History
"How far along did the doctor say you were?" Theo asked, lying in bed next to Cassie, tracing his fingers over her naked stomach.
"Ten weeks." Cassie smiled, "Because of the miscarriage I've to schedule an appointment for two weeks time." She nodded.
"Everything will be fine." He nodded, "Doc said perfectly healthy, right?"
"Yeah." Cassie nodded, running her hand through his messy hair, "It's just precaution. And it'll put my mind at ease if anything else."
"Yeah…" Theo nodded, "Did you suspect you were pregnant?" He asked her.
"No. I missed my period but… you know I've not got a regular cycle so it's hard to just go by that." She said, "Something just felt different. I felt off for a few days. My boobs have been really sore. Been feeling more tired." She nodded, "I took the test, but I didn't think for a second that it would be positive."
"You should have told me. I could have been there for you." He said.
"I didn't want to give you false hope." She admitted, "And I honestly did not expect it to be positive. I never even entertained the idea."
"I can't believe it." He admitted, still in shock, "We're gonna have three kids." He chuckled a little.
"I know." Cassie widened her eyes, "There was a time I thought it would be just us and Chase. And then Lena came and… she completed me. I was so fine with not having any more kids. Every time I look at her I just… even though she didn't come out of me… she's a part of me." She nodded.
"Yeah, I get it." He nodded, kissing her shoulder, "Seems like me and you only do surprise babies."
"Yeah." Cassie chuckled.
"Are we telling people?" He asked her.
"I'd like to wait until the next appointment." She nodded to him, "Just to make sure everything is ok and… will be ok." She said as he nodded, "I mean… my sisters already know." She said.
"Yeah, it seems like they get to know everything before I do." He scoffed as she smiled, poking his chest.
"I needed it to be Jude." Cassie nodded, "She was there when I had the miscarriage. She literally… bleached the sweats I had on when it was happening. She's the only one I could face being there."
"I'm glad she was there." Theo nodded, "Man… we're gonna have two kids under the age of two." He realised.
"Yeah, we don't do life easy, do we?" She chuckled.
"Not at all." He said.
"Wouldn't change it for the world." She said, leaning down and kissing him softly as he rolled on top of her, pulling the sheets up around them.
"What do you mean you're not going to school?" Thea shook her head, sitting at the kitchen table the next morning.
"It's a field trip. And I don't wanna go." James shrugged, eating his cereal.
"Field trips are fun." Thea said, "Why don't you wanna go?"
"None of my friends are going. They're all just taking the day off." James said.
"What a bunch of losers." Thea shook her head, "You're going."
"No, I'm not." James shook his head.
"Alright, school and daycare bus is leaving in two minutes." Dominic walked into the kitchen, referring to his car of course.
"James isn't going to school today, apparently." Thea said, gladly handing this conversation over to her husband whilst she gave the girls their packed lunches and book bags.
"Nice try, buddy." Dominic nodded to James.
"It's a field trip. None of my friends are going." James insisted, "Call Blake's mom if you don't believe me."
"I'm not speaking to any woman who calls their son Blake." Thea scoffed.
"Dad, I'm serious." James said, "I'm not missing anything important. It's a stupid field trip."
"If James isn't going to school then I am not going to daycare." Sam insisted, unzipping her jacket.
"Yes you are, young lady." Thea said, zipping Sam's jacket back up, "Go out to the door and get your hat on. You too, baby." She placed her hand on Sofia's shoulder who nodded, "Wait for your dad."
"Look. Here." James ripped the permission slip off the fridge, "I'm not making it up, you know." He said, handing Thea the field trip permission slip.
"Why don't you and your friends want to go?" Thea questioned.
"Because it's stupid, and a waste of time." James said, "So can I go back to eating my cereal?" He questioned.
"Fine. You can stay home and help me clean the house." Thea nodded as James looked at her, "I could use a helper." She smirked.
"Both of you behave." Dominic said, "And this better be legit." He held the permission slip, taking a look at it.
"It is." James shook his head.
"I gotta go or we'll be late." Dominic said, leaning over and kissing Thea goodbye.
"Bye, sweetie." Thea smiled, watching him leave the kitchen, turning her attention back to her son who was drinking the milk leftover from his cereal, "You got home late last night." She pointed out.
"I was just at Blake's house." James said.
"Look, I know you're struggling with your leg. You're not getting to play soccer as much. You're in pain. But don't shut everyone out." Thea shook her head.
"It's not my leg that's bothering me." James said, "Are we from a crime family?" He asked her as she looked at him with confusion.
"A what?" Thea questioned, not sure if she had heard right.
"A crime family." James said.
"What the hell is a crime family?" Thea shook her head.
"What do you think it is, mom?" James scoffed.
"Well, we… we definitely have some skeletons in our closet. But no, I'm a doctor. Your dad is an engineer with his own company. Hardly screams crime family." Thea said.
"And papa? Gran?" He questioned as Thea looked across at him, "Did you kill a guy? Well, I know you did. I saw the news articles from it."
"James." Thea sighed.
"And Papa was in prison for eight years. Bad people go to prison, right? Criminals go to prison." He nodded as Thea ran her hand through her hair.
"How have you… how did you come across all of this?" Thea sighed. She knew it was bound to happen at one point, she just never figured out how she would handle it when it did.
"People at school." James shrugged.
"What are they saying to you?" She asked.
"Nothing bad." James said, "Some of my friends have shown me the articles. I just don't know what I'm supposed to say to them."
"You tell them to mind their own business." Thea said, "And that it's something they won't ever understand, or know the full story to."
"Was papa a bad man?" He asked her as she looked across at him, sighing a little.
"There's just so much you don't know or understand." Thea emphasised, "Papa and Granny weren't brought up like you. They didn't have parents that looked after them. They were homeless for a time. All of that, mixed in with the fact they didn't have very good friends… they got into some trouble." She nodded, "Papa was not a bad man. He just… ended up doing some bad things, some that weren't through choice."
"What'd he do?" He asked.
"Baby, I don't even know the full story. And I don't need to know. Neither do you." Thea said, "He was sent to prison for drug offences." She said.
"And you killed that guy cause he hurt Auntie Jude?" James asked.
"Yeah." Thea nodded, watching as he looked down at his empty cereal bowl, "I know that you're getting older and you're gonna have questions, questions you have every right to ask. But always ask. Don't ever think badly of your family because of what others are saying or what stupid articles you've come across." She nodded, "Come to me. And we'll take." She said.
"Ok." James nodded, "I think if anyone hurt Sofia or Sam, I'd kill them." He looked across at her as she felt her stomach drop.
"You don't have to say that." She shook her head, "You won't ever be in that position."
"I know but if I was. I would." He shrugged, "Guess I'm just like you." He nodded, standing up from the table, "Thanks for talking to me about it." He said, leaving the kitchen as Thea sighed to herself, running her hand through her hair.
"I didn't know you had a bald cat." AJ said, standing behind Punk as she looked on at the hairless cat sitting on Dan's chair in his living room, "Its… cute." She nodded.
"It's fucking terrifying." Dean shook his head, "Looks like a damn snake. Or something ready to be put in the oven."
"Don't be mean." Dan smacked his newspaper off Dean's arm, "Jingles has feelings."
"Jingles is a nice name." AJ nodded politely.
"Got her at Christmas time a few years ago." Dan nodded to her, "I don't need all three of you here to check in on me." He said, sitting down on the sofa.
"I've brought you some white chocolate chip cookies. I know you like them." AJ smiled, walking on through to the kitchen to sit the baked goods down.
"Don't you have better things to do with your day?" Dan asked.
"We're here to make sure you've took your medication, and to take your blood pressure." Punk said.
"I have a community nurse that comes in to do that." Dan shook his head, opening up his paper. He was almost eighty and hated to feel like a burden. If he had it his way, he would be left completely alone.
"Well then we're here to keep you company, too." Punk said, "April is going to make us lunch."
"Bad enough you two coming in here, now you've roped poor April into it." Dan said.
"She wanted to come see you. Stop feeling sorry for yourself." Punk said.
"How you been feeling anyway?" Dean asked, sitting down on the couch, keeping his eye on Jingles who he did not trust at all.
"Little dizzy and short of breath but… that's to be expected." Dan nodded.
"Why won't you let us help pay for your surgery?" Punk shook his head, sitting down next to Dean.
"Because it's an absurd amount of money." Dan said, "Tell me about my granddaughters… how are they all?" He asked, changing the subject quickly as he normally done.
"They're all good." Punk nodded, "Cassie is back at work now."
"She told me. She called the other night." Dan said, "I'm glad for her. She loves her job."
"She does." Punk nodded, "Jude was offered a contract with the publishing house too. She's working on some new stuff for them. She's really enjoying it."
"Good. That's good." Dan nodded tiredly, leaning his head back against the couch and shutting his eyes over, "And the scary one?" He opened his eyes back up.
"Thea? Or Chrissy?" Punk asked.
"Both." Dan waved his hand.
"They're both fine." Dean smiled, "Sarah, too."
"Good." Dan nodded, closing his eyes back over, "They're good girls." He mumbled, falling asleep.
"I'll go help April." Dean told Punk who nodded, "Keep your eye on that fucking chicken." He pointed to Jingles as Punk chuckled, watching his brother disappear into the kitchen to help his wife.
He didn't expect to find it so difficult to watch his father struggle so much with his health. They'd only had a handful of years together, to really get to know him, and the general conclusion was… he wasn't such a bad man. With the right help and guidance, he knew the man would have been a decent father.