Author's note / disclaimer / etc. : It's funny how I still own nothing, you would think that after all this time at least one character would be mine! Ah well. The story is coming to an end pretty soon! OMG! Very exciting... Well at least, I'm excited! LOL. Just remember, the review button really is your friends guys, so use it so I can read all your lovely (or unlovely, whatever...) reviews! =)

Chapter 6: "Happy Family"

Gordo pushed pass the door, and into the "Famous Pine Diner." He smiled as he caught the attention of the brunette behind the counter; it was Miranda. Ever since the news of her father's unemployment, Miranda had taken it upon herself to earn some extra money for her family. She has now been working there for about two weeks, and the job had taken up most of her time during the week.

"Hey Gordo!" Miranda welcomed him as she gave him a smile. She wiped the counter right as he took his place in front of her. She took a quick glance over to her left, where her manager stood, and then focused her attention once again on her best friend. "Um, what can I do for ya today?" she asked as she handed him a menu.

"Switch places with me today?" he asked.

"Hmm, that's not quite on the menu Gordo," she laughed. "What's going on?"

"Dinner with Ted--tonight."

"Oh. Sounds, um, fun…" she remarked, trying her best to lighten up the mood a bit. Her best friend's expression did not change. She sighed. "It can't be that bad."

Gordo glanced up at her and shook his head. "They've been going out for like, four months and we've never had dinner together--ever…this can't be good."

"C'mon Gordo. Maybe it won't be that bad. I mean, you did say before that Ted's a 'pretty nice guy'," Miranda reminded him. "Plus, you never know, I mean, you could actually have some fun." He looked up at her and shook his head. "Oh c'mon now. Give him a chance."

"It's going to be all weird, and I'm not going to know what to say…" he explained. At that point, he knew that he had no real choice in the matter, and there was no use fighting it…but it didn't hurt to complain about it either. "Come with me!"

Miranda shook her head furiously. "No," she said flatly. "For one, I still have like, another hour to go here! And two, I seriously think this is something you have to go through on your own. This is your first dinner with your mother's first serious boyfriend since your father's death. It's not a place for me."

"You're right…you're right." He took a deep sigh and ran his hands through his soft dark brown locks.

"Wow. I must say, I think this is the first time I have ever heard David Gordon say that I'm right!" she teased.

"Shut up," he told her, giving her a smirk.

Pretending to be shocked, she asked, "so, I, moi, changed your mind?"

"Don't push it Miranda," he chuckled.

"Okay, okay, okay," she laughed as she folded her arms and leaned on the counter. "But come on…do you want anything from here? 'Cause my manger is going to kill me if he realizes I just spent the whole time talking to you and didn't get you to buy anything. He'll come over here and get all manager-y on me."

"Oh! Yeah…I just remembered that's why my mom sent me out!" Gordo said, a little embarrassed that he hadn't remembered sooner. "Um…I'll have a roasted chicken…"

"Sides?"

"Ah…mac 'n cheese and mashed potatoes."

"Can I suggest our homemade Dutch apple pie for desert?"

"Is it free?"

"Ah," Miranda hesitated. She looked over at her manger, who was eyeing her intently. "No," she told him as she gave him a wink. She ripped off a piece of paper from her small notepad and handed it to her best friend. "Here, just take this to the cashier, and he'll have your order."

"Thanks Miranda," he told her.

"Don't worry about it Gordo. Enjoy yourself, okay? It'll be fine," she reassured him. He smiled as she waved goodbye to him.

As quickly as he picked up his order and paid for it, he was on his way. In no way was he looking forward to what was to come, but, at this point, what choice did he have? He was already on his way home where he knew that Ted was to most likely be waiting already. A million thoughts ran through his mind as to what would be the outcome of the dinner, and how it would go. He prayed that Miranda was actually right and everything would go well.

"Oh, why hey there David!" As soon as he got home, Gordo was greeted by Ted, who was setting the table.

Awkwardly he replied with a "hell-o…" Ted then escaped into the kitchen, as Gordo's mother came out of it.

"David! Oh thank goodness you're back! I was beginning to think that you had left us to starve to death!" Roberta joked. Her son just shook his head and put the bags of food down on the table. "So. What have you got there?"

"Um…roasted chicken, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes," he told her. "I got it over at that diner on Pine Street, so Miranda threw in a free apple pie for dessert."

"Oh? Really? How is that job going for Miranda anyway? She having fun?" his mother asked.

Gordo shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah I guess. Except that her manager is on her all the time. But, she wants to have the job. She's doing it for her family."

"That's so sweet. She has a good heart," she commented. "Hmm, maybe you should get a job too. Maybe earn yourself a little extra cash before you leave me for college."

He laughed as he shook his head. "Ah, no. No. I'm quite okay mom."

"Biscuits are…done," Ted announced as he walked out of the kitchen with a basket full of biscuits. "My own personal recipe."

"Oh hon, they smell wonderful!" Roberta cheered. "Honey, don't they smell wonderful?" she asked her son. He didn't reply. "Freshen up because dinner will be served in less than five minutes!"

Gordo walked over to the bathroom and quickly washed his hands.

As he was about to pass by his room he heard Ted call out, "Danny! Come have dinner!" Before he could even blink, Gordo saw a young boy run out of his room and off into the same direction which he himself was going.

Having never previously seem this boy, Gordo was a bit confused as to who he was, and what in the world he was doing in his room.

"David, this is Ted's son, Danny," Roberta said, introducing the young boy.

"Um, hi," Gordo said rather shyly. "Um, we ready to eat?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's sit and enjoy," Ms. Gordon said.

The dinner started off rather silent. Each family ate their fair of the chicken, macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes, along with the freshly baked biscuits. Not much was spoken, other than the occasional "pass the potatoes please," or "can you give me a biscuit," or others things of that nature. Though Gordo preferred not to talk during the dinner, the silence was uncomforting. He would rather listen to his mother and Ted talk of things that he would rather not hear about than sit through the troubling silence.

Finally, when dessert came around, Roberta broke the silence. "So, um, did everyone enjoy dinner?"

"Oh, yeah. It was good," Gordo replied awkwardly.

Ted cleared his throat. "Did you enjoy my biscuits David?"

"Yeah."

"They were real good dad!" said Danny excitedly.

Ted chuckled.

Roberta sent a look over to Ted and he nodded at her. He cleared his throat once again. "Um, uh, kids…we have something we'd like to share."

Gordo sighed and threw his head back. He knew that this dinner could not have come without its consequences. He just wasn't sure he wanted to know what these consequences were.

"Ted and I…we've been growing closer…" Roberta began to explain as she clasped Ted's hand in hers. "Over these last few months, we've had a lot of time to do some soul searching…"

"I have gotten to know the most amazing woman…" Ted couldn't take his eyes off the woman across from him.

"Ewe! Dad!" squealed Danny.

Ted and Roberta laughed. Gordo just hoped they would get to the point, soon.

"Well," Ted began once again. "What we are trying to say is, we hope that we all can learn to act as a family…and that you two can learn how to be brothers."

"What are you trying to say?" asked Gordo. "Are you two getting married?!"

Roberta replied. "Well, not exactly."

"Then what?"

"Well…" Ted began. "Tell them the news honey."

"Ted and I…are having a baby," Roberta informed the two younger boys at the table.

"What?!" Gordo exclaimed. "You guys are what?"

"That's so cool!" expressed Danny.

"David, aren't you excited? You're going to be an older brother." Roberta tried her best to make the situation a positive for her son.

"H-How is this possible? You guys have only been together for like, four months!"

"David, I know you may be upset, but you have to know that things happen for a reason, and they always have a way of working themselves out."

"This is crazy!" Gordo screamed. "T-This can't be happening." He got up, threw him napkin on the table, and began to walk away.

"David!" Roberta cried out. "Where are you going? We all need to talk about this!"

"I-I'm leaving…I can't be here right now…" Soon enough he grabbed his keys and was out the door.

He walked around the neighborhood in deep thought. After that night, he truly did not know what to think. At first, he had thought that he was fine with the idea of his mother dating Ted. When he first met him, Gordo thought he was a nice guy. The idea was that if he made his mother happy, then he was an okay guy in his eyes. As long as he made her happy…

But now, it seemed as though things had changed. Of course, there was no evidence of the fact that he had no longer been making his mother happy…but it was just…complicated at that point. So complicated that he didn't even know how to express it. Suddenly there was this baby involved…a baby…how in the world had that happened?

After about fifteen minutes Gordo had found himself knocking on a familiar door.

"Gordo? What are you doing here? I thought you had that dinner tonight?" Miranda asked, rather surprised to find him there.

"Yeah, well…" He brought his gaze up from the floor and asked, "is it okay if we…talk?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah. Sure, of course Gordo."

He pointed his head over to the steps of the porch and they went over and sat down. He took a long, deep breath, but said nothing.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sympathetically.

"We had the dinner today…"

"And…what happened?"

"They made an announcement. They're having a baby," he told her. "I'm going to be a big brother," he added with sarcasm. "I've been an only child for eighteen years, and now I'm going to be someone's big brother in about eight months. It's so…unreal.

"Gordo…wow…" she told him.

"I can't even believe it…they just started dating…and now, they're having a baby? My mother's having a baby with another man…that's not my father. Did she forget about him so quickly? How could this happen? How can she do this? How can they do--"

By now, it had come to the point where he was almost in tears, and Miranda couldn't bare to see him that way. "Gordo, I know I can't promise you that it will be okay, or that you will come to terms with this…but all I can promise you is that I'll be here to listen…whenever you need," she said, just before wrapping her arms around him.