Hey my beautiful readers! This chapter was super fun to write and I am very excited for what is to come. I can't wait to read all your thoughts!
Fanz4life: I'm not going to lie I laughed out loud at your "How am I taking it" comment. I love your reviews and your sweet words of encouragement so thank you :)
bexlynne: Please continue to rant in my review section I absolutely love hearing your thoughts!
Les Phansie: I know! This isn't some little vaudeville I'm reviewing. Am I insane? This is what I've been waiting for.
"I'M WHAT!?" I shout while pacing the floor. No, this can't be happening to me. How am I going to be able to look at it knowing who the father is, how could I possibly tell Crutchie, Albert will never speak to me again. My hands go to my stomach. Pregnant. It can't be true.
"Fox, we don't know for sure yet. It's too early to tell, it could just be stress," Katherine is rubbing my back trying to calm my breathing. Jack has now joined the table and just watching us. After about twenty minutes of listening to my inner struggle he speaks up.
"Hey, sweetheart you know we will all be here for you no matter what. You is family and family don't go nowhere in times of trouble. Whatever happens you can count on your brothers." I let out a sigh trying to believe what he says is true. I feel so ashamed how could I have ever let this happen.
"What kind of life could I give this child?" I fall into a chair and bury my face in my hands and start crying.
"One filled with love and happiness" I look up wiping my eyes and I see Crutchie. He limps towards the table and sits beside me. He takes my hands in his "this baby may not have been conceived in love but I promise you they will always be loved, cherished, and happy. You are the kindest person I have ever met and we would all help out. Plus with Jack and Kathy's baby they would always have a friend. Fox, don't remember the bad stuff when you look at this baby, remember the love that we have for you."
I throw my arms around Crutchie and cry into his shoulder. He rubs my back and just holds me. How did I get so lucky to have a brother like him. Crutchie kisses my temple and I stand up trying to gain my composure.
"How am I supposed to tell the boys?" I ask the group and they just look around to each other clearly as clueless as I am.
"Well we aren't sure yet, so why don't you just wait until Christmas and see before you tell them." Katherine explains and I agree. Christmas seems like a good time to announce. A happy time. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. Jack and Katherine excuse themselves to their room and Crutchie helps me finish the dishes I had completely forgotten about. I wash while Crutchie dries.
"What are you thinking about?" Crutchie asks not looking at me.
"Hmm?" Crutchie laughs, "your eyebrows are furrowing, that means you are thinking about something." I can't help but laugh he knows me so well its scary.
"I'm just trying to figure out how will Al react when I tell him, we never really defined our relationship it just happened. I'm not even sure how I feel about the baby how can I expect him to be okay with it? And Race. What on earth is he going to say? This place is for Newsies and now it's turning into Baby Land." I throw my hands up for emphasis and out of frustration.
"Baby Land?" Crutchie breaks into hysterics.
"Oh, shut up I couldn't think of a place full of babies," I hit him lightly with a towel.
"I think you worry too much, Fox, Race is an Italian, he loves kids and this is the big family he has always dreamed of. As far as Albert goes it may be hard at first and he'll need time, but so will you. Just try not to worry about it until Christmas." He always knows what to say. I give him a hug. "Thanks, Crutchie."
"Anytime," we finish up and go back up to the boys, most of them are still awake. I watch as Albert is showing one of the younger boys, Shiner, how to play poker. He came to live here while I was at the Refuge, and watching him just breaks my heart. He's the youngest one here at only nine. Race told me he got his name because he used to shine shoes, and when he asked to be a Newsie he was sporting a terrible black eye so Shiner it was. I can't help but smile at the young boy, he looks so excited to be a part of something and now in the Newsies he has family to help him. Albert looks up at me and smiles giving a slight wave. I wave back. I start to walk towards him when Race stands up and makes the announcement it's lights out so I just go to my bunk. Shiner follows me to his bunk which is under mine.
"Foxy did you see me? I was almost winning!" I laugh at his enthusiasm, he was always smiling.
"Well keep practicing, you might be the first to beat Racetrack." I say as I climb onto my bed.
"In his dreams, Foxy, although he could probably beat Elmer." Race says across the room smiling his big grin with his cigar hanging out of his mouth.
"Anyone can beat Elmer," all the boys say at once earning a "hey!" from Elmer and a roaring laugh from everyone else. I lean down over Shiner's bed and whisper.
"Well I believe you could beat Racer one day, Albert's come close once or twice so it could happen." I give him a wink and right myself back on my bed. Race cuts out the lights and everyone gets settled. I'm almost asleep when I hear a small whisper, "Hey, Fox?"
I lean back over. "Yes?"
"Would you mind sleeping in my bed tonight?" My heart breaks. Shiner became an orphan in September, that's why he needed to shine shoes. The orphanage he was staying at didn't have enough room when winter started so he had to find somewhere else to stay and that's how he found the Newsies. He tries to act tough like the older boys but he is still a little kid and I know what it's like to miss a parent. I crawl into his bed and wrap my arms around him. He snuggles into my side. "Fox?"
"Mhmm?"
"Are you and Albert going to get married one day like Jack and Katherine?" I smile looking at the boy I can barely see in the moonlight coming from the window.
"I don't know Shiner, maybe one day." I kiss his forehead and he smiles. "I think you will, just make sure you visit all the time." I can't help but let out a chuckle.
"We would never be far away from you," I say ruffling his hair. He sighs and falls asleep, hopefully having sweet dreams. It's going to be okay, whatever happens with this baby we can get through anything.
I wake up the next morning earlier than the guys so I untangle myself from Shiner's arms and start getting ready. Luckily, I don't feel sick yet so I try to hurry before it hits. I get ready for the day and when I open the door Katherine is standing there in surprise.
"Oh good, you're up, I was just about to get you," she grabs my hand and takes me to a room across the hall. "I have been thinking all night about it and I think this room will be perfect," I look at the room it's a decent size. "This was an extra bedroom if more Newsies ever came, and more space was needed but it wasn't. So, I was thinking when the baby gets here, you two can just move in here. That way you can be with the baby and the boys will still be right there if you need them or they need you." When I turn around Jack is behind Katherine with his arms around her resting his hands on her ever-growing stomach. I turn back to the room and imagine Albert and me standing like that. I imagine us expecting our own child.
I need to get going and finish those costumes I didn't do yesterday and Jack agrees to walk me, while Katherine stays behind. It's officially gotten too cold for her to be going back and forth to work so The Sun has agreed to make her temporary editor so she can work from home. We grab our coats and make our way to the theater.
"Jack, if Katherine ever had another man's child, would you treat it like your own?" Jack was quiet for what seemed like forever. I hold my breath trying to decide if he was going to say the truth or what he just thought I wanted to hear.
"Fox, when Katherine told me she was pregnant I honestly thought I was going to throw up. I wasn't sure if I was ready or how we would be able to afford it. I was really scared, but then I set that aside and realized how wonderful a baby would be. I thought about Katherine reading books to it, and Race teaching them to play poker, I thought about the day they start school and all their uncles going too. Albert is going to be freaked out at first, but I think the idea of being a dad or an uncle or a brother or however you choose to make him a part of your child's life will overpower any fear he may have."
I let out the breath I was holding. The fact that Jack wasn't excited at first when Katherine told him, is probably the most hope I've had. We get to the theater and Jack kisses my cheek and walks towards The World leaving me to my thoughts. I walk in and no one is here yet. I go on up to the costume room and start on Kaitlyn's Queen of Hearts costume.
I finally finish it when I feel the vibrations of someone walking up the stairs. I turn and see Albert holding a wrapped sandwich. "You didn't come to the Deli so I thought I would bring you something to eat." I look up at the clock and it's two thirty.
"I'm sorry I got caught up in work, I lost track of time. Thank you." I take the sandwich and sit to eat. Thank goodness, he got me peanut butter because I don't want to try to explain why I can't eat it if it had a pickle on it. Albert pulls up another chair which is weird since he is usually in a hurry to get back to the street to sell.
"You will never believe what happened to me on the way here." His smile is the biggest I have ever seen it. "What Albert?" I ask taking another bite.
"I've been given a job, like a REAL job Fox!" I almost choke on my sandwich. "That's great! Doing what?"
"Well you know how I have a thing with numbers?" I nod mouth full of peanut butter. "Well this man was walking past me with a book full of numbers and arithmetic. Well we accidentally bumped into each other and he dropped his book. I picked it up and noticed his figures were wrong and commented on it. He looked at me like I was stupid, but when I explained what was wrong it turns out I was right. He said if I could notice that mistake that fast he needed someone like me working for him! I'm going to meet him tomorrow to discuss the job!"
He was practically bouncing. I knew he was starting to think about leaving the Newsies, but I just didn't think it would be so soon. "So, what about the Newsies?" I knew that wasn't what he was expecting me to say because the moment I said it his face dropped. He stood up and looked out the window.
"Fox, I can't be a newsie forever I'm almost eighteen. I'll still stay at the Lodging House until I get enough money to afford my own flat, but soon enough I have to go my own way." I walk over to him and wrap my arms around his waist resting my head on his back between his shoulder blades.
"If that's what you think you should do, but I'm gonna miss you like crazy when you move out." He twists himself in my arms to face me and pulls me to him. "Well I was sort of hoping you would come with me." I look up at him confused and he just laughs.
"This wasn't exactly how I planned for this to go, but I guess now is as good as any time to ask." He slowly goes down on one knee, "I don't have a ring yet, so you'll have to take an IOU, but would you marry my Foxy?" I want to cry tears of joy and jump into his arms, but then I remember my own news. I get on my knees in front of him, hold his face in my hands and kiss him.
"Is that a yes?" He asks kissing me back.
"It's a let's wait and see. Give me until Christmas to think about it, that also gives you time into your new job to see if you really like it." I need to make sure if I'm pregnant or not before we complicate this anymore than it already it. I think about what our life could be like and I think about how lonely my life will be if Christmas doesn't go well.