Chapter 4 – The offer
(Denny 7 months pregnant, Ricky's baby 3 months.)
Denny finished her breakfast and placed her dishes in the sink.
"How are you feeling?" Hannah asked as she walked into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee.
"I had a restless night with the baby moving and kicking." Denny replied.
"Zac said the cot and bassinet should arrive sometime today, are you staying home to sign for it?" Hannah asked.
Denny thought for a moment. It was coming closer to her due date and the farmhouse was hectic as it was, there would barely be room for all the baby's things, and she didn't want to burden her family.
"Um yeah, I guess I'll be here for when everything arrives."
"Denny are you sure you're okay?" Hannah questioned.
"I'm fine." Denny replied.
After the parcels arrived Denny signed for them and walked around them staring. Things would just not work out living at the farmhouse and how could Evie and Oscar focus on their HSC with a baby crying all the time. Denny didn't know what to do and walked into her bedroom taking off her fluffy slippers to put on some sandals. Denny glanced at the photo on her bedside.
"Casey I wish you were here, to help me know what to do."
Denny got up and walked out of the house. Denny wandered past the surf club and saw Ricky down at the beach, wearing a baby carrier.
"You're gonna learn that one day and be just like your Dad."
Ricky said to her son, pointing out to the surf.
"Hi Ricky." Denny greeted.
Ricky turned and saw Denny behind her.
"Hi Denny, how are you?" Denny shrugged.
"Everything is becoming more real and I'm going to be having this baby soon without Casey and I just don't know if I'm going to be able to do it."
"It's normal to feel that way, but you have to believe that Casey is with you even if he's not here. Come on, why don't you come over to the house and we can have a catch up, we haven't had the chance since little Arlo was born."
Denny smiled and nodded. The two started walking up the beach.
"So I guess Brax let you name him." Ricky smiled.
"We compromised and came up with Arlo James Braxton."
"That's a really nice name." Denny complimented.
"We thought so too."
Ricky and Denny entered the Braxton house that Ricky, Brax, and Arlo shared with Kyle and Phoebe. However it was only Brax, Ricky, and Arlo who lived there for the moment while Kyle and Phoebe had gone to the South coast for a music gig for the next six months.
"Take a seat and I'll make us some tea." Ricky said.
Denny sat down at the kitchen table and looked around at the baby toys and bassinet.
"Sorry it's a bit of a mess but it gets that way sometimes with a baby."
Denny watched Ricky set her son down in the bassinet after changing him.
"You're such a good mother. How did you know just what to do?" Denny asked.
"I didn't. I just did what came naturally and what had to be done for the health of the baby, not to mention I do have Brax's help." Ricky set the tea on the table.
"Denny first time mothers never know the right thing to do, it just comes with instinct."
"I don't think my instinct would allow me to be like that." Denny said quietly.
"Don't worry I'm sure you'll be fine." Ricky replied with a reassuring smile.
"What else is on your mind?" Ricky asked.
Denny gave a sigh. "The cot and bassinet arrived today and I didn't realise how much room it was going to take up in the house. Ricky, how can you and Brax live here with Arlo and all the baby belongings and not interfere with Kyle and Phoebe?" Denny asked.
"It's chaotic at times. When Arlo's asleep we had to make sure Kyle and Phoebe didn't play their music and on the same term we had to respect them too and give them some free time away from a baby in the house, but it's not so bad now that they've gone for awhile." Ricky explained.
"Did it ever get too crowded that you thought you'd be better off somewhere else?"
Ricky looked at Denny with concern. "Brax or I wouldn't have it any other way, besides we always had the spare room across from the house. What's this about Denny? Is there a problem at the farmhouse?" Ricky asked as she set down the tea.
"It's just that Evie and Oscar are doing their HSC, Hannah's busy with work and Zac always comes home tired from work, there just doesn't seem much room for a baby in the house."
Before Ricky could make a reply Brax walked through the door.
"Hi Denny, Rick." Brax greeted and walked over to Ricky giving her a kiss then walked over to peer in at his son.
"How's my little Slugger?"
Ricky shook her head at Brax. "He's been fine Dad."
Brax gave a smile and played with little Arlo's hand, it reminded him of the times he used to play with Casey when he was a baby. Brax stood up and walked away.
"How are you Denny?" Brax asked.
"I'm fine."
Ricky stood up. "Ah Brax can we have a word?"
Brax shrugged and walked into the hallway.
"Be back in a minute." Ricky told Denny and followed Brax into the hallway.
"Is something wrong?" Brax asked.
"Denny's worried there won't be enough room at the farmhouse when the baby is born. I was thinking seeing as we only have the unit across the hall for a spare place..."
"You're thinking we should ask Denny to move in there?"
Ricky gave Brax a look. "She would have space for her and the baby and be close by to us if she needed help. It's Casey's baby Brax, would you honestly turn his baby away?"
Brax thought and remembered the painful memories of his brother.
"Of course not. We can ask her to move in."
Ricky smiled and leaned up to kiss Brax. "I knew you would and that's why I love you."
Brax wrapped an arm around Ricky and walked back to the kitchen.
"Denny, me and Ricky were just talking and we'd like for you to move into the flat next door."
Denny gave a look of surprise.
"I can't accept that. I can't put you both out like that."
"You won't be." Brax stated.
"We want you to so you can have space for you and the baby and be closer to extra support without having to worry about disrupting your family at home and it's not like you can't still visit them." Ricky explained.
"I...I don't know what to say."
"Denny you're part of this family and your carrying Casey's baby, so you have every right to be here too." Ricky said and Brax gave a nod.
"If Casey was here, I'd give the unit to both of you." Brax said.
"Wow thank you both so much. I guess I better go home and tell everyone."
Denny said her goodbye and made her way back to the farmhouse.
"I thought you said you weren't going out today?" Hannah asked as she greeted Denny on return.
"I wasn't but I needed some fresh air. Do you think I could talk to everyone tonight, like in a family meeting?"
"Of course. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah I just have some news." Denny replied.
The whole family sat down for dinner and as the food was passed around Hannah asked, "What was it that you wanted to tell us all?"
Denny gave a smile. "The problem of not having enough room in the house when the baby comes has been solved."
"Denny there would have been plenty of room." Zac said.
"Well it wasn't just the room, I didn't want to disturb Evie and Oscar while they did their studies."
"We would have been fine, we could go to the library or the beach." Oscar said.
"Yeah, what's this about?" Evie asked.
"Well I went over to Ricky and Brax's place today and they offered for me to move into their flat next door once the baby is born."
"Are you sure they are okay with that?" Zac asked.
"Are you okay with that?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah, it was part of Casey's home, so it would be good for his baby to grow up there."
"Will we still get to see our niece or nephew?" Evie asked.
Denny gave a smile. "Yeah, you guys could come over when you want and I'll still come over here. I just need the space for the baby and think that it's right."
"Well if you're sure. Just let me know when you need to move stuff in." Zac said.
"Thanks, I will." Denny replied and the family went back to eating their meal.