I Forgot the U

By Jeune Ecrivain

Rating: T

Summary: Phil is now 22 and Keely's about 21 ½. When Phil's birthday coincides with Keely having big news, she conspires with Pim to tell him in a most creative way.

A/N: The rating increase is just a precaution due to some mild references to implied sex.

Part 2

For a second, Phil didn't get it. Then, his mental gears appeared to click and his eyes widened almost cartoonishly. He stood up slowly, staring at his wife in awe. "Keely…" he said. "…what are you trying to tell me?"

"What do you think I'm trying to tell you?" she teased while simultaneously beaming at him.

Phil's astonishment finally weakened enough to allow a weak grin and chuckle, an infant joy in his eyes that was just waiting to be validated. "You…I mean, you're…," he stammered. He finally closed his agape mouth and started over. "You're not messing with me, are you?"

"About something like this?" said Keely, offended in a light-hearted way. "I would never!"

Astonishment was gradually but visibly giving way to joy on Phil's face. He placed a hand on each of his wife's shoulders and looked in her eyes. "Say it. I need to hear you say it."

Smiling warmly at him once again, she happily obliged. "Phil,…I'm pregnant."

"Oh, my God, Keel!" he said, cupping her cheek in his hand and kissing her sweetly. "This is wonderful!"

"Happy birthday, Phil!"

"Happy birthday!" Phil repeated with a laugh. "Happy birthday, she says!" he laughed out loud and hugged Keely, picking her up off her feet and spinning her in three complete circles. When he finally put her down, he ambushed her with questions so eagerly he only said the first word or two of each coherently. "How…? When…?"

"Well, duh, you know how," Keely said with a small blush appearing on her cheeks.

Neither husband nor wife noticed the young aunt-to-be crinkle her nose for real to form an expression that clearly said I really didn't need to hear that.

"But when did you find out?" Phil asked.

"About three days ago."

"Three days ago! You've known about this for three days and you're telling me now?"

Keely laughed. "Well, it was just so close to your birthday, I thought it would make the perfect birthday surprise!" she defended convincingly.

Phil beamed at her, then gave her a playful look. "Is this because of that one time Tia took us to Starbucks a little late in the evening and we had trouble falling asleep that night?"

Keely blushed hard, and Pim had finally heard enough. "Good God!" the younger female exclaimed, glaring at her brother and sister-in-law. "Look, I love you both, and I'm sure I'm going to love my nephew or niece, but if you two ever give me a mental image like that again, I guarantee you that you will be sorry!"

"Sorry," said Phil, chuckling at how silly he and Keely were acting and at his sister's reaction. He turned back and looked warmly at his wife. "After all," he said softly, stroking her chin gently, "who cares exactly how or when this happened? The point is…the woman I love is giving me one of the greatest gifts since she we got married."

"Don't give me all the credit," said Keely. "You had something to do with it, too."

"Ugh!" grunted Pim in exasperation. "Here we go…"

"I'm just saying…" protested Keely, glancing at Pim before turning her affectionate gaze back on her husband, "…this isn't my gift to you. It's our gift to each other…and to the family."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," stated Phil. "So, was there ever really a play?"

Keely shook her head.

"It was all a ploy just to tell me the greatest news of my life?"

Keely nodded cleverly.

"I thought so," Phil nodded back. "Before today, I don't think either you or I would've suggested that Pim be an actress."

"What do you mean 'before today?'" Pim inquired.

"Are you kidding me?" Phil chuckled. "You totally had me going just now!"

Pim smirked confidently, though a vestige of a certain childish pride shone in her eyes. "Well, you know me. Sometimes I can surprise you," she replied.

"And you were fantastic!" Phil said to Keely, kissing her squarely on the lips. "You both had me going."

Pim and Keely high-fived each other proudly.

"How did you ever come up with that whole 'ant'/'aunt' thing?"

"Well, Pim found out the big news accidentally," began Keely.

"Accidentally?"

"Long story," Pim interjected.

"I was just going to sit in your lap and tell you, but Pim just insisted we get creative with it."

"Just like you, Pim," Phil quipped.

"Thank you," Pim responded with a theatrical bow.

"So, does anyone else know?" asked Phil anxiously.

"No," Keely answered.

Phil beamed once more. "Excellent!" With that, he grabbed his drink, stepped up onto the coffee table, and called out to the gathering, "Hey, everybody!"

Phil's family and friends turned their heads one by one to face the birthday boy, who looked very much the part with his ear-to-ear grin and eyes shining with happiness. "I'm sure we all remember Dad's little comment about feeling old,…and I say to him now…get ready to feel even older."

Hearty laughs sounded from the group.

Phil opened his mouth to continue, but instead turned to Keely and said, "This is as much your news as it is mine. Why don't you tell them?"

"No, honey. It's your birthday. You tell them."

"No, really. You tell them."

She glared at him playfully. "You."

"You."

"You."

"You."

"Would you just tell us already?" exclaimed Tia. "Happy couples," she added with a roll of her eyes.

"Seriously, Keel, I want you to tell them," said Phil, extending his hand to her.

She smiled at him, unable to say no, and took his hand. He helped her up onto the coffee table. Taking Phil's hand in hers, she smiled brightly and said, "Phil and I…are going to have a baby!"

Practically every female in the room squealed, and the males cheered and whooped. From that moment on, the party was as much for Keely as it was for Phil. But Phil didn't mind. He and the woman he loved were having a child together, and that was all that mattered.