The team was conveniently on stand down the week of Andrew's visit. While this was great in terms of being able to maximize time with him and Keely, it meant I had no excuse to cancel lunch with my mother. Since Keely still didn't know about the pregnancy, we planned lunch for a day when she was visiting with one of her old friends.
Mother was already there when Andrew and I arrived. As we approached the table, she stood to greet us. "Hello, Emily."
"Hi, mother." I addressed, leaning in for a cheek-to-cheek kiss. Pulling back, I gestured towards Andrew. "Mother, this is Andrew. Andrew, meet my mother."
"It's a pleasure, Ambassador." Andrew said.
She waved a hand dismissively. "Please, call me Elizabeth. Let's sit."
Andrew nodded, pulling out a chair for me before taking his seat.
"Emily tells me you live in Denver now." Elizabeth began.
"Yes, I do. My ex-wife and daughter moved out there a year ago and I'd been waiting for the right job opening to get me out there."
"A daughter? How old is she?"
Andrew pulled out his phone, easily finding a photo to show my mother. "This is Keely, she's 14. She'll be a freshman in high school in August."
"Ah, a teenager. Well, I hope for your sake she's far tamer than Emily was at that age."
"Mother." I say, warningly. Conversation was temporarily halted as the waiter approached to take our orders. I desperately wanted a cocktail, something to take the edge off for the rest of lunch, but I settled for a club soda with cranberry juice.
"So, Andrew, are you planning to make an honest woman out of my daughter?"
I looked to Andrew, who smiled, reaching over and linking our fingers together. "I do, but for now I think we can both agree we have enough big changes in our future."
"I see." She turned towards me. "And when are you moving?"
"End of July. I'm helping ease the new unit chief into the position, slowing phasing out."
"You mean you'll still be in the field for a while? Are you sure that's wise considering your condition?"
I sigh. "I have a whole team with me whom I trust implicitly to have my back, and who trust me to have theirs. I'm not backing down while I'm still here simply because I'm pregnant."
The waiter returned with our food then. Mother's interrogation continued as we ate, and by the time we parted ways I was mentally exhausted.
"That wasn't so bad." Andrew remarked as we got into the car.
"Ha, you're joking, right? Did you not notice her cleverly inserted underhanded judgements?" I blow out a breath. "God, every time I see her, I feel like I have to justify my every life choice."
"Hey." He reached over the console and placed a hand on my knee. "Don't let her get under your skin. I know it sounds like she's being judgmental pushing the topic of marriage or questioning your abilities in the field, but I think in her own twisted way she wants what's best for you. She just doesn't know how to show it very well."
I sigh. "I want to believe you, but after years of a complicated and distant relationship with my mother, it's hard to imagine."
"I know." He nods, then leans for a kiss. It's no more than a soft brush of lips, but it centers me. "Ready to get back to work?" He asks, pulling back and starting the engine.
"I suppose. The quicker I get back to work, the quicker I am to coming home for the evening."
####
The following night I am in the kitchen cutting vegetables for stir fry when I feel Andrew come up behind me. He wraps his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder.
"Another home cooked meal, you're spoiling us." He says, nuzzling his face into my neck.
"Well, savor it tonight because the rest of the week is takeout." My words turn into a moan as he starts dropping wet kisses down my neck and shoulder. "Andrew, your daughter could walk in here any moment."
"She's upstairs taking a shower." He murmured against my skin.
"The water turned off ages ago." I note.
"Alright, I'll behave." He sighs, planting a kiss on my cheek and moving to stand beside me. He grabs a second knife from the block and starts cutting up a yellow zucchini. I look over at him, biting my lip in a grin.
"What, was I not allowed to help?" He asks, noting my stare.
"No, I was just admiring the situation. You and me being all domestic in the kitchen." I smile.
A moment later I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and I look up to see Keely rounding the corner into the room. "Hey!" I greet before turning my attention back to the cutting board. "Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes."
When she doesn't respond, I look back up at her. I can't quite read the look on her face. Andrew also takes note of her silence and asks what is wrong.
"Are you pregnant?" She asks. Her tone is direct and I can tell she wants answers.
"Yes." I respond quietly. Keely looks to her dad then, noticing his lack of surprise and seemingly concluding he already knew. The expression on her face changes to one of anger and hurt.
"How did you find out?" Andrew asks, his voice equally quiet.
"You mean because my father didn't have the decency to tell me himself?" Oh yeah, she's definitely mad. "It wasn't intentional. I was looking for my external charger and remembered that you borrowed it for the flight. I went to go get it from your bag in Emily's room and saw the What to Expect When You're Expecting book on her nightstand. The real question is, why did you hide this from me?"
"Honey, it wasn't about hiding it from you. It's just, with everything happening with your mom I didn't want to add anything else to your plate, especially at the end of the school year. We thought it would be best to wait." Andrew rounds the kitchen island and walks toward Keely. He reaches out a hand to touch her shoulder, but she flinches away.
"Are we moving back to DC?"
"No, honey, you don't have to worry about that. We're not going to move you away from your friends. Emily is going to come live with us in Denver, assuming you're ok with that." He explains.
Keely looks back to me then. "I don't want you to hate me." Her voice breaks as tears form in her eyes.
My brow furrows, wondering where she would get that idea. "Why would I hate you?"
"You have a job and a life here in DC that you're leaving to be with dad. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be in Denver and you wouldn't have to move."
"Oh sweetheart." I move around the island, pulling out two bar stools and beckoning Keely over. She hesitates for a moment until I reach out a hand for her. When she takes it, I pull her over to sit on the stool in front of me. Keeping her hand in mine, I make sure to meet her eyes before speaking. "I could never hate you. I knew when your dad and I first started dating that he was waiting for a transfer out to Denver to be closer to you, and I respected that and chose to enter into the relationship regardless. And I do love my job, but I would be stepping down from the BAU when the baby is born regardless. As for my life in DC, I have no qualms about giving it up to move to Denver. As disgustingly cliché as it may sound, home is where the heart is, and my heart is with your dad."
Keely snickers lightly, wiping a tear from her eyes. "That is disgustingly cliché."
"I know, but hey. I know we only recently met officially, but I'm also looking forward to getting to know you better." Keely looks hard into my eyes, as if trying to gauge my sincerity. Seeming to read her thoughts, Andrew stepped over and placed his fingers under her chin, lifting her face.
"Emily isn't Brandon. She really does want to get to know you, and she's not going to turn me against you." Keely nods her head and Andrew pulls her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry you felt like we kept you in the dark about the baby. I'm really excited to see you as a big sister, you know."
"I suppose you're forgiven." Keely says, pulling out of his embrace.
"Always my number one?" Andrew asks Keely, holding out his pinky.
"Always your number one." Keely responds, looping her pinky around his and tightening. Andrew had told me about this little thing of theirs, but it's the first I've seen it in person and I smile at the interaction.
Changing the subject, I throw out a proposal. "Well, I really don't feel like cooking anymore. What do you guys say we order some pizza and watch a movie?" I am answered by two resolute head nods. "Alright, I'll call it in. Keely, do you want to go pick the movie?"
"Sure."
As she makes her way into the living room, Andrew pulls me into his arms. "I love you." He whispers.
"I love you, too."