9. CONDITIONS
There's a knock at the door of the caravan. Each time that someone knocks on the aluminium door, it echoes throughout the small van; impossible to miss. However, feeling nauseous and feeling tired; Phoebe really, really wishes that just this once she couldn't hear the knock at the door, the request from whoever is on the other side to come in.
"Unless you're Channing Tatum, go away" Phoebe says loudly from her bed to whoever is standing outside.
There's a small, but familiar chuckle from the other side of the door.
"Is the door open? You don't have to get out of bed; I'm just dropping something off."
There's another groan from Phoebe as she realises that the door is still locked from the night before and that opening Kyle and letting him is easier than being badgered until she does eventually do it.
Slinking out of bed, in her pyjamas, Phoebe groggily walks towards and unlocks the door, not even bothering to open it before bounding back to bed all in the time that it takes Kyle to open the door and let himself in.
"How are you feeling? Have you had any morning sickness?" Kyle asks he puts the box that he'd been carrying down on the bench, remaining standing.
"Awful is how I'm feeling. Just like I have for every morning for the last two weeks... Because in answer to your question, yes. Yes I have had a lot of morning sickness."
Kyle's face scrunches up. He doesn't know quite what to say in response, knowing that not only is Phoebe's whinge being pinned on him, but also knowing that there's not an awful lot that he can say or do to make it better. Instead, he focuses on earning himself a few brownie points.
"I'm really sorry, Phoebs. It must suck... Anyway, I brought you some breakfast from the Diner for when you feel up to eating."
"What exactly did you bring?" Phoebe asks curiously, with Kyle's judgement and fate hinging on whether or not he passed the test on knowing what to bring his ex for breakfast.
Opening the box and showing her as evidence, Kyle verbally informs her too.
"A bacon and egg roll and a mango smoothie."
Phoebe unleashes a silent fist pump in the air, showing her approval as Kyle just grins.
"Anyway, I'll get out of your hair and let you rest for a bit longer. Do you think that we could meet up a bit later? You know, to talk all this through..."
As Phoebe wriggles further into her bed and further into the quilt, she ponders the question silently as well as what outcomes could come from either answer she gives Kyle.
"Fine... Meet me on the Pier at 3."
Kyle nods in confirmation, giving Phoebe a wave of his hand before taking three small steps to reach the door of the small caravan, beginning to leave.
"I hope you feel better."
As Kyle leaves, closing the door behind him, Phoebe is left to her own thoughts as she closes her eyes in an attempt to fall back to sleep.
Call it hormones, call it unresolved feelings, call it whatever you will, but Phoebe is left with a little smile on her face thinking of Kyle and the way he had cared for her this morning, by his words, by his actions and by his breakfast-in-bed for her.
The youngest Braxton has a reputation -like they all do- for being broody and dark, but there had been no mistaking the smile in Kyle's face that is as present in his eyes as it is on his lips, not to mention the glow on his face.
Sure, the way he had cared for her this morning and the happiness on his face was all because she's having his baby, but it's still nice. It's still like the old times. It's still like the last few months before the proposal, and even like it was in Melbourne all those years ago.
Kyle always could bring a smile to Phoebe's face and warmth to her heart, and some things never change...
#
It is unsurprising that when Phoebe eventually reaches the Pier overlooking the Bay, Kyle is already standing there waiting. It is both unsurprising that she is the late one and that he had been there 10 minutes early than necessary, just because he is seeing her.
"Hey there" Phoebe greets as she approaches Kyle, to catch his attention from where he is looking out on the water.
"Hi... How are you feeling?"
As Phoebe approaches Kyle, she too leans against the wooden railing of the pier, right beside him as they both look out to the still-water of the Bay.
"Better, thanks. And thanks for breakfast this morning too."
"My pleasure" Kyle replies, turning his head to the left, just a little, to view her with a smile.
The two stand in silence together for a moment. There's a lot that needs to be said and there is a lot that needs to be discussed, but for just a moment they stand together silently and peacefully in each other's company.
"So, I've got an appointment with Nate next Tuesday... Now I can't imagine that it will be all that exciting, but you can come with me, if you'd like to?"
Kyle nods enthusiastically, with a smile that gives away much more than his answer.
"I don't know if I've got any arrangements for Tuesday, but I can change it. I'll be there."
Phoebe can't help but smile at his reaction.
The smile on her face is clearly contagious as it spreads across to the gloomiest Braxton whose face lights up even more too.
While the two share a moment, smiling at one another's smiles, Phoebe eventually comes-to and remembers a point that is detrimental for her to bring up, detrimental for him to know if she will be raising Kyle's baby.
"Kyle, listen, I've been thinking about the baby..." Phoebe begins to say, pausing when she sees the expression on his face; looking like he's seen a ghost.
The fear on his face as to what her next words will be is evident. He can't stop himself from speaking before she has a chance to explain.
"Don't tell me you've changed your mind, Phoebe... I thought we agreed to keep the baby."
Another small smile graces Phoebe's lips at the reminder of just how wanted this baby is by its father.
"Yes, we have and I haven't changed my mind. If you'd let me speak, what I was going to say is that I need to talk you about the Braxton's affiliation when it comes to crime."
"I'm listening" Kyle replies quickly. Nothing she could possibly say next could be quite as bad as what he had feared she had been about to say.
Phoebe looks down to the beams of the pier momentarily, considering exactly what points she wants to make in her speech to Kyle, before her gaze returns back to him.
"Alright... I've seen Ricky and Brax. I've seen what she went through when he was arrested while she was left there, having his baby. I've seen what she's gone through since, being stalked and Casey being kidnapped. I can't do that. I won't sit around waiting for kidnapping, arrests or people being hurt, or even killed. Crime is just a never-ending circle of tit for tat."
Phoebe pauses to take a breath and Kyle, sensing she hasn't finished her verbal essay, doesn't dare to speak just yet.
"So, if you want to be a part of this baby's life, I need you to promise me that you will not be involved in anymore crime – ever. I don't care if it's for your brothers, for Ash, for Andy, for Alf, whatever. I don't care who it's for or what the reason is –justified or not- but like I said, if you want to know your kid and if you want to be a part of it's life, you need to promise me that it stops now."
Phoebe takes a few solid breathes, having sacrificed breathing for a few moments to be able to fully focus on delivering every point that she wanted to tell Kyle. So, she stands there, waiting, watching him analyse what she has just told him regarding the one and only condition for him to being an involved father.
"Alright, I'll do it. Family is everything to me. You know that. That's the only reason why I've ever gone with whole crime deal in the past; for, or to protect, family. If that means jeopardising my kid or my relationship with my kid, I won't do it. I'm out."
Phoebe's lips crack a smile. She knows that Ricky and Brax must have had similar discussions and that Brax must have made similar promises, but looking at the man in front of her, she's sure he means it.
"You promise? Because I swear, if Kat or Emerson so much as knock on the door-" Phoebe begins to threaten, while Kyle can't help but hide a smile at her indignation.
"I promise, Phoebs" Kyle swears earnestly, looking her deep in the eyes to show he means it.
Then, for added effect he takes her hand in his and continues to agree to her conditions. "I promise you that if anything comes up with the other boys; I'm out, no questions asked. I promise you that I'll be by your side to help you raise our kid."
Thanks for sticking with this story, reading and reviewing it.
Next chapter: Kyle & Phoebe are faced with shocking news at her ultrasound.