"What time are your parents supposed to be here?" Hanna asks, sticking her toothbrush back in her mouth. She doesn't know what they were thinking, planning a housewarming party for the same day they moved in, but here they are, scrambling to beat the clock. "Six?" The uncertainty in his voice warrants a glare from Hanna, so he quickly corrects himself. "Six. She'll be here at six." The glare is gone, and she bends over to spit out the white foam. "Which gives us... Fifteen minutes." Hanna whips her head around to look at him, and he throws his hands up in surrender. That does little to thwart her angered reaction. "Fifteen minutes?!" She's not dressed yet, and she hasn't gotten around to washing her face and doing her makeup. There's no way she's going to get all of that done in a measly fifteen minutes. "Tell them the party's been pushed back. I need at least ten minutes more than that."
Caleb sighs, pulling out his phone. "I'll do even better than that. What do you say we start the party at 6:15?" It's short notice, and he has quite a few people to pass that message along to before the clock strikes six, but he would rather do that than deal with an angry fiancee. Since he's looking down at his phone, he doesn't see the relieved smile that's on her face. "Much better," she replies, lathering some scrub onto her face. Sending off the last text, he exits the bathroom and begins to search for a better outfit. While there's nothing wrong with a pair of athletic shorts and a tee shirt, he's not sure Hanna would approve. He removes the casual outfit and exchanges it for a pair of dark jeans and a blue v-neck. At some point during his change, his fiancee exits the bathroom, makeup fresh upon her face and skin smelling of lemon (or maybe it's grapefruit). It doesn't take her too long to get dressed, since she's chosen to lay an outfit beforehand. It's a simple black maxi dress with small white polka dots; flowy enough to keep her comfortable, but fancy enough for her to look presentable.
Cue the flirtatious whistle from across the room. Caleb's leaning against the dresser, admiring the blonde. He finds her beautiful whether she's dressed up or dressed down. Made up or fresh-faced. But tonight, she's stunning. "You like?" she questions, doing a quick twirl so that her fiance can see the whole outfit. He nods. "You look great tonight." He moves towards her and snakes his arms around her waist, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Do I not look great every night." She's joking. "You look great too. I love the colour blue on you." She leans up to kiss him, but their moment is interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. She rolls her eyes and mouths the word later before heading downstairs to welcome their guests.
"I'm so glad you pushed the party back," Spencer comments, stepping into the house just seconds after Hanna opens the door for her. Naturally, the blonde stands by the door, waiting for Toby to come in, but she doesn't even see his car in the driveway. She shoots Spencer a questioning look, and almost immediately receives clarification. "He'll be here later. Your gift wasn't ready, but I didn't want to be the last one to show up." Spencer's stress is palpable, and Hanna'a about to tell her not to worry about it when the subject changes. "How's the little one doing?" The blonde places a hand on her tiny bump. "Alright... I think? I don't feel like there's anything wrong." There's a pause. "You know what? Baby's thirsty. Wanna see the kitchen?"
The two share a nod and start towards the kitchen, brushing past Caleb who's only just come down the stairs. "Hey, where's Toby?" he calls after them, only to be told not to worry about it by Spencer. The doorbell rings again, and he goes to answer it. This time, it's Emily and Alison. Not the guests he's most interested in seeing tonight, but he's still happy to see them. "Hey guys, make yourselves at home. I think Hanna and Spencer are in the kitchen, if you want to go see them." The confused expressions on their faces tell him to elaborate. "Second arch to the right. Follow the smell of chocolate cake." As the girls leave the patio and enter the house, Caleb spots Ashley and Ted walking up the driveway. Still not the people he wants to see the most, but he knows for a fact that Hanna will be happy to see them. A hug and a handshake later, they're in the house and Caleb's stepped outside to sit on the patio.
Meanwhile, everyone else is gathered around the island in the kitchen. The attention's on Hanna, naturally, but she's trying to divert it elsewhere. But the questions keep coming. How do you feel? Do you know what you're having yet? Have you picked out a name? She has the answers, but she wants to hold on for them for a bit; save them for a different day. This is a party, not an interrogation, and there's no rush for everything to be revealed. She's not even halfway done with her pregnancy yet. "I'm gonna go get some air" she announces, grabbing her glass of water and wandering out of the room, leaving everyone else to talk amongst themselves.
Caleb's still watching the road when he hears the door open behind him. "You okay?" He nods. "Just waiting." Hanna sits down next to him. She's not in any hurry go back inside. "I'm sure they'll be here soon," she reassures, searching for his hand to hold. He responds with a bitter chuckle. He's seen this movie with them before. "I'm not counting on it." There's silence. Hanna doesn't know what to say to comfort him, so she rests her head on his shoulder, hoping physical contact will be enough to thwart the bad feeling. He sighs. "Wanna go back inside? I know we didn't throw this party just to sit around outside."
Hanna looks at him for a moment, and then nods. "You're taking all of the questions though," she tells him jokingly. "What are they asking about?" Hanna glances down at her bump, and then back up at him. "Take a wild guess." He pokes it gently, finally smiling for her. "Just let me do all the talking." The blonde gets up and goes back inside. Caleb gets up too, but hangs back for a bit. He wants to give his parents the benefit of the doubt, but it's difficult. He's gonna give it two more minutes... One more minute... Thirty more seconds...
The lack of new arrivals tells him it's time to give up and go back inside. Hanna's probably waiting for him anyway. He turns on his heels and heads back into the house. As soon as the door closes, the overhead light in one of the parked cars turns off, and the sound of a car door closing rings throughout the yard.
The party's moved from the kitchen to the living room, and everyone's sitting around the fireplace, playing Would You Rather. Ashley and Ted have decided to opt out of the game, and are quietly discussing something Hanna can't quite distinguish. Caleb's mood has improved, thanks to the party games. The only thing that would make him happier would be an appearance from his parents. A nudge from Hanna drags him away from those thoughts before he can fall back into his funk. Cue the confused look from Caleb. What was the question again? He couldn't remember. Seeing the confusion on his face, Spencer asks again. "Would you rather trade your computer for Hanna, or Hanna for your computer." There's a look on the blonde's face that Caleb doesn't like. Wait. He hesitated. That's her impatient face. And he's still hesitating. Stammering, he tries to respond quickly. He only just proposed, and he doesn't want her to take off the ring until it's time to switch it out for the wedding ring. "H-Hanna. Definitely Hanna." She nods silently and looks away from him. Emily looks between the couple as if she two as if she's just witnessed a big fight. Ali, on the other hand, compliments Caleb on his save.
Spencer checks her phone, immediately straightening up once she sees the text notification on the screen. "Toby's outside," she announces, standing up to go meet him. "Which means your gift it out there too... I'm gonna need you two to help him," she says, pointing at Caleb and Ted. She looks at Emily for a moment as well, remembering her friend's history of upper-arm strength-building activities, but shakes her head. They don't need that many people anyway, and it's probably been a while since Emily's last trip to the gym. "I should go too," Hanna says, starting to get up. "No, I think you should stay here. No heavy lifting."
She sits back down with a pout on her face. Spencer moves towards the archway to look out for the men. Five minutes pass... Ten minutes... Fifteen minutes... Spencer looks back at Hanna, who's impatiently waiting to see what this long-awaited gift is. "I'll be right back," she informs the group, heading outside to see what the delay is about. Hanna gets up to follow her; she doesn't want to be out of the loop any longer. She pauses at the front door once she realizes what the hold up is about. It's not about the beautifully-crafted rocking chair that's sitting on the walkway, ready to be carried into the house. It's not about Pastor Ted, who's sitting on the steps looking like that's the first exercise he's had in months, or Spencer and Toby who are sitting next to him. It's about Caleb, and the guests who have finally arrived. Caleb waves Hanna over when she sees her, and mumbles a few quick words to his parents who also turn around to look at her.
He wraps an arm around her shoulders once she's within his reach. "And Hanna and I," he begins, looking at her with a light smile. "We've got a lot to look forward to. We're engaged..." Hanna gestures to the ring that's on her finger when he mentions that detail, not wanting to miss an opportunity to show it off. "We're having a baby." Those words come out slower and more uncertain than the first few. "Oh," is the first thing that comes out of Claudia's mouth, and then there's a pause. Hanna and Caleb shoot her matching anticipatory glances. Jamie's silent, but it's clear that he's thinking about something. Then, Claudia breaks the silence again. "Well, congratulations. When are you due, Hanna?" Hanna's hand rests protectively over her bump. "About five months from now? I'm drawing a blank on the exact day."
Caleb's eyes shift towards his father. There's no doubt in his mind that his father has something to say. The only question is what it's about. "Congratulations," the man says near-silently, extending his hand for his son to shake. "Thank you." It's a tense moment. It's not supposed to be, but it is. Caleb glances over at Hanna, who's making awkward conversation with his mother about the pregnancy. The brief look she gives him says it all; she's as uncomfortable as he is. "Uh, we have cake in the house if you're interested. It's chocolate." The announcement doesn't do much to ease the tension, but it gives him and Hanna an out.
While Caleb, Ted, and Toby try again to move the rocking chair into the house, Hanna and Spencer rush into the house to warn Ashley, Ali, and Emily about Claudia and Jamie's arrival, and then to the kitchen to start cutting and plating the cake. "You alright?" the taller one questions as she slices the dessert. "Why wouldn't I be?" Hanna questions, setting the pack of plastic plates down and beginning her search for the box of plastic silverware. "I couldn't even hear what you were saying and I felt awkward." Hanna sighs. "She paused. We told her about the baby, and she paused." Spencer doesn't look up from the cake, but she nods to show her friend that she's listening. "Jamie didn't even open his mouth, and when he did, he sounded like one of those unemotional dads from the sports movies. Not like someone who just found out he's gonna be a grandpa."
Setting the knife down, Spencer sighs. "Maybe they're not interested. Think about it, Han. Claudia flew all the way out here from California, got herself a hotel room five minutes away, and still managed to show up late. And what about Jamie? Doesn't he live around here? What's his reason for showing up late?" Hanna doesn't have an answer. She wishes she does, but she doesn't. "Maybe you're right," she responds, opening up a box of plastic forks. Spencer places a slice of cake on a plate for Hanna and hands it to her. "I just feel bad for Caleb. He's been waiting all this time to tell them, and all he got was an oh."
Spencer goes back to cutting the cake. She's not sure what to say to her friend. She doesn't know Jamie or Claudia, or the dynamics of their relationship with Caleb, so she can't be of much help to them. "Thanks for the rocking chair," Hanna says, leaning against the counter with her plate of cake. "Did Toby make that himself?" Spender nods. "That's why it took so long. He was putting the finishing touches on it." That's when the rest of the guests walk in. "Chair's in the living room," Toby announces, making a beeline for his girlfriend. Caleb slides up next to Hanna, giving her a gentle nudge with his elbow. Alison and Emily settle closer to the kitchen sink, and Ted and Ashley move to the other side of Hanna. The only people who aren't fully in the room are Jamie and Claudia, who linger in the archway.
There's an awkward silence for a moment or two, and then Caleb grabs two slices of cake from the island and walks over to his parents. "Thanks for coming," he says, handing each of them a slice. All eyes are on them, and even though Caleb's back is turned, he knows it. "Can we talk in private?" he asks, pointing across the hall to the living room. His parents agree, and the three of them head in that direction. Hanna starts to follow as well, but she's stopped by Emily and Alison who inform her that they have to leave. Hanna hugs them both, thanks them for coming, and walks them to the door, completely forgetting about the conversation that's taking place in the next room. Her mother and the pastor follow suit. Four down, four to go.
Hanna steals a glance into the living room on her way back to the kitchen. The conversation doesn't sound too intense, so she doesn't go in immediately. Instead, she returns to the kitchen, where Spencer and Toby are. "And then there were six," she says, grabbing another slice of cake. "Well, you know, ten's a crowd," Toby replies, pulling Spencer just a little bit closer. "Six is also a crowd. So is five." Hanna mumbles. The more she thinks about Caleb's parents' reactions, the more annoyed she gets. Why couldn't they have been more enthusiastic? Toby and Spencer exchange glances. "If you want us to go..." Spencer begins, setting her plate down. Hanna shakes her head. "You're not the two I'm talking about." Another set of glances. "I do think it's time to go though," Toby comments, setting his plate down as well. "This is a, uh... family situation, and we're not a part of the family." Spencer hesitates, but nods in in agreement. "Thank you for inviting us," she says, wrapping her arms around a sighing Hanna. Toby offers her a sympathetic smile. "Tell Caleb we said bye." Another sigh from Hanna. "I'll walk you out."
Once she sees Toby and Spencer's cars start down the road, the blonde walks back into the house. This time, she actually steps into the living room. The conversation is still going, but comes to a halt when Caleb spots his fiance. He pats the couch cushion next to him, signalling Hanna to come and join them. Once she's closer, she can see the wet spots on Claudia's face, and the hint of emotion of Jamie's. She wonders what kind of breakthrough they had since coming in here. "Hanna," Claudia begins, brushing away a stray tear with the sleeve of her sweater. "I just want you to know how lucky you are to have someone like Caleb in your life."
Hanna glances over at Caleb, who reaches for her hand to hold. "I didn't have that. Someone like him, I mean..." The attention turns to Jamie, who's now visibly upset; perhaps even remorseful. "But Caleb's already pulling out all the stops, and he has plans to stick around, and..." Jamie cuts her off. "The news took us by surprise, but we support you 100%. We— We dropped the ball as parents, and we're still not up to par, but we want to try to be good in-laws for you and good grandparents for the baby." There are tears in Hanna's eyes as well now, but she doesn't wipe them away. It makes sense now. It wasn't the news that upset them; it was the nature. They weren't there for their son, and now he's going to be a father. It makes sense. "We'd like that," Caleb replies, gently squeezing her hand.
"Then it's settled," Claudia says, checking her watch and standing up. "It's getting late. You two probably want your sleep. I'll be in town for another two days, if you two want to catch up some more." It's Hanna's turn to agree. "I'd like that." Everyone's smiling now. If only this conversation had happened sooner; the party would've lasted much longer. "Whadya say we meet up at The Brew tomorrow?" Jamie suggests, standing up and stretching. "I'll pay," Claudia adds, watching as her son stood up as well. "That would be great. Uh, you alright with that, Han?" Caleb questions, helping her up. The blonde nods. If Caleb wants to, she's not going to stand in his way. Besides, she wants to have a relationship with the people who made his favourite person. In all of the time she and Caleb have been together, she's only met with Jamie a handful of times. Her interactions with Claudia have been solely electronic. In her mind, that's a pretty weak relationship for people who are about to be in-laws to have. "Yeah, of course. I can't wait." She gets up, and they all walk to the door.
Claudia's the first to embrace them. "I'll see you two tomorrow." Placing a kiss on Caleb's cheek and shooting Hanna a polite smile, she turns to walk to her car. Jamie shakes Caleb's hand, and then Hanna's, and follows suit. "Call me when you get in," Caleb calls after them, leaning against the doorway as he waits for them to drive away. "How did that feel?" Hanna asks, looking up at him. "We should've let Aria tell them too," he replies jokingly, stepping back into the house and the cars' headlights dim with distance. "Don't be that guy," she warns him, walking around and shutting off the lights. He snickers, sitting down on the stairs to wait for her. "You know you love me."
Author's note: A couple of you requested for them to tell Claudia and Jamie, so here that is, awkward family dynamics and all. I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading. Let me know what you think, and feel free to hit me up with other requests!
