Chapter Four: 24 Weeks
Beth wasn't sure what to expect from her next prenatal appointment, not after having Marcus with them for the ultrasound. Oh, medically speaking, she was prepared. Very little would vary from check-up to check-up until she entered her third trimester and approached her due date. But she thought there at least might be some teasing, some questions about Marcus' commentary after they left the doctor's office. However, Dr. Smythe didn't even make a reference towards Marcus. They focused explicitly upon the medicine. Everyone was pleasant enough, of course, but it was also odd. It wasn't until they were leaving, though, that Beth figured out why.
Before the end, however, like always, the OB-GYN took her vitals, weighed her. So far, Beth had gained fourteen pounds - half of what she should and exactly on track for a continued healthy pregnancy. Perhaps because of her chest - it made any additional weight carried in her middle much harder to detect, so for now, at least, Beth wasn't self-conscious about stepping on the scale in front of Rio. It was also just a number, one that he paid little attention to compared to her blood pressure and the baby's heart rate. Their sex life was still off the charts, Rio's interest in having her any way and always doing much to allay any insecurities Beth otherwise might have experienced during her pregnancy. Quite frankly, his blatant attraction towards her when she was five and a half months pregnant helped Beth forget sometimes that her body was changing, and it certainly went a long way in keeping her as stress free as possible considering the rest of their lives outside of the loft.
"I'm going to schedule you for your vaccinations during your next visit," Doctor Smythe informed her. "We're already into October, so you should have your flu shot as soon as possible. But I also like to give the Tdap vaccination at the same time, and you can't get that until you're at least 27 weeks along." Glancing up from her notes, she confirmed, "so, next appointment, okay?"
"Needles don't bother me. That's fine," Beth easily agreed.
"Well, that's good to know, because we are at that stage in your pregnancy when we start testing your blood. I know we did a CBC during your first appointment, but now we'll be testing for iron and glucose levels. We'll look at your blood count again just to be safe. If your numbers are good, though - no signs of anemia or gestational diabetes - this time or next, then we'll be done, and we'll only draw blood again if you're showing signs of any potential complications." Beth could sense Rio becoming agitated next to her, and Dr. Smythe must have picked up on that, too, because she added reassurance. "Don't worry, there is absolutely nothing to indicate that any of Beth's numbers will come back as anything but perfect. I wish all of my patients, younger and older, were having pregnancies this healthy."
One aspect of what her physician said piqued Beth's curiosity. "You have older expectant mothers than me?"
"A few years ago, I think the number was 3% of all babies born were to mothers over the age of 40. I know 3% doesn't seem like a lot, but it is when you compare it to where that number was twenty years before that and take into account that it is only increasing. So, yes, Beth," her OB-GYN told her confidently, "there are older women than you having babies not just out there in the world somewhere but right here in Detroit, in this very office - some even into their 50s."
Primly yet with a little bit of snark, she requested, "I wish somebody would tell that to my daughter!"
Next to her, Rio snorted. "Kensley needs to hear a hell of a lot more than that, but it'd be a fuckin' start."
His vehement reaction wasn't surprising. Rio was still holding himself back from confronting Kensley, but with every day that went by when Beth didn't hear from her daughter or receive some kind of acceptance about the baby, his patience stretched ever thinner. What she wasn't expecting, though, was Dr. Smythe's absolute nonreaction. The OB-GYN didn't comment, she wouldn't look at Beth, and she quickly changed the subject.
"So, good news for you, Rio: before you see me again in four weeks, you should start feeling the baby's movements, too. I'm sure Marcus will enjoy that as well."
He would. Beth already had to use the doppler every night during their phone calls so that Marcus could hear the baby's heartbeat, and true to his word, he never missed a chance to speak to the baby through the belly buds either. Seeing his sibling on the ultrasound screen… and then on the pictures they had printed out - even a copy for him to take back to his Mom's house… had made the whole experience just that much more real for him, tangible. Once he could feel the kicks, and punches, and flips happening inside of Beth's womb, he'd be even more fascinated by the baby.
Her appointment wrapped up soon after that. A nurse came in to draw Beth's blood, promising the results in no more than 24 hours. They would be able to log into the portal to see the numbers for themselves, but the office wouldn't contact them for a follow-up unless there was something of concern. She redressed, they scheduled their next check-up, and then Beth and Rio were leisurely making their way down to the street where, as they walked to the car, Rio would try to convince her to take the rest of the day off. They were debating the merits of going out to lunch versus going home and cooking something together when the elevator stopped on a lower floor, the doors opened, and though her feet stayed firmly planted on the ground, it felt like the bottom gave out beneath her.
"Oh," Beth breathed out, everything from their odd appointment suddenly making sense. Tears immediately made her vision swim, and she bit her bottom lip to the point of pain, to the point of breaking through the sensitive skin so that she could choke on the metallic scent and flavor of blood rather than the pain that was clawing its way up and out of her chest.
Because not only was Kensley and Aaron standing mere feet away from her but so, too, was Dean. Beth did not care that her ex-husband had never attended even a single one of his own daughter's prenatal visits; no, what hurt was the fact that he would only be there with Kensley that afternoon if Kensley was finding out the gender of Dean and Beth's first grandchild, and Kensley had specifically asked her father, not her mother, to attend with her and her husband. And Dr. Smythe must have known, too. Beth and Kensley had different OB-GYNs, but they were in the same building. Given their unique situation - mother and daughter both pregnant at the same time, it wasn't shocking that the separate practices knew of the other's patients.
From beside her, Beth could feel Rio vibrating with tension, with fury. Reaching over, she slid her hand into his and squeezed - a thank you, an I love you, and a soothing gesture all in one touch. The elevator doors started to close, no one in the hallway stepping forward to walk onto the car. Reflexively, Beth reached out to trip the sensor, forcing the doors completely open again. As soon as she did that, though, Aaron said, "we'll just get the next… one."
A million questions started and died upon her lips, their answers either obvious or not something that Kensley would be willing to share with her. So, they all just stood there, waiting for the doors to close once more. Before that could happen, though, a smug Dean - hands shoved in the front pockets of his khakis and rocking back and forth on his loafers - asked, "you having twins there, Bethie? You're quite a bit bigger than Kens!"
She actually wasn't. Even if Beth was that much bigger than her daughter, she'd just left an appointment with her chosen physician who had nothing but praise and good news for Beth, Rio, and their baby. Plus, Beth was four weeks further along than Kensley, and her daughter's pregnancy was complicated, high risk. Any egregious differences in their bellies would have said more about Kensley's difficulties than the off chance that Beth was carrying multiples. So, she ignored her ex-husband. In fact, everyone did.
It was becoming obvious that Kensley wasn't going to say anything, and Beth started to feel desperate. Once more the doors started to close, and she couldn't hold herself back from at least asking, "boy or girl?"
It was Dean, though, who answered. Beth would swear that Kensley looked regretful, that she was showing signs of remorse, but not enough apparently to either speak to Beth herself or to reign in her father. "You failed to give me a son, but at least Kens is giving me a…."
The doors sealed tightly shut with a soft thump, the elevator instantly started to descend, and Beth gave in to her emotions, knowing that she could fall apart, because Rio was right there to hold and put her back together. She allowed her tears to fall, and her knees gave out. Rio caught her under the arms, wrapped her up in his embrace, and then sat with her so that he could cradle her in his lap. The elevator would stop, and they would be in the lobby within a matter of seconds, but he didn't urge her to stand up or encourage her to regather herself. He just... let her feel.
And, god, did she hurt.
Rio didn't try to tell her that everything would be alright, and for that, if it was even possible, she fell in love with him just that much more. Instead, he whispered over and over again into her ear, "I gotchu, Mama; I gotchu."
And he always would.
!
Beth might have been annoyed that Rio won their first disagreement if his victory didn't come from being a good father. They were making plans for her to meet his son for the first time. Beth, afraid that Marcus wouldn't like her and not wanting to overwhelm him, suggested that she just meet Rio and Marcus at the Michigan Science Center - her idea. That way, if something went wrong with the introduction, they wouldn't have to take her home. Rio contended, however, that he was trying to teach his son to be respectful towards both his elders and women. They might have been taking his son with them, but their outing was still a date, and Marcus, according to Rio, was damn well going to know that he should always pick his girl up at her door.
How was she supposed to argue with that?
Beth would never admit it to Rio, but another reason why she suggested meeting instead of riding together was that she was nervous. Going separate would buy her a few more minutes to ground herself. It was ridiculous, really - how intimidating she found the idea of Rio's eight year old son. She was acting like she wasn't a parent herself, wasn't an honorary aunt to Ruby's two kids. She just… she
really liked Rio. She didn't want them to end before they even had a chance to explore just how good they could be together, but if his son didn't want him to pursue a relationship with Beth, she had to think that their first meeting would also be their last. Consequently, a lot was riding on their afternoon excursion.
So, it was with sweaty hands that Beth walked towards her door after hearing their knock. Hastily, Beth gripped the skirt of her sundress, tried to dry her fingers by clenching the soft, floral fabric. At least she was physically comfortable. That's why Beth liked sundresses. They could be casual enough for Sunday brunch with the girls… or a day trip to a museum, but Beth could also add a cardigan and a pair of heels or even knee high boots and continue wearing them to work well into the fall. Stopping just before the door, she rolled back her shoulders, took a deep breath, and smoothed out her dress.
"Hi," Beth spoke first, anxiously smiling and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. But then she looked at the father and son pair standing before her - Rio all in black, hands clasped before him, his face serene, bordering on stoic, while Marcus was a wiggling, grinning ball of energy and sunshine, and her smile grew, became joyous. She even laughed. "You must be Marcus," she bent over slightly, held her right hand out for him to shake. "I'm Beth."
His grip was that of a small child's but so, too, was his enthusiasm. He seemed excited that she was treating him like a peer, not a kid. While he returned her greeting, though, he asked for clarification, "Daddy said your name was Elizabeth?"
Beth rolled her eyes. "He's the only person who calls me that."
"Oh! Like he calls me Pop. No one else does that." It was obvious that Marcus liked that they had this - a special Rio nickname - in common.
Once she let go of Marcus' hand, Beth glanced up from under her lashes to take in Rio's reaction to the moment… only to find him blatantly staring down her dress. He smirked when caught and if anything, tried to look even further down her scooped neckline. "Hey, Mama."
She felt her cheeks pink, but otherwise, Beth didn't react to Rio. Standing up straight once more, she braced her hands on her hips, pretending to closely observe Marcus. "Well, this just isn't fair!"
"What," he asked her curiously."You!" His eyes widened. "You're even cuter in person than you are in your pictures."
The eight year old beamed at her, dimples popping out. "Am I cuter than Daddy, too?"
"Oh, definitely!""Hey now!," Rio exclaimed, making Marcus giggle. He finally stepped forward to greet her properly, wrapping an arm low around her waist so his hand could grip the roundness of her ass where Marcus couldn't see. He then brushed a chaste kiss over the back of her jaw right below her ear, so she could clearly hear him when he murmured, "you the cutest, though, Darlin'."
After grabbing her purse, Beth slipped it over her shoulder and then closed and locked the door behind her. The three of them made their way down to the ground floor and then outside to Rio's G-Class. Marcus happily chattered away the whole time, telling them what he was looking forward to seeing and doing the most. When Rio told him where they were going that day, Marcus reassured Beth that he had done his research. He was prepared to make the most of their time at the Science Center.
As soon as the SUV was in gear, though, their conversation shifted. Marcus started peppering Beth with requests for information. Some of what he asked her was to be expected from an eight year old; some of it, though, was quite odd.
"What's your favorite color?""Blue," Beth told him. "But not navy, or baby, or even bright blue. I like a smoky blue.""Like your eyes," Rio spoke up, joining the conversation for the first time since they left her apartment.
Embarrassed, she acknowledged that he was right. "Oh, I guess so. That's… a little vain of me."
"Nah, it's a good color, Ma.""My favorite color is red," Marcus announced. Before Beth could comment, the eight year old was already moving onto another topic. "Do you speak Spanish?""Non, je parle anglais et français.""Uhh…?," Marcus hesitated from the back seat, making Beth laugh."No, Sweetie, I don't speak Spanish. I took French in school.""Do you like spicy food?""I do," Beth confirmed, "though I prefer heat from peppers and seasonings rather than sauce.""What about ice cream?" Before Beth could respond, Marcus giddily told her, "I love ice cream!""Who doesn't love ice cream?!""I eat it like my Grandpa Marco did: vanilla with Nesquik powder sprinkled on top of it.""My favorite flavor is butter pecan." Turning to Rio, she asked, "was Marco your Dad, then?" She knew that Rio's father had abandoned him, but he'd said nothing about another father figure in his life, so Beth could only assume that's who Marcus spoke of when he talked about a grandfather.
Rio was holding her hand over the center console, and Beth was captivated by how he kept caressing her fingers, his long digits practically swallowing hers. She was so absorbed with feeling his touch, with watching their skin blend together, that she was taken by surprise when it was Marcus who answered her, not Rio.
"Grandpa Marco was Abuelita Rosa's husband. He died way before I was born, but he helped her raise my Daddy after Daddy's Mom died." Proudly, Marcus added, "I was named after Grandpa Marco.""I suspected that might have been the case."
Rather than allow the conversation to continue naturally, to let it flow, Marcus shifted abruptly and queried, "do you go to church?"
"Come on, Pop! What is this, twenty questions or somethin'? Just talk to Elizabeth. Quit harassin' her, yeah?"
Squeezing his hand in reprimand, Beth contradicted, "he can ask me as many questions as he wants." Then, she lowered her voice and whispered, "it's good that he's interested, Rio. We want him to like me."
"Why wouldn't I like you?," Marcus wanted to know from the back seat. Apparently, Beth needed to work on her stealth adult conversation abilities if she was going to be spending regular time around a kid again."Well, I'm not… and you… your Dad…." Not getting anywhere with her explanation, Beth turned towards the driver's seat and, using her free hand, poked Rio in the shoulder. "You know, you could help me out here anytime!""Nah, I wanna hear this, too. I told you, Sweetheart, there's nothin' not to like about you."
Rio had told Beth that, but they were naked and in bed together at the time, so his appreciation was a little… biased, and she certainly hoped that the reasons his son liked her would not be the same as to why Rio liked her, especially in that particular moment when he'd paid her that compliment.
Beth took a few seconds to gather her thoughts, and then she slowly said, "sometimes, when parents start to… spend time with new people, kids can feel… sad, maybe even angry, too, because they want their mom and dad to be together instead."
"That's silly," Marcus stated unequivocally. Then he left Beth completely speechless when he continued with, "Daddy likes you so much that you're his girlfriend. That's not going to make me sad or angry."
Rio, however, was not struck mute. "You're not wrong, Pop, but who told you Elizabeth was my girlfriend?"
Like it was obvious, his son replied, "Abuelita."
"But I never told your Abuelita I was seein' someone. You been gossipin' again with all your aunts?"
Beth was confused. She thought Rio was an only child, but now he was implying
multiple sisters? Luckily, he didn't seem mad that his Grandmother... and potentially other family members as well… knew about her, just curious as to who was spreading the rumor. Beth didn't have long to contemplate Rio's relatives, though, because Marcus' response was quite distracting. "Maybe," he giggled. "But, Daddy, Abuelita Rosa already knew you had a girlfriend. I just told her Beth's name was Elizabeth and that we were going on a date today.""How long's she known?""I don't know." You could hear the shrug in the eight year old's words. "At least since you ran errands instead of helping her plant flowers. She wasn't mad, though, Daddy," Marcus was quick to reassure his father. "She said it was nice to see you smile like that, and she'd missed your las travesuras.""Damn. 37 years old and I still can't get nothin' by that woman!""So, church, Beth?"
Not expecting the question, Elizabeth floundered. "What?"
It just so happened, though, that in that moment, they also pulled up to a stoplight, and Rio was able to turn around and regard his son. The next thing Beth knew, he was letting go of her hand to twist and reach behind him. "Give me that!," Rio ordered, snatching a piece of paper from Marcus' grip. "What the hell's this?"
As the light was turning green, Rio hastily handed the sheet to her. Skimming it and turning it over to skim the back as well, Beth announced, "it's a list of questions. There must be… at least fifty here!" And some of them were obviously
not from the mind of a child - the majority of them, in fact. "Somebody had to help him with this.""Pop?""I did all the writing myself," Marcus defended. And, yes, that at least seemed to be true. "Abuelita made me use a real dictionary and everything instead of just telling me how to spell the words I didn't know.""This was all Grandma's doin' then?""Well, no," the eight year old stalled. "Not exactly."
His voice losing some of its patience, some of its amusement, Rio demanded an answer with a clean and simple, an authoritative, "Marcus!"
"It's just… everybody's really curious about Beth, Daddy! They keep calling or stopping by Abuelita Rosa's house, wanting her to tell them all about her, because you finally have a girlfriend, but she doesn't know anything. So, Abuelita said that everyone could ask one question."
Maybe Beth should have been focusing on why Rio dating someone was such a big deal to his family, particularly the emphasis Marcus put on the word 'finally,' but she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that there were at least fifty questions - albeit, some of them
had actually been Marcus', but if each member of Rio's family was allowed to ask just a single question…? "You're related to this many people? How big is your family?""Yeah, that ain't all of 'em," Rio informed her. To Beth, it felt like a warning. "My Tías would get all weepy… and then they'd smack the back of my head if they heard me say this, but my immediate family's just me, Pop, and Grandma. The extended family, though…? Let's just say it comes in handy that I own an event center."
Rio coming from a big family wasn't a bad thing. Beth didn't fear his relatives or hate the idea of meeting so many people who cared about him and his son. But it was intimidating, and it would certainly be a new experience for her. "I am literally related by blood to just two people: my sister and my daughter. That's it. If you count family by choice, the number goes up to six." She wasn't looking for pity, just understanding as to why this new knowledge was throwing her so much. It also made this first meeting with Marcus and the good impression she was trying to make on him feel all the more important. Bending over to grab her purse off of the floorboards, Beth told them both, "let me get a pen out, and I'll just write the answers down for you, okay, Marcus? Will that… Hey!"
Rio was already balling the piece of paper up and putting down his window before Beth could threaten, "don't you dare litter right now, Rio Garza! You shouldn't ever litter, but on the way to a
science center?!""It's that or Pop's havin' it for lunch. Either way, somethin's gettin' a belly full of pulp today."
Despite his words, Rio allowed Beth to retake the sheet of questions from him, and he rolled up the window. "We'll just throw it away… like civilized adults. It'd be easier if
someone had a small bag for garbage in his car.""There ain't nothin' civilized about the Santos and Rios clan." She must have looked confused, because he quickly explained, "Garza's Grandma's married name. She was a Santos before that, and her Mama a Rios before she married. It's where I got my name.""I think I'm going to need a flow chart to figure out and keep track of your family.""Just call everyone Tía or Tío, and you'll be good, yeah?""I can't do that," Beth objected. "It'd be rude… to use such familiarity without their request!"
Rio shook his head in disagreement. "They'll be offended if you don't."
"Everybody calls all of the adults Tía and Tío… even if they're not really their aunts or uncles," Marcus jumped back into the conversation. "It's just easier that way.""No one's gonna expect you to remember that Paloma is my second cousin, once removed. I think? I call her Tía Paloma, Marcus calls her Tía Paloma, so you can call her Tía Paloma, too.""And Daddy won't put a trash bag in his car because he says it'll only make people eat in it, and Mommy says that Daddy is… pretendous?... about his G-Wagon."
Rio scoffed. "The word's pretentious, Pop, but I ain't that. Your Moms doesn't know what she's talkin' about. It's just a respect thing, yeah?" Knowing not to even bother trying to snag an open spot in the lot right outside of the Center, Rio just parked on the street, using the Park Detroit app to pay for the entire day. "And don't say G-Wagon."
It was one of the best days Beth could ever remember. They explored everything the Science Center had to offer - some of it even twice… when Marcus insisted. He was impressed by Beth's science knowledge, and then he was intrigued when she explained that, when her daughter, Kensley, was his age, she started to show both an interest in and an aptitude for how things were made, so Beth did everything she could to embrace her child's curiosity, encourage it. If Marcus was slightly disappointed to learn that Kensley was twenty-two - too old for playdates, he was even more intrigued by her being an adult and a scientist.
Marcus' favorite galleries were the Earth, Wind, Weather and Space Galleries, though he was disappointed in the Planetarium. It was really geared more towards toddlers for some reason, but his fascination with astronomy gave her an idea for another potential outing. Beth liked the Waves and Vibrations gallery, and even Rio had fun - not only because his son was enjoying himself but because, despite accusing Beth and Marcus of being nerds, he beat everybody going up Math Mountain and appreciated the real life application of math in MathAlive! Marcus had barely wanted to stop playing and learning long enough to eat.
Now, completely exhausted, he was zonked out in the back seat, Rio parked outside of Beth's apartment building, but neither of them made any move for her to get out or for him to go home. They were just watching each other - Rio's face cupped in the palm of his hand, his arm propped against the center console, while Beth sat twisted around in the passenger seat, facing him - barely touching, talking. Beth was running the nails of her right hand gently through the scruff on his jaw, his chin, and Rio would occasionally dip his free hand beneath the hem of her dress, whispering the pads of his fingers against the delicate skin of her knee but not venturing any higher.
"You're not fillin' out that list of questions, Ma." She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off. "Don't even deny it. I saw you slip it into your purse. My people's inability to mind their own fuckin' business ain't some kind of homework assignment for you. If they want to know somethin' about you, they can wait until they meet you.""And… is that something you want," she asked hesitantly, feeling both eager and nervous about his response and at the prospect of getting to know his family."Shouldn't I be askin' you that?""I would like to meet them," Beth admitted, smiling softly. "It's intimidating to even think about… but in a good way, you know?""Nah, I got no idea. I ain't never done this before - the meetin' or the introducin'."
Surprised by that, Beth screwed up her face. "But what about with Rhea?"
"I told you, Sweetheart, it wasn't like that with us. With Pop between us, she knows most of the family now, but that's all 'cause of him. I never took her around, and they sure as shit never came up with no list of questions for her. Rhea and I hooked up a few times, but we'd already gone our separate ways before she found out she was pregnant. There was no reason to subject her to my relatives. With you, though….""With me," Beth prompted him, biting her bottom lip in anticipation of what he would say next."With you, all in due time, yeah?""Yeah," she breathed out, content."So, you gonna give me that sheet of paper?" At her slightly startled jump, Rio laughed - big and booming… like he wasn't worried at all about waking his son. Given that Marcus didn't even twitch a single muscle, he obviously knew his little boy well… not that Beth had any doubt. "If you don't, I know you're gonna be tempted to look at it, and if you look at it, you'll start writin' down answers. You won't be able to help yourself, Mami."
Pouting because she would have to let go of him in order to grab and unzip her purse, Beth still did as requested, though teasing Rio, "you must think you have me all figured out, huh?"
"Oh, I know I do." Once crinkled up but now smoothed out and folded paper in hand, Rio clarified, "if someone's not payin' attention, you might fool 'em. You're shifty like that - hidin' that big brain and feisty temper of yours behind even bigger tits and this sweet Mama veneer. But I see you, Elizabeth. I see all of you."
In that moment, Beth realized that not only was he right, but Rio might be the first person besides Beth herself who had ever managed to see completely beyond her walls.
!
"Why the fuck's everyone lookin' at their food like it's about to explode?"
Speaking of an explosion, Rio's question was met with a cacophony of responses - a joyous harmony of amusement and admonishment for his language. Someone - Beth thought it might have been Tía Josephina - even threatened to wash his mouth out with soap. But Rio paid none of it any mind. He was well used to the craziness that was a family dinner, so he just bided his time until one of those reactions actually contained an answer.
"Just tell us who has the reveal… or at least which dish it's in."
The request was called out from another table across Rosa's big back yard. When everyone gathered together, there was no way that they would all fit at just one. Rosa set up what she had… from actual patio tables to long boards laid over sawhorses, and everyone brought at least something to contribute - whether a few extra chairs or a folding tabling. Of course, everyone always brought a dish to pass as well. They were too big of a group to rely upon just one person to feed them… even if Beth would have happily tried if Rio would give her the chance.
Before a family dinner, he usually went to the store with her to guarantee that she didn't buy enough food for the event rather than just a contribution. He'd cook it with her, too, though, so she didn't fight him, appreciating their time together and recognizing that it was another way for him to show her how he felt, another way for him to take care of her. He loved how quickly his family had come to matter to her, but he also understood that it was Beth's need for approval, her past still haunting her, that partially drove her.
For this particular gettogether, though, he just didn't tell her about it at all… not until they were pulling up outside of Rosa's house and Beth noticed just how many cars were parked on the street. Up until that point, she wasn't suspicious, because they went to Rosa's for a meal almost every weekend - just the four of them. But this picnic was for them - not a baby shower, because Beth had made her position on having one quite clear, but a celebration of their pregnancy nonetheless.
There were no gifts, no games, no constant, cringeworthy requests to touch her belly. Rio's family - their family - was a lively, loving group of people, but they also, mostly, respected one another. Beth had no doubt that everyone would give her at least one hug before the end of the night, but that was different, because everybody hugged everybody… not just the pregnant lady who already felt awkward enough in her ever-changing body. Feeling the baby move beneath her taut skin was just for them - just for Rio, Marcus, and Beth.
"Man, there ain't no reveal," Rio replied loud enough so that everyone could hear. "I wanted to know. Elizabeth didn't. We let Marcus decide, and the little traitor sided with her. They joined forces against me… like usual, and now I gotta wait four more months to find out what we're havin'."
"Listen to this nonsense, letting su mujer y su hijo tell him what to do!"
Beth was pretty sure that was Tío Javier mocking Rio. He was… not her favorite. "Elizabeth's my partner, and with Marcus, we're a family, yeah? What I want ain't more important than what they want."
Reaching over to where Rio was sitting beside her - his hand spread out and rubbing against her upper back, her shoulders, she found his thigh, gripped it, and squeezed in encouragement, in thanks, of his restraint. She might not particularly like Tío Javier, but Rio challenging him on his familial failures - an ugly divorce, an unhappy second marriage, a son who wanted nothing to do with his father and barely came around - wouldn't change or improve anything. It would just make what was supposed to be a festive, happy occasion tense and awkward instead. When she went to pull away, though, Rio kept her touch on his leg by settling his free hand over top of hers. Finished with his meal, he leaned back, took in the rest of their table.
After an unsure moment, Tía Pati spoke up. "How many bebés have we had between all of us? We don't need a doctor or some fancy machine to figure out if it is a boy or a girl. Clear the table," she decreed, climbing to her feet much faster than she should have been able to at her age. "Move the chairs and make sure that Beth is comfortable. We have some work to do, Señoras."
Beth shared a look with Rio, the both of them privately acknowledging the futility of what his aunts were about to attempt. They were obviously underestimating Rio. He'd already gone through every possible old wive's tale that they might try that night. Having no faith in them anyway, Beth had humored him. Rio had yet to find any clarity, and Beth expected the same non-result from whatever Tía Pati and the rest of the women in the family attempted.
As soon as the heavy lifting was finished with, most of the men disappeared, moving off to find a TV and turn on the playoffs; grouping up to play dominos, to play poker; separating into teams to challenge each other at soccer. Beth knew that, no matter what the pursuit, tequila would be involved. But Rio didn't join them. Instead, he pulled Beth over to one of Rosa's chaises, settling into the chair first and then pulling Beth down on his lap.
They started out simply enough, asking Beth the questions she was expecting. Are you carrying high or low? How active is the baby? Heart rate? Cravings? Which side do you sleep on? They were all washes. Either Beth didn't have a preference, or the baby presented equally for both. But the women were undaunted, upping their game.
Rio was delighted when they asked for his input. They wanted to know which one of Beth's breasts was bigger. If it was the right, she was said to be having a girl; if it was the left, they would be welcoming a boy in a few months' time. Rio dragged the test out as long as possible, joking at first that, with Elizabeth, how was he supposed to differentiate between twin examples of perfection. Beth was still blushing when he changed tactics, became super serious, reassuring his aunts that he would do whatever was required to give them an answer… only to make Beth squeak in surprise and mortification when he lifted his hands from her belly and determinedly cupped her very heavy breasts. "Nah," Rio announced exaggeratedly. "I was right before. Elizabeth's rack is flawless."
Like usual, Rio's antics were greeted with a mixture of mirth and censure, but the moment passed quickly, the aunts rolling their eyes before rolling onto their next test. Both the Chinese calendar and the Mayan system said girl, but Beth's complexion - she was glowing - predicted a boy. The shape of her bump was no help, Beth not being far enough along or showing enough, but her lack of mood swings, something that Rio attested to, suggested a son.
Rio found it hilarious that his body could somehow predict the baby's sex, except neither rule applied to him. He was just as fit, just as lean and strong, as he had been before Beth's pregnancy, and neither of them had been nauseous. Beth's lack of morning sickness, however, pointed towards a boy. She was dismayed when one of the aunts asked her if the shape of the baby's head had been more round or square in the ultrasound images. Apparently, it was said that a boy's head shape wouldn't be as round as a girl's, and Beth was quick to reassure everyone that the baby's form, its head included, was perfectly normal, perfectly perfect.
They tried the ring test, Beth leaning even further back into Rio while they dangled his wedding band over her belly and observed which way it moved. It started out going back and forth rather than in a circle, so it claimed Kensley was a boy, and then it proceeded to tell them that Beth would have a pattern of two girls and then a boy over and over again until someone took pity on her and pulled the string back, returning Rio's ring to him. Somebody argued that, given the amount of time between her pregnancies, perhaps the first predicted child, a boy, was actually for Rio and Beth's first child together, but Beth dismissed the entire experiment.
The skin of her hands was still smooth and soft, not dry and chapped, so that pointed towards a girl. Someone forgot their boundaries and tried to pull up Beth's shirt to check her linea nigra, but Rio stopped them with a dark look and a curt, "that's only for me and Elizabeth, yeah? But put this one in the girl column."
Beth just had to roll her eyes when, posed with the question of whether it was her face or her butt getting rounder, Rio only had to grin smugly. Even 88 year old Tía Gloria knew exactly what that look meant, even nodding approvingly… like Beth's bigger ass was something for the entire family to be proud of! But perhaps the worst test… and by worst, it was the most humiliating for Beth… was when Tía Adela called her two year old grandson, Gabriel, over.
Apparently, if a little boy showed interest in a baby belly, the mother-to-be was carrying a girl; if he wasn't interested, she was having a boy. Gabriel proceeded to climb right onto Beth's lap, skipped her bump entirely, and immediately went for her breasts. "Hey, little man, those are mine!" Rio swooped the toddler off of Beth and into the air over both of their heads, making Rosa's great-nephew giggle gleefully. "Trust me, I know their appeal, but I ain't sharin'. Gabriel's mother, Tía Adela's daughter, Olivia, grabbed him as quickly as she could, apologizing profusely, but no one seemed to care besides Beth and Olivia; everyone else was too busy taunting Rio about having to share her chest once the baby was born or tallying up the results.
As Beth thought would happen, it ended up tied: five for a girl and five for a boy. At least no one asked her if she was carrying fraternal twins. One of Tía Pati's daughter-in-laws, Beth thought it was Tía Luisa, tried to initiate a comparison of Beth's first pregnancy with Kensley with her current pregnancy, but one look from Rio to Grandma Rosa shut that down before it could even really begin. Content and comfortable with a fire burning in the pit nearby, wearing one of her large and baggy sweater over leggings, and Rio's arms and legs curled around her, Beth just relaxed, savoring the fact that after forty-one years, she finally had this: a big family with all its quirks, support, annoyances, traditions, and delights.
Eventually, some of Rio's cousins - seeing as how Adriana, Rio's mother, had been an only child, they were actually Rosa's nephews and first cousins once removed - started nagging him to join them, to play a round or take a drink. He tried to brush them off, to say that he was good where he was, that he was driving later, but Beth wouldn't let him get away with that. She knew that he had been refraining lately in solidarity since she couldn't drink, but she didn't mind if he drank, and she was perfectly capable of driving them home… even if they were in his ridiculous Mercedes that night, and she didn't need him to protect or save her from his, yes, sometimes intrusive but almost always well-meaning aunts. So, with a kiss that ended up drawing some catcalls, she sent him to do… whatever it is that boys do.
His place on the chaise was quickly taken by Marcus, though her stepson's position was the reversal of his father's. Tired, he cuddled up against her and quickly fell asleep - one hand protectively covering his unborn sibling, mouth open and drooling onto her chest. Every few breaths, Marcus would snuffle, almost snore, and Beth would run her fingers soothingly through his hair, feeling him melt further and further into her with every pass.
Sometimes, people intentionally sought her out to have a conversation. For a while, Beth talked to Carmen, Rosa's niece who was just a few years younger than Beth. Carmen was a single mother and one of her favorites in the family. She was independent, funny, and far more progressive than most of her relatives. And she liked to sew as well. Beth's first love was cooking and baking, but it was also nice to talk to someone about quilts and patterns, about the best craft stores in the area. Plus, of the other boys his age, Marcus liked Carmen's son, Rafael, the best, the two of them often playing together at Rosa's house during the summer.
When somebody wasn't directly claiming Beth's attention, she just laid there and relaxed, listening to their many, many stories about pregnancy, delivery, and raising children. Rosa herself was one of five children, and her cousin Juan had six children himself. Then there was Tío Ángel's branch of the family, though he, one of his ex-wives, and their son still lived in Mexico. But almost everyone had children, and those children had children, and some of those children were starting families now, too.
Beth still became confused at times as to who was who. The family tree was made even more complicated by the fact that Rosa was just three years younger than her Tío Ángel whose second wife was 25 years younger than him, and they had a son who was younger than Kensley. And that was just one crazy branch! There was something unique and strange about every immediate family within the larger group, so, yes, it was complicated, but it was also reassuring as well. Beth with her teenage pregnancy, ex-husband, twenty-two year old daughter, and experiencing her second pregnancy while also becoming a grandmother for the first time fit right in with the Garzas, Santoses, and Rioses.
A couple of hours later, Beth was dozing when Rio came up behind her, wrapping himself around her shoulders and allowing his face to dip into the hollow between her neck and shoulder. Nipping at her ear so that only she could hear, he confessed, "if you weren't already pregnant, Mami, I'd drag you inside and put a baby in you right this fuckin' moment. Seein' you like this with my kid…."
Tilting her head back and to the side, Beth stared into his dark eyes made even darker by his slightly dilated pupils as she confidently told him, "he's mine, too."
For several minutes, they remained trapped in each other's gazes, neither wanting to look away or break the moment. It was Rosa who ended up interrupting, quietly approaching Rio and gently rubbing his shoulder, nodding down towards where Beth was still cradling a sound asleep Marcus. "Just put him in your room, mi nieto. You and Beth can pick him up tomorrow morning… or afternoon," his grandmother amended, obviously catching a whiff of the tequila and citrus scent that was lingering on Rio.
Beth wasn't sure if she made some sort of noise of protest or if Rio, even loose and drunk, knew her well enough to anticipate her dislike of such a plan. "Nah, we'll take him home with us. Elizabeth likes havin' us all together as much as she can."
"Of course she does," Rosa said. She then delicately cupped Rio's face in her hands before squeezing Beth's arm with obvious affection. "I'll see all four of you next weekend, then."
After that, Rio lifted Marcus from off of Beth's lap, and then he carried him out to the car while Beth walked beside them. The party would go on for hours still, but they were ready to leave. They might have been the initial reason behind the get together, but it didn't take much to prompt a family dinner, and no one would fault them for not staying until the very end. Because that's what it was like when aunts and nephews, cousins, nieces and uncles genuinely cared for and about one another; that's what it was like to truly have a family, and Beth couldn't wait to bring her son or daughter into that warmth and support, to give her child something she herself, until Rio, had always been missing.