Tris woke up the next morning to the familiar babble of Ava in the baby monitor. Ava was a happy baby, and Tris had missed waking up to her contented noises.
The other side of the bed was cold and empty, and Tris frowned. She listened for a moment and heard the sound of a treadmill running. She was disappointed to wake up without Eric. Sleeping beside him had been a thrilling new experience. Being in a strange place and unused to another person in the bed, Tris had woken several times during the night. The long afternoon nap probably hadn't helped, either. Each time she had woken, Tris had felt safe and comforted. Eric was a cuddler, and although he was careful of her injuries, he had kept her small body protected by his large one all night.
Tris stretched, and was pleased to realize that she felt a bit better. Her muscles were less sore, and the cream Eric applied to her bruises seemed to have helped. She made her way out of Eric's bed and to the nursery.
"Good morning, Sunshine!" Tris greeted Ava, who was sitting up in her crib. The baby let out a squeal, and Tris laughed. "I've missed our mornings together, too," she said.
Careful of her injuries, Tris picked up Ava by helping the seated baby to her feet, then leaning in for a hug and standing herself upright.
"There," she said. "I knew we could do it."
Tris carried Ava to the changing pad and got a fresh diaper on her. She dressed the baby in a cute black and yellow outfit with polka dotted pants and a flowered top, then carried her downstairs for a bottle and some cereal.
As Tris was spooning cereal past Ava's drooling grin, Eric came running down the stairs. "Tris!" he called.
"Uh oh," Tris said to the baby, "I think we're in trouble." Ava giggled in response, clearly not worried about her daddy's ire.
"You're not supposed to lift her," Eric scolded as he stalked into the kitchen.
"Relax, Warrior," Tris said. "I feel a lot better today. I think the muscle soreness was giving me more trouble than the bruising. All the rest and ice, the bath, and the cream worked wonders. And I was careful, I swear."
Eric came over to the table to kiss his girls. He was sweaty from his workout and dressed in black athletic pants and a Dauntless tank top.
"The way you look, I'm expecting to be ordered to run laps," Tris said.
"I'd rather watch you do yoga again," Eric growled, nearly making Tris choke on her coffee.
"I'm surprised you remember that," she replied shyly.
"Duchess, you would be ashamed of me if you knew how many times I've 'remembered' that," Eric said, making an air quotes gesture.
Tris blushed a deep scarlet and hid her face behind her coffee mug. When Eric turned to fill his own mug, she felt a rush of bravery. "Maybe I'll give you a private demonstration some time."
Eric groaned as he turned to look at Tris. Ava giggled from her highchair, getting their attention.
"Mommy is teasing me," Eric said to his daughter in a baby voice.
"Eric," Tris warned.
"Sorry," he said in a teasing voice that told Tris he wasn't really sorry. "I meant to say 'our duchess is teasing me.' Better?"
"Yes, thank you," Tris said as Eric kissed her again before heading upstairs to shower.
Once they were dressed and packed up for the day, Eric, Tris, and Ava made a stop at Lynn's house. Her graduation party was scheduled to begin at noon, and Tris' at two o'clock, then Rodriguez family had evening plans together before Lynn left for basic training on Monday morning. Tris had to get there right away if she wanted to see her friend before she left.
Uriah and Marlene were at the party with Uriah's mom, Zeke, and Shauna. Uri immediately went for Ava, trying to get the baby to giggle or reach for him. At first Ava just buried her face in Tris' shoulder, but as Tris played along, the baby warmed up to Uriah and even let him hold her.
Eric found Lynn, and congratulated his former student. He visited with her parents for a few minutes, as well.
"So you're the new Dauntless trainer," Lynn's dad said.
Eric nodded in agreement.
"My daughter speaks highly of you," Mr. Rodriguez continued. "She says that you and Tris Prior have hit it off as well."
"We have," Eric agreed, feeling defensive. "The Priors are an amazing family. They've done a lot for my daughter and I. Since I have no other family, they've been a godsend."
"I'm sure," Lynn's dad agreed.
Eric could feel the tension of the older man's unasked questions, but offered nothing more. If he wants to be a gossipy old woman, he'll have to ask what he wants to know, Eric thought to himself.
Tris soon made her way to Eric's side. Ava had been passed from Uriah, to Marlene, to Zeke, to Shauna, and eventually to Hana - each member of the Pedrad family demanding a turn with the happy, drooling infant. As long as Tris stayed nearby, Ava was content to be passed and held.
"I need to get home," Tris told Eric after she greeted Lynn's parents. "My party starts soon, and Mom may have things she needs us to do."
Eric and Tris said their farewells, gathered the baby, and climbed into the truck.
.
With ninety minutes until the party started, the Prior household was in chaos.
"Where have you been?" Natalie asked in a frazzled greeting when they walked in the door.
"Lynn's," Tris said. "She leaves in the morning, so I had to stop and say goodbye. We got held up trying to pry Ava away from the Pedrads."
"Hana does love babies," Natalie said of her long-time friend.
"What's not to like?" Caleb said as he breezed into the kitchen and snatched Ava out of Tris' arms. "Come see Uncle Caleb."
"Where's Dad?" Tris asked.
"David's here," Caleb said, wrinkling his nose. David Daniels was Andrew's campaign manager. He had come highly recommended by party insiders, but the Prior kids didn't like him. He gave off a sleazy vibe that fit his role as a "kingmaker" (his words). Between themselves, Tris and Caleb preferred to call him a "bullshit factory." But the man knew his stuff, and he knew everyone.
"What can we do to help?" Eric asked Natalie.
She sent Eric to the bakery to pick up Tris' cake, and Tris ran upstairs to do her hair and makeup while Caleb watched Ava and Natalie continued working on the food.
Caleb and Ava were in the family room when Andrew and David walked out of the den together. "There's Papa's girl!" Andrew greeted the baby.
"No way, old man," Caleb teased his dad. "It's Uncle Caleb time. I'm trying to get her to crawl for me like she did for Tris."
"Will you do that?" Andrew asked in a baby voice. "Will you come to Papa and Uncle Caleb?"
Ava squealed and wiggled, but made no move to go toward the men.
"Keep trying," Andrew said to Caleb. "Soon we won't be able to get her to hold still."
Addressing David, Andrew continued to speak. "I need to help my wife with the last-minute party preparations, but I like what you've brought me. You get started on that, and make sure you come back this afternoon for some cake."
He walked his campaign manager to the door. When he closed it, he turned to his wife and asked what she needed him to do.
Everything was ready by two o'clock, and the first guests arrived. Eric put Ava down for a nap in her crib in the guest room, and gave the baby monitor to Caleb. As a trainer, Eric needed to make an appearance at several grad parties that afternoon. Promising Tris he would be back as soon as possible, he left to get the visits out of the way while Ava napped.
The bruises on her torso were hidden by her clothes, and Tris did her best to cover the bruise on her cheek with some makeup, but there was no hiding the stitched up cut on her forehead. Several people at the open house asked Tris if she had been in an accident. She downplayed the incident, just admitting that it had happened at the after-graduation party. "You know how head wounds are," she said more than once. "They look worse than they are."
Andrew's sister Kathy came in from Indiana. The Pedrads arrived with Shauna and Marlene. Everyone asked about Ava, and Tris and her family explained that the little one was napping. Max and his wife stopped by, making the rounds of grad parties for his students. Christina and her parents came for a while, too. The house was a constant buzz of friends, family, and well-wishers from all parts of the Priors' life.
At the midpoint of the party, Tris went inside to use the restroom and check on Ava. As she stepped out of the sleeping baby's room she nearly bumped into David.
"Hello, Beatrice," the older man said, looking up and down Tris' body like a predator.
"David," Tris greeted warily. "Are you looking for something? The party is in the front yard, and I believe guests are being asked to use the main floor restroom."
"I'm not looking for a bathroom," David said. "I'm looking for you. I hear you have a baby now."
"You're mistaken," Tris said. "My boyfriend has a baby."
"Don't give me the act," David snarled. "Your dad calls her his granddaughter, your brother calls her his niece. You come back in the morning like a visitor. You're not fooling anyone."
"David," Tris said in a warning tone. "You are mistaken. We're all quite attached to Ava, but she is not my child."
David rolled his eyes. "A teenage daughter having a baby with her teacher is quite scandalous. This could be problematic for your father's campaign. I'm willing to work a little of my… magic," he said, running a finger down Tris' bare arm and making her shudder in revulsion. "But I want a little something in return."
"Excuse me?" Tris said, bumping into the door as she took a step back to get away from David's advances.
"You don't have to play innocent with me," David said. "You know you want me."
"I don't think my campaign will be needing your services anymore," came a voice from the top of the stairs.
Tris was relieved to see her father standing there. Andrew's usually affable face was furious and his fists clenched.
"Andrew!" David said in surprise. "Beatrice and I were just, uh,"
"There's no 'Beatrice and you' anything," Tris spat. "He was accusing me of sleeping with a teacher, and claimed that Ava was mine. He offered to keep it quiet if-"
"I know," Andrew interrupted, holding up the baby monitor. "I heard all of it. David, you're fired. I want you out of my home and far away from my family."
David brushed past Andrew. "You can't hide this," he spat. "This will ruin your campaign. You haven't heard the last of me!"
"Beatrice?" Andrew asked gently once David was gone. "Are you alright, Sweetpea?"
"I don't believe him!" she said. "What an asshole! He's going to screw up your campaign now, isn't he?"
"We'll figure it out," Andrew said. "My family is more important to me than any campaign or office. Plus, we have the truth on our side."
He moved to hug his daughter, who gratefully melted into his embrace. "I have to make some phone calls," Andrew said. "I think I'll stay here where I can keep an eye on Ava and anyone who wanders in from the party. You go visit with your friends."
Tris nodded, then hurried back to the front yard to circulate among her guests.
"Where is your father?" Natalie asked when she saw Tris.
"He fired David," Tris whispered to her mom. "We'll tell you about it later. But he's making some phone calls and keeping an eye on Ava for a few minutes."
"I need him to run get more bottled water," Natalie said. "We're running out already."
"Is Eric back?" Tris asked. When Natalie shook her head, Tris offered to call him to pick some up. She also suggested sending Caleb.
"He's kind of, um, busy," Natalie said, pointing across the garage to where her son was obviously flirting with Susan Black.
"I knew it!" Tris exclaimed in an excited whisper. "Let them be; I'll call Eric."
Eric was just leaving Nita's party, where he had run into Amar, his husband George, and Tori. Eric agreed to pick up some more bottled water and hurry back to the Priors'.
The moment Eric walked into the party, his arms filled with two cases of bottled water, he knew something had happened. Natalie looked stressed, Tris was making fake-polite small talk, and Andrew was nowhere to be seen.
"Eric!" Natalie greeted him with relief. She showed him where to put the waters and asked him to check on Andrew, who had been inside with Ava for over half an hour.
Eric hurried into the house and found Tris' father in the family room. Andrew was crouching on the floor a few feet from Ava, who was on her tummy. "Come on," Andrew was encouraging. "Come to Papa."
The baby squealed when she saw Eric walk up behind Andrew. Eric squatted a little behind Andrew, who hadn't seen him approach, and held out his hands toward his daughter. Ava reached out and dragged her body forward.
"Yay!" Andrew clapped, and Ava stopped scooting to clap along, making Andrew and Eric both laugh.
Andrew's head whipped around toward Eric, making the younger man laugh even harder.
Andrew groaned. "I thought she was crawling to me!"
"For what it's worth," Eric said, "that's the first time she tried to come to me, too. Natalie is looking for you. She was starting to get worried that you were taking so long."
Andrew sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. "I needed to cool down," he confessed. "I had to fire my campaign manager today."
Eric waited to see if Andrew wanted to elaborate. He knew Andrew was stressing, but he didn't want to push if it wasn't welcome.
Andrew took a deep breath and scooped up Ava as he stood. "Today is about Beatrice," he said. "We'll worry about the campaign tomorrow. Let's go party before my wife comes looking for me with a rolling pin!"
When the men walked outside, Eric saw Tris and her dad exchange knowing glances and a quick nod. He knew that what happened between Andrew and the man he had fired was something Tris knew about as well.
The return of Eric and the baby to the party started another round of introductions. Eric was introduced as Tris' boyfriend to her aunt Kathy, and he met the parents and siblings of many of his former students. Friends from church, who knew Ava from her time as the Priors' foster child, were thrilled to meet the baby's father.
Tori, Amar, and George arrived, and Tori immediately took possession of baby Ava. She had a soft spot for little ones, and had made friends with Eric's daughter when she did the painting on the nursery wall. While she bounced the babbling infant, Tori talked to Eric about some tattoos he wanted to have done over the summer. Amar and George offered to babysit so Eric and Tris could have a 'dinner and tattoos' date sometime.
Eric didn't know if Tris wanted any more ink, but he had something in mind. The phrase on Ava's nursery wall and Tris' ribs was also a well-known Latin expression. He planned to have Tori tattoo "dum vita est, spes est" on his ribs. The meaning and location would match Tris' tattoo, but the Latin translation and heavier, masculine font would be unique to him. Tori suggested adding Ava's birthdate in Roman numerals, and Eric loved the idea.
Eric also had an idea for a tattoo inspired by his feelings for Tris. He had looked online at the different types of crowns, and the titles they signified. He wanted to have a duchess' crown tattooed on his right shoulder blade, directly across from the piece on his left shoulder which honored his parents.
In his heart, Eric believed that he and Tris would be together for the rest of their lives. He had no problem tattooing his body to honor her and their relationship. But he also knew that she was young, and this was all new to her. He didn't want to scare her by doing something so permanent too soon.
Tris walked up to Tori, Eric, and the others, and greeted her former teachers and the tattoo shop owner. "I'm so glad you came," Tris said.
"Congratulations, top initiate," Tori said, hugging Tris awkwardly with Ava in her arms.
The baby fussed to go to Tris, and she took her from Tori. "Sorry," Tris said. "She hasn't seen me since she went down for her nap."
"Tris is her favorite person," Eric added, putting a warm hand on Tris' back.
"So I hear," Tori said. "Eric and I were just talking about his next tattoo, and George and Amar offered to watch Ava so the two of you can go out and Eric can get his new piece done. If you want another tattoo, we could do them back to back."
"I'd love more ink!" Tris enthused. "I have a few ideas, but I'll need to narrow it down."
The group chatted for a while before Tris got pulled away to greet more guests and introduce them to Ava and Eric.
.
The party wound down around dinner time. Eric, Caleb, and Andrew were cleaning up and folding tables and chairs to go back to the rental agency when Caleb spoke awkwardly. "So, uh, I was thinking about going out tonight, maybe hang out with some friends."
Eric wondered why Caleb sounded so nervous. Andrew and Natalie were very relaxed with their kids, and encouraged them to socialize.
"By 'friends' do you mean Susan Black?" Andrew asked.
Caleb blushed. "Maybe," he mumbled, causing Eric and Andrew to grin.
"Caleb, everyone knows you've had a crush on that girl for two years," Andrew said in a light tone. "And Ethan and Rachel Black have been friends of ours since before you were born. If you and Susan want to see each other, we're certainly not going to object."
"It's not like that," Caleb groaned. "We're just friends."
"But you'd like to change that?" Eric suggested, making Caleb blush again. "I'll take that as a yes. I know how you can change that."
"It doesn't involve protein shakes, does it?" Caleb asked, pointing to the table Eric was hefting as if it weighed nothing at all.
"No," Eric answered, deadpan.
"Well, what is it?" Caleb asked.
"I don't know if I want to tell you after that protein joke," Eric teased. "Protein is no joke."
"Come on, Meathead" Caleb whined.
Eric stepped toward Caleb and motioned for him to move in as well. Leaning toward Caleb's ear, Eric loudly said, "Grow a pair!"
Caleb startled and Eric and Andrew laughed.
"I saw the two of you this afternoon," Eric elaborated as he went back to moving tables. "Everyone in the room knew you liked her, and that she liked you, too. I know you don't want to ask and risk getting rejected, but if you don't ask, you're guaranteed to lose."
Caleb sighed, then smiled mischievously. "I don't know if I can trust the opinions of a man who would date Beatrice."
Andrew smiled at the natural banter between Eric and Caleb. He and Natalie spent many hours over the years talking about their children's futures and praying that Caleb and Beatrice would stay close and find partners who would fit in their family. Eric was a wonderful addition, and Andrew was grateful that if he got elected and he and Natalie started spending most of their time in DC, Tris would have Eric to look out for her.
Tris walked outside, gathering the lemonade server to take inside. Seeing her reminded Andrew of David and what had happened earlier.
"One thing before you make plans," Andrew warned his son. "We need to have a family meeting."
"Ava and I should get going before this family meeting," Eric said. "Is there anything else I can help with before we go?"
Tris and her father exchanged a look as Tris put her hand on Eric's back and rested her head on his shoulder.
"We'd like you to stay," Andrew said. "You're part of this family."
"I need you, Warrior," Tris said quietly, "and this affects you, too."