Roger made good on his promise. When Holly returned to WSPR after the holiday with Ed she found Blake clearing her desk.
"Blake, I'd like to see you in my office." Holly said calmly.
"Can we leave the door open? I'd like there to be the potential for a witness when you murder me."
Holly walked in and sat at her desk as if it were any other day. She looked at the blotter on her desk and then up at Blake. "If I said I wasn't disappointed I'd be lying."
Blake took the opportunity to lock eyes with her shoes.
"Blake, I am disappointed but I'm not angry."
"You're not?" She asked, making her way to the chair across from her mother's desk.
Holly gave her a wry smile. "No darling, I'm not. While I will never understand the affection you have for your father at the exclusion of me, I do appreciate that this time it befitted us both."
Blake narrowed one eye, studying Holly as she did. "What's the punch line?"
Holly leaned back. "There isn't one. Your father and I have come to an understanding. You and I are no longer enemies, even though you wouldn't give Ed permission to marry me."
Blake looked nervous. "He told you about that?"
"Yes, he did. I also know you're the reason your father showed up quite literally on my door step. Oh Blake" Holly shook her head. "I should be so angry at you. I should be firing you instead of writing a letter of recommendation for you."
" No need mother. I'm actually going to do PR for Daddy at Spaulding. The job comes with a pay raise, and benefits."
Holly scoffed. "Benefits huh? I can only imagine what they are." Holly stood and walked around her desk. Blake stood too. Holly opened her arms and pulled her daughter in close. "I love you. I only want the best for you, my honey. Promise me that just because I'm getting married and your new job status won't undo what we worked so hard to cleave together."
Blake pulled back. "You really mean that mother? I haven't been horrible to you, but I wasn't honest either. I reported your every move to Daddy and arranged for him to come up to the Cliff house."
Holly leaned back on the edge of her desk. "What did he tell you about that?"
"He said that you were angry that he was there and that you immediately saw through him. He said he admitted that I set you up and that after you two had it out about me that you sent him on his way. As there was no cell service, he wasn't able to call until after he got home and of course after he schmoozed a highly annoyed Jenna."
Holly closed her eyes and shook her head. "Yep, that's exactly what happened. Oh Blake, I love you." She embraced her again.
"So, tell me what happened with Ed? Was his proposal romantic? Blake asked, studying the ring.
"Quite the contrary. I threw up." Holly admitted. "I had too much wine and was dehydrated from being in the sun, but I still said yes." She flashed her left hand, her ring sparkling in the light. "Michelle's reaction was apparently as bad as yours so we spent the majority of the evening trying to coax her out of her bedroom. Once we did, we had a long talk, and after many, many hours she acquiesced. After that we were so tired, we went to bed. I had forgotten what it's like to have a young person in the house."
Blake grinned. "Well, you better get used to it. Your bedrooms share a wall"
Holly groaned. "Don't remind me"
SEVERAL WEEKS LATER
Holly and Ed had agreed that they wouldn't co-habitate until after they said "I do". This was less for propriety's sake and more for Michelle's. She had taken the news of their engagement badly and Holly wanted to give her as much space as she could before turning her world inside out. Ed came over nearly every night, but left at a reasonable hour, not that Holly minded. It was like having a fling, only they were exclusive. The night before the wedding Ed offered to stay away but Holly had a burning need such a burning need to with him that he dispensed with tradition and actually spent the night.
When Holly woke, she did so with a start. She sat up and looked beside her. "Oh my God, I'm getting married this morning"
Ed rolled over and groggily said "What a coincidence, so am I. Want to have one more fling as a single woman?"
He grabbed Holly by the waist and pulled her down. "Stop" she said breathily.
Immediately Ed raised his hands and backed away. "I'm sorry" he said suddenly awake.
Holly didn't respond, she simply put her hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom where she proceeded to throw up. While this was new to Ed, it wasn't to her. She had spent the past five mornings in this same position. She leaned her head back on the tile and covered her face with a wash cloth.
"Butterflys?" Ed asked from the door, sinking to the floor to be near her.
"No, I don't think so." Holly whispered.
"You weren't drinking last night." Ed noted.
"Nope I wasn't." She seemed distant.
Ed reached out and brushed her bangs off of her forehead. "Holly? Is there something you want to tell me?"
Holly turned towards him; her brown eyes tormented. She inhaled deeply afraid that if she spoke, she'd vomit again.
"Holly?" He questioned.
Holly rolled her eyes upward. "Please don't be angry."
"You're making me angry by your refusal to tell me what's going on. If you've changed your mind about marrying me, just tell me, damn it. You'd make Blake a very happy woman if that's the case, and I bet Roger would even offer to pick up the tab for the nonrefundable deposit on the DJ."
"Why would you bring him up?" Holly asked wearily.
"Because all of our problems always lead back to him, and if you've changed your mind about marrying me, I can only imagine why."
Holly reached out and took his hand loosely in hers. "Oh Ed, oh God, Ed, I thinkā¦.no, I don't think, I know, I'm pregnant"
She watched the color drain from his face. She was glad he was sitting for she was afraid he may faint. He cleared his throat then began a coughing fit that brought the color back. He went from ghostly pale to red. When he finally stopped coughing, he simply stared at her.
"Did I hear you right? You think you're having a baby?"
Holly nodded.
"I did hear you right. Wait, how do you know?"
"Remind me never to consult you for medical care, Dr. Bauer."
He was offended, but didn't tell her so.
"When I went for my blood work for our license, I mentioned that I felt more tired than usual, and that I was periodically light headed. Eve suggested that they run a full work up to rule out anemia or other causes. What I didn't realize was that other causes meant pregnancy."
"You mean to tell me Eve Guthrie knew we were having a baby before I did. Well, it's true, the chief of staff is always the last to know"
"Believe me Ed, she was the last person I'd have confided in had my other option not been Lilian."
"Understandable. Have you seen Dr. Sedwick yet? Do you know when you're due or when Baby Bauer get his start?" Ed was grinning now.
"I haven't seen the doctor yet. I was going to wait until after the wedding. I've only known a week."
"Do you have a calendar?" Ed asked, pulling her to a standing position.
"In the kitchen." She indicated. Ed pulled her through the house like she was a puppy.
"Ok, when was your last cycle? When did it start?" He asked, sounding professional.
"It was in June. The 19th or 20th' I think" She thought backwards in her head.
Ed counted the blocks on the calendar, first by weeks and then by days. His mouth formed a slow but wide grin. "Unless your wrong, or my count is off I know exactly when it happened and I know when the baby is due"
Holly laid her hands on his shoulder and laid her chin above that. "Well, doc, tell me"
"If we're both right, you're seven weeks and three days out." He did some more quick counting. "It looks like you're due around March 26th." He couldn't help but grin.
"Alright, now tell me when did this blessed event begin?"
His finger moved across the calendar, the page turning to July. "There a number of factors at play, but more than likely you conceived over the July 4th weekend."
As his smile grew, her's faded.
"Holly, it was at the Cliff house. You got pregnant while we are at the Cliff house."
