CHAPTER 26
Karen hopped up onto the counter across from where Will was sitting at the center island reading this morning's edition of the Times.
"Good morning, sweetie," Will greeted her, looking up from the newspaper. Karen swung her dangling legs as she sipped a tall glass of orange juice. "I sure hope there's no Bailey's in that," Will teased her, smiling broadly as she raised one eyebrow at him.
"Why not?" Grace asked, making her presence known as she strode through the kitchen door of the Walker-Truman manse. Will and Karen looked at each other for a minute before Karen hopped down from the counter and grabbed her purse.
"Sorry kiddles, but I have to run. I'm taking Jack shopping this morning and I'm already running late," Karen told them as she kissed the top of Will's head.
"Love you," he told her.
"Love you too. Bye, Gracie," Karen waved as she exited. Will shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He and Karen hadn't told Grace and Jack yet about the baby, and had picked today to split them up and share the big news. Karen knew how big of a deal this would be for Grace, so she decided that it would be best if Will was the one to tell her.
"So what's up?" Grace asked. She knew Will had asked her over for breakfast because he had something he wanted to talk about, and now she was even more suspicious considering the weirdness that had occurred when she had come into the kitchen.
"Grace, sit down," Will instructed her as he folded up the paper and placed it off to the side.
"Ok, what?" Grace asked, starting to get a little panicked.
"What do you mean? We just haven't had any "us" time in awhile; can't we just sit down and have a nice breakfast?" Will asked. He wasn't doing a very good job of hiding how nervous he was.
"Will, what's going on?" Grace leveled with him, pulling up a chair next to him. He sighed, defeated.
"I wanted you to come over here so I could tell you in person…Karen and I are going to have a baby," he told her. He searched her face as she sat in silence, trying to read her expression.
"I know that already. You told me months ago that you two had decided to start trying," Grace reminded him, confused.
"No, I mean…Karen's pregnant," he explained. Grace's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Her eyes broke away from Will's as she studied her hands, which were folded on the table in front of her.
"Wow," she whispered. Will sighed.
"That's it? 'Wow'?" he asked.
"Well what do you want me to say, Will?" she snapped at him.
"I don't know, maybe 'congratulations,'" he told her, his tone condescending and slightly wounded.
"I'm sorry, Will, but this is big," she said quietly, shrinking away from him.
"I know it is!" he practically exploded. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to me, Grace! You know how much I've wanted kids and never thought it would happen. Can't you at least be happy for me?" Will was standing now, pacing the length of the kitchen as Grace sat calmly at the table.
"Will, I am happy for you, I really am," Grace told him. His face softened as she continued. "It's just…it's a little weird for me. It was weird when you and Karen got together…weirder when you got married, but then all that really changed is that you moved in here. But, a baby…this changes everything. Not to mention that too long ago I thought I would be the one having your baby one day. I love you, and I love Karen, and I am so glad that you two have found happiness together. This is just a lot for me to wrap my mind around," she explained to him. Will smiled and grabbed her hand, sitting back down.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry. We knew this would be a big deal, which is why Karen wanted me to be the one to tell you," Will told her.
"Why is that?" Grace asked him.
"Because, sweetie, you're my best friend. Your opinion means a lot to me. And this is the biggest thing that's ever happened to me, and you're going to be a big part of it," he told her, smiling. She matched his smile and stood up to pull him into a hug.
Across town, Karen and Jack were pawing through the piles of cashmere sweaters in the Bergdorf's men section. Jack had his eye on a powder blue one he had seen in a catalogue, so he and Karen had spent the last ten minutes trying to find just the right shade to bring out his eyes.
"Hmm, I don't see one I like Kare. Maybe we should try somewhere else," Jack suggested, disappointment in his voice. Karen saw this open door of opportunity and smiled to herself before speaking.
"Sure, Poodle. Why don't we try Baby Gap?" she asked innocently.
"Karen! Why would we go to Baby Gap?" he scoffed, re-folding a sweater he had just pulled out of the pile. "There's nothing there that I need." Karen took a deep breath and cleared her throat.
"But there's a lot there that I'm going to need," she told him, focusing all of her attention on the silk neckties that were folded on the table in front of her.
"What? What would you need at a baby store?" Jack asked densely. Karen didn't say a word, just looked up at him, a small smile on her face. Suddenly, realization dawned on Jack.
"Oh my gah!" Jack gasped, grabbing Karen's tiny hands in his own. "You're going to have a baby?" he asked, jumping up and down.
"Yeah, Poodle!" Karen answered enthusiastically, now jumping with him.
"Karen this is so exciting! I am so happy for you!" Jack exclaimed.
"Thanks, Jackie. I'm so glad you're as happy as Will and I are," Karen told him.
"Of course. How far along are you?" Jack had stopped jumping now, and had knelt down on the ground to place his face next to Karen's stomach. Karen giggled and tickled his shoulders.
"Almost three months. We wanted to wait to tell anybody until after I was through the first trimester," Karen explained.
"Wow…there's been a baby in here for three months," Jack said, in awe as he rested the side of his face against Karen's stomach. "Now that I'm down here, I can tell you are pudging out a little bit," he told her. Karen laughed as he stood back up.
"Yeah, well, it's going to get a lot worse than this," she grudgingly informed him. He smiled and wrapped her in a warm hug before the two of them took off down the escalator to head back out to Fifth Avenue.