"Here," she said handing him the phone. "I told my mom three weeks ago, call her."

He looked at her and reluctantly took the phone. It's not that he didn't want to tell his mother or he was scared or anything like that. It's not like he was the one pregnant. He just didn't want her to get on the subject of his dad. He loved his mom and would have loved to visit and talk to her more, but his father always seemed to stand in the way of that. He started dialing and put the phone up to his ear.

"If she starts talking about her husband, I'm going to hang up," he told Lisa as the phone continued to ring. She picked up after the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, mom."

"Gregory?" she started. "What a pleasant surprise. Finally, you called me. I didn't have to call you."

"I call sometimes mom," he said feeling a little guilty.

"You do not," she said. He looked at Lisa who was sitting next to him smiling, being able to hear both sides of the conversation. "I always have to call you. Even then, I could never get you. I have to leave messages and stalk you over the phone for months before I get you to return my calls."

"Well I've been kinda busy mom," he told her.

"Too busy to call your own mother?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't come up with a viable excuse. "You're right mom. I should try to call more."

"Well since you've called now I know you have something to tell me. I hope nothing's wrong," she said sounding a little worried.

"Nothing's wrong, but I did call to tell you something," he said with a smile, knowing his mother would get the ultimate kick out of what he was about to say.

"Well?" she asked sounding eager.

"Lisa's pregnant."

She gasped and then he heard her voice coming over the speaker. "Gregory, are you pulling my leg?" Her son had pulled enough tricks on her for her to ask that question.

"No mom," he said laughing a little. "She really is pregnant."

"Oh my goodness, I'm going to be and Grandma," she said. The phone grew quiet for a moment, before she started again. "When? When is the baby due?"

"Julyish," he said.

"Julyish? Well son you should know at least when the baby's due?"

"She probably won't go in on her due date anyway so the only thing that really matters is the month."

"Well how many months is she right now?" she asked a little too excited to count it out herself.

"Babe how many month's?" he asked, not really keeping up with it. He didn't really believe in keeping up with the weeks, finding it would make him more anxious. He figured he would eye it, and the closer she got to looking like she was going to pop, he would know she was that much closer to giving birth.

"Three months and three weeks," Blythe heard Lisa say.

"Almost four months," she said. "And you're just calling me?"

"We just found out three weeks ago," he tried.

"Well why didn't you tell me three weeks ago?"

"Uhmm, Forgot?"

"I can't believe you," she said. "Well, what is she having?"

"Don't know."

"Well when are you going to find out?"

"Don't know."

"You don't know anything do you?" she said. "Put Lisa on the phone."

He handed the phone to her. She took it with a smile and instantly picked up an all baby conversation with Blythe.

"So what are we going to do?" she asked him. They were sitting on the sofa watching television. "Do you wanna find out the sex or not?"

"Yeah, I think we should," he told her.

"Why?" she asked sounding like that wasn't the answer she wanted to hear.

"Why not?"

"I don't know. I kinda wanted it to be a surprise."

"Well then wait until the baby's born," he told her.

"But you wanna know," she said. "I don't want to keep you from knowing, if you wanna know."

"Well I don't want to spoil the surprise for you if you don't want to know."

She looked at him and thought about it for a while, before speaking. "Well it would be useful to know, so we could know how to decorate the nursery."

"It's a baby," he said, "as far as it knows it's androgynous. It doesn't have a sexual identity. As long as there's no pink, I'm fine with it."

"But I'll know," she argued.

"Then find out the sex at the next doctor's appointment." He was going to go with whatever she wanted on this. He had learned long ago not to argue with 'the crazy lady', though he never let her hear him call her that.

"But I want it to be a surprise," she said, mostly arguing with herself.

"Well it's not like you have to find out next weekend," he told her. "Take time to decide and if you want to know, call Dr. Grey and have him tell you."

She thought about it before turning her head to place a kiss on his lips. "You're right…now what are we going to do about money? I was thinking about taking out some of the loans that I was offered from the school…," she started.

"No, you don't need to take out any loans," he told her.

"Why not?"

"Because," he started, "you were planning on graduating from med school without any loans. I told you I'll take care of it."

The truth was that he didn't want her to feel like she had to financially sacrifice anything for the baby. So far, with the money she had conned from her dad, she had managed to not accumulate any debt, which is a huge accomplishment for a medical student. He had always been taught that it was a man's job to provide financially for his family, the only thing his father had taught him that he could agree with. The man was the biggest asshole he had ever known, but he had always provided financially for him and his mother. He felt like if he failed in that area that he would be less of a father than his dad was, and he wasn't willing to let that happen.

"Well I can ask my dad for the money he had left in my account and…," he cut her off before she could even finish the sentence.

"No," he told her in a firm voice. "There's no way we're asking your father or anyone for any money."

He definitely was not going to ask for handouts, from anyone, especially her father. He was sure that the disdain he had for the man was mutual. He was never one to depend on people or to let it be known that he depended on them, and he definitely was not about to start now. He had too much pride for that.

"Then how are we going to get money for everything we need," she asked getting a little annoyed, by his male ego.

"I told you I'll take care of it."

"Be nice," Lisa said as she walked to answer the door.

"I'm always nice," he told her. She gave him a look that said 'yeah right' and proceeded to open the door.

A smile came to her face as her mother and her sister came in and hugged her before going straight to her stomach that was now showing through her clothes.

"Oh my goodness, look at you," her sister said. "You're huge."

Her mother looked at her reassuringly after she saw her facial expression change at her sister's comment. "You just have a little bump. You're not that big," she said. "At least not as big as you're going to get."

"Well thanks a lot," she said disappointed at her mother's failed attempt at reassurance.

"Oh honey, we're just teasing," Anne said, as she pulled her into another hug.

The three of them walked into the living room to find Greg stuffing things into his backpack. She was happy that she didn't have to worry about any arguing since her dad hadn't come down. She knew that Jenn didn't have anything against Greg. And her mother had told her the same, although she would never approve of him in front of her father.

"Hey Greg," Jenn said. "You coming shopping with us?"

"Really wish I could," he said with mock sincerity, making the three of them roll their eyes. "But I'm on call this weekend."

He walked over and gave Lisa a quick peck on the lips before walking towards the door. He stopped then turned around. "Wait a minute…I can't smell the male chauvinism in the air. Where's papa bear?"

"He stayed home," Anne said.

"You mean to tell me that he finds out she's pregnant and we don't get a call or a visit?" he said. "Is he still unconscious from the heart attack he had?"

"Actually, he doesn't know," Anne said.

Lisa's eyes grew wide. She had told her mother to tell her father, just so she wouldn't have to go through the trouble of doing it. She didn't want to have to hear his ranting and raving about her quitting school, and about his obsessive dislike of Greg.

"Looks like somebody's got some 'splanin' to do," he said before leaving out of the door, wanting to have no part of the discussion that was about to occur.

"Mom!," Lisa yelled. "I thought you said you were going to tell him."

"I was," her mother said nervously, "but I thought it would be better if you tell him."

"How would that be better?"

"You two need to talk. You should call him."

"No better time than now," Jenn said handing her the phone.

She frowned at her sister, before taking the phone and beginning to dial. "Hello, Dad?"

"Lisa?"

"Yeah it's me," she said.

"Well what is it sweetie? Did your mother and sister get there okay?"

"Yeah, they're here," she told him. "I was calling because there's something I needed to tell you."

"Well what is it?"

"Promise me you won't get mad."

"Will it really matter to you if I get mad or not?" he asked her. "Besides, I'm sure it can't be anything worst than you moving to Baltimore to go to school and live with that asshole. So, what is it?"

She was silent for a while as she looked up at her mother and sister who were seated on either side of her. "Daddy, I'm pregnant."

"Let me guess, Greg's the father."

"Well yeah. He is my boyfriend and I am living with him," she told him.

"Well I can't say that I like the guy, but at least you're finally realizing what you should be doing with your life," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you're having a baby, I assume you two are going to get married, although I would rather have had you get married before you had the baby. I only assume that you're going to quit school to take care of your family."

"Dad, I'm not quitting school," she informed him. She didn't say anything about the getting married part, that being an expectation of her own. She didn't expect him to marry her because of the baby, but even before the baby, she had hoped that they would get married someday.

"Lisa how are you going to go to school and raise a baby?" he asked her. "I don't know if you know it or not, but babies require a lot of your time."

"I know that," she told him, "but I'm not going to be the only one raising the baby. Greg will…," he cut her off.

"Isn't Greg working?"

"Yeah but,…" again he didn't let her finish.

"Well then who's going to take care of the baby when he's at the hospital. I'm sure he works some pretty odd hours."

"We'll put the baby in day care until either he gets off from work or I get out of classes. I'm never in classes after five," she explained.

"Oh I see," he said condescendingly. "So, you're going to let someone else raise your child."

"No Dad, I'm not," she told him. "I can go to school and raise my own child."

"Hmph," he said, making her blood boil. "Well I guess we'll see if you can once the baby is born. I think you'll change your mind when you see how much work it is. I only hope you would choose the baby over your career."

"I would never…," she stopped herself, refusing to let herself be reduced to explaining her motives to him. "Okay daddy, I'll talk to you later, mom and Jenn are waiting on me to go shopping."

She barely heard him whisper his goodbyes, before she had hung up the phone. They all sat in silence, them waiting on her to cry, but her refusing to cry no matter how bad her hormones were trying to make her.

"Let's go shopping," Jenn said trying to lighten the mood. "It always makes me feel better."

"Could you get up and lower the air conditioner," Lisa asked Greg after having wakened him. She was lying on top of the covers while he was wrapped up tight in them. She was now five and a half months and obviously pregnant as her round stomach showed through her clothing.

"Lower it?" he asked surprised. "It already feels like the north pole in here, why do you want me to lower it."

"I'm hot," she told him.

"How can you be hot? If we cover the floors with water we can go ice skating."

"Please," she told him. "If I get up I won't be able to get comfortable again, and it'll take me forever to fall asleep. Then…,"

"Okay, I'm going," he said cutting her off. He threw the blanket off of him and got up to go lower the air conditioner.

He rubbed his arms, trying to warm them as he walked back into the bed room. He got in the bed and rolled himself back up in the covers before trying to go back to sleep. He was almost there, when he heard her whisper his name again.

"Hmm?" he answered her groggily, with his eyes still closed.

"Is there any more pudding left?

"No, someone ate it all," he said. It grew quiet for a while and he thought he was dozing off until her heard her speak again.

"Can you run to the store and get me some?"

"You have got to be kidding me," he said rolling over on his back and putting his hand on his forehead. He had become all too familiar with these late night cravings, and although it didn't happen too often, it happened often enough. He was hoping he could have avoided it tonight though.

"Please," she added.

"I thought you were tired," he tried.

"I am, but I'm also hungry."

"Well then go to sleep, get some rest and we can get pudding in the morning."

"But I want it now. I can't wait until morning…Baby?"

He didn't answer her, hoping she would think he had fallen back asleep.

"I said please," she added. He still didn't answer.

After not hearing her for a while, he opened his eyes to see if she had given up. Instead he found her staring at him with a look in her eyes that scared him.

"Fine," he said throwing the blankets off of him again. "I'm going." Afraid to go back to sleep without pudding in the house, he got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans, before grabbing his wallet and car keys off of the nightstand. He was about to walk out of the door when she called out to him.

"Oh and bring some pickles back, I think we're out." He stared at her with a look of discuss, knowing she had plan on eating the pickles with the pudding.

"What?"

"That doesn't even go together," he told her. Not that anything she ever sent him to get anymore really did.

"I don't care if it doesn't go," she told him. "It's what I feel like eating."

He gave her a look that said 'whatever you say' and walked out of the door.

"Thanks baby," she called out after him.

"Yeah, yeah," he said not really wanting to hear it.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

She got up out of the bed when she heard the telephone ring. Greg had already been gone fifteen minutes, she wondered what was taking him so long.

"Hello?"

"They don't have any pudding at any of the near-by convenient stores. Do you want something else?"

"No, I want pudding?"

"They have Jello," he offered.

"I don't want Jello, if I wanted Jello I would have said 'Greg, could you go to the store and get me some Jello,'" she said in a not so pleasant tone.

He bit his tongue to keep from saying something that he would regret. "Well what do you want me to do?" he asked her letting some of his anger show in his voice. "There's no pudding in Baltimore. I can't make it appear out of thin air."

"Did you try any of the convenient stores outside of Baltimore?"

"Noo," he said through clenched teeth. "I only tried the ones within reasonable driving distance at three thirty in the morning."

"Well try the ones in Columbia or D.C.," she told him.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to gather himself. He let it out slowly and opened his eyes. "Okay babe, I'll see you when I get home." He hung up the phone and cursed under his breath. He went out in search of more open stores that might have had pudding. She must have been out of her mind if she though he was going to go to D.C. ...again.
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

He walked into the living room with the bag in his hand and just stared at her as she sat on the Lay-Z-Boy chair. She got up and walked over to him. He had been gone over an hour.

"Baby where have you been," she said taking the bag from him. "I was starting to get worried."

"I was at the store," he said dryly. "Looking for pudding. At four o'clock in the morning."

"Thank you," she said with a smile, and giving him a peck on the lips.
He just rolled his eyes at her as she went into the kitchen.

He sat down on the sofa as she went into the kitchen to add milk to the instant pudding. He heard the mixer come to life and decided to turn on the television after not being able to fall asleep. He heard the mixer turn off after a few minutes and before long, she joined him on the couch with a huge bowl of pudding, two spoons, and the jar of pickles he had brought back.

"Want some," she asked handing him the spoon.

"Might as well," he told her, still a little upset. "After all I'm the one that hunted it down."

He dug into the bowl as she popped the pickle jar open. She offered him one and he declined. She bit into one before dipping her spoon into the chocolate pudding. They sat and watched television for a few minutes.

"Ooh," she said putting her hand on her stomach.

"What's the matter?" he asked her, concern taking the place of his anger. He knew that it was way too soon for her to be having any contractions, and if she was, they were in big trouble. "Is it the baby?"

She didn't move and stayed quiet until she felt it again. A smile came to her face and her eyes became teary. He just looked at her, the tears and the smile confusing him. She took his hand and placed on her stomach and held it there. He didn't move and just waited for what was obviously supposed to happen. Then he felt it, and a smile came to his face. It was the first time she had felt the baby kick, well the first unmistakable time, and the first time he had been able to feel it. She laughed a little bit.

"It's never done this before," she told him. "Well not this hard. I think it's trying to say thank you for the pudding and the pickles." She said knowing he was upset with her. He snorted before he leaned in to kiss her. He quickly pulled away as he tasted the pickles on her lips, and it clashed with the pudding he had been eating.

"Uh, baby," he said getting up to get a glass of water. "You taste like pickles."

"What?" she called behind him. "It's not that bad."