimately win the title of Premiers
.
The Grand Final Week
—
Mandy had been told by the other wives—was very exciting, usually involving a fanfare of events and media attention hyping up the excitement levels for players and fans alike. She wasn’t sure her nerves could cope with any of that, so just concentrated on the normal games ahead, trying to survive those first.

As the usual group of family and friends gathered outside the door to the changing rooms, Mandy absorbed her surroundings. So many fans were waiting excitedly for the chance to see their favourite players, and kids were dressed as little versions of their heroes. Men and women were dressed in the team’s colours of black and gold, wearing scarves and hats, waving flags. Reporters and photographers milled around, waiting for a comment or photo that would give them a story to print, which would justify their employment. Seeing everyone so happy now
their
team had won, Mandy realised what a huge responsibility the team of Jets players carried onto the field.

Chapter Eighteen

It had been a good victory.

JT sat next to Brodie, watching as his fellow teammates, team officials and staff rowdily sang the team song—a tradition after a win. People were thumping their hands on the walls or cupboards, anything to make more noise as they jubilantly celebrated the outcome. JT couldn’t help smiling at the way Riley was enthusiastically joining in, enjoying his life, deserving to after having to survive the loss of his parents while so very young.

“Love seeing the kid so happy…better feeling than the win, really,” JT spoke quietly. “You and I are lucky bastards. Great women prepared to put up with us forever, the kid over there and me with one on the way, your parents, my father, people that we can count on, not to mention some loyal friends. All of it—all this—makes a bloke feel real grateful. We’ve certainly come a long way this year, Brodes! I got a feeling that this is our year, big fella!”

“Yep, you got that right, mate.” Brodie took a long swallow of the sports drink he was holding. “Pinch myself every day at my luck in finding Cait and young Riley. Can’t imagine my life without them, now. Wouldn’t want to. Mandy’s a winner for sure, couldn’t be happier for you JT. Hope the kid takes after her, though!” He grinned. “What do you say we get cleaned up and out to our women, pronto? Don’t know ’bout you, but I need to taste some sweet lips, and real soon.”

JT couldn’t have agreed more with Brodie, so he dragged his tired, stiff and sore body up from the bench and headed for the showers.

* * * *

JT was appreciative of all the fuss being made over him and Mandy back at the after game function. Sponsors and club directors wished them well, buying champagne and insisting on toasting to them and their future. He noticed that Mandy was only having a token sip before making the champagne glass disappear, as if by magic. JT was aware that alcohol was not good for a developing baby, and was so proud of her. He knew she was going to be a wonderful mother. He was also relieved to watch as Mandy cleaned her plate at dinner, glad that her stomach must have settled down since the morning.

He really wanted to tell his father, in person, the good news that Mandy had agreed to marry him, and so had called earlier and invited his dad to come and join them at the club. He was also looking forward to breaking the good news about the baby. JT had been pondering what his father would want to be called—maybe ‘Pop’ or ‘Pa’. ‘Granddad’
sounded way too formal. The impending conversation brought a smile to his face as he imagined his father’s delight at the news.

Chapter Nineteen