PSA- Sorry I haven't updated! I'm pregnant and dealing with some morning sickness, all day exhaustion, insomnia, and no motivation! I'll try and be better but bear with me! Also thinking about writing an additional short story of between Clay and Emma... kinda have a fantasy about them together. We'll see, let me know what you think!

2 weeks later, March 8th 2021

Nicole got home around lunch time from the doctors with Teagan. She had to get some shots, she was ready for a nap.

"Well how'd she do?" Clay asked her.

"Fine, I mean she cried but not too long. She might run warm and be fussy so we just have to watch her." Nicole said and pulled her out of her car seat.

"Aw okay. Hi peanut..." Clay said sweetly to her face, she smiled at him and Nicole handed her off.

"I want to get changed. It's hot, I don't know why I'm wearing jeans." Nicole said and went to the bedroom.

"Oh yeah, so Sonny called me while you were gone." Clay said standing in the bedroom door.

"Yeah?" She was waiting for him to go on.

"He wanted to know if we were busy Friday night..." Clay said.

"For what? The bar? Clay...I know it's like an escape for you guys and I know we met in that bar but you guys should try and find another escape, now that your a father, he's going to be a father...there's more important things in life then beer." Nicole said uptight.

"If you'd let me speak..." Clay insisted that she cut him off.

"Okay then what?" She asked with her arms crossed.

"He wanted to know if we could blow up some balloons, hang some streamers, decorate their apartment for when they got back from the lake." Clay smiled but Nicole was confused.

"For what?" She asked.

"He's proposing." Clay smirked, he was excited.

"What!? SHUT UP! Oh my god! She's going to freak the fuck out!" Nicole rambled off beaming with happiness.

"Woah...language mommy..." Clay said holding Teagans ears to be funny.

"Huh, sorry! Omg!" She kissed Teagan on the cheek and then Clay. She went out of the room so excited, she picked up her phone.

"What are you doing?" Clay asked.

"I just wanna call Megan and chat. Don't worry it will be innocent, she won't suspect a thing." Nicole said starting to dial.

"Ugh no, you can't lie worth of shit." Clay took her phone and put it in his pocket.

"Clay!" She said sighing.

"Nicole...!" He laughed back at her.

"Ugh! Fine! What time Friday!? What's his plan!? Where's he doing it!? Oh my god, did you see the ring!?" She fired off.

"Woah woah, haha. No I didn't see the ring. There taking a day trip to the lake, he's doing it there and wants the apartment decorated with us there to celebrate when they get back." Clay explained.

"Oh my god...!" Nicole couldn't stop smiling.

"This is so exciting! Isn't this so exciting Teagan!" She said enthusiastically in her face. Teagan started crying.

"Is mommy crazy?" Clay asked her and rubbed her little back. She laid her head on his chest hiding from Nicole.

"Aww come here baby. Should we go take a nap?" Nicole reached out for her.

"How bout I get her ready for a nap and you get her bottle. Your too worked up right now." Clay said laughing.

"Huh! Okay. I just can't believe it!" She said and went to the kitchen. Clay took Teagan to her room and laid her on the changing pad to get changed.

A couple minutes later Nicole came in and handed him the bottle, he sat down to feed and rock her.

"I got it, go do whatever it is you have to do." Clay told her.

"Alright." She said and held her hand out infront of him.

"Hm?" He was confused.

"Clay my phone?" She said.

"I'm not leaving you unattended." He joked and laughed.

"Ugh I'm not gonna say anything." She said. Clay just smiled and then Nicole gave up and left the room.

———

Later that night Nicole got to bed late, Teagan was being difficult to go down but she finally did. Right as Nicole was on the verge of sleeping the crying started over the monitor.

"No..." Nicole cried out and rolled to her back taking a breath. She just wanted to sleep. Clay turned over to face her.

"What's her deal?" He asked yawning.

"I don't know..." Nicole pouted and got up leaving the room. Clay got up and followed her.

"Teagan...what's wrong honey...aren't you tired? Mommy's tired..." she said and picked her up.

"Does she have a fever or something from the shots?" Clay asked. Nicole bounced her in her arms and pressed her cheek up to her forehead.

"Maybe." She said and handed her off to Clay so she could get the thermometer.

"Shhh..." Clay said to her, rubbing her back.

"Let's see.." Nicole took her temp and it read 100.1.

"Yeah...let's get some Tylenol so we can sleep good." Nicole rummaged through another drawer. Teagan was still crying in discomfort.

"Mommy's getting it baby girl look..." Clay said and watched Nicole measure it out.

"Mmm..." Nicole squirted it in her mouth and said.

"Yum..." Clay encouraged.

"Alright give that a little and she'll be good." Nicole put it back.

"I can get her back down, just go to bed I know your tired." Clay told Nicole.

"You're the best" Nicole said with a smile, kissed his cheek and left him with her.

"Alright time for bed T." Clay sat in the rocking chair and she laid her head on his chest as he started rocking back and fourth, humming a song quietly to her.

——

The rest of the week Nicole had to really bite her tongue around Megan at work. It was taking everything she had not to mention her engagement night.

It was Friday, during recess Megan came to Nicole's classroom to grade her papers while Nicole did the same.

"Huh haha. Look what Tucker wrote..." Megan handed the paper to Nicole to read.

"Miss.Megan is having a little baby and it will look like her husband." Nicole read out loud smiling and laughing.

"He's too cute. It's amazing how innocent they start out as you know?" Megan said.

"What do you mean?" Nicole questioned.

"Like he has no idea we aren't married and this baby was unplanned, innocent." She stated.

"Yeah but that's okay. I got pregnant before our wedding..." Nicole reminded her.

"Yeah. But I don't even know if Sonny is thinking about marriage with me. I'd like to think he is." Megan said. Nicole could hardly take it but she powered through.

"Clay and him are pretty close, I'll put the idea in Clays ear to get some info...how bout that?" Nicole offered.

"Just don't make it obvious." Megan said.

"Of course!" Nicole said confidently just as two of her students came into the classroom with an aide.

"Uh oh." Nicole said and got up looking at the disappointment on all there faces.

"These two lost the rest of their recess after wrestling in the mulch" she told her.

"Ohhh really?" Nicole got serious and crossed her arms.

"Put your heads down at your seats and I don't want to hear a peep out of either of you." She said pointing a finger

"I'd take them to the principal but they're good boys..." the aide said in a whisper.

"Yeah I'll give them a chance but next time they're going." Nicole told her and she left. She sat back at her desk shaking her head at Megan in annoyance.

——

Later that night Clay, Nicole, and Teagan made there way over to Sonnys place just as planned. Jason, Emma, Ray, Naima, their kids, Brock and Trent, Lisa, Mandy, and Blackburn were also there helping.

The girls had the food ready and the guys were messing around like little boys with the balloons, laughing and being loud.

"POP!" One went.

"Wahhh!" Teagan started crying out of fear.

"Ohhhh!" The guys made a big deal over it. Clay looked at Nicole with a smile still and she cocked her head.

"really?" She said.

"Babe it wasn't me!" He said laughing.

"Bull!" Jason said.

"Yeah it was!" Ray added. Clay was shaking his head and picked up Teagan from where she was on the floor.

"Aww daddy's sorry..." he tried to comfort her and give her kisses. All the guys were poking fun obviously. Nicole washed off her hands and went over to deal with her herself.

"She said yes!" Sonnys voice announced and everyone looked to see the front door of the apartment opened and there was Sonny and Megan smiling ear to ear.

"Ahhh!!" Nicole was jumping up and down and ran over to her dying to hear about it and see the ring.

"Woo!!" The guys chanted, clapped and said congratulations. It got 10x louder then it was just a little bit ago. Teagan was upset again about it in Nicole's arms now but she was too distracted to even notice.

"LET ME SEE IT!" Nicole demanded, Megan was crying tears of happiness at all this trouble everyone went to and held her hand out.

"Oh my god! Stunning!" Nicole grabbed her for a hug. It was a gorgeous ring. The guys gave Sonny high fives and hugs and everyone started to calm down. Megan couldn't believe Nicole knew about it all week and she got a lot of props for it.

They spend the evening eating, talking, and enjoying each-others company in a laid back style. So many big things were happening in the group it kept life exciting!

———

This was a big chapter, lots going on! But all positive! Next is planning a wedding, Megan's due in June...it's March. They could maybe have something small before June or they could take there time and have one in the fall maybe? Leave your thoughts below and thanks for reading!