CHAPTER 4: SPARK
5:55pm – Friday, July 17th/1998
Wade shifts the car into park. Sitting in his car, the dog wags its tail beside him in the passenger seat. He licks Wade's cheek.
“Ugh, gross.”
He then stares at his apartment's front door and says,
“Well, I hope Julia will like ya.”
He looks back at the dog.
“You're pretty cute... for a big dog.”
Wade opens the door and steps around to the passenger side. He grabs him by the collar and walks him inside the house. Closing the door, the dog runs frantically through their one-bedroom apartment. He gets near the TV, and Wade shouts,
“NO! STAY AWAY FROM THAT.”
He runs into the living room and picks up the big happy puppy.
“You're going to be a pain in my ass, aren't you?”
he says as he licks his cheek again,
“That's what I should call you... pain in my ass.”
Wade puts the dog down, and it runs over to the bed and lays on it. Wade smirks at the dog and grabs the house phone off the receiver. He dials Julia's number. Julia answers instantly and says,
“Hey babe.”
Wade replies,
“Hey, I'm just wondering when you'll be home.”
He is staring at the wagging tail of the happy dog on his bed. Julia says,
“I am just around the corner. I'll be home in a couple minutes.”
Wade replies,
“Alright, I'll see ya soon.”
Julia says,
“Okay babe, bye bye.”
she hangs up, and Wade puts the phone back on the charger.
He runs over to the bedroom and hops in the bed. He looks up at the dog and whispers,
“She's gonna be pretty excited, man.”
The dog licks his cheek once again, and Wade groans in disgust. He grabs the dog and puts him under the covers. As he does, he hears the front door open up. Julia comes in and closes the door saying,
“Hello?”
Wade replies,
“In here, babe!”
She walks into the bedroom with a glowing look on her face and asks,
“Why are you in bed already? We haven't even eaten dinner.”
Wade says,
“Come on in!”
and he lifts up the covers to show her the dog. Julia is shocked. She jumps up and down in excitement and hops into the bed.
“You bought me a dog?! Oh my god, he is so cute!”
The dog licks Julia's face, and she turns to Wade.
“Oh my god I love him! Ah! I've always wanted a cute puppers! What's his name?!”
Wade stands up out of the bed, watching them play together,
“He doesn't have one yet, you can pick it.”
Julia sits up and says,
“Can we name his Spark?”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.”
Wade smiles.
She looks down at the dog for a moment without an expression on her face.
She looks dazed. Wade asks,
“What's wrong?”
Julia replies,
“Oh, um, nothing! But.. I also have a surprise for you, so I'm just thinking about it.”
Wade asks,
“What is it?! What is it?!”
Julia stands up out of the bed with a serious expression on her face.
Wade asks,
“Is it a good surprise? You don't seem very excited about it.”
Julia quickly says,
“I'm pregnant, Wade.”
He stares at her in question and asks,
“You're pregnant? Are you sure?”
Julia smiles,
“Yes... I'm sure.”
She nods her head up and down with a glow coming from her eyes.
Wade smiles back but quickly turns around and says,
“Wow. I, I don't believe it.”
He walks into the living room. Julia asks,
“Are you not happy about it? I thought that's what you wanted?”
Wade turns around and comforts her.
“No, I'm happy. I'm just, shocked. I didn't think it would be, this soon.”
Julia walks into the living room with Wade and says,
“Soon? Who cares! We're going to have a fucking baby! Wade this is amazing!”
She grabs him and hugs him. Wade slowly wraps his arms around her.
She starts to cry and Wade says,
“Are we even going to be able to afford a baby? I just.. I just bought you a dog.”
Julia backs up and looks at him horrifically.
“Uh, yeah? As long as you keep your job, we'll be fine. Babies are not an expense, Wade.”
She turns around and the dog runs at her. Julia lifts Spark up and turns around.
“I'm pretty sure dogs are harder to take care of than babies.. but I love this little guy! Thank you so much babe!”
Julia dances with the dog in the living room and in a blur, Wade is sitting on the couch contemplating.
He looks up to see Julia dancing and happy and smiling. He says,
“We're going to need to get a bigger place, then. We can't stay here.”
Julia puts the dog down and says,
“We'll be fine, Wade. The baby won't need its own room until it's older. And by then, we should have enough money saved to buy our own house!”
She sits next to him on the couch.
“Don't worry, it's going to be okay. You need to be excited about this with me.”
She places her hand firmly in his and squeezes tight. Wade looks down at the ground and says,
“Well, I am. But I'm kind of terrified, honestly. I was just, hoping it could be you and me for the rest of our lives.”
Julia gasps and stands up.
“I thought you wanted a family?”
Julia turns around and looks at the dog.
“Why did you buy me a fucking dog, then?”
Julia walks into the bedroom and starts to cry on the bed. Spark runs into the bedroom and starts licking her face. Wade stands up and walks over to them. The dog starts barking at Wade.
“Julia, listen. I'm sorry.”
The dog continues to bark at him.
“WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP SO I CAN TALK TO HER?”
Julia turns around to Wade and yells,
“WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? HE'S A DOG!”
She pulls the dog in, and the dog growls and bites her arm in response. Julia jumps back. Wade reaches over to the dog and smacks it in the face,
“YOU LITTLE FUCK, DON'T YOU FUCKING BITE HER!”
Julia yells,
“WADE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?”
She scoops up Spark and heads into the kitchen.
“Stay away from him! You don't hit a fucking dog, Wade. What is wrong with you?”
The dog continues to bark at Wade as he stands embarrassed in the living room.
“Come on, Spark! Let's go outside!”
Julia whimpers as she begins to put on her shoes.
“Babe! I'm sorry, I'll just get out of here..”
Wade walks into the kitchen, and Julia says,
“No! I'm leaving. You can stay the fuck here and leave us alone.”
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Julia starts to cry and falls against the wall beside the front door. Spark licks her face.
“It's okay puppy, he's not a bad guy. He's just mad at me.”
“Julia, I'm not mad at you,”
Wade says from the otherside of the kitchen.
Wade kicks the cupboard below the sink and says,
“Jesus Christ, this is bullshit.”
He storms back into the living room.
"This is NOT how I planned this fucking day.“
Wade sits on the couch and covers his face.
Julia picks up Spark and walks into the doorway.
After a long pause, she says calmly,
"Listen, Wade. If you don't want to have this baby, fine. Tell me now.”
She is shaking with the dog in her arms,
“We can just, live with Sparky, and just, live our lives. Whatever you want.”
Wade looks up at Julia and says,
“I'm sorry."
He stands up and slowly walks towards them.
"I want this.. I want you.. and this dog.."
He pauses halfway towards them to not scare the dog,
"and our baby.”
Julia, barely holding it together, lets out a hysterical laugh.
"What's funny?"
Wade says standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed.
"I don't know. I'm... I'm very sad. But I want this to work. Can we just, move on?"
She says as she puts Spark down.
Wade puts his arms out and Julia walks up for a hug.
They both stand in the middle of the room crying on each other's shoulders.
“I love you Julia. Let's do this.”
Spark starts to growl at Wade.
Julia laughs and says,
“I don't think he likes you!”
Spark quickly snaps his head forward to bite Wade's leg, and Wade yells,
“HEY!”
as he kicks the dog into the kitchen doorway.
Spark hits the wall hard, and Julia gasps.
“WADE!”
She smacks him in the face, and he says,
“HE ALMOST FUCKING BIT ME!”
Julia runs over and picks up the whimpering dog.
“You fucking monster! Why would you do that?”
Julia says in shock,
“Maybe I don't want to have a fucking baby with you.”
She sits in the doorway, consoling the dog.
Wade backs up into the wall behind him.
He whispers to himself,
“Oh god.. What have I done..”
7:16pm – Friday, July 17th/1998