It was a few days after the dinner at the Holden's when Denise and Frank decided to go ahead and tell the rest of the tribe, so Friday night Denise contacted everyone to arrange a meeting at the Hump Bar for the following day. Denise was getting ready and complaining that her pants were getting tighter on her "I am getting huge. This sucks," she said looking in the mirror at her reflection. This was the third outfit she had tried on and each one was tighter than the one before it. She huffed again and looked sadly into the mirror "I hate being fat," she said tearing up but not crying like she'd been doing.
"Yeah, I'm gaining weight too," Frank said stepping from the shower with a towel around his waist. "Wow, baby, you look pretty. Your uh...the upper half is adjusting well to the pregnancy." Frank was treading carefully; today he'd been public enemy number one in Denise's world when he commented on her wearing his boxer shorts to bed instead of her pajama bottoms.
"Oh shut up!"She told him giving him the death glare. "I am a fat and ugly and bloated and it's your fault and all you can do is stare at my boobs!" she said turning away from him.
Frank came over to his wife and slid his arms around her waist lifting up her shirt, "Dee, you are so many things baby. Beautiful," he said kissing her neck. "Sexy." He kissed her shoulder. "And pregnant." He kissed her other shoulder. "If you'd like we can get you some maternity clothes or if you don't want to wear those at least some clothes that are looser. Don't insult yourself, honey. Anyone who puts you down I have to deal with, remember, we made a deal? And I can't very well call you out to the parking lot," he said laughing. He splayed his palm over his tummy which was still mostly flat but thickening with motherhood. "Our baby is in there, our little baby whose mother I love so much." He turned her in his arms and kissed her lips.
She smiled at him "Thank you honey, I'm sorry I am so moody, I hate being like this, and you've been so sweet to me and know exactly what to say to make me feel better. I don't deserve you," she said laying her head on his shoulder needing a moment of comfort from her husband.
"I think that's the other way around Mrs. Sherwood," Frank said wrapping his arms around her. "Are you sure you are up to the Hump Bar? I can tell them myself if you need to rest or it can wait."
"No I need to do this, and as long as you're with me I will be okay," she said kissing his cheek. "I need to finish getting ready. Do you think this looks okay or does it make me look fat?" she asked him, she had on a pair of light brown khakis and a pink v-neck shirt that clung a little tighter than usual.
"It's beautiful," Frank assured her. "And so are you. Is cologne safe today or bad idea?" he asked as two days before he has to shower three times in a row before he could hold Denise without her throwing up.
"Thank you and its okay today, I'm not as sick today as I have been and I hope I stay this way," she told him while applying her makeup and dabbing perfume on her neck and wrists
"All right then, let's hit the road," Frank announced and escorted Denise out of the house to the car for the ride to the Hump.
They made their way to the Hump and pulled into the parking lot, Frank was never here very often so when they walked in together hand in hand everyone stared and became a little worried about why they had been called here. Frank held onto Denise and together they made their way over to their friends.
"Hi, guys," Denise said suddenly getting a little nervous with everyone staring at her. Pamela was the first to speak up "Hey beautiful, what's up?"She asked the older woman.
"Well..."Denise said but couldn't say anything else and looked at Frank, needing him to cut in as quickly as possible.
"Dee, goes on about this place, and she hasn't exactly been feeling up to cooking lately, so I thought we'd come by and I'd try some shrimp and we'd treat you all to your pleasure," Frank replied. He looked at Roxy, "So all of this on our bill, if you will, Mrs. LeBlanc."
Roxy nodded and ordered shrimp all around. She passed out beers to Pamela, Roland, Frank, and Trevor and marghertias to everyone else including Denise.
Denise looked at the drink for a moment, "Hey Rox, if it's okay I think I will just have an iced tea, not really feeling up to alcohol tonight," she told her hoping she wouldn't receive too many stares
Claudia Joy smiled at her friends. Frank looked so uneasy in this setting, but it was sweet to see how hard he was trying.
Roxy called for the waitress to remove Denise's drink and switch it for an iced tea then waited for one of the Sherwoods to say something. Denise looked at Frank, "You tell them Baby. I did the last one. Go on," he encouraged her. "It's okay, I'm right here."
"Come on, Denise," Pamela encouraged. "We're all friends here. What's up?"
Denise took a deep breath "Okay, I have something to tell you all but I don't want you all to think badly of me," she told them.
Roxy spoke up, "Denise we would never think bad of you we love you, you are like family, you can tell us whatever it is we won't judge we promise."
Everyone else nodded in agreement. "Okay well I had been feeling sick for a while so I went to the doctor and, well, I...I..I'm....pregnant," she told them quickly then became quiet.
As usual Pamela was the first to react. "You are!" she exclaimed huge smile lighting up her face. "That is amazing. Congratulations!"
For the next ten minutes the group exchanged hugs and congratulatory words, smiling and talking over each other at the prospect of a new little baby to spoil. Frank couldn't help but glow with pride. He wrapped his arms around Denise and held her against him tightly. If only Jeremy were home he'd have everything that mattered in his world right here with him.
Denise smiled brightly, "Thank you all, I just hope others are as excited for us as you are," she said still worrying about what people would say. "And it would be so nice if Jeremy could be here," she said thinking about her oldest child.
"He'll be home on mid tour before you know it," Claudia Joy assured her friend. Frank had confided in Michael about how emotional Denise has been. It worried the usually in control man not to be able to predict his wife's actions or know what to do about them.
"I hope so I can't wait to tell him the news," she said beaming. She stood against Frank's side and laid her head on his shoulder still smiling.
"So Frank, you'd love another boy, I'm guessing," Roxy said studying the only man who was able to intimidate her by being in the same space. He didn't' scare her, but he was so unapproachable it rocked her world a bit.
"Yeah a boy would be nice, but a daddy's girl to spoil to death wouldn't be so bad either,," he told the young woman trying not to sound as excited as he was.
"There's nothing like a daughter," Roland told Frank. "You think a son is the best thing in the world, that's what I hoped for, but nothing like a daughter."
Frank smiled. "Yeah, but if this is a girl she is not dating until she is 30, and even then I will have spies watching their every move," he said half joking, making everyone around them burst into laughter.
The food was served and much to Frank's delight, Denise was able to eat the offered meal and keep it down though all too soon she grew tired and started nodding off at the table. Still she never mentioned wanting to leave.
He put a hand on her shoulder, "Dee you look tired. You ready to head home?" He asked her rubbing her shoulder slightly.
She shook her head, "No, I want to stay. You can go home if you want to though. I'll be okay."
He shook his head, "No, I'm okay, I just thought you looked a bit tired and may want to go home and rest," he told her
"I'm fine, Frank," Denise said a yawn coming out as if to betray her words as a lie.
"Yeah, okay, hon, whatever you say," he said nudging her shoulder chuckling as she yawned yet again.
"Okay," Denise agreed after a minute. She knew he was right, she was tired. They said their goodbyes and headed home.
On the way Denise nodded off into a light slumber but woke when she felt the car come to a stop, she opened her eyes and was getting ready to sit up and get out of the truck but Frank stopped her. "It's okay baby, I will come around and get you, you'rer tired I will carry you inside so you don't have to walk."
Denise could have made it, but she loved being so close to Frank. They hadn't shared much during her pregnancy with Jeremy so that made this time even more precious. She let him lift her into his arms and kissed his lips as her carried her towards their bedroom. "You really are happy about her aren't you?"
Frank smiled at his wife. "Yes I am honey, and the best part is I will be right by your side the whole way," he told her kissing her lips
"Let's see if you say that when I'm forty pounds heavier, sweating like a pig, and vowing that you are getting a vasectomy," Denise laughed.
He laughed with her. "I will love you no matter what you do to me," he said getting her one of his shirts to put on, knowing she loved to sleep in them.
Denise slipped into the shirt and waited for Frank to get into bed. He slid in beside her once he changed and pulled her close. They were both nearly asleep when Denise sighed and wiggled to get free.
"Are you okay sweetheart?" he asked her loosening his grip on her letting her up
"Yeah," Denise said kissing him. "Gotta pee again. I'll be right back."
"Okay, hurry back," he told her letting her go so she could go to the bathroom.
Frank lay in bed thinking about his wife, his son, and their new baby thinking nothing in the world could change the peace and contentment he felt at that moment, until he heard Denise call for him her voice dripping with fear. "Frank!"
He jumped up hearing the terror in her voice and ran to the bathroom rushing in to be at Denises side. What he saw scared him numb.
Denise was leaning on the sink, bent over with pain, her face pale and soaked with perspiration. She looked at him in tears, "Something's wrong. It hurts and I'm bleeding," she told him all her own medical knowledge running through her head making one horrid diagnosis after the other.
He had to act quickly, "Okay, let's get you to the ER," he said not giving her a chance to respond, picking her up making his way out to his truck praying this was not as horrible as he feared it could be.