Chapter 2.

Bex peeked into Andi's darkened room, and smiled to herself. Andi still slept the same way she had when she was a baby, curled up on her side, with her cheek resting on her hands. The twinkle lights strung around the window lit up her face, and her breathing was slow and even.

She was amazed Andi had even been able to fall asleep so easily; she'd been so wound up after hearing about the baby. After they'd broken the news to her, it was all she could talk about. She'd spent the evening looking up DIY baby nursery projects online, planning what she would make for the baby. Bex didn't have the heart to remind Andi that the baby wouldn't have a room of it's own, for the time being, at least. Their apartment felt small even before Bowie moved in with them, and now it was even closer quarters. The baby would probably sleep in the living room, near the sofa bed where she and Bowie slept.

She blew Andi a kiss, then shut her door, leaving it open just a crack. Then, she quietly walked into the living room, and climbed into bed beside her husband.

"Hey," he smiled, as she snuggled close to him. "Andi all settled in?"

She nodded. "Yeah. And she's officially baby-crazy. I'm so glad she's happy. I was a little bit worried at first. This is going to be another big adjustment for her, but she's great, as always. It's so cute how excited she is."

"I wasn't worried," he said, a look of pride on his face. "She's a resilient kid." Not many kids could handle all the changes their daughter had been through, learning that everything she'd ever known to be true was a lie. But Andi did, and she was still a happy, well-adjusted kid.

Bex lay her head against his chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne. "You know what's crazy?" she asked.

"Tell me," he said, giving her his full attention.

"I'm a grown, married woman, and I'm still scared to tell mom I'm pregnant," she admitted. She picked her cuticle thoughtfully.

He nodded knowingly. "That's not crazy. I love Celia, but she can be intense. I imagine she was pretty upset when you told her you were pregnant the first time."

Bex shuddered, reliving the painful memory. "She couldn't even look at me. I'll never forget how she cried. She wouldn't speak to me for a month." Celia was scary when she yelled, but even scarier when she went silent. She could make you feel like you were invisible.

Bowie felt a pang of guilt, wishing he'd been there with her. "I'm so sorry, Bex." He stroked her hair, brushing it back from her temple. "That must have been hard." He realized she'd never told him about when she had to break the news to her parents that she was pregnant with Andi. "What about Ham? How did he take it?"

"Dad? He was the person I told first," she confided. "He was sad, but he didn't judge me. He comforted me. And most importantly, he told me he still loved me, no matter what I did."

"Ham is a great guy," he nodded with admiration. "He's the kind of father I want to be." Bex's dad had become a father-figure to him, since his own dad had passed away. And he looked to him as a role model on how to be a good father, himself. He hoped Andi wouldn't become pregnant as a teenager, but if she ever did, he'd show her the same understanding and unconditional love Ham had show Bex.

"He asked me what I wanted to do, too," she went on. "He told me it was my choice. Of course, I always knew I wanted to keep the baby. But it meant everything to me that he respected me enough to let me choose, instead of screaming and yelling at me."

"You know," she said softly, her voice catching in her throat. "Mom hasn't told me she loved me since before Andi was born."

"She does love you," he assured her. "It's hard for some people to say it, especially when they haven't said it in a while. But she shows it... in her own way."

"It would be nice to hear it though," she lamented. "I want Andi to always know how much I love her. There's nothing she could say or do that would be bad enough for me to stop saying it to her. "

She brushed her hand over her stomach. "And now this baby, too. And we've had it too easy with Andi. She's just like you, so you know this one is gonna be just like me. To restore the balance, or whatever."

"I'll brace myself accordingly," he laughed. "But listen, Bex... don't worry about telling Celia. She'll be happy for you. She was just hurting back then. But she loves Andi more than just about anything in the world. She doesn't regret that she was born."

He brushed his lips against hers, giving her a soft kiss. "It's going to be okay."

"I love you so much," she whispered, looking him in the eye. "I don't know how I ever lived without you."

He smiled. "I love you, too." He punctuated his words with one more kiss. " And I'll tell you as many times as you want."

Bex rolled over and shut off the lamp, then found her way back into Bowie's arms.

The next morning, Andi got up bright and early as always. Bex was just stumbling out of bed when she and Bowie were already at the table, finishing breakfast.

"Good morning," Bowie said. He pecked her on the cheek, then went to the stove and served her some pancakes.

"Morning," she said, sitting down next to Andi at the table.

"How are you feeling?" Andi asked her.

"Tired," she replied, rubbing her temples. "But not too bad."

Andi started to stand up. "Do you want me to make you your morning coffee?"

Her stomach turned at the thought of the bitter, muddy coffee Andi made, but she managed to keep it together to spare the girl's feelings. "That's sweet of you, Andi, but I don't think I can drink it," she apologized. "The caffeine probably wouldn't be good for the baby."

"Oh. Okay," Andi nodded without question.

Bex's heart ached. Andi was so proud of herself for learning how to make her coffee. She felt terrible for not liking it, and promised herself she'd never let her daughter know how awful it really was. But at least she wouldn't have to pretend to drink it for the next eight months or so. Possibly longer, if she breastfed. "Thank you for always thinking of me, though," she said, giving Andi a smile. "You're a good daughter."

"It's okay," she told her. "I have to get to school anyway." She put her plate in the sink, then gave Bowie a hug. "Bye, dad. Love you."

"Love you too, baby girl," Bowie said, returning her hug. "Have a good day."

"Bye, mom." Andi wrapped her arms around her mother's neck. "I love you."

Bex gave Andi a squeeze and kissed her goodbye. "Love you too. Have fun. And don't do anything I wouldn't do," she added with a wink.

Andi rolled her eyes playfully. Then, she patted her mom's stomach. "Bye, baby."

She grabbed her backpack, and she was out the door. Once she was down the sidewalk, Bowie came up behind Bex and rubbed her shoulders. "You want me to make you some coffee?" he whispered, holding back a laugh.

She nodded. "Please?"

"You guys, I have the best news!" Andi exclaimed, as she hurried to catch up with Buffy and Cyrus.

"Do tell," Cyrus said, adjusting his messenger bag on his shoulder. It was another cold day, and Andi could see his breath when he spoke.

"Yeah, what is it?" Buffy asked, stopping on the sidewalk.

"My mom and dad are going to have a baby!" she told them excitedly, clasping her hands together.

Buffy and Cyrus looked at each other and smiled happily. "A baby!" Buffy repeated. "Aww! That's awesome, Andi! When is it due?"

"Spring," Andi sighed, her mood only marginally dampened. "It seems like so far away... but that gives me plenty of time to prepare!" She bounced on the balls of her feet. "I have so much to do!"

"New craft projects?'" Buffy asked. "I sense lots of of trips to the flea market in our future."

Andi nodded. "I've been looking up ideas, and there are so many cute things I can make for the baby. I saw this origami mobile... it looked so cool. And I'm like the queen of origami!"

"You did make a thousand paper cranes," Cyrus agreed. "I think that qualifies you for queen-hood."

"And there's these signs you can make to hang on the wall above the crib that spell out the baby's name," she went on. "They look like they're hanging from a tree branch."

"We're so happy for you, Andi," Buffy smiled, giving her a hug. "That's so exciting!"

"I know!" Andi grinned. "I can't believe I'm going to be a big sister!"

"What do you hope it is?" her friend asked. "Boy or girl?"

"Boy," Andi quickly decided. "I've had a sister my whole life- even if she was technically my mother- so a brother would be fun. Plus, doesn't that sound like the perfect family? Two parents, a girl, and a boy?"

"There's no such thing as a perfect family," Cyrus reminded her. "But that does sound pretty close."

Andi stopped walking, struck with sudden inspiration. "Guys, I just had a great idea!"

Her friends turned to her. "What is it?"

"All my ideas are presents for the baby. But I want to make something for Bex, too. And I know just what I'm going to make! I'm going to knit her a baby blanket!"

"I didn't know you could knit," Buffy said. "You've never mentioned it."

"I can't," Andi admitted. "But I can learn!"

"Ambitious," Cyrus nodded. "But I like it."

"So do I," Buffy agreed. "But we better hurry, or we're going to be late for school."

"Ugh, I'm so nervous," Bex said, as Bowie pulled up in front of Cloud Ten. She knew she didn't have anything to be ashamed of at all, but facing Celia still put her stomach on edge.

"Don't be nervous," Bowie said. "It'll be fine." He squeezed her hand. "This is good news. She's going to be thrilled." He unbuckled his seat belt. "Do you want me to be there when you tell her?"

"I think I can handle it," she decided. "I need to face my fears."

He nodded. "I'll walk you in." He got out of the car, went around to the passenger's side, and opened the door for Bex. They walked into the salon together, holding hands.

"Good morning, Celia," Bowie nodded, as Bex's mother came from the back room.

"Good morning," Celia smiled, as she went about, watering her plants.

Bex noted that she seemed to be in a good mood. That was promising.

"You want me to come back here and meet you on my break?" Bowie asked, turning to her. "We can grab some lunch, and you can let me know how everything went?"

"Pizza," Bex winked. "I'm gonna need it."

Smiling, Bowie grabbed her in his arms and gave her a kiss. "I love you, baby. Have a great day."

"I love you too," Bex said, hugging him tight. "See you later."

Bowie brushed back her hair and gave her one more peck on the cheek, then left for work.

It turned out to be a busy morning at the salon, and the opportunity for Bex to talk to her mother alone didn't present itself right away. Her nerves started to subside until a customer came in for a manicure.

Bex sat down across the table from the young woman, and busied herself with cleaning and buffing her nails, chatting with her while she worked. The woman chose a nail color, and Bex rolled the bottle between her hands to mix it, then began to paint her nails, neatly and precisely. But despite the little fan that was running next to her to blow away the fumes, the sour stink of the nail polish started to get to her. Her face felt hot and flushed, and a bitter taste rose in her throat. She tried to hold it back, but she knew she was going to be sick.

"Are you okay?" the customer asked her, frowning with concern.

"Yeah," she said, standing up. "I'm so sorry. Excuse me." Biting her lip, she hurried to the restroom.

"Bex!" Celia called after her. She knocked on the bathroom door. She turned to Brittney, who was restocking the shelves. "Could you finish taking care of this customer?"

Brittney nodded, and went to finish the woman's manicure.

Meanwhile, Bex knelt in the bathroom, hugging the toilet, as another wave of nausea overcame her.

"Bex?"

"I'm fine, mom," she managed to call back.

"I'm coming in," Celia said. She opened the door and slipped inside.

"Mom, some privacy please?" she groaned.

"You shouldn't have come in to work if you were sick, Rebecca," Celia sighed disapprovingly. "It doesn't look good to the customers."

"I'm not sick." She shakily stood up and flushed the toilet.

"You sure could have fooled me," her mother said. "Bex, you're pale as a ghost." She lay her hand on her daughter's sweaty forehead. "Let me get you some water."

She returned moments later with a cold bottle of spring water. Bex opened it and put the bottle to her lips.

"Sit down," Celia ordered.

She sat down on the closed toilet seat, and her mother dampened a paper towel with cold water and held it to her forehead.

"Mom, there's something I need to tell you," she said softly, once she'd recovered enough from her sickness.

"What is it?" Celia asked.

She took a deep breath, then blurted it out before she could lose her nerve. "Mom, I'm pregnant. Surprise!" She smiled weakly.

"Pregnant?" Celia's eyes widened, but Bex noticed she didn't look upset.

She nodded. "We just found out."

"Well, why didn't you tell me sooner?" her mother asked. "That's wonderful news! Congratulations!"

Bex stood up. "You're really happy?"

"Very happy," Celia smiled. "I'm... delighted!" She held her arms out awkwardly.

Bex let her mom give her a stiff hug. Hugging, or any kind of display of affection, was still so new to them. Their relationship was still a work in progress, although it was getting better. "You're really, truly happy?" she asked her again, just to be sure.

"Why wouldn't I be?" her mother replied. "You're an adult now, and you and Bowie are married."

Sadness tugged at Bex's heart as she took in her mother's words. She was glad the older woman was happy about the baby, but hurt by the implication that this child's conception was 'right' and Andi's was 'wrong.' But she decided to pick her battles. She knew her mother loved Andi to death, but she would never be okay with the fact that Bex, her only daughter, had gotten knocked up at seventeen. She sighed deeply, and let it go for the sake of family harmony. "Thanks mom. I'm glad you're happy."

"Come to dinner tonight, all of you," said Celia. "We'll celebrate the good news as a family."

Bex, Bowie, and Andi arrived at Ham and Celia's house at six forty-five that night. Dinner was always served promptly at seven.

Ham greeted them at the door with hugs for everyone. "Congratulations on your happy news, you guys!" he smiled. "Come on in. Dinner's almost ready." He ushered them inside, and they took off their jackets and sat down at the table.

The dinner- pot roast and mashed potatoes- went by uneventfully. Bex was relieved to see that her mother and father truly did seem genuinely happy about becoming grandparents again.

After they ate, and the table was cleared, Ham put on a pot of tea and started the dishes. Andi had gone outside to Andi Shack, and Celia and Bowie were out back, discussing landscaping the yard for Winter.

"Can I help you, dad?" Bex asked her father.

"You should be taking it easy," he said. "I can handle it."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Don't worry about me."

"I always worry about you," he told her. He handed her a clean dish towel. "But I suppose it wouldn't hurt you to do the drying."

She accepted the towel, and they worked together for a while in silence. "Dad?" she said at last.

"Yeah?"

"I just realized last night that I never thanked you for being so nice to me when I got pregnant with Andi. So I just wanted to say... thanks."

Ham paused and dried his hands. "You don't have to thank me, honey. I was just being a dad. It's a father's job to love their child through anything."

"Still," she said. "It meant a lot to me."

Ham patted her shoulder, smiling in his calm, quiet way. His blue eyes twinkled. "I'm so proud of you."

"You are?" That was something she didn't hear very often, from anyone.

He nodded. "Your life right now is everything I've ever wanted for you. You have a career doing something you love, you and Bowie are married, and you and Andi are finally together. And now you have this baby on the way. I think you're happier than I've ever seen you."

"I am happy," she realized, as she put the last dish away. She turned back to her dad and gave him a hug. "I love you, dad."

Ham hugged her, patting her on the back. "I love you too, honey."

"Cece, do you know how to knit?" Andi asked, once she had a moment alone with her grandmother.

"So because I'm your grandma, you automatically assume I know how to knit," Celia said, with feigned exasperation.

"Well, yeah," Andi admitted. "Sort of?" She smiled weakly. "Do you?"

"Actually," I do, Cece told her with a wry smile. "My mother taught me. I haven't done it in a while though, so I might be a little rusty."

"Can you teach me?" Andi asked. "Please, Cece? I want to make a baby blanket for mom. For a present."

Cece smiled, placing her hand on Andi's shoulder. "Andi, I think that's a wonderful idea. I would be honored to teach you."

She reached out to give her granddaughter a hug. "We'll go yarn shopping tomorrow. But in the meantime, I still have the blanket I made for you when you were born. Would you like to see it? Maybe it will give you some ideas."

"Of course I want to see it!" Andi smiled excitedly. "Where is it?"

" I have a tote of some of your baby things, up in Bex's old closet," her grandmother told her. "Come on. I'll get it down for you."

Andi followed Cece upstairs to her mother's childhood bedroom, which now served as a home gym/office/storage room.

Celia opened the closet door and reached for the plastic bin on the top shelf. "Here we are," she said. She set it down on the floor, and she and Andi sat down to look through it.

"Go ahead and open it," she smiled.

Andi lifted the lid and pushed aside some tissue paper. Folded on top was a pearly-pink blanket. "Is this it?"

Cece nodded. She lifted it out of the tote and spread it out. "We brought you home from the hospital in this." She held the blanket to her nose, breathing in it's scent. "It still smells just like you did when you were a baby."

Andi buried her face in the blanket. It smelled like baby powder and lavender, and something she couldn't quite name. She rubbed the blanket against her cheek. "It's so soft, Cece," she said. "And pretty. You must have worked really hard on it."

"It was a labor of love."

Under the blanket was a stack of folded baby clothes. Andi looked through them slowly, marveling over how small she had been, until she heard footsteps coming down the hall, and Bex's voice calling her name. "Hide the blanket," she whispered. "I don't want her to know I'm making one for her. It's a surprise."

Cece nodded, and quickly stashed the blanket in a corner of the closet, before Bex came into the room.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked.

"Just looking through my baby stuff," Andi said casually. She held up a little pair of jeans. "I can't believe how short my legs were!"

"Ooh! I wanna look!" Bex gushed, sitting down beside Andi. She picked up a little flowered onesie that was covered in smudged red marks. "Aww! I remember this."

Andi looked down at the garment her mother was holding. "You never did get the lipstick out of it," she said, recalling her mother mentioning a fight she and Celia had once had about lipstick stains on Andi's clothes. "How did the lipstick even get on it?"

Bex smiled, and reached out to tickle Andi. "I loved to kiss your tummy, and your chubby little baby legs," she said. "And after your bath, I'd blow on your belly. You loved it. I could always get you to laugh." She folded the onesie and tucked it beside her. "I'm keeping this."

Celia picked up a pair of soft-soled white shoes. "You learned to walk in these," she told Andi.

Andi took the shoes from her grandmother and looked at them carefully, turning them over in her hands.

"You learned to walk early," Cece explained, obviously proud. "One day, Pops came home from work, and you toddled right to him."

"That's really cute," Andi laughed. She picked up a scrapbook, her baby book, and started leafing through it. It was full of photos and memories of her at various ages. She noticed right away that in almost every picture, she was alone, or with Pops and Cece. There was hardly even a sign of Bex in it. Looking at it, an outsider would never even know she was her mom.

Bex picked up a ruffly yellow dress. "This is pretty." She frowned thoughtfully. "I don't remember it."

"Andi wore it for her first birthday," Cece said softly, almost as if she were ashamed to admit it.

Andi looked down at the book in her lap, and realized she was looking at a photo of herself wearing that exact dress, with a handful of birthday cake in her pudgy hand. She glanced up at her mother. Bex had a faraway look in her eye.

Andi only had to see the look on her face, and she knew. Her mother hadn't been there for her first birthday. She hadn't been there for her first steps either.

She quickly snapped the book closed, but she knew her mother had already seen it. She reached for Bex's hand, squeezing it.

To Be Continued