It is hard business getting married in Pelican Town, Estella cannot help but to point out. It was with a heavy heart that she has to conclude that there is no small wedding, they were all expensive and complex affairs, no matter how much she wanted to avoid such a thing.
With a small huff, after working most of the day in party planning with Robin and Maru as her fiancé Sebastian took the car and went to a neighbouring town for some supplies, the usually vivacious farmer fell into a chair in the kitchen, absolutely spent. She swore she had more stamina than that, but lately, she could barely manage to finish all her chores.
These last few weeks had been absolutely crazy for the bride, with the expenses, the planning and the farm that could not be ignored. Not to mention, she had been ill almost every morning, managing to retain little on her stomach. Thankfully, she had her in-laws to help, the woman cannot help but note, as the carpenter still ran around like she had unlimited energy, fixing a kettle of tea for the three women to share.
"Care for anything else to drink, darling?" Robin asked as she poured Maru a cup.
"Actually, do you happen to have any chocolate milk? I swear it's all I've been drinking lately." Estella laughed quietly, and shook her head at herself.
Robin froze in her spot, her eyes widening. This made the farmer's smile fade as she glanced to Maru, who was equally confused.
"Mom, are you alright?" The dark-skinned girl asked curiously as she stood up from her own seat, putting her hand on her mother's arm.
Estella felt instantly guilty, coming to her feet quickly as well and taking the kettle from Robin.
"I'm sorry, did I say something?" She asked worriedly, hoping she did not upset her future mother-in-law.
The older redhead looked at the bride, her face growing red and a smile forming on her lips.
"You're pregnant." She said, rather than asking.
The farmer's face grew incredibly red and she stepped back, shaking her head.
"When I was pregnant with Sebastian and Maru, all I could stomach the entire nine months was chocolate milk." The carpenter explained further, only making the younger woman's face pale more and more.
Maru gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth.
"No, absolutely not. There's no way this could have happened." Estella began incredibly strong but her face softened as she began thinking.
She had thought she was rather bloated, her stomach was upset constantly in the last month, and, as she counted back the days in her head, it dawned on her that is was quite literally a possibility.
"Oh, oh, oh, Yoba damn it!" Estella felt faint suddenly, gripping the back of the kitchen chair as she struggled to catch her breath.
Maru grabbed her arms, stabilizing her with wide eyes. "What? What are you thinking?"
Robin came to her other side, leading she into a chair and pushing her to sit.
"Dear, are you, in any chance, pregnant?" The older woman asked this time, sitting in the chair next to she and holding her hands in her own comfortingly.
"I think I am." Estella whispered. "Good Yoba, I'm going to be a mother!"
The almost devotional whisper was the only sound the three of them emitted that moment, as the expecting mother put her head in her hands, leaning against Robin.
"It's okay, dear, we will confirm everything at the clinic before there's reason for you start panicking. Maru will see to that. Besides, there's nothing to panic about. She and Sebastian would be great parents, I'm sure of it." The carpenter assured in a calm voice and got to her feet, moving about the house.
Maru assumed her seat, holding her sister-in-law's hand and rubbing her back comfortingly, leaning her head on the woman's shoulders, as they sat by the table quietly, reassuring each other.
"She's right, you know? You and Sebastian are responsible adults, you have a stable life and you can do this and come out as the best parents in the world at the end, and I'm not just saying that because I would be an amazing aunt." The brunette smiled against her sister-in-law's head as she sniffled gently, feeling like she was going to cry.
Estella was not necessarily unhappy to be pregnant, mind you, it was more akin to disappointment. She had always thought she would plan it out with her husband first, that they would have time to prepare and ample opportunity to enjoy their marriage, rather than it being a surprise before even the vows were exchanged. Yet, this is her reality now, and she will be happy with it. Eventually.
While Robin tried to console her daughter-in-law, Maru ran to the clinic and sneaked out a home pregnancy test. After a quick sample-taking, it was confirmed that Estella was indeed expecting, probably celebrating her fifth week mark.
Tears fell down the farmer's face as Robin held her, her own tears soaking into her shirt as the carpenter cried happily.
"I'm going to be a grandmother! For the first time, oh dear! I never thought Sebastian was going to be the one to make me a grandmother!" She rambled as Maru smiled widely, wrapping her arms around the both of them.
"Me either." The nursing student admitted with a nervous laugh and wiped at her eyes, trying to remain calm.
The three women heard a car engine turning down and the front door open, as loud conversation echoed from the hallowed halls of the mountain home.
"Oh, hell, I've got to tell Sebastian." Estella whispered to the women, Robin trying to dry her face with the sleeves of her working shirt and Maru beaming with undue pride.
Estella followed her mother-in-law's example, wiping her face with a handkerchief as Sebastian and Sam entered the kitchen, arms heavy with crates full of champagne bottles.
"Hey, people!" Sam announced without noticing the women in the room all looking rather dishevelled. "Well, Mrs. Robin, I'd say we made excellent progress today!"
Sebastian, entering in after his friend, tilted his head to the side at his crying mother, beaming sister, and shaking soon to be wife.
"What happened to you lot?" He questioned, rather blazingly, as Demetrius, who had also returned from his small hike to check on the fruit bats at the cave by the entrance of Stardew Estate, looking even more confused.
"What's wrong, dear?" The older man asked then, immediately rushing to Robin's side and wrapping an arm around her as she broke down crying once more and throwing her arms around her husband.
Sebastian looked at the tears in her eyes as Estella wrung her hands out in front of her.
"You see, the thing is… I'm pregnant." She announced, making the room fall silent, spare Robin's happy sobs.
Sebastian's face reddened, and his best friend looked between the farmer and him incredulously.
"You mean to tell me she two have been having premarital sex?!" The man asked ridiculously, in an attempt to ease the mood of the room, but no-one gave him any attention.
Sebastian practically sprinted around the table, picking his fiancée up in his arms and burying his face in her neck. Maru broke into a cackle as she joined her parents side, wrapping her arms around them excitedly.
"Are you being serious?" He asked urgently when he finally sets her down, holding her crying face in his hands. "I'm going to be a father?"
Estella nodded through her tears with a small smile on her lips, unable to say anything of more substance.
"Oh, honey, this is wonderful!" He said excitedly as he hugged her once more, the widest smile on his lips that she had ever seen in the five years of knowing him.
Sebastian kissed the farmer with all he had before releasing her to allow the rest of his family time to love on her.
By the end of the week, Sebastian and Estella were wed on a beautiful ceremony on the beach, under all the villagers' well-wishes, none of them wise to the bun in the oven. Afterwards, the couple left for a weekend honeymoon in the city.
On Sunday, in the middle of the night, Estella jumps from the bed.
"Yoba merciful, I have to tell my mother!"