Andrew looked around the dining room. He sat at the head of the table with Natalie on his right. His sister, Kathy, sat on Natalie's other side. Caleb was at the far end of the table. Eric sat beside Caleb with Ava on his lap. Tris sat on Eric's other side, between her boyfriend and her dad.
"I feel so blessed and complete sitting here with all of you," Andrew said, squeezing his wife's hand. "Whatever happens in the future, family comes first. I don't know what's going to happen with my campaign, but I want you all to know that nothing is more important to me than the people in this room."
Tris took her father's free hand and gave him an encouraging smile.
"I fired David today," Andrew announced.
"His campaign manager," Natalie explained for Eric and Kathy.
"Yes!" Caleb cheered, raising his hand to high five his sister. Tris just shook her head at her brother.
Andrew and Tris looked at one another, and Andrew nodded at his daughter.
Tris sighed. "I came in to check on Ava this afternoon and David threatened me."
Eric's head popped up, his eyes darting between his girlfriend and her father.
"Well, that's not quite accurate," Tris said, unsure of how to explain. "It's more like he, um, propositioned me and threatened Dad's campaign."
"David believes that Ava is Tris' child," Andrew said. "He threatened to expose Tris' supposed teen pregnancy with her teacher's baby if she would, um, yeah… I heard him talking through the baby monitor and came in to confront him."
"What a jackass," Caleb snarled.
"What do you do now?" Kathy asked her brother.
"I've got a young man named Matthew on my team who's a real go-getter. He's been handling the ads, and he helped us find our social media person, too. I was thinking about putting him in charge and connecting him to an experienced guy I know who retired recently. With a little mentoring and insight from Jay, Matthew is capable of handling things."
"And David?" Caleb asked.
"David will probably start some rumors, maybe try to sell the story and make a buck," Andrew said. "But any half-assed journalist will ask a few questions and quickly learn that his story doesn't add up."
"Tris and Ava's story is really quite remarkable," Kathy said. "If Tris did an interview you could get ahead of David. Plus, who doesn't like a good hero story? Or a candidate that does something as selfless as taking in foster kids? Or a love story, for that matter? This is a huge opportunity if you're willing to take it."
"I don't want to use my kids like that," Andrew told his sister.
"But she's right," Tris said reluctantly.
"Nat, you're being awfully quiet," Andrew said, but Natalie just shook her head.
"Eric?" Andrew asked.
Eric looked down at the baby in his arms. He felt like he and Ava had brought a lot of trouble to Tris' family.
"I support whatever Tris wants," he said quietly.
"Tris?" Andrew asked.
Tris thought for a moment. "He can't win," she said firmly. "Dad is going to be an amazing senator. We can't lose that because some jerk thought he could get into my pants. I'll do whatever I can to help dad get elected. But I don't do anything that affects Eric and Ava without his total agreement. Make sure your new campaign guy knows that, too."
Andrew nodded as Ava began to fuss in Eric's arms. "I'll make a bottle," Tris said, hurrying to leave the room.
"Finals, the surprise polygraph, graduation, Peter, and now David," Natalie said, shaking her head. "This week has been a lot for Beatrice. She starts her new job tomorrow, too.
"Eric, hand Ava to me, please. I miss when my babies were young enough that I could fix all their problems and they forgot about it after a few minutes. If you and Tris need some time to talk, or if she just needs you, go ahead and take her home for the night."
Eric stood and handed the baby across the table to Natalie. Ava fussed; she was tired of being passed around and ready for her bottle and bedtime routine.
Eric hurried into the kitchen. There he found Tris standing by the cabinets on the far wall, a bottle of warm water and a can of baby formula on the countertop beside her. Anticipating tears, Eric approached her cautiously and wrapped his arms around her, his chest pressed to her back.
"No!" Tris suddenly yelled. She elbowed Eric in the gut and stomped on his foot, then spun around to face him, her hands up in a fighting stance.
"E... Eric?" she stammered. "You scared me! I'm so sorry!"
Eric smiled at Tris. "You were well-trained," he said. "Elbows, instep, ready to fight."
"It isn't funny," Tris spat out. "I could have hurt you."
"If you had a knife in your hand, maybe," the trainer conceded. "But I'm fine, Duchess. What's on your mind?"
Tris sighed angrily and went back to preparing Ava's bottle as she spoke. "I thought graduation was the end of our problems. Then Peter, now David? Can't I have one day without being threatened or victimized?"
She screwed the top on the baby's bottle and began shaking it vigorously. Eric watched her intently. He saw flashes of hurt and fear in her eyes, but the overwhelming expression on her face was anger. He wished that he could whisk her away to a tropical island or something - somewhere nobody knew them, where they could just be two young people in love. But that wasn't their life. Eric had Ava, and Tris started her new job the next day.
"Will you sleep with me tonight?" he asked instead.
"What?!" Tris exclaimed.
"No, not like that," Eric said. "I just meant, will you come home with me and stay over, like last night."
A wail from Ava interrupted their conversation, and Tris hurried back to the dining room with the bottle. Eric followed close behind her.
In the dining room Natalie was pacing with the cranky baby. Andrew had moved over to sit by his sister, and Caleb was nowhere to be seen. Andrew said he had gone to meet Susan.
Tris handed the bottle to her mother and sat back down at the table, directly across from her father and aunt. Eric followed her lead.
"I know you have a lot on your mind," Aunt Kathy said to Tris, "but this media thing won't wait. If we want to get ahead of David and shut him down, you need to tell your story as soon as possible. I was telling your dad that I have a friend on staff at Chicagoland Magazine. Their circulation isn't huge, but they have a solid online and social media following, and that's where things go viral these days. If Jessica can do an interview and get your story out there, it might lead to other interviews and things, too. That would be free publicity for the campaign."
Tris and Eric agreed to think about it, and Kathy said that she would check in with her friend.
Ava fell asleep in Natalie's arms. Tris and Kathy got out party leftovers for everyone to snack on, and Tris opened all the cards and gifts from her graduation party.
Eric eventually convinced the doting grandmother to let him have his daughter back, and he packed up Ava's things to take her home. He was disappointed that Tris decided to stay home with her parents, but he understood. It had been a long and emotional couple of days for his duchess, and she needed to rest. Besides, her aunt was visiting for the night, and Eric knew Tris was feeling guilty about being away so much while her family handled all the preparations for her graduation party.
Tris walked Eric to the door, and he set down the car seat carrier with his sleeping daughter in it so he could hold Tris before he left.
"I love you," Eric said, pressing his lips to Tris' forehead.
Tris heard anxiety and uncertainty in the declaration. She knew Eric was worried about her, and that he had wanted her to come home with him and Ava that night.
"I love you too, Warrior," she said, trying to impart confidence in Eric.
"I'm leaving my phone on all night. You can call or text me if you need anything. Even if you just want to talk. Midnight, three AM, doesn't matter. I'm here for you." Eric said, his eyes intense and desperate.
"I'm fine," Tris insisted. "And I love you. I'll call or text in the morning."
.
On Monday morning, Tris went for a jog, then helped her mom put serving items back into storage in the attic. She located the stored exersaucer, and brought it down and cleaned it for Ava to try on her next visit, then sent a text to Eric.
T: Good morning, handsome
E: Good morning, beautiful. I wish I could say that to you in person instead of by text.
T: How is my baby this morning?
E: (picture of smiling Ava in her highchair)
T: Aww. Tell her I found the exersaucer and cleaned it up. She can try it next time she's here.
E: I passed along the message. She said Pbbbffft, or something like that.
T: I understand completely.
E: So what are you up to this morning?
T: Went running. Helping mom. Kathy is leaving soon.
E: Jealous. I miss running outside.
T: ?
E: I can't leave Ava at home, and she can't keep up with my pace.
T: Funny.
E: When do you work today?
T: 1-5. I'm doing the whole paperwork and orientation thing, so they want me there between meal rushes.
E: Come for dinner after?
T: I'll check with Mom, but I'd like that.
The bruise on Tris' cheek was fading, her lip was back to normal, and the cut on her forehead was looking less angry. When her aunt left to go back to Indiana, Tris put a little concealer on the bruise and ran to the store for some thank you notes and a bottle of the shampoo she liked.
Realizing that she would be spending more and more time at Eric's, Tris grabbed a second bottle of shampoo, plus body wash, conditioner, and deodorant. She threw razors, toothbrushes, a new hairbrush, and some hair elastics in her cart as well. She didn't want to presume that she was going to be at Eric's a lot, but he had offered her the use of his gym equipment, so she thought a few shower supplies wouldn't imply too much.
Tris walked through the baby department of the store. She couldn't help herself, every time she shopped she had Ava on her mind. She loved all the tiny clothes, and the cute little infant accessories. As she walked through the aisles, Tris got an idea for a surprise.
.
Tris' new job was at a place called Flapjacks. The cute little cafe featured a coffee bar, and specialized in all-day breakfast, but there were also some soups and sandwiches on the menu. It was situated in a quaint neighborhood of upscale shops and pedestrian traffic, between a boutique clothing store called Butterfly Hill and a bakery called Popovers.
The cafe's owner, Jim, had instructed Tris to wear jeans, a black top, and comfortable shoes for her first day of work, and to bring all her necessary documents.
Tris arrived a few minutes early and watched the hive of activity that was Flapjacks. A girl at the counter took orders while a male employee made coffee drinks. Tris could see a cook through the kitchen pass-through window. He passed dishes of giant fluffy pancakes, waffles, french toast, and sandwiches through the window to another employee, who delivered the food to patrons waiting at tables.
The staff were all wearing pants or capris, black shirts, and grey aprons. Tris recognized the boy making coffee drinks. His name was James, and he had graduated with her, but through the Amity program. When he looked up and saw Tris, he smiled broadly.
"Tell Jim that Dauntless is here," he called into the kitchen.
Tris smiled and stepped forward. "I didn't know you worked here," she said to James.
"Since I was sixteen," he answered. "Nearly two years now. This is Katie on the register, and Sarah is the runner today. Gary is in the kitchen, you'll meet him in a minute. Sarah and Katie are factionless. Gary is Jim's brother. I was the only one from Factions until you showed up. Everyone, this is Tris Prior. She graduated with me, but she went through the Dauntless program."
"So you could kick our asses?" Katie asked teasingly.
James laughed. "She could pin you to the wall with throwing knives, and you wouldn't even know what hit you. I saw a demonstration once. She's that good."
Tris laughed too. She remembered the demonstration James was talking about. As part of homecoming week, Factions had one day to celebrate each of the factions. On that day, all the school's students wore some token of the highlighted faction's colors, and the day ended with a pep rally instead of homeroom. Each faction was highlighted on their specific day. On Monday they had all worn some black and white, an easy day for the already black-clad Dauntless, and the primarily-Candor debate team had been featured. On Tuesday they had all worn grey, and spent the last hour of the day sorting donations for a food bank. Wednesday had featured music, art, and dance performances, and everyone wore red or yellow. Thursday was the day to wear blue, and the rally featured another tradition at Factions, the "Stump the Erudite" trivia game. On Friday everyone wore black, and Dauntless students performed some of their most daring tricks for the students to watch. Tris had participated in gymnastic tumbling as well as the knife-throwing demonstration.
Tris could tell that she was going to get along well with Sarah, Katie, and James. She hoped the rest of the Flapjacks staff was as fun and welcoming.
Jim had Tris fill out the requisite paperwork, and went over scheduling with her. He showed her how to request days off, and where to leave her purse and things in the employee locker room. He proudly explained to Tris that all of their coffee was fair-trade produced, and the eggs and dairy products they used all came from local farms and animals that were raised without artificial hormones or unnecessary antibiotics.
"I like to say that we're not just flipping pancakes here," Jim told Tris. "This is real food made by real people, and all the people and animals are treated right along the way."
James demonstrated the commercial cappuccino machine for her, and Katie talked her through using the register where they rang up customers' purchases. The register also sent the orders to a display in the kitchen so the cook would know what to make. Since Tris was hired to work in the front of the store, she didn't get trained on the kitchen, but Gary did talk to her a little about what kinds of substitutions a customer can and cannot make.
For the last hour of her shift, Tris worked on making coffee drinks and smoothies. The day was warm, so she got a lot of practice with the commercial blenders. New staff came in at four o'clock to replace James and Sarah, so Tris got to meet Karlie, Trevor, and Sasha as well.
When she clocked out at five, Tris' mind was filled with new information. She really liked her new coworkers, and was excited to go to work again on Tuesday morning, but she was even more excited about the surprise she had for Eric and Ava.
.
Tris went straight from Flapjacks to Eric's house. When she arrived, she backed up his driveway and opened the trunk of her car. She lugged the heavy box out of her vehicle and left it by the closed garage door, then walked around to the front entrance with her arms full of shopping bags. She struggled to ring the doorbell with her hands full, but managed after a few tries.
"Who is it?" Eric asked from inside in a falsely feminine voice.
"Housekeeping," Tris teased.
"I didn't order a stripper-gram," Eric teased back.
"Warrior, if you don't open the door I'm leaving. My hands are full, and this stuff is heavy!"
The door flew open and Eric reached apologetically for one of the bags Tris was carrying. "Sorry, Babe," he said. "I didn't know. Are you moving in or something?"
"You wish," Tris said.
"Indeed I do," Eric replied, leaning down to peck her on the lips.
Tris rolled her eyes. "We've been dating for what, two days now? You already want me to move in?"
"I've wanted you here with me for a long time," Eric said.
Sensing her hesitation, he changed the subject. "I have a surprise for you," he offered.
"I have a surprise for you, too," Tris said.
"Is it in these bags?" Eric asked, poking through the packages he had set on the kitchen counter.
"Nope," Tris said. "Go open the garage door."
Eric gave Tris a skeptical look but walked through the mudroom and into the garage. Tris crossed to the living room and picked up Ava, who was playing with her toys.
"Babe?" Eric called from the garage. "What is this?"
"You can read," Tris called back to him. "I got you a jogging stroller. So we can run together."
"You can't be serious!" Eric said incredulously. "You just bought this for me? Like on a whim?"
Tris shrugged. "I wanted to," she said. "There's also a sun hat, some baby sunblock, swim diapers, and the world's cutest infant bikini in the bags. I'm getting us ready for summer."
"You spent your own money on all that stuff for Ava?" Eric asked, still stunned.
"I just got a whole bunch of money for graduation," Tris said.
"That's for college," Eric argued.
"I have a scholarship and a job," Tris reminded him. "I want to spend some of my graduation money on fun things. Right now that means swimming and jogging with the world's cutest baby and the world's cutest baby daddy."
Eric huffed. "I can afford whatever she needs."
"Oh Warrior," Tris said, hurrying across the kitchen. With Ava in one arm, Tris hugged Eric with the other. "This has nothing to do with your finances or how you're doing as a father. Ava has everything she needs, and I know that you're capable of providing for her as she grows. I just wanted to surprise you with some things that would be fun for all of us."
Eric sighed. "I understand," he said. "I'm just feeling kind of insecure. I was at the grocery store this morning and some busybody said that I was too young to have a baby, and that she would wager good money that I have no idea what I'm doing."
"What a b-" Tris stopped herself before she swore. "People need to mind their own business. One look at Ava and you know she's healthy and happy. Everything else is nobody's business but your own. Can you believe the nerve of someone just saying crap like that to a total stranger?"
"She wasn't talking to me, and she didn't mean for me to hear her, I'm sure," Eric replied.
"Still," Tris argued. "You've finished college, you own your own home, and you have a steady job. She has no idea what she's talking about. You and I know better; you shouldn't let it bother you."
"I know," Eric said, stepping out of Tris' embrace to put a covered casserole dish into the oven. "I guess I let it bother me because I'm afraid I don't know what I'm doing. Yes, I can change diapers and afford to buy formula. I know how to do Ava's bedtime routine and how to keep her safe. But do I really know how to be a dad? How do I potty train her? How do I pick a school for her, or a daycare? Is she socialized enough? Am I too lenient? Too tough? What about boys? Damn it, Tris, she's going to get her period some day! How do I deal with that?!"
Tris tried not to laugh at Eric as he got himself all worked up. Eric's face softened when he saw the smirk that Tris was trying to hide. "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?" he asked.
Tris nodded. Ava grabbed Tris' ponytail, looking for attention. "I think Daddy needs a nap," Tris said to the baby.
"Or a yoga demonstration," Eric growled, making Tris gasp and blush.
Over dinner the young couple discussed introducing Ava to baby food. The little one loved to eat, and already showed an interest in whatever foods the adults were having, but so far had consumed only bottles, infant cereal, and a taste of ice cream courtesy of bad influence Uncle Caleb. They talked about when to try vegetables and what to start with. Tris showed Eric some videos of babies' reaction faces to new foods, and they laughed together as they ate.
When they were done eating and the kitchen was cleaned up, Tris and Eric did Ava's bedtime routine together. Tris sat on Eric's lap in the nursery rocker and read a children's book to the baby while Eric fed her. Ava was asleep on her daddy's arm when Tris finished the story. For a while Eric just sat with one of his precious girls in each arm and gently rocked them back and forth. Tris nuzzled into Eric's side, periodically kissing his neck and the underside of his jaw, while she watched the baby sleep.
"This is one of the most precious moments of my life," Eric whispered to Tris. "Having both of you here with me - safe and comfortable - it's more than I could ask for. I love you, Duchess."
"I love you too, Warrior," Tris whispered.
When Eric and Tris finally put Ava in her crib for the night, they went back downstairs and curled up together on the couch. They watched some television, talked about Andrew's campaign and the possibility of doing an interview, and spent a lot of time kissing and holding one another. Eric wanted Tris to stay overnight, but again she insisted on going home.
"I love you," she said nervously, her gaze dropping to the floor as she played with her hands in her lap, "but you know this is all new to me. I'm afraid of moving too fast. I… I feel so stupid. I mean, you have a baby we're pretty much raising together. But you have this past experience, and expectations, and I… don't. It just stresses me out sometimes because I don't know if I'm ready for sex. I'm sorry."
Eric lifted Tris' chin gently. "You have nothing to be sorry about. I love you. That means I care about you and I want you to feel safe and confidant. As much as I would like to sleep with you in my arms, it's okay that you want to go home. It's okay that you're not ready. I'm not going to stop loving you. We move at your pace, I promise."
Tris smiled shyly, and Eric gave her a reassuring hug, then reminded her that he had a surprise.
"What is it?" Tris asked, her smile growing.
"It's nothing big," Eric cautioned. He reached into his pocket and handed Tris a brass key. "This is a key to my house. If you want to pop over, come on in. If you're with Ava, you can come and go as you please. If you get lonely in the night, come crawl in bed with me - no strings attached, I promise."
Tris smiled at Eric and kissed him on the cheek.
"My home is yours," Eric said as he kissed Tris goodnight.