Well, Ethan is here to stay. Let's see how Christian's mental breakdown will unfold, lol!
It's a babysaurus.
Christian
Mia is pregnant. There's a child growing inside of her and it's Kavanagh's.
I watch in slow motion as everyone reacts. Ana is beaming, just as Kate is. Mom, Dad and Elliot are definitely surprised but congratulate the couple on this new development. What else is there to do? I see Kara a bit teary-eyed but she gives Mia a wholesome hug. Theo of all people, is acting happy too and shaking Ethan's hand after hugging his favorite grandchild.
I am pissed the fuck off at how everyone rejoicing as if this were the birth of a messiah or some shit.
"Mommy, what's happening?" Sloane asks through the commotion. Her voice is able to cut through the haze in my mind.
"Well, Efun and Mia are having a baby. There's a tiny baby growing inside of her." Ana smiles.
Sloane gasps, and her following declaration echoes through the room. "A BABY! THERE'S A BABY IN YOUR TUMMY?" She slides off her chair and runs around the table to get closer to them. "But your stomach isn't big. Where's the baby?"
Mia giggles and Ethan goes on to take point in explaining that right now the baby is really small and the bigger it'll grow, the more Mia's stomach will show.
"Oh… what animal is the baby?"
"Here we go," Ana laughs, shaking her head.
"I don't know…" Ethan says thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. "When the baby is born, I think they'll tell us."
"Is it a girl or a boy?"
"We'll find out soon and let you know," Mia promises. "Right now it's very tiny…"
'I know, it's a babysaurus." Sloane says in contagious delight. The whole room laughs at her temporary nickname and while it makes me smile, it doesn't do much to completely muzzle the unsettling feelings within me.
I follow Ana when she walks to Mia and Ethan, hugging them. I silently hug Mia, mumbling something along the lines of a congratulations and give Ethan a half-hearted handshake, wanting to secretly crush it.
"You are gonna make for one adorable pregnant woman," Ana gushes. "How are you feeling? How far along are you?"
"I feel good," Mia giggles, "About six weeks. I know it's super early but I really wanted to share the happy news with you all." She squeals. Secrets are her kryptonite so I'm not surprised. "And no morning sickness at all but I have been a little sluggish here and there. This was completely a surprise, apparently the birth control shot I was a faulty batch–TMI, I know but here we are. It's exciting and a little scary… I may just ask you questions all the time if that's okay?"
I grind my teeth to suppress the jealousy. Ana's depo shot was faulty too but not enough to have this be our happy news. I know she doesn't want to be pregnant but would it really be so fucking bad if we were moving forward this way? Sloane's reaction is evidence that it'd be perfect for us.
'Of course you can," Ana smiles. "But listen, every pregnancy is different and you do whatever feels right to you and of course consult with your doctor always. My pregnancy was really up and down and I will say… I could've done without the morning sickness so I'm really happy for you."
"Yeah, and she looked like a penguin." Ethan chimes in, snickering. "I have proof!"
The fuck? He has pictures of her? Pregnant? I glare at him but he doesn't notice. I've only seen that one picture of Ana pregnant in her living room. I'd love to see more but I'm not sure how to ask her. And now to know that this fucker has pictures of her… it irks me to no end. I should have Barney hack his phone and delete them… but not before downloading them first.
"And you're gonna look like roadkill if you say one more thing!" Ana warns him and then smiles sheepishly, "he's right though, I was a penguin and crabby as hell. If he gets on your nerves, end him. All is fair when it comes to pregnancy."
Mia smiles and wraps an arm around Ethan's waist and squints at him in similar warning. "I'm going to keep that in mind!"
"I swear, you guys are gonna make SUCH A CUTE BABY! I can't wait to meet this babysaurus. Right, Sloffee?"
"Uh huh!" Sloane beams and walks closer to Mia's stomach. "Can I talk to babysaurus? I want to say hi?"
"Sweetheart, I don't think the baby has ears yet." Ana tells her. "We might have to wait a few weeks."
"I promise, I'll let you know when you can talk to babysaurus." Mia cups her cheek and whispers something in her ear that makes Sloane giddy with excitement. She holds up her arms for Ethan to pick her up which he does.
"You, Slothasaurus, have a very big job now." He says, "you're gonna have to teach my kid how to be awesome like you are. You think you can do that?"
Sloane nods, "I can do that, Giraffasaurus."
I'm grateful that Sloane knocks out a few minutes into our pulling out from the restaurant. I sent Elliot a message saying we should go out running tomorrow morning. Truthfully, I want to talk to him about this mess.
"I don't know what the hell they're thinking," I mutter. "Mia has no concept of how life altering this all is."
"She's a few weeks and a liquor license away from opening her first restaurant. I'm sure she's thought about all the pros and cons and then made an informed decision with her partner." Ana says.
I roll my eyes, she doesn't know Mia.
"Mia is too young, barely turned 24… her focus needs to be on this venture she started or it will fail." I say firmly, taking the exit for the highway. "But I won't let her fail. It's unacceptable. Not while I'm an investor."
I see Ana in the corner of my eye slowly nodding.
"They haven't even known each other that long and she's now suddenly going to have a child? She's got her whole life ahead of her and now it'll just be vomit, shit and diapers while she's trying to run a successful business."
Is Kavanagh willing to step up and put his life on hold for my sister's dreams? Does he have no idea how young she is. He's fucking 31 and now he's inundating her with this huge responsibility at very beginning of such a huge endeavor in her life.
We get caught up in a bit of a slow patch of traffic that eventually comes to a standstill. I look at Ana and she's quietly gazing out the window.
"What, you don't think it's ridiculous what they're doing?"
"I think it's none of my business." She mumbles.
I roll my eyes at her diplomatic response.
Mia needs to wake up. Her new personal development affects my business. She's always looking for the fairytale version of things and this place is going to require her undivided attention if she aims to breakeven in the first year of operation.
She has potential but she gets sidetracked easily. That's another reason why I needed Kavanagh needed to fuck off to Boston so Mia could focus on the task at hand.
But now, she's got an entire human being, Kavanagh's DNA, mutating and growing in her body.
I'm going to be fucking pissed if he makes her shirk her responsibilities from this venture.
Fuck that, I should fucking sue the pharmaceutical company that makes the shot first.
Anastasia
I opt to keep my mouth shut shortly after my two cents. Nothing good would come out of a back and forth. Ethan and Mia don't need me to stand up for them. Time will do that all on its own. It usually does for those good fortune choose to shine on.
Does he not realize that I'm 24 as well? That I'm young and I too have dreams? That every word he's saying is like a slap in the face. I dig deep to hold on to a life raft that will keep my emotions in check.
I look back on everyone's reactions to the news. Ethan had told Kate and myself earlier in the week when he shared the Boston news and ultimately his decision to not take the job offer, in hopes to have people on his side when they did announce this evening. I think he hoped that we could tame Christian and Elliot respectively. But Christian is an untameable fire. Which is why, it's just best not to engage. You play with fire, you get burned. It's happened a few times now and I've learned my lesson.
This news is a shock to the parents, of course it is but even they know that after a while, your kid is a grown up and all you can do is support them or risk losing them. I know secretly Kara is really happy. She's been wanting one of her kids to settle down at some point. Her hopes were of course pinned on Ethan given that he's older and Kate is much younger. Seeing how much she dotes on Sloane, I know she's going to be a kickass grandma and if Ethan and Mia decide to get married, a wonderful mother-in-law, I hope.
As for Grace and Carrick, I get that she's their youngest and only daughter but they seemed happy. How they deal with this privately is anyone's guess. I guess my only envy is that Mia has a mother to confide in if need be. I wanted to ask Carla so many questions when I was pregnant but her reaction to the pregnancy was evidence that I had to stop trying. We only spoke once after she told me to get an abortion. A part of me has forgotten what she sounds like, however I do see her in myself when I look in the mirror.
"Mia deserves the best and a few days of hanging out proves nothing on his part to show that he's worthy of her." Christian's voice brings me out of my thoughts. He shakes his head, grimacing.
I remain quiet even though I want to fiercely defend my friend against his preconceived notions that are based on his irrational insecurities which are so ridiculous. I get that he's an older brother and he's concerned for his little sister but what about having some faith in her judgment? Has Ethan really done anything suspect in this entire time that they've known him to warrant such animosity?
Idly, I wonder what Theo makes of Ethan. Technically, Mia scored up and judging by his consistently smiling face while engaging with him, it's safe to say the interrogation was only for me. Much like the press that's been unforgiving in calling me the single mother who's a gold digger with her many men.
Christian fell victim to media speculation despite assuring me that he never pays attention to it.
Mia and Ethan are far from a bad match. Ethan's a pediatrician, heir to a billionaire dollar media fortune if being a doctor suddenly holds zero appeal to him. Mia comes from money and a respectable family too. Now she's about to open what will become one of the hottest restaurants in Seattle. The media would love this picture perfect love story. Of course they would.
And most of all, they like and have fallen in love with each other and this is what they both want wholeheartedly. They're on the same page.
She's got support all around her. I wonder what she would make of everything Christian's said so far? Would it even make a dent in her happiness to know that he has no faith in her? She's got so many people rooting for her that one person's negativity might not really affect her in the end. But she's told me many times how much she adores him, so I suppose it would hurt her feelings.
If he talks to her about this and is just as brash as he was in the car, then it's his funeral.
Christian drives us straight to Escala lost in his mutterings and brooding silence even though I told him before we left for Mia's restaurant that I needed to go back to my apartment because of my early morning errands and that I had to get ready for Clarissa's bridal lunch that I'm hosting. If I remind him now, God knows what other hell that will unleash so I just go with the flow. I'll just get up early and leave him a note again.
He lowers Sloane into her bed and tells me he's waiting for me in his room when I'm done. It takes a while and considerable effort to change Sloane out of her dress and into pajamas while she's sleeping like a sloth in heaven. My little Sloffee. I miss her little baby form but I also love the fact that I can get big little hugs from her. I try to hold on to this feeling of sweet nostalgia and current reality but it dissipates.
Whatever little excitement and happiness I felt tonight completely disappeared the moment I sat in the car and all I'm left with is a dark cloud descending upon me.
My mind drifts to the time when I told Dad I was pregnant about six or so years ago.
"Kiddo, what's wrong? You're scaring me." Dad gives me a stern look. I'm sitting across from him on a chair while he's sitting on the couch. He's come out to Portland to see us and I have to tell him about pregnancy. This news is a few days old but still not entirely the norm for me. José's waiting for my signal on when it's okay to come back home from campus.
"Um, Dad… I'm pregnant." I say, hesitantly and bracing myself for the lecture of disappointment… not that Dad's ever given me one but still, I imagine this sort of thing would warrant one.
He doesn't say anything for several moments and it starts to feel a little awkward so I choose to speak again.
"I know you're disappointed in me," I say heavily, "but…"
"What?" He asks, "Disappointed? Kiddo, who said I'm disappointed."
"Oh, um… you didn't say anything so I–"
"No, I'm not disappointed." He assures me, "I'm a little shocked because you're young but…" he pauses and searches the room for a bit before exhaling deeply, "this is a part of life. And in life, things like this happen and you make the best of it." He says, "and most of all, whatever you decide, I'll support you."
"Really?" I cry, relieved. So fucking relieved. After José's crazy and screaming freakout, I was sure as hell Dad was probably going to yell at me too.
"Of course." He gets up and pulls me into a hug, holding me as I cry. We don't hug much and for the first time since I found out, I really do relax.
José apologized and we made up but for some reason right now is the only moment when I really feel at peace.
We pull away and sit on the couch, side by side this time.
"I'm going to keep the baby."
He nods silently, "okay then. I guess I'm having a grandchild."
I laugh, wiping my eyes, "yeah. You want a boy or a girl?"
"As long as the baby is healthy," he says, smiling affectionately. It's a rarity but I'm glad I'm at the other end such displays for the most part. "But… I won't lie, I hope it's a little girl. I'd like to have another little Annie in my life."
I giggle and a new wave of tears begin to fall from my eyes.
"Where's the culprit?"
"Dad, don't." I whine. "He's a little freaked out.."
"Good. I'm going to kill him and then bring him back to life." I give him a warning look but it does nothing to sway him and he laughs, "alright, I won't kill him but we still need to talk. Man to man."
I roll my eyes and he chuckles.
"I promise I'm going to finish college." I feel the need to tell him this. I don't want him to think I'll turn out like Carla or anything.
"I have no doubt in my mind about that. I'm going to help you every step of the way, Annie. You've got nothing to worry about and don't you dare be scared." He kisses my temple. "We're gonna figure it all out."
I snuggle in with Sloane a little more as hot, silent tears fall from my eyes. Back then, I was 18 and I only had Kate and Dad on my side. Ethan joined shortly after as well. That was the extent of my support system and I felt on top of the world. I felt like I could keep going. Things were hard but I knew I could get through it.
But right now, I don't know how I'm going to make it through next week. I'm barely holding on.
A/N: For some context, Mia and Ethan have known each other for as long as Christian and Ana have. About 45 days give or take. However, I hope most can see the vast differences in their situations and resources compared to when Ana got pregnant at 18.