Chapter 118
One, Two, Three

If he had been struggling to finish out his shift that evening, this would definitely have given him the boost to get to the end. As it was, it just guaranteed that any and all customers who would approach him – and at this point in the day there weren't all that many – would get the very best service, which was saying something when his record was already impeccable in that respect. It was impossible to say what said customers would think in seeing the energized young man, but he didn't linger on the thought very long. The only thought that would stick with him was the news that he was going to be a father again.

Maya had only explained how she'd clocked out early so far, the rest of the story reserved for once they got home, so for the last stretch of his shift, she just meandered around the area of the store where he was positioned, browsed the books. It was so hard not to just watch her over there. She looked so happy, at peace… like a weight had been lifted from her, the weight of waiting for this thing to happen, this thing they'd been waiting for. Now she could turn her focus to the next several months. They both knew what those had looked like before, they were ready.

Even as he thought this, Lucas felt himself briefly reacquainted to the worries that would come hand in hand with a new pregnancy. The first time around, with Elliott, he'd been twenty-one, twenty-two… He'd known so little, so reading up and informing himself had meant opening himself up to all the things that could go wrong for both Maya and their baby. It had been for nothing, both of them had been fine, but still. Then with Noah, well, things had not been so easy, no, but there were other circumstances intervening. There was the worry and the fear Maya had to manage, as her father's illness grew worse, and he finally passed away. Maybe he had to knock on wood now for thinking it, but he didn't figure anything like that would hang over their heads this time around. Taking that away, she had everything working in her favor for this baby to come without trouble. That was what he had to remember.

As soon as he was able to leave the store, Lucas collected Maya and they made their way to the lot to find his car. Asking after the minivan, she told him how Dylan had taken it home for her, with no idea what he was helping her accomplish, same as Amita, or Tilly. Only one other person knew about the baby, by necessity of the moment, and that was her professor from that morning.

"You're going to make me wait until we're all the way home, right?" Lucas guessed as they drove off. They had a reasonable drive ahead of them before they got there.

"Uh huh," Maya smiled. Oh, she wasn't just happy, she was giddy, and that only led to feelings of mischief in her heart. She loved playing with him. In return, he loved seeing her like this, so he did nothing to interfere.

"Alright, that's fair. Will you at least tell me how you're feeling? Do I need to get you anything on the way?" he asked her.

"No, I'm good," she promised, and her smile here was equal parts 'thank you' and 'I love you.'

They drove on, listening to the music from the radio, looking to Austin in evening lights… They didn't need much else.

"Wait, do we still have ice cream?" Maya asked with a gasp, like the thought had shot into her mind out of nowhere. Lucas bit back a laugh and switched his turning light.

One quick stop at the grocery store later, they continued on toward home. As they pulled up, they could just see the flickering lights from inside, telling them that Pappy Joe was watching television in the living room. Maya and Lucas turned to each other.

"Not tonight," Maya shook her head, and Lucas agreed. For now, they would keep their news to themselves. That didn't mean that they would go and tell his grandfather first thing in the morning, or at any time the next day. They would have time to decide that later. Like before, they knew that while they could try and wait to tell their families and friends, it would be hard to keep it from Pappy Joe, who lived with them. Plus, why should they have to tiptoe around anything in their own house?

So, they went in, casual as ever, all the while thinking of the ice cream in the bag Maya carried, which had to accompany them upstairs without telegraphing its purpose. Who ate ice cream at this hour, in their room, unless they were very sad or the very opposite of sad?

"Oh, he knows," Maya whispered when they got upstairs.

"What? How? Are you sure?" Lucas asked. She turned to him with a look he took to mean 'yes, because I have eyes.'

"He won't say anything until we say something, you know it," she smiled now before getting her shoes off and quietly moving across the hall to check on the boys. They were sound asleep in their own beds. Maya carefully bent down and kissed Elliott's forehead, then moved to Noah and did the same. They kept sleeping, and she moved back into the hall before silently closing the door again.

Lucas wasn't in their room when she returned, so Maya figured he'd gone to the bathroom, until she heard him coming up the stairs again and he came in carrying spoons.

"Right, good thinking," she chuckled, looking to the ice cream sitting on his desk. "Did Pappy Joe…"

"He just said he was going to bed in a little while, wanted to finish his episode."

"So he says," Maya gave him a knowing smile before moving to get changed.

He watched her, couldn't help it now that he knew. She wasn't so far along yet, but for knowing that she was pregnant, it was as though he was only now detecting… It had been easy to dismiss or just not notice at all, but there was a change. He thought about how she'd gotten to show significantly earlier the second time around, so he had to wonder how long it would be this time before they wouldn't be able to hide.

Changed at last, Maya moved to sit on the bed with great relief at the end of the long day before turning a look toward him. You, ice cream, spoons, please? He grabbed the bag and the spoons and went to sit with her. She got to hold the little tub, naturally, from which Lucas would go and get a spoonful here and there. Most times she had to offer the tub with a look to show that while she both follow realized that he was letting her have first dibs, and second, and third, this was meant to be for the both of them, to celebrate together, so he needed to park his chivalry at the door and eat some ice cream already.

As they ate, Maya told him about her eureka moment in the morning, including the appearance of the great octopi boys. Hours removed from the event, she frowned at herself for not having had the presence of mind to record any of it, but Lucas excused her by pointing out that there was a lot on her mind, and also that there was a very strong chance, knowing their sons, that they would do it all over again in the days to come. Maya knew he was right, so she carried on her story. She told him about going to buy one test and nearly getting away with it before she went back for a second – to be absolutely certain – and how she'd ended up being late to class because she needed to know right away, not wanting to go mad with wondering.

"I really need to get those tests out of my bag…" she thought to herself. At once, with his spoonful of ice cream freezing the inside of his mouth, Lucas moved to get her bag and bring it. "Ah, yes, the return of Mega Huckleberry the Dad Man," Maya smirked, to which Lucas responded with a tip of his invisible hat. "You're going to give us away before we're ready to tell, you know that?"

"I can be discreet. Very polite and very discreet, that's me."

"Can't argue with that," Maya leaned over and kissed him.

From there, the story skipped to after classes were over, when she went to work. She told him about how she'd come up with her big reveal scheme, including the borrowed phone and the voice talents of Tilly Mackenzie, and then Maya's sneaky approach so she could signal their friend into action and then watch him, waiting for her moment.

"It was very sneaky," Lucas confirmed.

"It was, wasn't it?" Maya grinned.

So, there it was. Big story out, new reality locked in… They were having another baby, and just now it was everything. When Lucas set his empty spoon aside, Maya gave him a look, making a noise while she couldn't speak, her latest spoonful in mid-consumption.

"No, I'm good, really," he promised, resettling his position. She made another noise now, and he took it to mean 'well, that didn't take long, did it?' He couldn't help if his hand felt magnetically attracted to rest low at her teeny tiny start of a curve.

"I mean, not to brag, but…" he smirked, more so as she tipped her head back with mock exasperation.

"All hail the great manifester," she whirled her spoon around. "Never doubted your power for a second." Lucas smiled on, his thumb grazing along. All this time, he'd been hoping for something, and it had been there, for a few weeks without their knowing. But now they knew, and now when he had his hand there, they knew the gesture was about more than 'manifesting all of a sudden. Now, it was connection, even if the child was still too small to realize it.

"I think we need to tell Pappy Joe tomorrow morning. No point hiding it from him if he already knows anyway," Lucas suggested.

"Agreed," Maya nodded, scooping another bite. "What are we going to do about the boys?" she wondered, after a beat to reflect. "We can't tell them until we're ready to tell other people, they'll repeat it, won't know any better."

"Secrets aren't exactly in their wheelhouse yet," Lucas agreed, recalling how Elliott had seen him hide his present to Maya last Christmas. He'd told him not to tell, and either he'd forgotten, or he'd figured the not telling couldn't possibly extend to his Mommy. Plus, he was curious about what was in the box, so a couple days after it had been hidden, he'd led his mother right to where the thing was hidden, so she could show him. She hadn't done it, of course, but still.

"Codename: Tadpole," Maya intoned dramatically. Lucas nodded, smiling. It should help throw off the toddlers' scent, and if all else failed, they still had French, and sign language. "Hardest part to hide is going to be the morning sickness once that kicks in," she frowned. "If we can keep them from noticing that…"

"Noted," Lucas assured her.

"Wonder how the cats are going to react…" she pondered now. The dogs had always been so protective of her in the two pregnancies before, but this was the first one where they also had Whiskey and Shadow to consider.

Maya dozed off before long, and Lucas rescued the ice cream and spoon from an unfortunate tumble. The tub was closed, and with this and both spoons he made his way downstairs toward the kitchen. The television was turned off, and he ran into Pappy Joe in the midst of grabbing his pre-bed snack. He'd been told to cut back on those, but he did it anyway. Faced with his grandson here, it seemed both Friar men had something to hide. They stood facing one another for a few silent seconds, waiting perhaps to see what the other would do.

Lucas went and put the spoons in the sink, the ice cream in the freezer. Without a word, he went and dug out the supply of GiGi cookies and passed them to his grandfather. Pappy Joe smirked, and after a beat he moved to embrace his grandson.

"When?" he asked.

"In the morning," Lucas hugged him back.

"I'll put on my best surprised face."

"Oh, she knows you know."

"Of course, she does. Can't get one past her," Pappy Joe laughed. "The boys?"

"Not yet."

"Probably a good idea. Those two are as sneaky as their mom."

TO BE CONTINUED

See you next week! - mooners