Real Person // Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock // Building A Family (Two)
Title: Building A Family (Part Two)
Fandom: Real People
Characters: Keanu Reeves & Sandra Bullock
Prompt: 24. Slip
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,622
Summary: Surprise phone call.
Author's Note: Ah, I don't know them. This is just how I think it should be.
The story of how Keanu's dream family from The Beach came to be.
“My shirt is red.”
“Good.”
“Your shirt is blue.”
“Yep.”
“The fridge is white.”
“Actually,” Keanu corrected Kamea gently, “it’s eggshell.”
“Oh stop,” Sandra scolded him, swiping the back of his head lightly on her way to get bread from the cupboard. “It’s white.”
“Hey, if we want a Harvard graduate, we need to be accurate about these things.” he flipped up a flash card.
“Yellow.”
“Good.”
According to Kamea’s kindergarten teacher, she was struggling with her colors. While other students pointed out the brown bear, the white bird, and the green turtle, Kamea launched into a story about how they were all friends who saved each other through a daring adventure against the wolf, enemy of the forest. Her teacher called it avoidance to learn. She felt that if they as her parents didn’t step in now to help her learn, she could become a very problematic student. Keanu thought she was a very problematic teacher.
“Black.”
“Right.” Keanu inhaled the heavenly smell of a ham and cheese sandwich grilling on the stove. “Smells good. Are you hungry?” he asked Kamea.
“As hungry as a bear!” she responded, throwing up her hands to snarl and fake claw at Keanu. He held up a finger.
“Hey now … what kind of bear?”
“A brown one!”
“Very good.” Sandra laughed.
“You’re impossible.”
“Remember after we eat you’re going to have go play while we paint your room,” Keanu reminded Kamea.
Though it’d been four months since they adopted her, Keanu and Sandra had yet to finish redecorating the room they had set aside for her. Although they had the entire summer to paint, carpet, and furnish the room, it was a lot more fun getting to know their daughter. Keanu considered hiring someone to come in and do the job while they were out for a week but Sandra wanted the room to come from them and not a professional.
Marriage was something else the two had kept from their minds. Hollywood had no problem with the two playing house without being married, but Keanu was getting anxious. Their two year anniversary was fast approaching. He’d never been one to rush getting serious, but this was ridiculous. They knew each other since forever, were in love, and had a kid. Marriage would only complete the future Keanu had secretly savored for himself as a child. Yet after her outburst when they went to meet Kamea, he’d been hesitant to suggest getting married on their anniversary. And right now, with a steaming hot pan in her hand, it wasn’t the time.
The phone rang and Keanu, startled, leaped from his chair, still quick enough to block out Sandra from reaching it. He turned around and grabbed her arms to keep her from passing him.
“Nice try. If that’s your sister on the phone I’ll never get to eat.” Kamea giggled watching her parents interact; Sandra dodged a couple times before realizing he wasn’t letting go.
“Fine.” they kissed briefly before he released her to return to the stove.
“It wouldn’t be my sister anyway,” Sandra said as Keanu picked up the phone, “they had dance competition this weekend.”
“Like that would stop her -- hello?”
“Hello, this is Dr. Stein; I’m calling for Sandra Bullock. Is she available?”
“No, she isn’t; can I ask what this is about?” Sandra laughed despite his serious tone, figuring he was baiting her sister; she stopped short when he waved his hand to silence her and retreated into the living room. The smile dropped from Kamea’s face as well.
“This is something I’d prefer to discuss with Sandra.”
“Well, I’m her hus -- boyfriend.” the term sounded juvenile compared to a legal and binding husband. “Keanu Reeves?”
“Oh, yes, Keanu. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize your voice. This is something you’ll be happy to hear. As you know Sandra came in for a pregnancy test. She told me you were both very anxious about the results.”
Keanu’s legs went weak, and he fumbled to the floor. Sandra, pregnant?
“And? And … what -- what were the results?”
“She’s almost four months along. Congratulations!” he felt like doing anything but celebrating just then.
“Thank you,” he whispered. Dr. Stein began talking about scheduling an appointment to check on the baby’s progress, but Keanu already hung up.
He didn’t even have an inkling that she was pregnant. Weren’t women supposed to have a million different symptoms so even the dog could tell they were pregnant? Keanu remembered with Jennifer that she threw up a lot in the beginning and was extremely irritable. She also tossed out anything that gave off an irritating smell because the pregnancy heightened the sense of smell. But more importantly than him figuring it out for himself, wasn’t she supposed to share this bit of information with him?
“Keanu? Who was on the phone?” Sandra called from the kitchen.
He didn’t answer her. Getting to his feet, Keanu walked back to the kitchen, pausing just at the entrance. She looked up smiling from the sandwiches, and Kamea glanced over from her color flash cards.
“Kamea why don’t you go outside and we’ll let you know when lunch is ready. Take the dog with you; it needs the exercise.” his voice was tight with effort to keep from screaming.
“Okay.” she slid out of her chair silently, not looking at either of her parents. The tension was obvious and dampened the once cheerful mood of the house. She clapped for the dog, who rose from the kitchen floor and followed her out, tail wagging. The screen door banged behind them.
“Who was on the phone?” Sandra asked again, although by this point she had a fairly good idea. Keanu put the phone back in its receiver.
“It was your gynecologist. When were you going to tell me you’re pregnant?”
“I didn’t know.”
“No, but you had an idea. There was a possibility. You could have told me that much. What, is it not mine?”
“Of course it’s yours,” she snapped as she flicked down the stove’s flame.
“Well I don’t know. Because you tell me you love me, but you won’t marry me. You tell me you want a life with me, but you won’t tell me that you’re pregnant. So I have to think, maybe she really doesn’t want to be with me. Maybe she’s just putting up with this whole charade because she’s lonely and when she’s done using me, she can leave without a messy divorce.”
“I love you. What’s the problem?”
“You won’t even tell me you’re pregnant! Who says the rest of it isn’t a lie?”
Sandra‘s hands jabbed at her chest. “Me! I do! I wanted to be sure! Is that so wrong?”
“I may not be your husband, but I deserve to know. Whether or not you’re sure. I could’ve been there for you.”
“I don’t want you there for me. I didn’t want you to have a part in this at all.” Keanu looked as though she slapped him. Sandra backtracked. “Wait, that’s not what I meant! I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“I can handle it.”
“You’ve been through so much. If something was wrong with the baby … we promised each other we wouldn’t try to get pregnant.”
“And we didn’t! It just happened. So why wouldn’t we celebrate that?”
“Because I don’t want to lose another baby!” Sandra turned away from him, clicking off the stove and grabbing a potholder. Clenching the handle of the pan, she tossed the last sandwich on the plate with the others. Tears were stinging her eyes; she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. Keanu crossed the kitchen to help her set down the pan before she burned herself.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“Jesse and I … I was pregnant,” she whispered. Setting aside the potholders, Keanu guided her to the table where he sat down, settling Sandra in the chair across from him. He rubbed her arm as she leaned against the table, her hand drawing back her hair. She sniffled hard, holding back tears over an unjust issue she’d already spent many a night crying about. Keanu was glad Kamea was far in the yard, running around with the dog and unaware of the drama unfolding inside.
“I didn’t even know,” he said softly. “When?”
“Late 2006, when all those rumors were going around that I was pregnant? I was. And we were going to announce it. I was only a couple months along.”
“Then?” he swept his fingers down her arm, taking up her hand and bring it up to his lips. Sandra shook her head, sighing, releasing her hair so it tumbled over her saddened face.
“I woke up one morning, went to the bathroom … and there was blood. No more baby.”
“Oh Sandy,” he murmured against her knuckles. “I’m so sorry.”
“I didn’t want to go through that again.”
“I know.” he thought of Ava, his own private fear. “It’s going to be okay. This baby’s going to be okay.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because it’s ours.” Sandra smiled.
“You’re so corny.”
“I know. Years of bad scripts, maybe.” he quieted. “You have to talk to me, Sandy. Tell me when something’s going on.”
“I will.”
“And I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I know you love me.”
“It’s okay. You were hurt.” she leaned foreword and kissed his forehead. Her lips strayed over his closed eyes, her fingers brushing his hair. “I want to marry you …” she whispered assuring. “I just need some time to figure out when.”
Keanu hesitated before he suggested the anniversary. “Take all the time you need.” he replied instead.
“Thank you.”
Fandom: Real People
Characters: Keanu Reeves & Sandra Bullock
Prompt: 24. Slip
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,622
Summary: Surprise phone call.
Author's Note: Ah, I don't know them. This is just how I think it should be.
The story of how Keanu's dream family from The Beach came to be.
“My shirt is red.”
“Good.”
“Your shirt is blue.”
“Yep.”
“The fridge is white.”
“Actually,” Keanu corrected Kamea gently, “it’s eggshell.”
“Oh stop,” Sandra scolded him, swiping the back of his head lightly on her way to get bread from the cupboard. “It’s white.”
“Hey, if we want a Harvard graduate, we need to be accurate about these things.” he flipped up a flash card.
“Yellow.”
“Good.”
According to Kamea’s kindergarten teacher, she was struggling with her colors. While other students pointed out the brown bear, the white bird, and the green turtle, Kamea launched into a story about how they were all friends who saved each other through a daring adventure against the wolf, enemy of the forest. Her teacher called it avoidance to learn. She felt that if they as her parents didn’t step in now to help her learn, she could become a very problematic student. Keanu thought she was a very problematic teacher.
“Black.”
“Right.” Keanu inhaled the heavenly smell of a ham and cheese sandwich grilling on the stove. “Smells good. Are you hungry?” he asked Kamea.
“As hungry as a bear!” she responded, throwing up her hands to snarl and fake claw at Keanu. He held up a finger.
“Hey now … what kind of bear?”
“A brown one!”
“Very good.” Sandra laughed.
“You’re impossible.”
“Remember after we eat you’re going to have go play while we paint your room,” Keanu reminded Kamea.
Though it’d been four months since they adopted her, Keanu and Sandra had yet to finish redecorating the room they had set aside for her. Although they had the entire summer to paint, carpet, and furnish the room, it was a lot more fun getting to know their daughter. Keanu considered hiring someone to come in and do the job while they were out for a week but Sandra wanted the room to come from them and not a professional.
Marriage was something else the two had kept from their minds. Hollywood had no problem with the two playing house without being married, but Keanu was getting anxious. Their two year anniversary was fast approaching. He’d never been one to rush getting serious, but this was ridiculous. They knew each other since forever, were in love, and had a kid. Marriage would only complete the future Keanu had secretly savored for himself as a child. Yet after her outburst when they went to meet Kamea, he’d been hesitant to suggest getting married on their anniversary. And right now, with a steaming hot pan in her hand, it wasn’t the time.
The phone rang and Keanu, startled, leaped from his chair, still quick enough to block out Sandra from reaching it. He turned around and grabbed her arms to keep her from passing him.
“Nice try. If that’s your sister on the phone I’ll never get to eat.” Kamea giggled watching her parents interact; Sandra dodged a couple times before realizing he wasn’t letting go.
“Fine.” they kissed briefly before he released her to return to the stove.
“It wouldn’t be my sister anyway,” Sandra said as Keanu picked up the phone, “they had dance competition this weekend.”
“Like that would stop her -- hello?”
“Hello, this is Dr. Stein; I’m calling for Sandra Bullock. Is she available?”
“No, she isn’t; can I ask what this is about?” Sandra laughed despite his serious tone, figuring he was baiting her sister; she stopped short when he waved his hand to silence her and retreated into the living room. The smile dropped from Kamea’s face as well.
“This is something I’d prefer to discuss with Sandra.”
“Well, I’m her hus -- boyfriend.” the term sounded juvenile compared to a legal and binding husband. “Keanu Reeves?”
“Oh, yes, Keanu. I’m sorry I didn’t recognize your voice. This is something you’ll be happy to hear. As you know Sandra came in for a pregnancy test. She told me you were both very anxious about the results.”
Keanu’s legs went weak, and he fumbled to the floor. Sandra, pregnant?
“And? And … what -- what were the results?”
“She’s almost four months along. Congratulations!” he felt like doing anything but celebrating just then.
“Thank you,” he whispered. Dr. Stein began talking about scheduling an appointment to check on the baby’s progress, but Keanu already hung up.
He didn’t even have an inkling that she was pregnant. Weren’t women supposed to have a million different symptoms so even the dog could tell they were pregnant? Keanu remembered with Jennifer that she threw up a lot in the beginning and was extremely irritable. She also tossed out anything that gave off an irritating smell because the pregnancy heightened the sense of smell. But more importantly than him figuring it out for himself, wasn’t she supposed to share this bit of information with him?
“Keanu? Who was on the phone?” Sandra called from the kitchen.
He didn’t answer her. Getting to his feet, Keanu walked back to the kitchen, pausing just at the entrance. She looked up smiling from the sandwiches, and Kamea glanced over from her color flash cards.
“Kamea why don’t you go outside and we’ll let you know when lunch is ready. Take the dog with you; it needs the exercise.” his voice was tight with effort to keep from screaming.
“Okay.” she slid out of her chair silently, not looking at either of her parents. The tension was obvious and dampened the once cheerful mood of the house. She clapped for the dog, who rose from the kitchen floor and followed her out, tail wagging. The screen door banged behind them.
“Who was on the phone?” Sandra asked again, although by this point she had a fairly good idea. Keanu put the phone back in its receiver.
“It was your gynecologist. When were you going to tell me you’re pregnant?”
“I didn’t know.”
“No, but you had an idea. There was a possibility. You could have told me that much. What, is it not mine?”
“Of course it’s yours,” she snapped as she flicked down the stove’s flame.
“Well I don’t know. Because you tell me you love me, but you won’t marry me. You tell me you want a life with me, but you won’t tell me that you’re pregnant. So I have to think, maybe she really doesn’t want to be with me. Maybe she’s just putting up with this whole charade because she’s lonely and when she’s done using me, she can leave without a messy divorce.”
“I love you. What’s the problem?”
“You won’t even tell me you’re pregnant! Who says the rest of it isn’t a lie?”
Sandra‘s hands jabbed at her chest. “Me! I do! I wanted to be sure! Is that so wrong?”
“I may not be your husband, but I deserve to know. Whether or not you’re sure. I could’ve been there for you.”
“I don’t want you there for me. I didn’t want you to have a part in this at all.” Keanu looked as though she slapped him. Sandra backtracked. “Wait, that’s not what I meant! I didn’t want you to get hurt.”
“I can handle it.”
“You’ve been through so much. If something was wrong with the baby … we promised each other we wouldn’t try to get pregnant.”
“And we didn’t! It just happened. So why wouldn’t we celebrate that?”
“Because I don’t want to lose another baby!” Sandra turned away from him, clicking off the stove and grabbing a potholder. Clenching the handle of the pan, she tossed the last sandwich on the plate with the others. Tears were stinging her eyes; she blinked rapidly to keep them at bay. Keanu crossed the kitchen to help her set down the pan before she burned herself.
“What are you talking about?” he asked.
“Jesse and I … I was pregnant,” she whispered. Setting aside the potholders, Keanu guided her to the table where he sat down, settling Sandra in the chair across from him. He rubbed her arm as she leaned against the table, her hand drawing back her hair. She sniffled hard, holding back tears over an unjust issue she’d already spent many a night crying about. Keanu was glad Kamea was far in the yard, running around with the dog and unaware of the drama unfolding inside.
“I didn’t even know,” he said softly. “When?”
“Late 2006, when all those rumors were going around that I was pregnant? I was. And we were going to announce it. I was only a couple months along.”
“Then?” he swept his fingers down her arm, taking up her hand and bring it up to his lips. Sandra shook her head, sighing, releasing her hair so it tumbled over her saddened face.
“I woke up one morning, went to the bathroom … and there was blood. No more baby.”
“Oh Sandy,” he murmured against her knuckles. “I’m so sorry.”
“I didn’t want to go through that again.”
“I know.” he thought of Ava, his own private fear. “It’s going to be okay. This baby’s going to be okay.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because it’s ours.” Sandra smiled.
“You’re so corny.”
“I know. Years of bad scripts, maybe.” he quieted. “You have to talk to me, Sandy. Tell me when something’s going on.”
“I will.”
“And I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I know you love me.”
“It’s okay. You were hurt.” she leaned foreword and kissed his forehead. Her lips strayed over his closed eyes, her fingers brushing his hair. “I want to marry you …” she whispered assuring. “I just need some time to figure out when.”
Keanu hesitated before he suggested the anniversary. “Take all the time you need.” he replied instead.
“Thank you.”