Today's the day. Telling the most important people in our lives that we are expecting a child in a pretty non-conventional way. Ro is downstairs making sure the food and the house is in order and I'm upstairs in our room having a slight little panic attack. What if they all laugh? We've invited Sethie (obviously), both of Ro's parents and his sisters, and my mom, and Paul (Levesque).
"Deano?" I hear Ro's voice calling for me downstairs, so I put on my happy face and open the bedroom door.
"Comin' babe." I slowly make my way down the stairs. He grabs my left hand as soon as he sees me.
"There's my pretty baby." He mumbles against my hair as he wraps his free arm around my body and grabs a handful of my ever-growing backside.
I lightly smack his chest as I blush. "Stop it, Ro." I chuckle.
He ignores me as he unwraps his arms from me and squats down to say hi to baby bear. "Hello my little bear cub. Daddy loves you so much."
He lifts up my hoodie slightly and places a lingering, soft, barely there kiss to the side of my belly. This sets off a flutter deep in my soul and, unfortunately, my asshole, too. I have to grab onto his head to steady myself as I let out a soft, half-whispered, half-panted, 'oh' from between my lips.
"Uh oh, did Daddy's kiss make my baby feel some type of way?" He asks me as I let go of him and he stands himself upright. When he looks at me, my arms are crossed and I have the biggest pout on my face.
"Not funny, Daddy." I complain, just as the doorbell chimes and the first guest arrives.
"SETHIE!" I scream as I jump up into his arms; completely forgetting my belly and the announcement and everything in between. I plant soft, loving, teasing kisses all over his face before Ro picks me up and makes me let him go.
"Ahem. Sorry, bro. I just got a little excited. I miss y'all so much. Come on in." Ro taps my ass in warning as Seth passes us to sit on the couch.
"So what is all of this hullabaloo about, bro?" Seth inquires as he watches mine and Ro's interaction.
"Gotta wait, oh impatient one. There's more guests arriving. Ro, would you please bring out the appetizers? You know this one's got an appetite on him." I laugh from deep in my belly.
"Hey! Not my fault!" Seth pouts as the doorbell chimes again. This time it's Ro's family. I go to open the door as Ro was busy feeding little brother.
"Son, get your behind in here and greet your mother properly." Sika's no-nonsense voice rings through the living room even at just a normal speaking level.
"Hi mama. Hi Pops. Hey girls. So good to see you all." Ro gives hugs all around and then steps back so his family can enter as my mom tries to sneak in behind them.
"MAMA! Hi!" I wrap her up in my biggest hug.
"Hi, lovebug. How are you?" I blush at the nickname.
"I'm okay, ma. How are you doing?" We trade small talk until the last guest arrives just a few minutes later. Paul. The scariest one by far.
"Hello fellas. How's it goin'?" We both shake his hand.
"It's good Paul. How're you?" Ro speaks, ever the composed one of us two.
Dinner goes off without a hitch. Everything tastes amazing and our families are getting along fantastically. Ro sits at the head of the table and I'm on the other end when he clinks his fork against his glass and summons me to him with only a nod of his head.
I am pulled to sit on his lap as he begins to speak. "I first want to thank you guys for coming and joining us for our little impromptu dinner tonight. It's been so good to see you all again. Now, as you all know, I have still been working, but Deano here has been off TV for a while. That is essentially what we're here to discuss. Which is why we invited Paul, too. Are you ready baby?" He looks at me for confirmation before he speaks again. I nod.
"We're, uhm. We're pregnant." I mumble. Sika about choked on a fettuccine noodle, his mom instantly cried. His sisters, Summer and Vanessa, kissed Ro and I on our heads and whispered their congratulations. Seth fell out of his chair (fuckin' drama king!) and Paul just sat silently.
"Paul?" Ro is the first to gain his composure and speak.
"I mean, congrats boys. This isn't what I was expecting you to say, is all. I'm very happy for you though. How far along Dean?" His stare feels piercing. Like he can see into my soul.
"12 weeks today. Which is why we wanted you all here today. I'm officially out of the first trimester. It only gets safer from here." I can't help the beaming smile that lands on my face as Ro discreetly places his hand under my hoodie and on my tummy.
Ro's sisters and mom and my own mom proceed to plan my entire baby shower right then and there. I don't even know the gender yet, but they don't care about that.
Everyone takes pictures of and with us and everything else goes swimmingly. I don't even know what I was worried about.