Eight months later…
Grumble… grumble…
Emilene looked down at her stomach and placed her hand over it. She looked back up at Tom feeling the redness rush to her face. It had to have been at least fifteen minutes since their waitress took their order, what was taking so long?
"The smell of the food is tantalizing me Tom." Emilene sighed heavily and leaned back into the booth.
"I can hear the protest in your stomach, it should be coming any moment, Em."
Moments later their feast of pasta, chicken, salad, rolls and cheese was spread out before them. Emilene piled over size portions of chicken and pasta on her plate, using a separate plate for her salad, cheese and a few rolls. Once she felt she had enough food she started to eat, making small talk in between her mouthfuls of food. Tom just had a plate of salad and some pasta, while eating he watched Emma devour her meal like it was her last. He couldn't help but let a few chuckles escape his lips.
"Something funny?" Emilene questioned with pasta still hanging out of her mouth.
"You. If you could only see what you look like right now, you would be laughing also."
Emilene slurped the pasta hanging from her mouth, took a big gulp of her Coke and slammed the glass down. She puffed out her chest and tried to muffle her giggles. "I'm a growing girl, I need my nutrients!"
"Don't forget the bib!"
Emilene looked down and noticed that her white t-shirt was stained from the pasta sauce. More traces of the sauce got on her white and black skirt flowered skirt. "Oh gosh, you can't take me anywhere."
Tom, letting his laughter get the best of him, "No, no I can't."
All these brands and labels screaming out to her, "pick me, pick me", but she still had no idea what one to buy. Some said you could find out six days after, others had digital read outs while some still use the line technique. Just wanting to find out the answer, she grabbed one of each and threw them into her hand basket. She made her way down the liquor aisle and grabbed a bottle of champagne; heck if there was a reason to celebrate, might as well be ready?
The elderly clerk rang her up, and after the fifth box asked why she was buying so many boxes. Frankly, Emilene couldn't answer the question, so she just told the elderly woman she just wanted too as positive as she could be when she found out. The elderly woman smiled sweetly at her and gave her best after Emilene paid.
Hastily she made her way to the warm car waiting for her. She jumped into the passenger seat and looked down at her feet. Even after accepting her new position and becoming a permanent citizen in Germany, she still wasn't comfortable driving her car around. Bill looked over to her and sighed.
"Did you get what you needed?" he reached over and gently moved her hair away from her face.
She looked up from her feet and wiped the few traces of tears from her cheeks. "Bill, I still don't understand how this could be happening. We took every precaution and now our lives may change."
He grabbed the bag from Emma's hands and put it on the floor behind her seat. He began to shush her as he pulled her into a hug. "Rest assure that if this is really happening it will be a gift, and I really think Tom is ready to start a new chapter in his life."
Emilene sniffled and sobbed into Bill's chest, the worry of how Tom would react was always in the back of her mind. She knew he wouldn't be upset, but yet there was a small shred of doubt. They already just went through a rollercoaster of problems with fans recently coming out and accusing Tom of infidelity. There was the issue with the group of French fans, and Tom letting his frustration getting the best of him. It seemed everything was going back to how it was, and then she wasn't on her usual schedule, started to feel fatigued, and that's when it hit her that her life could be changing.
"Will you please stay with me while I go through each one?" Emilene whispered.
Bill pulled her face up into his hands and smiled. "Emma, I am here to help you with whatever you need. Don't you worry, when we find out I will be here also for you."
"Thank you Bill, you are wonderful."
The car drive back to her apartment was silent except for the house music playing quietly in the background. Emilene never really understood why Bill didn't have a girlfriend. He was an excellent guy, caring, and full of life, energy, and so much love to give. After moving to Germany, she became closer to Bill and considered him to be a very close friend to her. She found it easier talking to Bill about her problems than her friends back in New York. Michelle and Ian had become distant several months after her move, she couldn't blame them. The time change was difficult to keep a friendship going and the three of them were beginning to make names for themselves in their careers. She was happy to see their success, but also sadden at the distance between them.
"We have arrived." Bill grabbed the bag from behind Emilene's seat and got out of the car.
"Thank you for driving Bill, my mind just isn't focused today."
Bill placed his arm around Emilene's shoulder and hugged her. "I understand and was more than happy to help."
Once they entered her apartment, they both made way to her bathroom. Emilene put the champagne in the fridge, ignoring Bill's questioning look. "What if there is a need to celebrate?"
She dumped the bag onto the bathroom counter; seven different boxes were spread in front of them. She held her breath and hesitated on which one to try first.
"This one." Bill shoved a purple and pink box in her hand. "I am going to grab some paper towel and make an area where we can lay each one to compare."
Emilene nodded and walk around the wall next to the counter and sat on the toilet. Her hands began to shake as she opened up the box and unwrapped the test from its packaging. She began to breath heavily as she peed on the first test, her hands still shaking. A thin white hand extended past the wall with another test, this time unwrapped and Emilene placed the used test on the paper towel Bill set at her feet. This continued until all seven tests were used, when she was done she grabbed the random pieces of paper towel with the tests on them and placed them onto the counter in the area Bill sectioned off for her. Already some of the results were displaying on the earlier tests.
"Bill I don't know about this!" she cried while washing her hands.
"Shhh… just wait and then we can go over all of them at once."
The moments that passed felt like hours, Emilene just wanted time to speed up so she could find out. She turned and looked over Bill's face, his eyebrows pressed together gave away that he was thinking intently. But, then his eyebrows gave way and his face softened; he turned to Emilene and grabbed her hands.
"Emma, please have no doubt, you will be an excellent mother."
Emilene eyes turned towards the tests, sure enough all seven displayed that she was indeed pregnant. Her eyes darted back over to Bill's and the tears that overcame both of their faces were of love and joy.
Emma's frantic voice worried Tom, he ran out of the house and into his car. He knew that he shouldn't have let Bill go alone to visit with her, after everything that they had just been through he should have known better. He drove franticly, speeding down the streets, blowing through red lights and stop signs before realizing that he didn't even give her a chance to say why she was calling.
"Tom?" Emilene's voice cracked over the phone. He knew that she was crying, he could her Bill's shaky voice in the background also.
"Emma you don't move, stay at your place and I will be right over."
"T-Tom everything is o…" Without hesitation he hung up the phone.
He felt like a jackass, he let his imagination get the best of him. He slowed down as he approached Emma's apartment and parked next to her car. The elevator ride up to her floor he contemplated how he was going to apologize for his outlandish behavior. He entered her apartment without knocking and saw Bill sitting on the couch with red eyes.
"Bill what happened? Why are you crying?"
Bill waved Tom away and motioned for him to sit down next to him. Tom didn't feel like sitting down, he wanted to know what was going on and where was Emma?
Emma emerged from the kitchen with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. She handed a glass to each twin, filled it up with champagne and sat down next to Tom.
"Emma what is going on? Why have you been crying?"
"Please relax Tom. I-I…"
"No I will not relax! I drive over here thinking terrible has happened and come to find out that my suspicions' may be correct! Tell me what is going on and why the hell do I have champagne?"
Bill let out a laugh and sipped his champagne. "Big brother, please let Emma speak."
Tom stared at Bill intently before turning back to Emma's soft expression. He set the glass down on the coffee table and moved next to Emma.
"Tom I have no doubts in your ability to be a father."
"My abilities to be a father? What does that mean?"
Emilene sighed before gaining her composure. "Tom, we are having a baby. I'm pregnant."
Pregnant. The word hit him hard, it felt like all the wind was knocked out of his chest and all he could see was black. Father? He was going to be a father? He drifted his eyes back to Emma's and saw the excitement and love in them, how could he be scared when he had someone like her who believed so much in him?
"I'm going to be a father. I am going to have a child. Emma, I love you so much, I-I don't know…" He was silenced by her gripping hug.
"You will be a great father Tom, she needs you more now than ever." Bill whispered.