The pregnancy wasn't planned. In fact, the pregnancy was so far from being planned that it wasn't even funny.
This wasn't their first pregnancy scare. The first pregnancy scare had come years before back in Brooklyn when they were in their early twenties. That pregnancy scare had scared the ever-living crap out of both Dan and Penelope. After all their situation in Brooklyn had been less than ideal.
They had been living cramped into a basement apartment with several of Dan's then bandmates in the Northern Hues, and those bandmates girlfriends. The apartment hadn't been anywhere near up to code so every single time it rained the place flooded turning the crowded area into Noah's Ark. The place was freezing no matter rather it was summer or winter. The place was a constant mess despite everyone's best attempts to keep their personal space clean. The only reason anyone had put up with the disaster of a place was because the rent was stupidly cheap, though in hindsight the rent was only so dirt cheap because the place was a living hazard.
Needless to say, Dan and Penelope hadn't been in any sort of situation to bring a child into the mix back then. They had been beyond relieved when that pregnancy test had come out negative.
That pregnancy scare had of course forced them to have a serious conversation about rather or not they seriously wanted kids. The decision had been that of course they wanted kids. The idea of having a family together made them stupidly happy even if it was a little frightening.
They just wanted to wait to start that family until they were in a better place financially. Raising kids was insanely expensive after all.
They had decided that they wanted to wait to have kids until both Dan and Penelope managed to start making decent money without having to ask Dan's family and Penelope's grandmother for handouts. They wanted to wait until they had a decent place to live that was safe enough for a child.
Ideally Dan had insisted that he wanted to wait to have kids until he felt like he was actually going somewhere with his music career. Penelope had agreed stating she wanted to wait until she could make a wage, while creating art, that wasn't laughable.
Waiting to start a family was the responsible mature thing to do. It made perfect sense; don't bring a baby into the mix until they were 100 percent ready for the responsibility of being parents.
Here it was though six years later and Penelope found herself faced with yet another pregnancy scare. Dan and she weren't that much better off than they'd been six years before.
They had moved from Brooklyn to Philly Dan wanting a fresh start after having a failed band under his belt. He had started another band of course, Skyhill, but it hadn't worked out though they had managed to release an album.
Dan insisted that things might be looking up for him though. Recently Dan had met a guy named Brian through a mutual friend while doing improv. The two had formed a comedy duo band that they were calling Ninja Sex Party.
Mostly they'd been singing songs about dicks and other raunchy ridiculous subject matter. Dan dressed like a hypersexualized Jewish superhero who failed at hitting on women and Brian dressed like a ninja who never spoke and had a tendency to break into homicidal rages.
The entire concept was a bit outlandish of course, but Dan seemed to love it. Penny had to admit she found the songs fun and hearing them never failed to work a laugh out of her. She was just doing her best to support Dan the same way she always did.
Dan insisted that he had a good feeling about the band and Penelope hoped he was right. She wasn't sure if he could take another failed venture in music. The little band had managed to perform a few songs at a couple of comedy venues but it didn't really pay anything.
Dan's and Penny's living situation had improved massively compared to what they'd lived in in Brooklyn.
Still though they were struggling. They were both working minimum wage jobs while Dan tried to get his dreams of a music career off the ground. Penny had been working a shitty waitressing job at a greasy diner not far from Dan's and her apartment. She didn't enjoy the job but she was able to draw on her breaks and this was enough to keep her sanity intact.
They were still no where near ready for kids, but here Penny was sitting on the floor in their tiny freezing restroom her eyes locked on a distinct white plastic stick.
It was almost funny how a flimsy piece of plastic that you peed on could change your future forever.
Dan wasn't here. He was at Brian's working on more lyrics. Penny had taken the chance at total privacy to go out and buy two pregnancy tests.
So now here she was taking her second pregnancy test a bubble of dread in her gut reminding her that she already knew what the result would be.
Penny didn't understand how Dan and she could have been so careless. They were usually always so careful. She was on the pill and Dan was almost compulsive about using condoms. He even carried a couple of condoms in his wallet at all times just in case they got into the heat of the moment and needed some emergency protection.
Penelope had a pretty good idea of when they'd slipped up on using protection of any form. The month before Dan and Brian had somehow booked a gig at a little comedy festival up in upstate New York.
Penny had been drug along on the trip by Dan. He insisted that he wanted her there for this moment. It wasn't a massive success but it definitely gave Ninja Sex Party more exposure outside of the comedy clubs they had been performing in. It felt like a huge success to both Dan and Brian.
Penny had gone along on the trip willingly wanting to support her husband.
They'd gotten a shitty motel room to themselves Penny managing to shell out some money, she had saved up, for Dan and she to have a separate room from Brian.
They had found themselves back in that shitty motel room after a long day spent at the festival. Everyone was exhausted but Dan was still riding a high from performing.
Penny had found herself helping her husband burn off all that adrenaline on just about every surface of that motel room.
She guessed they'd both been riding a bit of an adrenaline high. She had been so proud of him and she'd wanted to show him just how proud she was. They had wanted to celebrate a good show.
She'd had to admit that watching her husband perform always got her a little hot and bothered. It was just the way he shook his hips she claimed and the way he dominated the stage. He had that Rockstar aura down to an art and it drove her crazy in the best ways possible.
They hadn't used condoms not once that night. Penny hadn't packed her contraceptives thinking that they would manage to use a condom if the chance presented itself to have a little alone time. Dan always had condoms on him after all.
That little slip up was now coming back to bite them with some consequences.
Penny tried hard not to let herself tear up as lightening struck followed by a loud bash of thunder. The thoughts rolling through her mind were almost as loud as the storm cooking up outside.
She could hear the pipes in the old apartment building groan just like they always seemed to do anytime anyone in the old brick building took a shower. The laundry room downstairs was the worst as far as groans came. Dan and Penny had taken to wearing earphones and listening to music while they did their laundry.
The building was so old and probably not totally 100 percent up to code in every single way possible. The rent was floatable for Dan and Penelope though and the utilities were paid along with the internet so they weren't complaining too much.
Penny could hear a neighbor down the hall locked in another loud fight with her boyfriend. She frowned not very fond of this neighbor. The younger woman had a new boyfriend every few months. That wasn't what irritated Penny, no it was the fact that this neighbor quite blatantly flirted with Dan at every opportunity. Dan of course was none too amused nor responsive to the neighbor's flirting. He'd told the twit that he was taken time and time again, but still Penny found herself giving the woman the stink-eye as much as she could manage.
The walls in their apartment were too thin. You could hear every fight and every bit of loud sex your neighbors had. Their neighbors never knew how to shut up and respect each other. Penny knew of course she might be being a tiny bit hypocritical after all Dan and she had gotten a few screamed "shut ups" from the neighbors during a few of their louder more passionate love making sessions.
Sirens sounded out outside only adding to the composition of noise going on. The apartment was never quiet not even for a second.
This apartment wasn't the kind of place you took a baby home to. Penny and Dan were both more than sure that the guy in the unit directly above them was dealing drugs and not anything mostly innocent like pot. The guy was most likely dealing heroin and god knows what else. The cops were always snooping around asking questions about the upstairs neighbor.
The apartment wasn't the safest place to live, but it was all they could afford at the moment.
How would they bring a baby home to this place?
The kitchen timer sitting beside her went off signaling that it was safe to look at the pregnancy test and see the results.
Penny stared down at the pregnancy test though she already knew just what the results would be. They were going to be the same as the test she'd taken before this one.
Even if she'd known the results she couldn't stop a gasp from escaping her lips her eyes watering as she stared down at the little blue plus. It was positive. She was pregnant.
…..
Dan was totally oblivious to his sobbing girlfriend in the bathroom as he walked into their apartment two plastic bags of takeout in hand along with a backpack containing the notebook he kept song lyrics in.
Dan and Penny had made the best of their little cramped apartment. They had collected some decent furniture from thrift shops over the years giving the place a little bit of a quirky eclectic vibe. The furniture didn't really match at all. The furniture was actually kind of ugly and worn down but Dan and Penny had found they didn't mind.
The decor may look a little strange but it was theirs. Struggling to make ends meet made the things you owned seem all the more precious.
Beaded curtains hung over the thin lace curtains on the few windows in the apartment. They had used rugs to cover the dark scuffed-up wood floors hoping that it would help warm up the constantly freezing place. More than a few old crochet and fleece blankets hanging over the sofa also aided in keeping them warm.
The place was filled with more than a few vinyl records and CDs. The couple's love of music was evident in their music collection. Dan's old bass guitar sat in the corner of the room.
Penny's love of art was also pretty clear in the apartment. Several art pads were kept in a bookshelf. There was a massive suitcase filled with art supplies resting by this bookshelf.
There were a few paintings on the walls; paintings Penny had done. She'd been less than enthusiastic about hanging most of them, her insecurities getting the best of her. Dan had talked her into hanging her artwork though insisting that it should be there for everyone to see.
She was always endlessly amazed at how eager he was to support her and show pride over her work no matter how insecure she felt about everything she created.
His favorite work was a realistic drawing of Penny and he sitting together under a tree back at their college campus in Boston. Penny had created back when they were in college for one of her art classes. Dan had insisted that the framed drawing hang above their bed so it could be one of the last things he saw when he crawled into bed at night.
Dan spoke shaking raindrops from his leather jacket. He made sure to wipe his muddy feet on the little pink rug Penny kept in front of the front door. "It's pouring out there Princess. The radio said that it's supposed to storm all week. Sorry I'm later than I said I'd be. Brian and I lost track of time. I think we got some more good lyrics down though."
He hung his jacket on the coatrack before he dropped his backpack by the front door. He made sure to tuck the bag beside the little bucket they kept umbrellas in.
He spoke again not worrying that he didn't receive a reply to his comment as he placed the takeout bags on the kitchenette counter. "This rain has my hair looking like a total disaster baby. It's frizz city on my head right now. It's kind of making me second guess growing out my hair again. Can you imagine how bad the jewfro will be once my hair gets long?"
He spoke again as he began to remove white Chinese takeout containers from the plastic bag he'd just sat down. "I stopped and got some Chinese food on the way home. Don't fuss at me for it. I know it's not takeout night, but I figured you didn't feel up to cooking and neither did I. There's enough here for us to have leftovers tomorrow, so it was a good purchase I think. I got you some of that egg-drop soup you love. I know you've been sick to your stomach lately so I thought the warm soup might soothe you…. I don't know if I made a good choice now though that I'm looking at this soup. I'm not sure your stomach can handle this right now but I thought you might want to try it out. If it's too slimy there's some plain white rice in here and some of those won tons you love."
Dan frowned ever so slightly it suddenly hitting him that he wasn't getting a response to any of his comments. He made his way out of the kitchenette and down the darkened hallway concern laced in his voice. "Baby? Are you alright? Are you asleep?"
He felt his stomach turn as he reached the closed bathroom door clearly able to hear the sound of Penny's sobs. He placed a hand on the door his voice soft. "What's wrong? Talk to me Princess."
Dan reached for the handle opening the door relieved that she hadn't thought to lock the door behind her.
He completely missed sight of the two pregnancy tests on the floor as he raced over to his crying wife. He placed a hand on her cheek as he dropped to his knees beside her. "What's wrong? Did your dad call again?"
Penny shook her head unable to form words. She had grown hysterical at this point.
She didn't even feel a wave of panic at the mention of her father. He'd made attempts to come in and out of her life over the past few years. Neither Dan nor Penelope had accepted his attempts at making contact.
Dan found himself acting a bit more like an overprotective parent than her husband as he pressed his hand to her forehead his brow furrowing farther. "Do you feel that bad? Do you think it's the flu or something? You should have let me take you to the doctor…I know we don't have any health insurance right now, but we could still go to the free clinic if you needed it."
This comment only made Penny sob harder. They couldn't even afford the see the doctor. They had no health insurance. How would she see a doctor now that she was pregnant? She couldn't just avoid the doctor now.
Dan furrowed his brow farther totally lost to what was going on. He was lost until he took notice of just what was sitting out on the floor in front of Penny.
He felt the breath leave his body it hitting him all too quickly just what was going on. They'd been through this once before six years before. Dan had a feeling that the pregnancy tests this time around had a much different result though.
He picked up both tests with shaky hands his stomach turning to see that both tests were identical; blue pluses. A blue plus meant positive.
Dan did the only thing he could think to do dropping the tests to the floor as he embraced her. He managed to press multiple kisses to her cheeks not caring if they were damp with tears. "It's okay baby, it's going to be okay, I promise."
The word baby only made Penelope's tears fall more rapidly. She let out a choked sob as Dan began to rock her against him.
"How can you say it's going to be okay? We can't do this…not now."
Dan shook his head quickly realizing he was going to have to be the level headed one here never mind the fact that he was internally freaking out.
She was probably right. This wasn't the best time for this to happen. They had already decided that they wanted to wait until their lives were a bit more stable before they started a family.
Sure, things had been looking up lately, but still things weren't anywhere near where Dan would have liked them to be before they decided to start trying for kids.
He kept thinking about how Penelope and he had been as teenagers. They hadn't been bad kids, but still they hadn't been totally innocent. They had smoked pot and had sex at every chance they had. Of course, in their early twenties they'd spent more than enough time smoking pot too. They hadn't exactly been the pillars of responsible clean living.
They had wound up in a few situations that made Dan cringe now that he looked back on it with an older more sober brain.
The idea of his kids ever pulling half the crap Penny and he'd pulled scared the shit out of Dan. He would probably have a heart attack if his children ever pulled anything he had pulled.
He could admit that even if he loved the idea of having children with Penny, being a father still scared him to death.
Despite all of Dan's doubts and insecurities he couldn't deny what his heart was saying though. His heart was screaming that this was Penny. This was his wife. She was pretty much his first everything. She was the love of his life.
She'd loved him back when he was a stoned seventeen-year-old with no clue where he was going in life. She had loved him when he was miserable in college unsatisfied with where his life was going. She had loved him when he was struggling through trying to get his first two bands off the ground. She had loved him when both those bands had fallen apart depressing the crap out of him. She loved him now even when things might just be getting better, but there was always a chance that things would fall through again.
She loved him and he loved her.
The idea of her carrying his baby filled him with so much joy he thought he just might explode.
He spoke his voice firm as he tried to reassure her. "We can do this Penny."
"We're broke. We can barely make ends meet half the time Dan. Raising kids is expensive. How are we going to afford raising a kid?" Penny insisted shaking her head as Dan continued to rock her against him.
Dan ignored the voice in the back of his head that was insisting she was right and that she had a good point.
"I know Princess. We have my family though….my sister, my grandmother, and my parents will be there for us. They aren't going to abandon us if we need them…especially not when we're raising their grandchild. If things get too rough we can always ask your grandmother to help us out" Dan insisted refusing to let any rational thoughts talk them out of this.
Penny couldn't help but to whine at this statement shaking her head. "But we're always asking my grandmother for money. I mean Jesus, Dan she sat up a freaking trust for me and we still have to ask her for money."
Dan pressed a kiss to her forehead his voice soft and reassuring. "I know baby. I don't think she minds though. She would tell us no if she hated helping us when we need it."
Penny let out a shaky sigh knowing that he had a point. She spoke her brow furrowing her doubts still so painted clearly in her mind. "We can't raise a kid here Dan. I mean, look at this place…look at this neighborhood. It's not any place for a kid."
Dan shook his head knowing that his wife was right. Their neighborhood was more on the shady side. He took a deep breath hoping that it wasn't clear that his confidence was faltering. "I know Princess, I know. We can move though…. I know money is tight, but there's got to be a way. We can get a loan from my parents or your grandmother or something and we can find a better place to live. If worse comes to worse we'll get a roommate or something."
Penny sighed wanting to argue that getting a roommate wasn't a safe bet. They couldn't afford a better place. If they could afford something better then they would have left this apartment a long time ago.
Dan let out a soft sigh placing his hand on her chin causing her to look up at him. He spoke his voice soft. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course, I do. I've always trusted you." Penny remarked her eyes still watering though her hysteria was starting to fade off.
"Do you love me?" Dan asked though he already knew the answer.
Penny frowned nodding her hand. "I do. I love you. I wouldn't still be here if I didn't love you Danny."
Dan pressed a soft gentle kiss to her lips hoping that he was reassuring her and not guilting her. He knew this wasn't just up to him. It was her choice too.
He wanted to get across exactly how he felt though. She needed to hear what was in his heart before they made a decision.
"I love you too. I love you so much and the thought of you being the mother to my kids makes me so stupidly happy."
He paused moving his hand away from her chin. He placed his hand against her stomach his voice soft as he continued. "I know we didn't plan on this happening…not like this. This is our baby Penny. Our baby. I'm not going to lie I am scared shitless right now. I know in my heart that I already love this baby though. It's ours so how could I not love it. I know it's not going to be easy but I want this. I want us to be a family. We can do this. I promise we'll find a way. I know it's not my choice in the end of the day…it's not only my choice I mean…I…you're the one who's going to carry this baby. I just I want you to know that I think we can do this. I want this so much. It scares me to death but I want it."
Penny let out a shaky sigh her eyes watering for an entirely different reason now. She pressed her lips to his suddenly realizing that he was right. She wanted this too even if it did scare her. The idea of having a family with him was too beautiful to deny. "Okay. We can do this. I trust you."
Dan wrapped his arms around her kissing her with all the passion and joy in his body. She was having a baby, his baby.
Penny couldn't help but to let out a laugh as they pulled back from the kiss Dan placing a hand over her stomach once again. He spoke rubbing her flat tummy. "No more crying okay. Nine months from now there will be three sobbing people in this house so we need to conserve our tears. Let's get out of here and devour that takeout I was blabbering about earlier. I think my girl and my baby need to eat."
They could do this, she reminded herself as they stood up from the bathroom floor.
It wouldn't be easy but they could do this as long as they had each other.
…
Penny woke from the nap she'd been taking by the sound of a loud crash in the living room. She sat up moving slow her ever growing pregnant belly making her a little sluggish at times.
She was so exhausted. She was always so exhausted lately. All she did was eat and sleep.
Dan had talked her into leaving her job as a waitress. He didn't want her on her feet he'd insisted especially not in a greasy old diner on a shitty side of town. He kept insisting that it wasn't good for her or the baby for her to be up on her feet so much working way too hard.
At the moment she was unemployed. It wasn't an ideal situation but most employers weren't just knocking down doors to hire a pregnant woman who would have to take off time for maternity leave eventually.
She waddled down the hall a hand placed protectively over her belly. She was seven months along now and she felt gigantic. She was pretty sure she was the size of a planet now even if Dan tried to deny it.
Anytime she complained about how huge she was Dan insisted she looked gorgeous. He was so sweet even when she looked terrible.
She shivered ever so slightly their apartment always a little on the cooler side. She made a silent mental note to herself to talk to their landlord about the heater again. It didn't seem to be able to keep up with the cold of winter.
They had recently moved renting a little backyard apartment from a friend of Brian's. The space was tiny and the rent was a little higher, but it was much safer than most of the places they'd lived. There were two bedrooms, one bathroom and a living area with a connected kitchenette. The bedrooms were a little on the smaller side. In fact, that bedroom that would become the nursery was almost comically tiny.
Dan and Penny didn't really mind the lack of space though. It was a safe home to bring their baby to and that was the most important thing right now. It wasn't just about them anymore after all.
Penny had the slightest feeling that their landlord wasn't charging them as much as she probably could. Penny wasn't sure if it was because their landlord was friends with Brian or if the woman just felt sorry for Dan and she.
At the end of the day Penny had decided that she didn't want to put too much thought into just why their landlord was being so kind.
Penny almost scolded herself for not bringing a baseball bat or maybe the little pistol Dan kept in his bedside table for protection. She tried to tell herself that she most likely wasn't walking into some sort of home invasion though. It was broad daylight outside so it wasn't exactly time for robbers to strike.
She was beyond confused as she entered the living area to find her husband pacing the room. She frowned even more as she noticed the little rotary phone they kept on the coffee table sitting against the wall.
She spoke concern overtaking any shock she felt. "What's going on baby?"
Dan turned to face her his breathing uneven his eyes watering. He made his way over to her hugging her a bit roughly as he spoke. "Tell me I'm not a loser."
Penny widened her eyes totally thrown off by this request. She had assumed they'd moved past having this talk a long time ago. His insecurities about not being good enough always caught her totally off guard.
She placed a hand on his cheek trying to soothe him as she spoke. "Talk to me Danny. What in the hell is going on?"
Dan shook his head still unable to catch his breath. He couldn't stop himself from begging her. "Just tell me I'm not a loser. Please baby, just tell me."
Penny spoke her hand caressing his cheek as she did what he asked. "You aren't a loser Dan. You've never been a loser baby. I love you so much."
Dan continued to shake his eyes still watering as he let himself fall apart. He pressed his lips to every bit of her he could reach his voice tight as he tried to gain the upper hand on his anxiety attack. "I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you so much Penny."
Penny did her best to wipe away his tears growing more and more concerned by the second. Had Ninja Sex Party broken up? Dan had fallen apart like this when his first serious try at a band had fallen apart.
She knew that Ninja Sex Party definitely hadn't broken up. Dan had just talked to Brian the night before when Brian and his wife had come over for dinner. Dan and Brian had talked about the band. Brian's wife Rachel had asked Penny a million questions about the baby and the baby shower Dan's mother Debbie was planning.
The dinner had been nice. Penny would have noticed if something was wrong last night.
She continued to wipe Dan's eyes as she spoke trying to get to the bottom of whatever had caused him to freak out like this. "Talk to me Danny. Tell me what happened sweetheart. I can't help fix it if I don't know what happened."
Dan loosened his grip on his wife guilt hitting him hard as he realized he'd probably been squeezing her a little too tightly. He glanced down at her belly a shaky sigh escaping his lips. He hadn't hurt her he told himself. She would have said something if he was hurting her or the baby.
He let out a shaky sigh as he struggled to explain what had caused him to snap. "I talked to my dad…. I wasn't asking for money or anything like that. I just, I wanted to give him an update on our last doctor's appointment since we didn't get to talk to Debbie and he about it yet…. he just…I don't know he started to ask me about my future. I told him about what Brian and me are doing and I…I don't know what I expected. He still doesn't get the music thing. You know how Avi is…he's so caught up in being practical that he doesn't see beyond that. He just, he started telling me that it was time to grow up…that I'd tried the music thing and it wasn't working. He said I needed to grow up and put my education to good use. He said I need to get an advertising job since I have the degree for it. He said I need to start thinking about supporting us…that it's not about just you and me anymore. He said I can't take care of our family with music. He said I'm being selfish putting a dream before our baby. I just snapped. I hung up on him and threw the phone…I didn't mean to freak out. I just felt like a loser. It brought me back to all the times your dad called me a loser and I just snapped."
He paused shaking his head his voice sounding so small and defeated as he spoke again. "Am I being selfish? I mean it's probably not too late for me to get a real job. I hate advertising but it would actually pay the bills…we could get some decent health insurance and probably afford a real house. I could take care of us with an advertising job even if I hated it. Putting up with a job I hate would be worth it for our family, right? I need to put our daughter first, don't I?"
Penny shook her head her voice as firm as she could manage. "You aren't going to give up on your dreams Danny. You hated advertising. Remember how miserable you were in college? You told me every single day just how much you hated your major. You felt like you were suffocating when you did advertising. I don't want you to feel that way ever baby…not even if you were bringing home piles of money. I don't want our baby girl to see you dead inside at a job you hate. I don't want her to see her dad always looking back wishing he hadn't walked away from what he loves. You aren't being selfish Dan. There's probably not a single selfish cell in your entire body."
She pressed a kiss to his cheek continuing to soothe him hoping that her next statement wouldn't upset him farther. "You said it yourself Avi can be too practical sometimes. He can be too practical for his own good. He just doesn't see things the way you do. You've said it before, he nags you because he's worried about you. He didn't mean what he said. He loves you."
Dan sighed knowing that she was right. Still though his dad's words had hurt. It wasn't the first time Dan and his father had this conversation about his future.
Avi's comments this time around though had been a kick to Dan when he was already so filled with self-doubt.
The farther along Penny's pregnancy grew the more insecure Dan grew about his future. He just wanted to give his wife and their baby the best. He feared that he would fail at doing that, that Penny's father would be right when he'd called Dan a loser all those years ago.
Penny pressed a kiss to Dan's lips trying to make him laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of the threat she was making. "Don't you dare walk away from music Leigh. I'll smack you upside the head so hard our grandkids will feel it if you walk away from doing what you love."
The comment managed to work a small chuckle from Dan's lips as he spoke teasing her. "Don't call me by my first name babygirl. You're way too short to hit me upside my head. Besides you're too sweet to hit anyone."
"I know. It made you smile though…. you feel better now Danny?" She asked her hand stroking his cheek as his tears began to dry up his anxiety fading away.
"A little better." Dan admitted not wanting her to pull away from him anytime soon.
He didn't get his wish though as Penny's cell phone began to ring. He reluctantly allowed her to pull away from him as she went over to her purse where it rested on the coffee table.
She spoke already recognizing the number before she answered the phone. "Hey Debbie."
Dan's mother let out a soft sigh as she replied. "Is Danny okay? I tried to call on the homeline but I didn't get through."
Penny resisted the urge to be upset with her father in law. She knew he meant well in his own poor misguided way. She glanced over at the phone seeing that it was still off the hook. She held back explaining the truth behind the phone situation. "He's pretty upset. The phone is just off the hook…he needed some time."
Dan's mother let out another soft sigh as she spoke. "I'm so sorry sweetheart. His father doesn't mean it. You know how he can be sometimes."
"I know." Penny responded remembering that Avi and Dan occasionally had blowouts like this. They always managed to patch things up after they both had a bit of time to cool off.
She spoke again wanting to smooth over the situation and let her mother in law know that there weren't any hard feelings. "They just need some time."
"I know. They've always been like this. Just please let Dan know that I love him so much and I am so proud of him. His father is too…he just worries." Debbie insisted tempted to ask to speak to her son herself, but she had a feeling he was too worked up to talk to either of his parents at the moment.
She knew how he handled his anger. He brooded until he exploded. He'd always been so sensitive even as a child.
Debbie spoke again hoping she'd smoothed things over with her daughter in law and her son. "Dan called to talk about the last doctor's appointment you two had. Is everything okay?"
Penny felt a small smile cross her features as she spoke unsure of just how far Dan had gotten into this conversation before he and Avi had their big blowup. "Everything is going just fine. Your granddaughter is perfectly healthy."
"My granddaughter? You mean the baby was in the right position this time for the doctor see gender?" Debbie blurted out tearing up a bit joy hitting her hard.
"Yes, she was. She and I are doing just fine." Penny explained her smile growing as Dan wrapped an arm around her waist his hand resting against her belly.
He spoke loud enough for his mother to hear. "They're doing great Grandma."
Debbie let out a laugh at the grandma comment. "I'm so happy. I'm going to try to make the trip down to see you before your due date."
By the time they got off the phone with his mother Dan's anxiety had faded completely and his mood had lifted significantly.
He pressed his lips to Penny's the second she hung up her phone. She pulled back from the kiss so relieved to see that he was back to his usual cheerful self once again. "I love you."
Dan rubbed her belly the action always calming him no matter how hectic the world around him seemed.
She placed her hand over his nodding down at her belly as she spoke again. "We both love you. We're so proud of you."
Dan let out a soft laugh his mood lifting even more. He continued to rub her belly his voice soft. "I love you too. I love both of you so much."
…
Penny was so close to her due date, but it wasn't keeping her at home tonight.
Dan and Brian had managed to get Ninja Sex Party another gig at another comedy club and Penny wasn't going to miss the performance. They were headlining for once and it was a pretty big deal for them.
Penny hadn't missed a show so far, no matter how small or big it was, and she wasn't going to let being dangerously close to her due date stop her.
Dan hadn't been too enthusiastic about bringing her along to tonight's show. It was too risky he'd insisted but Penny hadn't heard any of his worries.
So now here she was sitting back in a less than clean comedy club her belly massive. She felt a bit like a hot air balloon at the moment but she had managed to get somewhat dressed nicely at least putting on a dress despite the cold outside.
She sipped at her cup of ginger ale feeling a little awkward to be surrounded by people drinking booze. Cocktails were off the menu though given her pregnancy.
She chuckled as Brian's wife Rachel nodded at her. "Are you sure you're going to make it through the night without bursting?"
"That's the same thing Danny asked….and your husband too." Penny pointed out remembering Brian had made the exact same comment when they'd met up at the club earlier tonight.
She spoke again shaking her head. "I wasn't going to stay at home tonight though. I told Dan that it would probably be better if I went into labor here with him beside me than to have me go into labor at home alone unable to get ahold of him. He tried to talk me out of coming a dozen times, but I pointed out that he's being an overprotective nutball again. That shut him up fast."
Rachel chuckled at this knowing that both Brian and she had also taken to pointing out when Dan was being an overprotective nut over Penny. He'd taken a habit of hovering over Penny and getting a little too bossy for his own good the closer she came to her due date.
"Are you ready for it? You don't have much longer to go now." Rachel pointed out deciding not to point out that Penny looked ready to pop out this baby at any second now.
"I hope I'm ready…. the idea of going into labor and delivery is scary as hell, but it's a little late to back out now." Penny pointed out a small chuckle escaping her lips as she took another sip of ginger ale ignoring the way the baby kicked and wiggled the noisy bar apparently making her all too active.
Penny blamed Dan for their wiggly daughter. She moved almost as much as he did.
Dan would always coo that their daughter was dancing, but Penny just wanted the kid to chill out.
She spoke again shaking her head. "Dan's parents are due to come in next week if I make it that far without going into labor. The nursery is ready to go. Dan has bought every bit of affordable unicorn themed décor he can find."
She smiled softly thinking back to the little nursery back home. It was a mix of soft blues and pinks and lilacs. Dan had surprised her by picking the theme; unicorns of all things. He'd found himself thinking back to his own childhood and his all time favorite book back then the Last Unicorn.
The love for the book had equaled out Dan and Penny building up a pretty cute little nursery even though most of the furniture had come from Penny's baby shower and thrift shops Dan had searched high and low for the right décor.
Penny tried to ignore the rapid wiggling in her womb as she tried to keep her attention on the opening acts. There were a few comedians and poets and one band going on before Dan and Brian.
She couldn't help but to glance around the club relieved that the crowd wasn't too sparse. She would feel terrible if the show emptied out before Dan and Brian had a chance to go on. They were both so excited about tonight. She just didn't want it to be a disappointment.
Penny jumped ever so slightly as a sharp pain ran through her womb. She took a few deep breaths trying hard to ignore it. It was just Braxton Hicks contractions she told herself.
They had already been through this a few weeks before. Dan had rushed Penny to the hospital only to have Braxton Hicks explained to them. It was just her body's way of rehearsing labor before the actual event.
She kept her breathing even thankful that Rachel hadn't taken notice of her discomfort as Ninja Sex Party had finally taken the stage.
Penny tried to keep her focus on her husband and be the best fan she could be just the way she'd always done with anything he did.
The cramps kept interrupting her focus though. She kept her breathing even telling herself that she would tell Dan once the show was over. She didn't want to interrupt this moment. He had to finish the show.
She gritted her jaw knowing that she was probably failing to keep her focus on Dan. She tried to count out the space between the cramps trying to keep herself from panicking.
Her water hadn't broken yet she reminded herself. She wouldn't be in trouble until her water broke.
She found herself spacing out so much worrying about rather she was or was not going into labor that she barely noticed as Ninja Sex Party finished their set both men leaving the stage with a thankfully enthusiastic applause from the quaint audience.
She almost jumped out of her skin as she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at Dan her eyes widening. She felt her cheeks flush feeling embarrassed that she'd let herself space out so easily.
He'd finished up the show and she'd barely given the kind of support and attention she'd been hoping to give.
Dan frowned down at his flustered wife having already taken notice of just how out of it she was midshow. He'd changed back into his street clothes quickly not bothering to take the kimono he was wearing over his t-shirt off.
He knew he looked pretty odd standing here in jeans, his usual choice in sneakers, a t-shirt, and a silky sky-blue kimono. He was too concerned with his wife though to worry about his appearance. "You okay Princess?"
Penny gave him a sheepish smile knowing he'd be pretty displeased with her answer. "I'm having cramps."
"Cramps!" Dan blurted out his eyes widening.
He spoke again his words flying out a mile a second. "How long have you been having them? How far apart are they? These are contractions Penny. Why didn't you say anything? You should have said something. Why didn't you tell Rachel?"
Penny shrugged her shoulders feeling dumb for her answer. "I didn't want to interrupt the show."
"I wouldn't have minded the show being interrupted if you're in labor." Dan blurted out his mind going a mile a second.
The bags they'd packed for the hospital were back at home. They hadn't brought them along. Why hadn't they brought them along? Oh yeah because they still had a week to go until their official due date and they'd look insane dragging luggage and a car seat with them to a comedy club.
"How far apart are the cramps?" Dan asked not giving her a chance to reply to his previous comment.
"A little over five minutes apart." Penny confessed already knowing what this meant.
It was hospital time.
She spoke again shaking her head not wanting to believe that she'd been keeping her lips sealed about this for the sake of Dan completing the show. "I'm probably fine. It's probably just Braxton Hicks again."
Apparently fate or God or whoever was listening to this conversation had a sense of humor though because as soon as these words left her mouth she felt a slow but consistent trickle of wetness run between her thighs.
She let out a squeak her eyes growing wide. "I think my water broke."
"Shit…okay…uh, shit…. uh Rachel get Brian please. We need a ride to the hospital." Dan blurted out tripping over his words not caring that he'd gotten the attention of the other club patrons.
Dan practically yanked her up from the chair she'd been sitting in his voice frantic as he started to lead her through the club. "Labor! Everyone move, my wife is in labor!"
No one had a chance to appreciate the humor in the sight of a tall string bean man like Dan still in a kimono practically running dragging his very pregnant short wife behind him screaming out; labor, move, shit, fuck, and hospital.
The labor and delivery hadn't lasted as long as Penny had feared it would. Just eight hours later a healthy eight-pound nine-ounce baby girl entered the world with a head full of dark curls just like her father. Dan and Penny gave her the name Ruth Marie Avidan.
No, the pregnancy so hadn't been planned, but it was one of the best things to ever happen to Dan and Penelope Avidan.