The phone rang. Annie ran into her bedroom and yanked the receiver to her left ear.
"Hello"
"Hi, Mom"
"How are you doing?"
"I'm doing great. Actually, that's why I called you."
"Go ahead. I can take whatever you kids throw at me"
"I'm pregnant"
"Oh cool, Luce. That's really great. When're you due?" All the while thinking I'm going to be a grandmother!
"Early October."
"That's great hon. Do you want me to let Dad know?"
"Naw, Kev and I'll come for dinner at the house this evening and tell you guys. Make sure everyone-and I mean everyone-is there, whether they are there via phone or in person."
"Okay, Luce, see you later"
"Bye, Mom"
"Bye"
Annie walked over to the bathroom where she had been cleaning, and resumed her chores.
Later that day:
Eric strolled into the house via the door by the laundry area. He hung his coat on the hook and put the mail down on the counter by the oven. Eric then yelled, "Honey, I'm home!" and proceeded up the stairs to where he knew his wife would be standing.
"That's great to hear. Listen, can you call Matt, Mary and Simon and tell them to call this evening on the house line, our bedroom line, and Kevin's cell phone?"
"Sure, why?"
"I can't tell you. All I can tell you is that it has something to do with Lucy. Also, make sure that Ruthie and Sam and David are present this evening."
"Okay." Eric climbed back down the stairs and strolled into his study, where he took his laptop and bible out of his workbag. He set the items down on his desk, and collapsed in his chair. He needed to work on his sermon for next Sunday, and he had decided to come home early and work on it where he could be close to his family.
"Anybody home?" Kevin's loud voice shouted as he and his wife entered the house.
"Yea," Eric called "I'm in my study and Annie is upstairs doing laundry"
"Thanks, Dad," Lucy called. She then hung hers and Kevin's coats up on the hooks by the door. At that moment Annie came down the stairs and began to make dinner – spaghetti and meatballs. She went around to the cupboards and refrigerator taking ingredients, pots, pans, bowls, and measuring ingredients out of them. Annie walked over to the island and set all her burdens down and said, "Hey, Lucy, do you want to help me make dinner? I know it was your favorite thing to do when you were younger."
"Sure, Mom," Lucy said. She got an apron out of the closet so as not to stain her clothing. Happily working away, the mother and daughter discussed Lucy being pregnant. A little while later, Eric walked in.
"Is dinner going to be soon? I would really like to know because Ruthie, Sam, and David have been pestering me for the last ten minutes."
"Mom just put the spaghetti in, so it should be only another ten minutes until dinner time, " Lucy said.
"Great. I'll go tell Ruthie and the twins." With that, Eric left the room via the back stairs.
Nine minutes later:
"Dinner time!" Annie yelled. She and Lucy were putting the final dish on the table. Everyone came from wherever they were and sat down at their place. The Camdens said grace, and then dug into their wonderful feast of spaghetti/meatballs, garlic bread, salad, and green beans.
When everyone was done eating:
"Kevin and I have an announcement to make," Lucy said. She wiggled around, making it look like she was unsure.
"What is it?" Ruthie said these last words
"Everyone, I'm ………… Pregnant!"
"That's wonderful Lucy," said Annie, looking surprised, even though she already knew.
"Yes, that's wonderful," everyone else said in harmony.
"It's great you feel that way about this. I wasn't sure what you guys would say or if you would say anything at all." Lucy said.
With that, everyone got up from the table and went into the living room. The adults had decaf coffee (so Lucy could be included and so they wouldn't be so perky), and the kids had hot cocoa so they could have a hot drink as well. The family talked about other issues, like if Lucy and Kevin would need to find their own place, or if the garage apartment was big enough.
A little while later:
"I'm getting a little tired. I think it's time to break up the festivities that include Lucy and I," Kevin said.
Then Lucy and Kevin brought their coffee cups into the kitchen to be put in the dishwasher like all the other ones after it was unloaded from dinner. Then Kevin got their coats, they put them on, and then exited the house via the side door to go back up to their apartment. When the couple got home, they hung their winter things up on their hooks and sat down at the table with the checkbook, records book, and all recent statements.
"You know, soon we'll be a family of three, " Lucy said, giving her husband a passionate kiss on the lips.
"Yea, isn't this great?" Kevin took his lips off his wife's for a moment and then returned the kiss. This continued for quite a while until they broke off each other to get ready to go to bed.
