Friday afternoon Wade didn't know what to do with himself. Lemon had started his "paternity leave" already and now he was more nervous than he's been all week. He was walking down the sidewalk and kicking a rock when he heard a noise.
"Ow, what the hell Wade?" Zoe said rubbing her ankle
"Oh, sorry Doc, didn't see you there. It wasn't on purpose."
"That's ok, what's up?"
Wade shrugged "Not much, nervous about tonight and tomorrow. All his stuff is coming tonight."
"I know. Have you told Earl yet?"
Wade sighed "No"
"Wade, come on. You have to tell him."
"I know but I really don't want to. You think he'd ever even notice?"
"Uh yeah, I'd think he'd notice that his son is now wandering town with a baby."
Wade shrugged "It's not like he comes into town often."
"Just tell him Wade."
"Fine, I guess I'll go now." He went to turn towards the woods when he turned back around. "Would you come?"
"Yeah, if you want me too."
"I do, plus he loves you."
"That is true."
The two of them walked in silence to Earl's house. Wade didn't even bother to knock, he just walked in.
Earl looked up and smiled "It's the pretty doctor and my son."
"Hi Earl" Zoe smiled back
"What brings you two out here? Get lost on a romantic walk through the woods?" he winked
Zoe laughed and shook her head. Wade glared at his father "No, I have to tell you something. Sit down."
Earl sat and looked up at Wade. "Y'all can sit too."
They both sat on the couch across from Earl and Wade took a deep breath "I have a kid and he's coming tomorrow."
"Really?" Zoe asked shaking her head at the way he just spit it out.
Earl looked from Wade to Zoe and looked her up and down. "You don't look pregnant." He said
"What?" she asked and her jaw dropped "Not me."
"No, not Zoe. This girl I was with about a year and a half ago. She had a baby last year and didn't tell me about him. She died in a car crash a couple months ago and now I'm getting the kid."
"Woah, that's a lot of responsibility. How old is he? She?"
"He, Wyatt is 1."
Earl nodded "I guess that would make me a grandpa huh?"
"Yeah, that's generally how it works."
"Well, Congrats Son, you'll be a great Dad."
Wade smiled "I hope so."
"Just don't do what I did and you'll be great." He said and then turned to Zoe "That other boyfriend of yours still in town? Joe is it?"
"Crap Joel, I was supposed to meet him for dinner. Be right back." She shot up from the couch and walked outside and pulled her phone from her purse.
"She forget about him often?" Earl laughed
"Lately" Wade laughed
Earl just smiled and shook his head. "You got room for the little guy?"
"Yeah, I've rearranged my house, his stuff comes a little later. Hoping it's not too much."
"Sorry about that." Zoe said reentering the house
"No problem. Was he mad?" Earl asked
"Little bit" Zoe chuckled "he got stuck talking too Frank and Sal"
"That is a bummer." Wade smiled "You can go if you want."
"Uh, no. I'm good, I'll wait for you."
"You're afraid you'll get lost out here and die." He laughed
"Am not."
"It's alright, we can go. I'll see you soon I guess Dad."
"Yeah, I want to see this grandson of mine."
"We'll see." Wade mumbled and Zoe smacked his arm. "I mean yeah, sure, anytime."
Earl just nodded and watched as the two left the house.
"Bye Earl." Zoe turned around and waved
"Bye" he waved back
When they were on their way back to town Wade's phone started ringing.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Mr. Kinsella, this is Jim with the moving truck. I've just entered Bluebell and the GPS seems to be confused."
Wade chuckled "Alright, where abouts are you?
"In front of Fancies."
"Ok, you're going to go to the end of the street and make a left and the third driveway on the right, you're going to turn down. Now when you see the big white house you're going to keep going and there will be two houses on the either side of a pond. You want the one on the right."
"Alright, thanks man."
"No problem and I'll be there in about 10 minutes."
"See ya then."
Wade hung up and shoved the phone back in his pocket.
"Wyatt's stuff?"
"Yeah."
Zoe smiled "Yay"
"Yay?" he asked
"I want to see all his cute things."
Wade looked at her like she had 10 heads "Really?"
"Yes" she smiled back
As they walked through town and past the Whipporwill Wade got a little confused "Aren't you supposed to have dinner with Joel?"
"He already ate. What am I going to do? Go back and listen to him complain how I left him there alone. I'll pass for now, thanks."
"Ok"
When they walked up to Wade's house they saw that the moving guys have already started to unpack the truck.
"That can't be all his?" Wade said
"He's a baby Wade, not a dog, he's going to have a lot."
"Hey you two? Where you been?" Lavon asked walking up to them.
"Earl's" Wade said still staring at all the stuff coming out of the truck
"Mr. Kinsella?" Jim asked
"Wade, yeah."
"Alright Wade, where do you want all this?"
"Um, in here I guess." He opened the front door and led the guys into the house.
An hour later Wade's house was filled with baby furniture and toys and the moving truck was gone.
"Wow, I didn't know kids need all this stuff." Lavon said looking at the boxes
Zoe and Annabeth were already going through all the boxes and trying to find sheets for his crib.
"Sweetie, why don't you help Wade start putting the crib together. Zoe and I will start taking out his clothes and putting them in drawers."
Another hour later and everything was set up. The crib was put together with the sheets on and a couple stuffed animals inside and all his clothes here put away.
"He doesn't have many clothes." Zoe said as she closed the last drawer
"Maybe he'll come with more tomorrow." Annabeth commented
"Possibly and if not we get to go shopping."
"I love baby clothes shopping." Annabeth clapped
Wade just stood there staring at his house. "I'm getting a kid tomorrow."
They all smiled at him "Yeah Man you are. You ready?"
"No, but I don't have a choice. You guys will be here when he comes right? You're not going to leave me alone?"
Annabeth smiled "If you want us here, we will be here."
"Thanks, I don't think I could do any of this without you three."
"You good for now though? We have dinner plans." Lavon smiled
"Yeah, I think I'm going to try and finish this book Lemon bought me."
Lavon took the book off the table "The Single Dad's guide to babies. Nice."
"Yeah, it's a super fun read." Wade rolled his eyes
"Do you know what time he'll be here tomorrow?" Zoe asked
"No, she said she's going to call in the morning."
"Alright." She nodded
They all left a little while later. Zoe walked back to the Whipporwill after making a quick stop at the Rammer Jammer for dinner.
"Well look who decided to show up." Joel said looking up briefly from his computer
"Oh stop it." She huffed and laid down on the bed
"Have fun with Wade?"
"I guess. Since when do you have an issue with Wade? Up until a week ago all you wanted to do was hang out with him."
"Yeah well all of the sudden that is all you're doing and I heard from you're lovely neighbors that you guys were together for about 6 months."
"Technically yes we were but we didn't seriously date until December and we were broken up by March."
"I knew you two were more serious then you said. I've seen the looks."
"There are no looks, stop being paranoid. What Wade and I had is in the past. Did it mean something, absolutely, I won't deny that, but I'm with you now," she smiled
"All right, I just wish you would just tell me what all these secret meetings with Wade are."
Zoe thought for a minute. "I guess there is no harm in telling you now. Tomorrow, Wade's son is going to come live with him. He's 1 and his mom died in a car accident a few months back. Wade only found out about the baby about a week ago."
"Woah, that's a lot of information. Alright, I understand now. I'm sorry I got weird."
"It's ok."
"That's very brave of him to take a one year old out of nowhere like this."
"It's his son."
"I know, he's a great guy." Joel smiled and went back to his work
"Yeah, he is isn't he?" Zoe smiled