20

Ryan

I leaned my cheek against the cool porcelain and Daniel stroked my hair as Lizzie sat perched on the counter between the double vanity mirrors. "Why did I want this?" I whined as Lizzie handed Daniel a cup of water to let me rinse my mouth out with. Daniel hummed something soothing through a small chuckle. Lizzie put a hand over her 5-month, barely there bump.

"When you figure that out you should remind me why I agreed to carry your child for you as well." She laughed, raising and eyebrow. I smiled and lifted my head. I felt Daniel's hand cradle my neck.

"Because you love me." She rolled her eyes. "And you're just dying to see the look on your grandma's sister's face when you tell her not only are you pregnant at 20, not only is it not your fiancée's… Oh, yeah you're engaged at 20 too. But it's your sister's child. And not your biological one, your real one." She began to laugh hysterically. She wiped a tear from her eye. She slowly got off the counter and Daniel offered to help but she told him no.

"That is very true. Guess we'll see tonight at dinner." She smiled, half way out the door. "Happy thanksgiving guys, oh and I'm pregnant with her baby." She giggled and patted her stomach. "Now I've got to go find my boyfr… fiancée." I "aww"ed at her and she flipped me off on her way out.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked as I slowly got to my feet. I nodded as I went to the sink to brush my teeth.

"Morning sickness sucks ass," I told him through a mouthful of toothpaste. "I love you lion." He kissed my shoulder.

"Love you too kitty." I walked out of the bathroom and into the kitchen, him following me diligently. He quickly grabbed the onions that had set me off and bagged them, throwing them back into the fridge.

"Relax." I poked his ribs. "I'll be fine." I yelled up to Lizzie, "Do you want me to pack the veggie stuff?"

Her voice echoed back, "Yes please."

"You would think after how many years she'd accept it's not a phase," I called as I heard her make her way down the stairs, her favorite black pumps making their distinct click with each step.

"Seven years but you know my great aunt." She rolled her eyes entering the kitchen, Matt close behind. His hands sat in the back pockets of her black jeans.

"What's a phase?" Daniel asked, already getting the stuff out of the freezer for me. I kissed his cheek and handed him a canvas bag to put it in.

"Lizzie's vegetarianism," I informed him. The boys looked towards us, confused. "Let's just say we both apologize that to meet the rest of her family you have to meet Lizzie's great aunt."

"What's so terrible about her?" Matt asked, a little worry showed on his face. She kissed him gently.

"Sadly, you'll see," She said turning to kiss him again. We all got out things together and headed to the car, preparing ourselves for Thanksgiving with her relatives. Lizzie explained who everyone was on the ride down. She told Daniel to prepare himself for any comments about his hair length, warned Matt that her godfather was slightly protective and reminded me that most of her family was Christian.

She stepped out of the car first. Instantly, her cousin Andrew was hugging her. He had gotten much older since the pictures of him sitting on her desk in neat little frames. "Dear lord, you've gotten big." She pushed his blonde hair from his eyes. "How old are you? Forty?" He smiled a little kid, very toothy grin.

"I'm seven Liza." She smiled and told him to go let her mom know she was here. She turned towards us.

"That's Andrew, your godfather's son, right?" Matt smiled at her and she offered an impressed smile. She nodded and he wrapped an arm around her. Daniel and I, holding hands followed close behind the pair as we walked into her aunt's house. We were introduced and hugged. Her aunt Lindsay married to her aunt Maria. They had a daughter, Olivia, who was eight. Then there was her godfather Luke, who was married to Tillie and had three sons: Andrew, Devon, and Joseph. Daniel nudged me as Matt and Lizzie made their way to her great aunt who her mom had nudged her to say hello to. We followed behind.

"Hi, Aunt Marge. You remember Ryan." Lizzie gestured to me. She nodded.

"Packing on the pounds aren't we Elizabeth?" She pointed to her stomach. Lizzie's nails dug into her arm and I saw Matt's arm tighten around her, looking back towards me. I mouthed "calm" as I reached forward to stroke her upper arm. Marge looked over her shoulder towards Daniel. "Why is your hair so long?"

"Because my wife likes it that way." Her eyes widened.

"Wife? How old are you?" I told her 20 and she shook her head. "You two are stupid to be throwing your lives away like that so young." I looked up at him and rolled my eyes, kissing his cheek.

He whispered, "I love you." And I nodded and let him know I loved him too. I watched as Marge pointed a finger towards Matt.

"Who is he, Elizabeth?" She asked. I watched Lizzie shift her weight uncomfortable as Matt kissed her temple.

"My fiancée," She said proudly. I watched her great aunt's jaw hit the ground like someone had just run over her child.

"I'm so disappointed in you. I taught you so much better than this." She got to her feet and brushed herself off, passing by Lizzie and the rest of us.

"I honestly do not care Aunt Marge." Elizabeth made sure she heard as she turned back towards the three of us. "So, that's my aunt Marge. Lovely isn't she?" Matt began to laugh and Daniel joined him. Matt kissed her and apologized, through laughing. We walked over together towards the dining room where everyone had already sat themselves down to eat. The four of us sat towards the end.

I listened respectfully to their prayer and the four of us exchanged a small smile as Daniel, a four year old smile on his face, popped a string bean into his mouth before they were finished. "Someone's a badass." Matt poked at him as they all went back to their respective conversations. We all looked up as Lizzie coughed, asking for attention.

"I'm engaged." She announced and everyone but her aunt Marge fawned over her ring and congratulated them. Her cheeks flushed a pretty pink and Matt held her hand. She winked at me and before I could stop her she added, "Oh and Ryan's pregnant." I saw her mom rush to her feet to hug me. Her aunt Marge nearly choked on her water and we laughed. I gave Lizzie a look and she begged me not to as I licked my lips.

"So is Lizzie." I watched her head fall into her hands as Matt rubbed her back. The table fell dead quiet. "Don't worry, it's not his. It's mine." Lizzie's father and her Aunt Lindsay began to laugh, understanding what we were talking about. Her father went into an elaborate medical explanation about how Lizzie was artificially inseminated, using a lot of fancy words the four of us did not care to understand.

With everyone in understanding and a warm wish of luck, the dinner continued uneventful. Lizzie told me she was going to kick my ass as Daniel and Matt softly reminded her that we were her family and she didn't have to worry what they thought of her. She nodded and thanked us quietly. As the night wound down, we all got ourselves ready to leave. With a hug and kiss to everyone, we all made our way to the one person we had left: Aunt Marge.

She looked up from her mug of tea and stayed seated. "I'm leaving," Lizzie told her. She looked towards Lizzie, towards me, towards Daniel then finally at Matt.

"You are all no good punks, ruining my Elizabeth's life." Matt simply shrugged, having realized earning her approval was impossible. I took a deep breath as I watched Lizzie's face turn cold. I pulled Matt back a little as she took a deep breath.

"I do not care if you talk about me like that. You can say whatever you want about me. But do not drag my family into this. Matthew is the love of my life and you are not allowed to speak to him like that. Ryan is my sister and has saved my life, you are not allowed to speak like that about her either. And Daniel is one of my best friends, also having saved my life and is like my son, you are not allowed to speak to him like that. You are not allowed to speak like that about any of them. I don't care who you are, you do not, and I repeat do not ever talk about my family like that again. Do you understand me?" With that, Lizzie grabbed Matt's hand, put on a sweet smile, waved goodbye to everyone and walked out the front door, Daniel and I in hysterics behind her.

"Did you see her face?" I felt tears slipping down my cheeks as Matt joined us after kissing Lizzie passionately and reminding her he loves her. I grabbed at Daniel's shoulder as he laughed along with us. Lizzie cracked a smile as she unlocked the car.

"I have been waiting to say that to her for years." She began to laugh and Matt hugged her tightly before letting her get in the car. He leaned down to kiss her stomach.

"Hello Facebook junior." He poked her belly and she swatted at his hand.

She poked his cheek and said, "Play nice." I saw Daniel giving him the death glare over my shoulder, at the use of his old nickname. Matt began to laugh, kissed Lizzie and walked around to slip into the passenger seat.

"Lizzie?" Matt looked up at her after buckling his seat belt. She nodded.

"Can we not do anymore holidays with this side of your family please?"