Chapter 15

"Um, Andrew, I could really use a coffee. Do you want to come down to the cafeteria with me?" Monica offered as innocently as she could as she and Gloria finally emerged from the bathroom in Eliza's room. Gloria immediately took her place in the chair next to the bed, clearly working impossibly hard simply to avoid Tess' questioning gaze as she seated herself in a bit of an anxious manner.

Andrew glanced up from where he sat and raised his eyebrows, obviously a little perplexed at this request, for Monica hadn't wanted to leave her daughter's side for the last several hours, and now she just wanted to go and get a coffee? Well, he thought, if she's ready to try and think about something else for a change, I'm ready to support her. He stood then and nodded slightly before following her out into the hall and down to the elevator.

As he stepped into the elevator with her before him, he caught a glimpse of the distracted expression upon her face and felt he needed to make sure everything was all right. "You okay?" He questioned gently as he pressed the button to take them to the ground floor. When she didn't answer after a moment, he tentatively inched his hand into hers and held it ever so tenderly, as though assuring her that whatever was troubling her, she could always tell him. She gratefully accepted his grasp, and didn't pull away, but she still seemed to refuse to make eye contact with him as the elevator doors closed and they began moving.

But it was then that Monica made the decision that she couldn't wait any longer. She had to tell him now or she may just scream it at him. But the way in which she chose to tell him was slightly startling for the Angel of Death as she suddenly wrenched away from his grasp, reaching for the emergency button on the panel. Her fingers connecting with it almost harshly, the sound of a single, short bell could be heard and then the elevator ground to a merciless halt where it was.

But it was clear that Andrew had absolutely no idea what was going on, as he glanced around them, clearly puzzled at what his friend had done and why. But when he made eye contact with her once more, there was definitely something in her gaze that told him not to speak and just listen. But the glaze behind his blue-green eyes flickered with obvious confusion as she then took both of his hands in hers and readied herself to say something that was clearly very important. But she merely seemed to stutter for a brief moment as she had done before with Gloria as she struggled for a way, any way to tell her friend that he was going to be a father.

"Andrew…I…I have to tell you something." She paused briefly as she scrambled in her mind to seek out the proper wording for her next statement, but then, as she finally reunited her gaze with Andrew's, his eyes flickered with kindness and gentleness and she knew she could tell him anything. Anything in the world. "Okay." He breathed understandingly as he cupped one side of her face in the palm of his hand, still holding her hand with the other. But it was then that Monica suddenly felt the threat of tears in her throat once again as a sweet, loving reaction of his tender touch. Covering his hand with her free one, Monica leant her cheek gently against it, as though seeking some form of comfort as she felt the hot tears begin to stream over her cheeks sensitively. But Andrew refused to stand by and watch her get upset again, as it pained him that much more to watch her cry than to cry himself.

"Oh Monica, hey, what is it? Come on. You know you can always tell me anything." He half-whispered softly as he took his other hand and placed it lovingly on the opposite side of her face, lifting her teary gaze then to meet his. But she still seemed uncomfortable with whatever it was she was about to say and as she stared up into his handsome face, she wondered if he would say the same thing after she told him. And so she decided she couldn't stagger for an answer any longer. "Andrew," she began again in a clear, confident tone, "I'm pregnant."

At this, Andrew suddenly removed his hands from her face and stared back at her in obvious disbelief. She hadn't just said 'pregnant' had she? She couldn't of. It wasn't possible. But after another second of frightful silence, the concept suddenly came to Andrew in another way and a broad smile from ear to ear split his handsome features as he took another step toward her, his gaze shifted constantly back and forth from her flat belly to her wet, soft brown eyes. "Monica…you…we…we're going to have a baby?" He confirmed as though the seemingly simple concept was just impossible to believe. But it was then that Monica caught sight of the joyful saltwater suddenly running from his eyes and she knew right then and there that his reaction was not at all what she had expected, and she was overwhelmingly grateful for that. She almost felt guilty that she had half-expected him to be angry and that she had been afraid of him. But now, as she stood there before him, she realized she was wrong all along to think such an absurd thing at all.

"Yes, Andrew. Yes! We're going to have a baby!" She knew she was yelling now. She didn't care. After all, who could hear her but Andrew here in this elevator? She loved just saying it anyway. Why not scream it out to the world? He then reached out and excitedly scooped her up in his arms so that one of his arms was beneath her knees and one behind her shoulders. He twirled her around in a circle gleefully as she wrapped her arms around his neck and once he placed her back on her feet, they caught each other's gaze once more and their smiles suddenly faded to a smaller, more affectionate gaze. Her arms still around his neck, Monica inched her face closer to his as she felt his hand creep up her back to cradle the back of her neck, slowly pulling her toward him as he too moved forward. Their lips met in a tender, loving caress and they remained in such a hold for many a minute until they finally broke apart once again, though Monica allowed her forehead to remain leaning against his affectionately.

"Oh, Andrew, this baby will be the best part of us. Not me. Not you. Us." She told him as tears still persisted over her pretty features. But now Andrew seemed to be crying even more than she was if that was even possible, as he held his arms around her back supportively, wishing there was some way he could feel the baby against him already. Of course he couldn't, but he'd like to think that he could. "I'm going to be a father." He stated more to himself than to her as the realization suddenly hit him like a blow to the chest from a baseball bat. But Monica merely nodded in confirmation as she then suddenly allowed her head to fall onto his shoulder in one more loving embrace. She couldn't be more content that he had taken to the news so well, but now, as she thought it over in her mind, she wondered how he could not have.