"A boy?" Elizabeth asked as they ate their ice cream.
"Yes. In the dark."
"Were they clothed?"
"Yes, thank God. I don't think I could handle it if they weren't."
"They were probably just kissing."
"That's not the point. Babe, she didn't ask if she could have anyone over. She snuck him in. its not like Van to do that. She told me that no one pays attention to her so she went to him. Can you believe that?"
"Well, its a bit dramatic but she's seventeen."
"We pay attention to her. Don't we?"
"Well, we just got married and we all need to make adjustments. She needs to understand that you and I will put each other first and that we can't always be with her. However, we need to see the flip side of that coin, too."
"So we need to talk to her."
"Yes. A very honest talk and we need her to be honest with us too."
He nodded. "Yeah."
"Did you want me there too?"
"Yes. I feel so helpless right now. I can handle periods and buy her tampons and bras and I've dealt with her first date and kiss. But sneaking around is not her."
They heard a knock on the door. "Dad?"
"One minute, hon."
Elizabeth adjusted the covers and her robe and nodded as he opened the door.
"Dad, I'm sorry," she sobbed, burying her face in his chest. "I'm so sorry."
"Shhhh, baby. Its okay now. Why don't we all get a good night's sleep and talk tomorrow after I get done with work?"
"Can we talk now? I don't think I can sleep without it."
Lucas looked at Beth. "Living room?"
Elizabeth, with her generous and wonderful heart, patted the spot next to her. "Let's talk here."
Vannah climbed up and sat next to Elizabeth and Lucas sat on her other side.
"I'm so embarrassed," Vannah admitted.
"Why, sweetie?" Elizabeth asked.
"The whole thing. I'm having a hard time sharing you with Dad and sharing Mom with her husband. I thought moving here would help but it doesn't. You guys are so happy together and I feel like I don't belong."
"It surprised me that you were sneaking around with a boy I've never met," Lucas told her. "That isn't like you, Van."
"I know."
"Are you really that lonely?"
"I don't know. I guess maybe not. Maybe I was looking for attention. Beau gave that to me."
"You're a beautiful girl, Vannah, inside and out," Elizabeth told her. "I'm pretty sure any boy would be happy to keep you company but you need to be careful."
"Is this the sex talk? Mom and Dad already had that talk with me. We were only kissing and I don't have any plans for more for a long time."
"Its not the sex talk, honey, but I just want you to know that instead of acting out for attention, you can talk to us. Both of us or just your dad or your mom."
"Beth and I were talking earlier and we are going to make sure we make time for family stuff too, the three of us. But you are old enough to understand that we are married and that means that we put each other first."
"Okay."
She sighed and sniffled and leaned her head against Elizabeth's shoulder.
"I love you, sweetie," Beth whispered.
"I love you too. Thank you for listening."
"I will always listen and so will your dad."
"I will," Lucas assured her. "So on Saturday, lets have a family day. I have the day off work. We can make breakfast and figure out something to do together."
"Shopping for school stuff?" Van asked.
"Absolutely. Mall and maybe a movie?"
"Can I bring Beau?" Van asked. "I don't want to be the third wheel at a movie where you too will likely only be paying attention to each other."
Lucas looked over her head at Elizabeth who shrugged. "Sure, baby. You can bring Beau."
"Thanks!" She scooted forward on the bed and stood up, walking around to give both of them hugs. "Love you. See you tomorrow."
"Love you too," they told her. Lucas got up and locked the door and returned to the bed. "Now, where were we?"
…..
"Allie and Tim want to know if we want to come to their house for dinner," Elizabeth read off her phone the next morning. "You, me and Van."
"Sure. That sounds fine. Which night?"
"Tomorrow."
"I have work. I can be there at about 7pm but I don't get off until 6:30."
"I will let them know."
"Guys? I'm going to Mom's until Friday."
"You are?"
"Yeah. She wants my help setting up the baby's room. Its a boy."
"A brother, huh?" Lucas said, a teenie bit jealous since he and Josie had wanted a boy way back when.
"Yeah."
"You'll be a great big sister," Elizabeth told her.
"Thanks."
"Allie just invited the three of us to dinner tomorrow night. Do you think you might want to go?" Lucas asked her.
"I do but I think I'll pass this time."
"Okay, baby."
When Beth arrived at Tim and Allie's the next night, she was surprised at the number of cars there. Ivy's was there, so she assumed Marley had joined her. Also, a car she thought might be Wilma's and so she assumed Maggie would be with her. Everyone was there for dinner….
Pregnant! Elizabeth mused. "I bet she's pregnant."
When she walked in, she decided she would be very observant and see if she could confirm before they announced anything.
First thing she noticed was how attentive Tim was as Allie bustled around, moving things so there was more room. It was a tiny place, especially for this many people.
Then when Allie turned around, Elizabeth's eyes drifted right to her stomach that was covered up by a loose fitting shirt. Allie didn't usually wear loose clothing but this was Tim's shirt from Denver Fire so of course she was swimming in it.
The doorbell rang a second later. "I'll get it," Elizabeth yelled.
"Hi, Mom!" Allie yelled back.
Elizabeth took the bags of food from the delivery person on the doorstep. "Is it paid for?" she asked the teenager.
"Yes, ma'am."
"Okay, thank you."
"Have a good evening."
"Food is here," she announced.
Allie hugged Elizabeth hard as soon as she had put the bags of food down. "That smells good."
"It does."
"Where's Lucas?"
"Working. He should be here by seven."
"Okay. Seven. Yeah, that should be fine."
Elizabeth watched as Tim came in and insisted Allie sit down at the table while he unpacked the food.
"I'm not ill, babe," she protested.
"I know that."
"You are treating me like…nevermind."
He was driving her nuts. Ever since they found out about the twins, he had been so clingy. It wasn't a bad thing really, but it drove her crazy.
"Allie, may I speak with you in our room, please?" Tim said, walking off.
"Fine." She got up and followed him.
Elizabeth chuckled and started setting out the food. "How's everyone doing?'
"We think she's pregnant," Ivy and Marley said in unison.
"If she is, we need to let them tell us, okay, girls?"
"Yeah, we know," they said together again, refraining from rolling their eyes.
"Tell us about your trip to Ireland," Wilma requested.
In the bedroom….
"You are treating me like a child." Allie crossed her arms and fought her ever-present tears.
"No, I'm treating you like my wife who is pregnant with my TWO children. I love you, Allie, and I don't want you to get too tired."
"I AM tired, Tim. I am exhausted because these children are apparently zapping all my energy as they grow. I'm also nauseated and grumpy and I want to cry all the time. I'm overwhelmed but I can't wait to experience everything."
The tears fell and Tim stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm glad we are together in this," he told her.
"Me too. I need you, Tim, but I also need space sometimes. I do appreciate that you are trying to help and that you are such a good husband. I just…I'm not ill and I can handle moving chairs around and taking food out of bags, okay?"
"Yeah, okay. Please promise me that if you are too tired or sick and need my help, that you will tell me."
"I promise."
He kissed her twice and started to walk off but she pulled him back, wrapping her arms up and around his shoulders, pressing her baby belly into him. He loved that. He helped create those babies in there and it was amazing and wonderful and scary.
"I love you, Tim."
"I love you too."
"Let's go out and eat so when Lucas gets here, we can tell everyone."
"Okay."
…..
Lucas drove home after a very long shift and quickly took a shower but as he walked down the hallway to leave, he heard something in Van's room.
"Hello?"
"Dad?"
"Vannah? What are you doing here?" he asked through the door. "Please tell me you don't have a boy in there."
She opened the door and laughed. "No, Dad. I learned my lesson about sneaking around."
"Thank goodness. I thought you were going to be at your mom's."
"Yeah well. I got there and she apparently forgot and she and her husband had gone out for the evening."
"Oh." That sounded like Josie. "Well, why don't you come to Allie and Tim's with me for dinner?"
"I ordered food. I think I'll just stay here."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled. "Love you, baby."
"Love you too."
When Lucas finally arrived at Tim and Allie's, he was tired and surprised at the number of cars in the driveway. He had to park in the street.
"Hello?" he called, walking in.
"Hey, honey," Elizabeth said, walking over. "You hungry? We had Thai food."
"I'm starved."
She gave him a kiss hello and smiled. "How was your day? You look tired."
"I am. It's better now that I'm here with you."
"Is that Lucas?" Allie yelled.
"It is." Elizabeth pulled him into the tiny dining area by the hand and had him sit in the chair she had vacated. "I'll get you food."
"Thanks, love."
Once he had his food in front of him and had taken a few bites, Allie cleared her throat.
"So we just want to talk to you all about something."
Everyone looked at them, expectantly.
"We are pregnant," Tim said.
"With twins," Allie said next.
The noise that followed was full of joy and love and celebration. Tim sat down and pulled Allie to his lap, wanting her close. His Allie. The mother of his babies. The one he chose and would always choose.
…..
On the drive back to Boulder, Ivy and Marley chatted about their upcoming trip. They were heading down to Florida before the next term started.
"Are you going to invite Jared?"
"I don't know. I don't know if I'm ready for that."
"A trip with the guy you love?"
"Yeah. I'm trying to go slow, Mar."
"Are you going slow?"
"Yes. We haven't done more than kiss."
"Wow. That's amazing."
"Its hard."
"Are you going to marry him, Ive?"
"I don't know."
"But you love him. And he loves you, right?"
"Yes."
"So where do you go from here? If you are just kissing but you two love each other, what's the next step?"
"I don't have the answers, Mar. I'm scared, okay? I don't want to get my heart shattered again."
"What does Florence say?"
"That I need to be honest with myself and Jared about how I am feeling. I'm being honest when I say that I don't know."
"Okay. Well, I'm not trying to push. I just want you to be happy."
"I am."
"Great. I'm glad."
Now that she brought it up though, what was the next step? What did he expect of her? What did she expect of herself?
She would definitely need to have a discussion with Florence and with Jared before long.