I feel like I want this story to have a comedic tone at the same time as some drama and soft touches on real-life matters and the show's canon storylines. So I hope you like this chapter.
"Answer the door, will you?" Mary groans from her sofa. They've been drinking non-stop for the past week that it's Mary's birthday already and now, she just wants to stuff her face with cake and sleep.
"Why don't you? It's your house," Francis replies from the floor, curled up in a ball.
The doorbell rings again and Mary groans. She really doesn't want to answer the door but it might be her mother or brother or some relative who has decided to turn up unexpectedly to celebrate her birthday.
"Fine, let the Birthday Girl do everything," Mary says, getting up and making an attempt to fix her hair before answering the door. She opens it wide and her eyes widen at the sight of her best friends holding bottles of champagne, balloons, flowers and presents. "Uh... What are you doing here?"
Kenna narrows her eyes. "Excuse me? Did you really think we'd ditch you on your thirtieth?"
"Have you got other plans?" Greer asks her curiously.
Mary's eyes water and she grins. "So you didn't cancel on me?"
"Are you insane? Of course not! It was a surprise, Mary!" Lola cries out. "Let us in, already!"
Mary stills and turns her head to see a shirtless Francis still on the floor, his eyes closed. It's August, the weather is crazy hot so they had a little strip session. That's when she realises that she's wearing a vest and pyjama shorts and Francis is only in his boxers. On her living room floor.
That's really questionable.
"Honey, I really don't like sweating and the sun's on me so can you step aside and let us in?" Kenna asks her, cringing at the sun with a scowl.
"One minute, please," Mary says, closing the door to their protests before heading to wake Francis up. "The girls are here. It was a 'surprise' thing!"
Francis slowly opens his eyes. "I'm happy for you. But why does that mean you have to wake me up?"
"They'll think you and me..." She points to their clothing and he chuckles, sitting up from his position to give her a smirk.
"How many times have they caught us having sex, Mary?"
"Twice but we didn't have sex now," she states, chucking him his shirt before pulling him up and grabbing his shorts. "Now, head upstairs and grab a shower or something. Just stay away from downstairs."
Francis scoffs. "I can't grab something to eat?"
Mary eyes the packet of Sensations crisps on the table and chucks it in his arms. "There's breakfast. Now, up."
He heads up the stairs and she quickly sticks some gum into her mouth before opening the door for her friends and grinning.
"Sorry about that," she says, wavering under Kenna's glare. "The house is a mess and-"
"We know a certain someone is here," Kenna tells her, entering the house first and looking around. "Did you really think Francis wouldn't tell Bash that he's around? Poor thing was hungover during their brunch yesterday."
Mary raises her brows. That's where he disappeared off to yesterday. And there was me thinking he was looking for my birthday gift, she thinks before accepting her wrapped gifts from them and closing the door behind Greer.
"Y-Yeah, I've seen Francis around," Mary stammers. "He's staying at a hotel nearby. I was going to grab dinner with him today after certain someones told me they were cancelling on me!"
Lola giggles, kissing her cheeks. "We have a whole day planned for you. Spa, first of all. Then afternoon tea at the Ritz before a dinner prepared by yours truly. I've kicked my husband and kids out to Stephane's son's place for the evening so the house is ours."
Mary gets teary-eyed as she hugs each of them. "I guess being surprised is better than thinking I was spending my birthday alone. Turning thirty is... hard."
"Tell me about it," Kenna says, still attempting to look for something. "Is he upstairs, Mary?"
"Kenna, I just said-"
"Francis! It's your favourite sister-in-law calling!" Kenna calls out, heading up the stairs. "Have you been spending your nights in Mary? Hello?"
Mary glares up at Kenna before going to put her new flowers in vases. She opens up her presents as Kenna returns, pouting. "Found any wild blonde men up there?"
"No," Kenna says, rolling her eyes. "So you really didn't get birthday sex."
Mary snorts. She hasn't had birthday sex in three years since her last serious relationship. The guy didn't even remember it was her birthday, it was just another day of sex for him but luckily, Francis turned her day around with a surprise trip to New York. It pays to have rich friends.
"Contrary to belief, no one wants to shag their best friend," Mary says before pausing. "More than twice."
"You reek of alcohol, babe," Greer finally pipes up. "Is that Malibu? God, I love Malibu-"
"You're pregnant," Mary reminds her, a stinging sensation in her heart before she realises that it's going to happen for her and she smiles to herself. She and Francis will make their baby and co-parent that wonderful child and...
She has to tell her friends and family.
She can't just rock up to stuff with a bump. They'd think she has got knocked up after a one-night stand and attempt to hunt the guy down to kill and bury in the middle of nowhere.
Greer whines. "God, I want to live vicariously through you, Mary," she says.
Mary raises a brow. "Why me?"
She knows why her. Because she has no kids nor is she pregnant. And Kenna and Lola are breast-feeding so it makes sense why their schedule for the day has no alcohol involved, apart from the one champagne glass. When have they ever gone for afternoon tea at the Ritz since they were kids forced to socialise with their mothers who believed themselves to be so elite, they had weekly afternoon teas?
"One sip, please," Greer begs her. "For my baby." She even rubs her bump for good measure and she grins when Mary pours herself a little in a clean glass and drinks it. "That's my girl. Been knocking them back since fifteen."
"Shut up," Mary laughs, blushing. "Actually, I've got something to tell you guys. But I need a shower because as Greer said, I reek of alcohol and my liver is not how it used to be so I need to detox for a bit."
Kenna nods, looking through the fridge. "Go ahead, I'll make you some breakfast."
Mary thanks her with a squeeze on her shoulder before heading up her stairs to her bedroom. She finds her door open and figures it's Kenna before heading inside and finding her window wide open.
"It's safe to come out," she says, closing her bedroom door as she watches Francis climb into her room from the little ledge outside her bedroom. She chuckles in disbelief and turns to grab her towel from her dresser, feeling him wrap his arms around her waist.
"She's scary," he mumbles, pressing a kiss on the back of her head before letting go. "I just jumped out without thinking."
"She will never shut up about it."
"Thanks for the warning," he replies. "Bash won't shut up about it either."
Mary bites her lip, turning to face him. "I'm telling them first. About our plan if it's still on?"
"My mind hasn't changed since last week, Mary," Francis says softly. "I want this if you do." He eyes her stomach. "Imagine it, a kid of our own. A little person to love more than ourselves... And our parents off our backs."
"I'm not complaining," Mary says, chuckling softly. "I've got to go and shower. Got a long day ahead of me."
"Have fun. I'll have your present waiting for you when you come home," Francis promises her before she disappears into the bathroom. "Mary?"
She comes back out and faces him. "Yeah?"
"Happy Birthday, Beautiful."
...
"...the best gift, ever given to me?" Kenna asks Mary.
Mary nods, sliding the card she's just read onto the table underneath the pile. It's a simple game, they used to play this back in university. "Yeah, so go on."
"The gift of motherhood," Kenna says with the other women except for Mary gushing. "I have been so blessed to be a mother."
"And the worst gift?" Mary asks, sipping her champagne.
Kenna gives them all a look. "The gift of motherhood."
Mary sputters out her drink, laughing loudly. "Wait, what?"
Kenna scoffs lightly, downing her drink. "I love sex as much as the next person but every time it ends with a bun in the oven, my downstairs gets fucked up and my boobs are heavy and my back aches all the time. I have been pregnant, twice and no, it doesn't get easier. Don't even get me started on our sex life being non-existent because Raven loves crying every other second at three in the morning and Robin always thinks there are monsters under his bed so loves bursting that door open right when we're about to-God!"
"Be glad you haven't got kids yet," Greer says to Mary. "The biggest cockblockers of life."
"It can't be that bad," Mary says, flinging her hair over her shoulder and sticking her knife into her steak. "There must be wonderful moments like shaping up the next leaders of tomorrow."
"Or little shits," Kenna says simply, making Lola and Greer nod. "I'm happy for you, Mary. Happy that your vagina is still wonderful and your figure is just... gorgeous. You don't want to ruin that."
Mary clicks her tongue. "So you all hate your kids?"
"We hate the process of growing them but overall, they're the best things to happen to us," Lola tells her.
"Great," Mary says, disheartened. "My mother's telling me to give her a grandkid and I want kids but... You guys aren't really selling it..." Maybe Francis should hold his horses or whatever he calls his little swimmers..., she thinks with a sigh.
"No, you should have a kid," Kenna says. "Ignore us. We're just glad to have one night of freedom from breastfeeding and cleaning up sick but that's not forever. They'll be kids who will be independent or teenagers who think we're embarrassing but watching someone grow up, someone who is proud to call your their mother... it's great. Just be prepared to keep your sex life on hold until they're ten."
Mary laughs a little and sits up straighter, putting her glass down. "I'm having a baby."
She sees their mouths drop open as their eyes lower down to her stomach. Then Kenna yelps and grabs the bottle of champagne they've opened before heading to the sink.
"Shit, Mary, why didn't you tell us before we got you drinking?!"
"I'm not pregnant now!" Mary cries out, laughing. "I'm trying for a baby. But I haven't exactly started the process."
Lola raises her brows. "The sane part of me thought you were probably adopting or fostering with how you were going with this, but you're going to have a baby in you? Who's the dad?"
"When did you get into another relationship?" Greer asks as well.
"I'm going to a fertility clinic. I'm seeking an IUI," Mary tells them shyly. "And I've got a sperm donor."
"I am hearing you," Kenna starts. "But what are these words coming out of your mouth, right now?!"
"Is our Mary finally joining our Mums' Squad?" Lola asks tearfully as Greer sniffles too.
Mary beams and nods. "Y-Yeah. What do you thi-"
Kenna is the first one to pull her into a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you!"
Joining the hug, Greer and Lola stain the top of Mary's head with tears, telling her words of encouragement and approval for her decision. And there was Mary, terrified that they wouldn't approve but she knows they've always got her back. It's her mother she has to look out for.
"So, do you know exactly who this sperm donor is?" Kenna asks once they're seated back in their chairs.
Mary wonders if she should tell them it's Francis. If they have a kid, their baby will be cousins with Kenna's kids. She decides to keep that to herself, for now, shaking her head.
"To be honest, I'm still going through the applications," she says. "But I've got a potential one but I'm not too sure."
"You want a cute baby," Greer says. "If you nor the father aren't at a level of attractiveness then you're going to be stuck with an ugly baby."
Mary giggles, shaking her head. "Trust me, I'll make sure my baby is cute," she says, knowing just how attractive Francis is. "I can't wait to be a mum. I figured if the universe won't give me a decent guy to settle down with, I might as well do this myself. There are single parents going about and being wonderful and raising amazing kids. Why can't I do the same?"
Lola nods. "You'll be wonderful."
"Should we toast to Mary's baby news?" Greer asks, raising her sparkling juice.
"To Mary!" The women chorus, leaving Mary blushing and grinning.
"Happy Birthday, Mum-to-be!" Kenna squeals.
...
When she gets home, she kicks her heels off at the door and dumps her purse onto the sofa before heading into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. She finds Francis pulling out a cake from the fridge and he grins when he looks up and spots her, placing the cake on the counter island.
"You're cutting it fine, missy," he says. "It's almost the end of your birthday and you didn't even have your cake?"
It's a chocolate cake with white chocolate frosting and candles stating her age on the top. Her favourite.
"I'm here now," she says softly, going to wash her hands before grabbing two small plates and dessert forks.
Francis starts singing 'Happy Birthday' and she shies her face into his shoulder before she blows out the candles with his applause and whistles. "Now, cut us some slices."
She cuts two large slices and Francis playfully rolls his eyes as she dishes them out and they both dig in. "It tastes wonderful," she gushes. "Thank you so much. For everything. For coming last week and spending this week with me. For being the father to my future kid... Thirty is starting to look really good for me, thanks to you."
"No problem," Francis replies, moving in to peck her cheek but she turns her head and their lips meet. He quickly pulls away, cursing. "I didn't mean that-"
"That was me, sorry," she laughs softly, eyeing her cake. "Uh, I'll save some for my mother when I see her tomorrow. I've told the girls about me trying for an IUI, nothing about you and I'll do the same with my mother..."
Francis nods a little. "So bedtime?"
"Yeah, bedtime," Mary says. "But not before finishing this. It's really good."
Francis smiles. "And you haven't even been given your gift yet."
"Let's wait until the morning," Mary tells him. "I'm feeling tired."
"Okay. I'll be up soon. I'll just clean up," he replies.
She finishes her cake slice and heads up with her purse and heels. Her tongue rests on her bottom lip where he kissed her and she blushes, feeling tingly. But they don't like each other like that. Romance always ruins friendships built from childhood.
And she has to admit it to herself that she has always been in love with Francis Valois and now, they will have a child to connect them forever regardless of his feelings towards her.
No, she can't ruin this. It's her only chance right now to be a mother.
And she will take it.
They had a kiss! Not that they haven't shared others but there is something between them that they don't know whether or not to go with it. But for now...