Ring Ring.

Ring Ring.

BRINGGGGG.

The phone rang into the chatter of the living room bustling around them. She was clad in bell bottoms, a warm orange turtleneck, and a high pony. Adorned in a pearl necklace and matching earrings that belonged to her mother, the jewelry lay resting over her chest. French manicured fingers gingerly pick up the receiver, a small pearl ring clacking against the uhard plastic. Her raven hair swung when she leaned down.

"Hello?" She asked, a small, but cheerful ring to her voice. "Hello, is this Mrs Foreman?"The voice rang around in her head. "No, may I ask who's calling?"

"This is Dr Sheets, the obstetrician." She smiled, pearly whites flashing. "Mom, phone call for you!"

Kitty dashed by, picking up the phone excitedly. Her face fell, but quickly she regained her composure. "Well, that's okay! We'll figure it out." She strained. "Thank you for calling... Yes... Bye-bye." Silence.

"What happened?" Fez was the first to pipe up, lispy voice filled with mild concern, and excitement. Laurie sat just close enough to him, clad in bellbottoms and a taupe turtleneck, a single diamond fell upon her chest. She wore dangly earrings, and a small, possibly sad smile on her face. "My um, I'm pregnant." Smiles came to everyone's faces.

"Why are you sad?" Jackie grasped her mother's hand.

"I, my pregnancy is high risk because I'm older." She smiled. "Not sad, sweetie, just nervous for your new sibling." The two shared a smile. Her mismatched eyes scanned her mothers face for any hint of a lie, but there was none whatsoever. She embraced her mother in a hug, making sure not to smudge her makeup.

Her Grandmother stayed noticeably quiet, clearing her throat rudely, and looking at her husband, who was smiling. Jackie scowled, looking over at her adoptive Grandma. Kitty had moved Arizona to Wisconsin when she was eighteen, two weeks after she met Red, and he had decided they should run away forever. It was funny, because they were only really running from Kitty's family. Members in asylums and the mother that was nothing but a narcissist and a manipulator. The only normal one was Grandpa Burt, and even that was saying something.

She had always felt a strong connection to Kitty, because in a way they were the same. Crazed members of family, drugs, mob ties. The list went on. Grandpa got up to come hug his daughter, uttering a word of congratulations, as Jackie was pulled away and others moved in.

She really had thought her mother was in menopause. She'd thought it was too late. Red was nowhere to be found, and she found herself exiting to the kitchen. Steven shuffled behind her, his new dress shoes that Kitty had insisted on scraping against the floor, his shirt tucked into his jeans, and his shades on his face.

"Hey, doll..." He started, grasping her hand. "I um, something happened yesterday." He coughed. He scratched his chin as he does when he's lying, or nervous. She looked up at him, mismatched eyes twinkling in confusion. He took his sunglasses off.

"I ran into Edna at the pharmacy yesterday..." He looked at her. Jackie's lips turned pin straight. "She was drunk, and fallin' on me, I wound up bringing her to the hospital. But she had told me something." He coughed.

"Puddin' Pop, stop beating around the bush." She grabbed his hand. "Whatever it is, we'll figure it out." She told him. He had half a mind to run but something was keeping him in front of her. "Doll, she said Bud ain't even my father."

Jackie's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and she tilted her head sideways. "But-"

"I said that too, but then I looked at my birth certificate..." He trailed off with an exasperated sigh. "My life isn't even what I think it is. I wanna find this guy and give him a piece of my mind. But then I was thinking... I don't know, Doll." He pulled her outside. He was suddenly hot. "She said he didn't know." He paced the driveway.

"Steven. Baby, calm down." She grabbed his hand, running her thumb along his knuckles. He grabbed her other one.

"I don't want a repeat of what happened last year, Doll." He told her. "I want you in on this. You're the only one I've told." His reference to last year sent hollow shivers down her spine, but she gave him a sad smile. "I'm here with you Steven. I'll help you however I can."

"I promise I won't run away this time." He told her, extending his pinky. She hooked hers around his. "I promise I won't give you a dumb ultimatum if he turns out to be a genuine guy."

They exchanged a smile.

"Are you two done?" Red snapped them out of their daydream. Steven turned Red, and Jackie stammered. Kitty came out the sliding door.

"Red, honey?" She called, wrapping her sweater around her. "The doctor called! We're having a baby!"

She walked over to the garage, where a beautiful cradle sat in the garage, along with extra furniture, all painted snowy white. "I'm not sure where we're gonna put the nursery yet. We might build a room in the attic for Eric, and while we're at it, build an actual bedroom for Steven..."

"Red, it's beautiful. Is that Eric's old cradle?" She cooed. "Yup! Stripped, sanded, and painted white." He beamed to his wife. She walked over and hugged him, before kissing him. Then the garage door started to close.

Jackie and Hyde shuddered, moving into the kitchen.