"Callie, you gotta make it way thinner than that." Aj said as he watched her rolling the gingerbread dough across the table.
"If you say one more word about my baking skills I'll leave you to finish this alone." Callie said, half joking, half serious.
"C'mon guys, I'm sure Callie's doing fine, now let's get this done tonight, all right?" Mike entered the kitchen and grabbed his own piece of dough and joined Aj and Callie making gingerbread cookies by the kitchen table.
It was two days before christmas and Mike was right, they really needed to finish this by tonight. Although it wasn't her job to bring the gingerbread cookies to the festivities she had promised her father in law to help out. It was a tradition now, since before she married his son, they would come over to help him. But baking wasn't really her thing. Clearly she wasn't the only one thinking so. But what don't you do for family.
A sudden pressure in her throat made her stop the motion of the rolling pin. Mike and Aj stopped as well, hearing the sudden catch in her breath and looked up to see a panicked Callie rushing to the bathroom. The first burst of vomit came just as she knelt beside the toilet bowl. Two more and she was done. She was almost used to this by now. Almost.
She reentered the kitchen with a calm expression on her face. She didn't want to make a big deal out of this. Not yet.
"Callie, are you alright?", Mike asked with a frown on his face.
"I've been a bit naseaus all day, I think it was something I ate earlier." she said with a poker face.
"Callie.. I chatted with Mariana earlier and well.." Mike started but ended the sentence in awkward silence.
Damn it. She knew she should have taken the test alone. Mariana had sworn not to tell a soul. But of course. It was Mariana. It was her fault for even believing she could keep her mouth shut this time.
"And?" she asked, only to prolong the moment he would ask.
"Well, is it true?" he couldn't hide the excitement in his voice.
"Is what true?" Aj asked.
"...Yes. It is." she said, and even though she'd wanted to wait she felt happy spilling the news.
"Yes, I'm pregnant."
Aj cracked a smile.
"You are? Wow Callie.."
Mike came over to give her a hug, and then Aj as well. Mike was really over the moon, she thought she noticed tears in his eyes which surprised her – she had never seen him cry before.
"I can't believe you and my son are having a baby, that's just.. wow I'm really excited about this!" he said with a thick voice.
"I can tell." Callie said with a laugh.
"How come you didn't tell us right away?" Aj asked, curious.
"Well, because.." she started.
"Tell us what, right away?"
It was Brandon. He closed the door behind him as he entered the appartment and watched their joyous faces with mild curiosity.
"I didn't think anyone actually enjoyed baking gingerbread cookies for moms, but if you suddenly do, then may I be excused?" he said with a smile.
They all just stared at him in a unanimous loss for words. Mike, because he had no words to express his joy. Aj, because he didn't know if Brandon knew and waited for Callie to say anything. And Callie because she was suddenly a bit scared of telling him. It felt really stupid, but she wondered if he'd be upset. It only took her a second though to realise that if she didn't say anything, Mike or Aj might answer a question that was hers to answer.
"Uhm, Brandon could we go to your room for a second?" she asked in a small voice.
His old room, that is. He hadn't slept in it for almost four years now.
Behind Callie, Mike and Aj were now staring at Brandon with happy, dumb faces and he was super confused.
"What's up guys?" he said tentatively.
"Brandon.. come on." Callie said and walked straight into his room, turned around and watched him as he followed her in confusion. He shut the door behind him, sensing she wanted him to.
She took a deep breath.
"Okay, first off, I'm really stupid for trusting Mariana so please don't mock me for that."
"Why would I do that?" Brandon asked.
"Because I'm a stupid person who should have known better. " She said, exasperated.
"Callie, you're stalling. Just tell me." He said with encouragement in his eyes.
And she wanted to tell him. She really did. So she squashed her insecurities down and took another deep breath.
"I'm pregnant, Brandon."
He was silent at first. Not really giving much away from his facial expression. Just standing there, frozen. Then he cracked the widest smile and laughed as he went to swoop her into a hug. With his arms around her, he lifted her up a few inches off the ground.
"We're having a baby!?"
"We're having a baby!", she said out of breath.
"Callie, I... God.." he didn't know what to say so he pressed his lips to hers instead.
Short kisses, one after one to her mouth and then her cheeks, nose and forhead. Then he just hugged her tightly, not finding the words yet.
"I'm glad you're happy." Callie whispered.
"Of course I'm happy," he said in a soft voice.
"I just.. we never really talked about it, and you just turned 26 and I don't know, maybe you wanted more time before, or if ever.." she blurted out all her insecurities but he stopped her with a gentle hand to her mouth.
She loved how he always knew when she wanted to be interrupted and when she didn't. This was definitely a time for interruption.
" Callie. I already love this baby as much as I love you." he said.
"Oh, so not at all, then?", she teased him.
"Yeah, totally." he said wih faked seriousness.
"You're such an ass." she told him as she gave him a soft peck on the lips.
"I know", he said through a wide grin.
Seeing him smile like that, she suddenly felt like being the ass.
"Oh, and by the way I should tell you, you're not the father." she said with a smirk.
He looked at her with a thoughtful gaze for a moment. Then he walked her backwards and pressed her against the wall next to the door with a speed that took her breath away. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear.
"Is that so?"
"Yes." she said.
"Really?", he whispered.
"Yes." she repeated.
He placed his right hand on her waist and started to slide it down slowly.
"I highly doubt that, you know.", he said.
"And why is that?", she asked.
His hand reached the top button of her jeans and opened it without a second thought. He slid his hand inside her panties and she had to close her eyes.
"Because I make you feel things that no one else can even hope to compete with.", he said through his breath.
"Wow.. cocky much?", she said but it didn't come out the way she wanted it to. Her breath hitched and she started to lose control.
He laughed silently in her ear.
"Have you talked to your vagina lately? Because it doesn't seem to agree with you."
"I don't know what you're talkning about." she said, holding back a moan.
"Oh, you don't?" he whispered and suddenly he drew his hand back and was no longer leaning in to her anymore.
She opened her eyes and saw him gazing mischievously at her. She knew by looking at him, he knew that she'd been close.
"That was just mean." she said, a bit annoyed to be honest.
"Isn't it mean to be pregnant with somebody else's child?" he said, teasing her.
"Fine, I guess I'm the meanest then.", she said.
"Yeah, so I guess you won't be needing me in the picture then." he said and his teasing glare turned away as he prepared to leave.
Oh, he was not going to leave her here without finishing what he started. She slid in between him and the door as he attempted to grab the handle.
"Fine, you win. Duh, yes you're the father." she said, dropping the act and telling him the truth. And saying those words to him suddenly made her emotional to the point where tears started sliding down her cheeks.. She blamed the hormones.
"Hey.. Callie c'mon I was only joking. I know that baby is mine." he said, slightly surprised of her reaction.
"No it's not that, stupid. I just love you alot, okay?", she said in a thick voice. "And I'm just so happy that things worked out for us, you know? That I get to be with you like this, that I get to have my baby with you. Because you're just going to be the best dad, you know?"
He drew her into a hug.
"Yeah, I know.", he said simply.
They stood entangled like that for quite a while. But then Callie started to get impatient again.
"Now for the love of God, can we have sex?" she said as she let out a frustrated sigh.
"Oh, I thought you only chose to be with me because of my mad parenting skills?", he teased.
She didn't feel like teasing him back anymore. She met his gaze and held it still.
"I chose you because I feel complete when I'm near you, Not that I wouldn't be complete without you, but you make me feel enhanced, like there's more of myself. And you make me feel crazy. Because I feel like being near you isn't enough. I just want to become, like your second skin or something. Just so that I could be closer to you. Touch you always.", she started to blush.
Brandon's teasing glare was gone and suddenly he looked like the impatient one.
"Would you be mad if we skipped the part where I tell you you're the best thing that ever happened to me and just, well.. fucked?"
"Not at all", she said, out of breath.
So they did.
Okay so, I just needed to write this because I wanted to spread som positivity, since the writers aren't doing that at the moment. It's a bit cheesy but whatever. Cheesy is good sometimes :)