Hey all! I really did want this posted over a week ago, there just wasn't any way for that to happen as I realized what else I needed to add in here. Sorry!
Enjoy!
"What are you doing?" Wade asked with a frown, watching his fiancée walk around the room, tossing things into multiple suitcases. He wasn't aware of them taking a trip anywhere.
"I figured after the appointment this afternoon, we could take a little vacation visiting my dad, and tell him the news," she shared, casting him a glance as she folded the clothes of his she took from the closet to pack away. The one person that deserves to be told he's going to be grandpa should be told in person and not over the phone. It's important to her to tell him in person.
"That does sound like a wonderful idea, if it weren't for my job," he told her, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn't think it would take him too long to sort out some kind of work schedule while they were away.
"Wanda's got it covered," she smiled, walking to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, his hands resting on her waist. "I wanted to surprise you with a trip away and Wanda helped make it happen, after all she is your second in command, she can handle the Jammer for a week or two," Zoe assured him.
"You've thought of everything then?" He asked, kissing her nose. She smiled, playing with the ends of his hair at the nape of his neck.
"You're not the only one that can accomplish surprise road trips," she smirked up at him.
"I'm slowly learning that," he chuckled. "Are they ready to be taken out to the car?" He asked her. She nodded, moving away from him, letting him take the luggage to the car.
With time to spare, she made herself a snack of pickles and peanut butter, getting a disgusted look from her love when he re-entered the house. Taking a bite she offered him some closing his eyes, he took a hesitant bite, trying his mightiest not to make a face of disgust while trying to chew and swallow the bite size he nibbled off of the pickle.
"More for me," she shrugged, seeing the struggle he was facing before using a napkin to spit into.
"You can have it all," he told her, taking a drink of water, rinsing the taste from his mouth. "I'll stick to normal food," he commented, using a pinky finger to swipe a glob of peanut butter.
"Your loss," Zoe shrugged, getting up. "Alright let's go; I want some ice cream," she told him.
"Weird or the normal kind of ice cream?" He asked, grabbing the car keys and following his fiancée out the door.
"Double chocolate," she stated, getting into the car. "I'm not a monster," she teased.
"Just wanted to make sure, is all," he said, starting the car and buckling up. "Babe, I know you're not a monster," he smiled at her. "I was thinking that we could come up with ideas for the nursery," he commented, once out on the road headed for mobile.
"Any ideas on what to do, since we don't know the gender of our little one?" She asked him.
"Well no," he frowned. "We haven't discussed the possibility of finding out in a few more months," he shared, changing the topic momentarily.
"We can debate this all we want, but we should find out; it'll make it easier," she told him.
"I agree with you there," Wade nodded. "Once we find out the sex of our little bean, we can furnish the nursery. I want to have everything done as soon as possible; I don't want to be one of those parents who have nothing ready when baby comes," he told her.
"We won't be," she assured him. They may have six more months, and that may seem like a long time; it really wasn't; the time was going to fly by them all while they got ready for their little bundle to join the world and soon enough she wouldn't be able to help get things ready for their bean, and she didn't want to leave Wade with doing all of it, even if she is doing the important part of it all and keeping their baby safe until the due date in January.
The last of the ride was spent with discussing things that they needed to get done in a timely fashion, finding the right order to put everything into, not wanting to forget anything. By the time they made it to the clinic in Mobile, they had a solid plan going for them to get things done. Wade leaving a lot of the baby clothes shopping to Zoe. He wanted a say in the baby furniture and other things of the like.
Like the previous months' appointment, he stuck by Zoe where need be, and giving her space when he wasn't needed. He tried his hardest to keep his emotions in when the tiny heartbeat filled the room for the second time, he couldn't do it, tears springing up in his eyes at the first few thumps. He couldn't help it. Not only did the tears come on their own accord; he also couldn't stop placing small kisses to her temple as they listened to their little baby's heartbeat.
Zoe had Wade stop in Columbus, Georgia, close to the half way point between Mobile, Alabama and Asheville, North Carolina. She wanted to have a night to themselves on their little getaway. Her dad didn't know they were coming so they didn't have to be in Asheville at any certain time.
"I forgot how nice it feels to have a meal and not worry about any gossip going on around town or on Dash's blog," Wade chuckled, cutting into his steak as they had dinner.
"You were quite the topic on the blog last week," Zoe teased, mixing her salad up, taking a drink of her water.
"You laugh now, but I read through all the archived posts of his, and a great deal of them were about a certain doctor at this table," he smirked, drinking his beer. Hearing Zoe tell him that he can still drink despite her not being able to drink her wine, it wasn't so much of relief because he'd give the beer up, for as long as he needed to, regardless he still liked a cold beer.
"Talk about embarrassing teen years," she retorted, shaking her head, hoping she didn't start blushing, madly.
"I learned quite a few interesting and new things about the woman I am going to marry," he teased. Zoe groaned, wishing Dash's blog was non-existent.
"You wouldn't believe the things that your dad and brother are quick to give up," she smirked, taking a drink of her water.
"Don't believe a thing they say," he told her, turning serious. He knew most of the ammo his brother held as he could still remember things they had done. His father, on the other hand, he had no idea as he was still young when his father was present in his life, in the way that truly mattered.
"Are me telling me that pictures lie?" She asked with a smirk, earning a groan from him.
"Speaking of my family, when are we planning on telling them the news?" He asked, needing the topic to be changed.
"We can have dinner with them when we get back and drop the bombshell on them then. We can do it in a cute little way," she smiled, going over shirt ideas in her head.
"Like what?" Wade asked with a frown. He had no idea what they could possibly do, it's not like he sat around watching videos or searching the web for ideas. No, he wouldn't do that either.
"Lots of things," Zoe told him. "We can get Finn a shirt about being the best older cousin; we can get your dad a mug with something about being a grandpa," she listed off.
"I can see about getting my dad something as we've got time, but we're telling yours tomorrow, and I don't think it's going to be that easy to find something in just a few hours," Wade frowned.
"We don't have to tell them right away, Wade," Zoe told him. "We can have a look around Asheville before we show up at their house and see if we can find anything," she told him.
"Like what a pottery place?" He asked with a small puff of air.
"That's a good idea," Zoe smiled. "I wonder if they have a pottery place around here," she wondered out loud.
"Oh I'm sure if we look hard enough we can find multiple pottery store options in both cities," Wade told her. He had no interest in anything to do with pottery, but he wasn't going to ruin it for Zoe. "I just think it might be better if we wait until we're in Asheville, as it is getting late now," he told her.
"That is for the best," Zoe nodded, taking a bite of her salad, wanting to eat healthy at all costs when she wasn't craving any types of food. "I am getting tired," Zoe told him, hiding a yawn behind her hand.
"Then let's get you back to the hotel," Wade told her, getting up to help her from her chair.
Having left the little pottery store, with the mug in hand, they headed in the direction of her dad's place, a small nervous energy filling the car, coming from Zoe.
"Babe, you have nothing to be nervous about," Wade assures her, reaching across the center of the car to hold her hand.
"I know that," Zoe sighed, looking at him. "I can't even tell you why I am so nervous," she told him. She didn't know; she really didn't. One second she was excited to be seeing her dad and telling him the good news and the next she became nervous. She didn't want to think she was nervous because she's telling her dad and Thelma the good news.
"I'm nervous because I don't want your dad to hate me, we're not even married yet, and I already got you pregnant," Wade told her, he didn't even know he was nervous until sitting in the car in the driveway.
"That's silly; I haven't seen my dad hate anyone, and that includes my mom," Zoe told him. "There was a brief dislike for Brick when I was little, but that barely lasted," she recalled.
"But you're well you, his beloved daughter," he snorted out, shutting his eyes.
"She's going to marry the daddy of her baby; things will be okay; you'll see," Zoe told him. "Ready?" She asked, waiting to open her door.
"Can we really stay in the car if I say no?" He asked, cracking an eye open to look at her.
"No," Zoe told him, pushing her door open. "Let's go before he comes out here, he's already been to the window a dozen times," she remarked, catching the curtain moving into place again.
"It's always a wonderful day to see my little girl," Harley said, opening the door before they were half-way up to the walkway.
"Hey dad," Zoe smiled, hugging him when she reached him. "It's always a good time to take a small trip to see you," she told him.
"She may be biased," Wade chuckled, being pulled into a hug, instead of the handshake he offered. "Hey, Harley," he said feeling a bit awkward with the hug. It wasn't the first hug he's shared with his soon to be father in law, just with the fact that he's going to be making him a Grandpa, and him not knowing it, made it awkward for the time being.
"I'll take it," Harley laughed, ushering them into his house. "Can I get you guys anything to eat? Drink?" He asked, looking between his daughter and his son, because yes, he considered Wade a son, even though they have yet to marry.
"Dad we're good, really; we ate before coming," she told her father taking a seat on the couch, Wade next to her.
"Harley, were fine," Wade told him, seeing the older man tempted to head to the kitchen to bring them something to snack on and something to drink.
"Oh alright," Harley sighed, taking a seat in his normal chair. "What brings you two here? I am happy for the visit," he assured them. "And don't give me the whole can't we come for a visit line either; I know you," he stated, looking at his daughter.
"Fair enough," Zoe laughed. "We will tell you, if you tell us where Thelma is at," Zoe bargained with him.
"She's at the neighbors for book club; she'll be back any moment now," he informed them.
They waited, because there's no way Zoe wanted to tell her dad the news without his better half present, it wouldn't be fair, not when their little one would grow up calling Thelma Grandma, there's no way they would allow her to be called anything else as to them Thelma will be every part grandma. Like Harley said, it didn't take long for Thelma to come home, as they had sat around and gossiped about their lives.
"What's this?" Harley asked, taking in the box Wade went back out to the car to get.
"If you'd open it, you'd know," Zoe told him, giving a small eyeroll. "We really can't say until you open it as it'll ruin the surprise."
"I have a sneaky suspicion on what's going on here," Harley laughed, opening the box, slowly, watching his daughter and soon to be son, for any sort of clue, but they gave none off as they sat waiting on him. "You know us, a sucker for a good cup of coffee," he chuckled seeing two coffee mugs.
"We may not have lived in the same house for a few years now, but I know how much you enjoy coffee, grandpa," Zoe told him, raising an eyebrow.
"Grandpa?" Harley asked, eyeing his eyebrow up, his focus on picking a coffee mug up. "I'm not that old," he chuckled.
"You sure about that old man?" Wade asked with a chuckle. Harley gave him a small playful glare. "Hey now," Wade laughed, holding his hands up in a surrender. "No one ever said you needed to be old to be a grandpa," he tossed out.
"If you'd look at your mug, you might register what's going on," Thelma told her husband, looking down at the Wanna be my Grandma? mug that she held in her hand. "Congratulations and you never had to ask," she told the couple on the couch, pulling them into hugs when she made her way over to the side of the room they sat.
"What's going on?" Harley muttered under his breath, shaking his head, taking the lone mug out of the box. He smiled as he read Only the best dad's, he raised an eyebrow turning the mug in his hands to read the other half of the little saying, make the best Grandpa's. He sat in the chair staring at the cup, wanting to make sure he wasn't reading things that might have been there.
"Three months," Zoe softly told him, moving to sit on the arm of the chair, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, showing him the sonogram from the previous day's appointment. "Congratulations, Grandpa," she smiled.
"Zoe, sweetie, you've got that backwards," he chuckled, pulling her into a tight hug, kissing her head. "Congratulations, sweetie," he whispered, blinking his tears away. "Let's go have some pie and coffee," he smiled brightly, wanting to use his new coffee cup.
Zoe laughed, getting up from where she sat, taking her fiancés hand as they walked to the kitchen. "I'll have some water," she informed the group.
"Yes you will," Harley told her. "We don't have decaf coffee," he shared, making a pot of coffee.
"We do have some lemonade, if you want that instead," Thelma informed them.
"We'll both have a glass," Wade told her with a smile, having shared a look with Zoe and getting a small nod in return.
The days spent with Zoe's family were a fun one for everyone involved. Wade spending some quality time with Harley practicing his golf swing at the country club Harley's a part of. Zoe getting to bond with Thelma, something she enjoyed greatly as Thelma was a great help being more motherly than her own mom had been.
One week easily turned into two weeks, and before they knew it, they were on the road headed back to Bluebell making plans to have dinner with Wade's family when they got back to town. They promised to keep Harley and Thelma in the loop for everything that's going on in her pregnancy.
"We never did figure out what we're going to do for my dad like we had for yours," Wade commented, as the welcome to Bluebell sign became visible.
"Actually, I have something in mind," she informed him with a soft smile, threatening to turn into a smirk.
"And what?" Wade asked, glancing over at her. "I don't get a hint to what you've got planned."
"Where's the surprise in that?" She teased him.
"The surprise isn't for me, ya dork," Wade laughed, pulling into their driveway.
"Name calling won't get you anywhere," she teased, getting out of the car and stretching, happy to be home where she can get cleaned up and rest before making the trip out to Earl's place. And the bathroom.
"Good thing I am right where I want to be," he smirked, pulling her into his arms, running his fingers through her brown locks as they stood in the driveway.
"Sweet talkin' won't help ya out either," she giggled, laying her head against his chest.
"I think I figured out a way," he smirked, picking her up bridal style walking to the front door.
"We'll see," she laughed, tightening her hold around his neck as he skillfully unlocked the front door.
"I know all the right places," he smirked, walking to their bedroom having kicked the front door shut with his foot.
After working his magic to get what he wanted to know from his fiancée, they had taken a very much needed nap until they needed to be on the road again to have a family dinner and tell those closest to them their happy news.
"I almost feel bad we didn't get Jesse and Calla a little something," Wade sighed, parking his car next to his brother's Jeep.
"Trust me once the news comes out; they won't care," Zoe giggled, getting out of the car, to head inside.
Wade softly chuckled, grabbing the two gifts in the backseat, following after his love, getting bombarded by his nephew as he stepped inside the house.
"What's with the gifts?" Jesse questioned, as they sat around the living room waiting on the casserole to finish baking.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Wade smirked, handing the smaller of the two gifts to his father and the other one in front of Finn, who stopped playing with his truck on the floor to look at his Uncle.
"Now what's this for?" Earl asked, flipping the small package over. There wasn't any special occasion for it, birthdays, anniversaries or anything of the type, nothing close to it. Not for another month anyway.
"Open it and find out," Wade laughed, watching Zoe sit on the floor with Finn and help the soon to be two-year-old open his gift. "Consider it an yearly birthday present for my little man," Wade smiled, watching how amazing Zoe is with Finn. "Can't a son give his dad a gift for no reason?" He questioned.
"You just want to make me look bad," Jesse scowled. Zoe rolled her eyes, pulling the top of the box for Finn.
Calla laughed watching her little boy get excited over the truck inside, she, however, is curious about the shirt that laid under the toy truck for Finn.
"What am I missing?" Jesse asked, watching his father get teary eyed over a picture frame.
"Let me see that shirt," Calla said, holding her hand out for Zoe to pass it to her. "It's cute," she commented, seeing the red and blue monster trucks on the front.
"Revving up to be cousins and best friends," Jesse read aloud the saying on the shirt. "No?" Jesse asked, with a massive grin looking from Wade to Zoe. Happy for his brother.
"Yep," Zoe nodded, Wade helping her up off the floor. "You're going to be an Uncle in six months," she confirmed, placing her hand on her stomach. A small bump could be seen if you knew to look for it.
"That's amazing," Calla smiled, getting up to hug Zoe, Jesse doing the same. "Congratulations!"
"Dad?" Wade asked, returning to his spot, after sharing a hug with Calla and Jesse. It wasn't like him to be this quiet over news like this. He could remember how happy he had been for Jesse when they found out about Finn.
"Happy for you both," Earl smiled, taking his eyes off the sonogram in the small picture frame that said Hi, Grandpa. "Calla is right about it being amazing," he told them, his smile never faltering. "Congratulations. I love you both," he beamed, getting up to find the perfect spot for the picture of his second grandchild.