A little over a month later, I found myself back at Schrute Farms getting ready to celebrate the Fourth of July. A few of Andy's former co-workers were milling about outside while I glanced through the kitchen window out to the beet field, finding Mose dressing the scarecrow in a patriotic dress. Andy was due to arrive within the hour from Ithaca, but I came early to help Angela with dinner. Dwight was manning the grill, and I wondered if he actually was serving horse burgers, or if it was a joke. My stomach rolled violently at the thought and I had to take a breath to calm myself.
I had been feeling under the weather for the past week, but I didn't want to miss the party. I bit my bottom lip, my mind going to the brown paper sack sitting in my purse in the living room. Mathematically, I was 4 weeks late. Mathematically, those 4 weeks added up from the weekend where I met Andy's mom and he surprised me at home. That rainy morning that turned into several sessions of him showing me how much he appreciated bridging the gap in his relationship with his mom.
If I really was pregnant, not only are we ahead of schedule of when we would actually talk about having kids, but what would happen with us? How would we work this out?
"Kate? Are you okay?" Angela asked softly, noticing I had stopped slicing tomatoes.
"Um, I don't know. I think I need to uh, use the restroom." My mind was swirling.
"Okay, I'll finish up here. Take your time." She rubbed my arm soothingly before I walked into the living room and grabbed my purse, making a beeline for the new bathroom that Angela had made Dwight build into the house. She refused to live with him until he stopped making her use the outhouse.
After peeing on the stick and washing my hands, I sat on the edge of the claw foot tub and waited. What was it going to say?
Outside the bathroom door, I heard Andy's voice greeting Angela. Her response was muffled, but I was sure I heard her say "Kate" and "bathroom".
Fuck.
His footsteps got louder and a moment later, his soft knock echoed. "Kate honey, I'm here. Angela said you weren't feeling well, are you okay?"
Shit, do I tell him now? Show him the stick?
"Yeah I fine, I'll be out in just a minute!" I called back. I shoved the capped stick into the pocket of my shorts and grabbed my purse from the counter.
"Hi sweetie!" I put on my best grin as I came out of the bathroom.
He sighed happily as he wrapped his arms around me. I loved his hugs- they always made me feel safe. "I'm glad you made it." I murmured into his ear.
He planted feather light kisses on that spot on my neck, shooting fireworks throughout my body and I instantly began to relax. We swayed slightly to a silent tune, just enjoying being together for the first time in a week and a half.
"I love you." He whispered against my neck.
"Back 'atcha Nard Dog. Let's go be social." He took my arm and escorted me outside, the stick in my pocket soon pushed to the back of my mind.
Most of the ex-Dunder Mifflin crew had come, except for the ones who were too far away like Michael, Nellie, Stanley, and Jim and Pam. Darrell had been traveling nearby for Athleap and promised to come by later in the evening.
Andy went to get us some ginger ale's while I sat on the porch swing. Toby was sitting on one of the porch rockers and we fell into a comfortable conversation. From what I understood, everyone wasn't very fond of him, and he did weird me out sometimes, however it was part of my profession to listen to stories that take forever to explain and don't make a lot of sense. I just put on my teacher smile and nodded as Toby explained in glorious detail the "latest in the Chad Flenderson" book series.
"Chow's on!" I heard Dwight's voice exclaim from around the house. "I hope it's not horse sliders again…" Toby grumbled under his breath as he got up. Andy walked up with two bottles of ginger ale and sat them on the porch railing.
"Did you have fun talking to Toby?" Andy asked with a teasing smile. I sighed and rolled my eyes for dramatic effect, "How is that man not murdered every hour?" I teased back, quoting him from one of the doc episodes.
Andy chuckled and put his arm around my waist this time as we made our way to the tent where the food was set up buffet style. Of course, as fate would have it, we ended up in line behind Erin and Pete.
Erin turned and smiled up at Andy before looking at me, her face falling ever so slightly. "Hi Andy, and uh, Kate. Glad you were able to come today."
"We've been sent good weather." I replied with a bright smile, quoting the novel I was currently reading, "The Handmaid's Tale".
That comment caught her off guard, because her mouth opened and closed several times like a fish before I pointed behind her, "I think the line's moving." I whispered and winked. She turned back around, flustered and grabbed a plate. I caught Andy's eye from beside me, getting a "Did you really?" look. I shrugged my shoulders and feigned perfect innocence.
"Is that all you're going to eat?" Andy asked as we sat back down on the porch swing after making our way through the line. I glanced down at my paper plate that held a handful of potato chips, a scoop of slaw, and one of Angela's brownies.
"Are you sure you're okay?" The concern etched on his face made my heart ache, and I nodded.
"It's probably just something I ate yesterday that didn't agree with me. I'll be fine." I leaned forward and pecked his lips gently.
"Okay…" He wasn't buying what I was selling but let the issue drop for now.
I managed to kill the chips and half the brownie before my stomach was beginning to protest. A few sips of ginger ale calmed it as I set my plate down on the small table beside me.
Young Philip Schrute (formerly Lipton) toddled up the stairs and it became a welcomed distraction. I sat him on my lap and he snatched one of the chips off Andy's plate, causing Philip and I to giggle and Andy to pretend to be upset.
For a three year old, he held a pretty good attention span as he sat there with us. Angela came to check on him, but I told her to take a motherly break.
A cool breeze whipped around the house as Philip snuggled into my hold, his head tucked adorably underneath my chin. My heart throbbed as I bit my bottom lip, my thoughts returning to the stick in my pocket, the results still unknown. By that time, Andy had gone to throw away our trash and walked back up the porch steps with Kevin to find us that way.
"Did you bore him to sleep?" He kidded, coming to sit back down beside me and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. To an outsider, we probably looked like a quaint family.
"I am the baby whisperer." I joked.
We swayed on the porch talking with Kevin, who couldn't help but give me a shit -eating grin. I tried to avoid it as he and Andy discussed getting together for a jam session sometime. Philip's soft baby snores echoed vibrated through my body.
The sun was setting through the trees of the farmland, and the faint boom of fireworks echoed overhead. Dwight and Angela came up on the porch and smiled at us.
"I'm just going to get him settled inside." Angela said, scooping him up gently from my arms and taking him to his room.
"I think we'll start the smaller fireworks soon before it gets dark." Dwight said, pulling a pipe from his overalls and stuffing some tobacco inside before lighting it.
The smell instantly pulled a memory of sitting in the den of my parent's home, my dad lighting the pipe that once belonged to his father before him. I used to love sitting in his lap while he smoked his pipe. With the memory brought the familiar ache inside when I would think of my parents for a long period of time.
"Shall we?" Andy held out his hand for me to stand up, and we walked together with the others to the clearing where Dwight had a huge stash of fireworks piled about. "He didn't skimp out, did he?" I asked as we found a bench to relax on.
"When has he ever?" Andy replied, smirking. I shrugged a shoulder, only agreeing. "You sure you're okay?" He wondered, pushing some of my hair off my shoulder. "You look like you've got something pressed on your mind."
I looked at him and admired his sweet face, concern etched all over it.
A boom exploded down in the valley as Dwight began his firework show. We were momentarily distracted, and I could feel Andy's arm go around my waist, his hand wrapping around my hip where it rested where my pocket was. Where the test was.
I could feel his fingers move over the bulge, trying to figure out what was inside.
"What's that in your pocket?" He wondered as the next firework of blue and red burst over Schrute Farms.
Guess it was now or never. At least I could stop worrying.
I slipped my hand in and slowly pulled out the test, my heart beating furiously in my chest. Andy looked down and his eyes bugged, "Oh-oh-oh my God is that really…? Are you…?"
"I don't know, I haven't checked it yet." My voice grew soft, and I could already feel the tears behind my eyes.
He took a deep breath, "On the count of three, we'll look together. One…"
I felt dizzy, I hoped I wasn't going to pass out.
"Two…"
He was counting too slow, so I interrupted. "Three!"
I turned the test over to where the little window faced up at us.
"Oh my God," he whispered, his eyes glistening and the biggest grin I had ever seen on his face.
"Are you happy?" I asked. My heart was soaring but my thoughts were flying everywhere.
"So fucking happy." Andy replied pulling me in close, our lips meeting quickly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, the positive test still in my hand.
