Author's Note:
Hi everyone!
With the school year getting to be in full swing, I won't be able to update as often as I have been and I apologize for that in advance - but don't worry, I'm set on seeing this story through :) I also wanted to go over a few minor changes I've made to the canon Twilight/Life and Death universe - so, there's a few things happening in this chapter, including a bonding moment between Beau and Royal as well as Charlie inviting Jules, Bonnie, and the Clearwaters over for Thanksgiving. Firstly, I expand a little on Royal's backstory and how it affected him in order to more closely reflect Rosalie's character (especially in her love for children and how much she wanted to be a mom) and sort of set the stage for a better relationship to play out between Beau and Royal. Secondly, Lee and Sarah's mother Holly did have a heart attack at some point before when this fic takes place (caused by seeing her son Lee transform into a wolf) but survives, unlike her counterpart Harry, so she is mentioned in this chapter. This was mainly done because I just felt it would have been easier for Lee and Sarah to leave Sam's pack and want to help Jules out with Beau and the Cullens at this point in time if they didn't just go through the trauma of losing a parent (although they are still going through the stress of having a parent recuperating from a health scare); that they had enough stability in their lives to make such a big decision. And just a little fun fact about the cover image I picked out for this fic - it's actually a black-and-white version of a photo I took on a drive back home from a friend's school in Washington! No, not in Forks exactly, but still in the same state, haha. It really is a beautiful place to live.
As always, thank you for reading and for all the support! I hope you enjoy! :)
29. THANKFUL
I gnawed at my fingernails, mulling over tomorrow night in my head. I'd went over with Arch my decision to come clean to Dad about Edythe and the baby and I made sure to get his approval. Just thinking about it was exhausting; how careful I had to be with my words, anticipating Dad's reaction to them, and maintaining the balance between need-to-know and too much information, pivoting when I needed to. Looking down, I started pacing around my room. When the room got too small for me though, I ventured deeper into the house. Not seeing where I was going, I turned into the living room and it felt like I walked into a brick wall.
"Watch it." It was Royal.
"Sorry." I started up, my voice cracking.
"Whoa, what's wrong with you? You look kind of terrible." I stopped dead in my tracks – was he actually concerned? Willing to converse with me of his own freewill? I just stood there, gawking up at him.
"Uh… huh?" I noised in a deep, stupid voice. He rolled his eyes at me.
"You can tell me, you know." What did he want from me? Money?
"Um… it's nothing, really."
"Fine, then. If you don't want to tell me-" he tried to sidestep past me but I stopped him. He was my brother-in-law after all, so I should at least try to make an effort, too. We were family now.
"No, it's just… I'm going to come clean to my dad about what's been going on." Charlie deserved to know about his grandchild, I'd made up my mind about that much at least.
Royal crossed his arms over his chest, nodding like he understood it. "I see. So, how are you planning to do that?"
"Throw myself at his feet and beg his forgiveness for being a dirty, no-good liar, for one thing." I said only half-jokingly. Royal almost smiled then.
"Word of advice, Beau – I think you should just let my sister do the talking. She's very good at it." He patted my shoulder. I just blinked.
"Wow. Uh, thanks." My jaw was still on the floor. It's like I was a nerd who finally got accepted at the school dance by all the cool kids in one of those cheesy teen movies.
"You know, it's actually kind of insulting to me for you to react that way." He laughed once.
"Sorry."
He sighed. "Wow, Edy was right – you do apologize way too much."
"Sor-" I began but stopped myself. He sighed again.
"Look, I'm actually thankful that Edy found you, and I'm excited for the both of you. Really. So you should be, too. Things like that don't happen every day for… individuals… like us." He looked away then, out the window. Like he was wanting to fly away somewhere; to escape. He wishes he was still human. I remembered Edythe's words from earlier and I could see it plainly now looking at him. He turned back towards me before I could say anything about it, though.
"I bet you didn't think I was the type, but a part of me wanted something like that, too – I wanted all the gold and all the mansions; sure, but what I actually wanted even more than that was a family to share it all with – a wife, kids. Grandkids. Just people to provide for, I guess." He sighed; looked out the window again. "I had two little sisters I loved very much. In ways, I felt more like a dad to them than a brother because my dad was rarely ever home himself. Maybe that's what ignited the dream. When I met Rowena, I thought I had it made; that life was surely going my way. It was only a matter of time. As long as I had her, I had all the gold and the fancy houses and the dinner parties. But I also had that possibility of family life I wished so hard to attain; like a goal to read a hundred books before summer ended for no real reason other than to just say you did it. But I fell for her, too. Hard. At least, for the illusion of it all. Maybe I should have seen it coming." He chuckled bitterly. "She was pregnant, you know. She never told me, but I found the doctor's note one day." My jaw fell open. He never said anything about that part before. "Obviously, it wasn't mine - that much I knew. But I didn't care. I had already raised my sisters; I could raise this child, too. That's exactly what I thought. One step closer to the dream; perhaps also a testament, if you will, to how much I thought I loved her." He shook his head, a fool looking back on his foolish deeds was how I'd describe his face, even when I didn't really see anything foolish about it. "And, well, you know how that all ended." His lips pressed tight together in a hard line - the memory most definitely still haunted him.
Dang.
"What happened to the baby?" I asked without thinking.
"I'll never know." He shrugged, furrowing his brow. "All I know was that there was no baby anywhere by the time we got… reacquainted." A vicious glint of a smile flashed across his face when he said that last word. "By then it had already been a year. Of course, if there was one, I would've raised him or her myself, or at least put that child with someone who could give them all the love they deserved." He sighed, turning to look at me again. "So, now you know." He started up the stairs.
"Wait, Royal!" I called after him. He turned to look at me, waiting. I sighed. "I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for telling me, I know that couldn't have been easy for you." He nodded once and showed me the faintest hint of a smile.
"You can pay me back in kind by letting my niece or nephew go on a weekend fishing trip with me someday. It was tradition, you know. One of the few things I could remember my old man by."
"You got it." I nodded, smiling.
And just like that, the load didn't feel so heavy anymore. For the both of us.
…
The next day, Jules swung by earlier than usual because she was going home earlier to help her mom prepare something for dinner at my dad's. The little hand barely moved past 3:00 PM when she stood up and gathered her things.
"That's my cue." she said with a little shrug, pointing to the face of the clock on the far wall. I saw her off.
"Drive safe. We'll see you guys tonight." I waved from the porch. She saluted me with two fingers and revved up her motorcycle, speeding away. I was happy she'd be there tonight. Happy she knew; happy she was there for me. I guess it also made it easier that almost everyone I'll be seeing tonight knew what was up save for Dad. I was going to have to be the one to change that though, and the thought made me hyperventilate just a touch.
Closing the front door behind me, I went upstairs and knocked on Edythe's bedroom door.
"Edythe? You ready in there? We have to hurry up or we'll be late to Charlie's." The door swung open and she pulled me inside. She was tugging up at the zip on a pink floral dress, but you could tell she was having a little bit of trouble with it.
"Need help with that?" I offered, taking her shoulders.
"If you would be so kind." she answered in a quiet little voice. I couldn't help but laugh at that - it was a new side to her. And it was totally adorable. I moved the curtain of her bronze hair aside and my face flushed red as the beautiful contour of her back and shoulder blades were revealed to me. Without meaning to, I ran a finger down the hollow of her back where the zipper would meet, admiring how soft her skin felt under it. When I remembered what the heck I was supposed to be doing though, I quickly buttoned the top clasp of the pink dress and tugged on the zipper again. There was some resistance on the zipper's part as I pulled it over her waist but the fabric had a little give to it and I managed to make it go all the way up.
"How's this? Can you breathe?" I asked, biting my lip.
"Don't need to." She laughed, going over to the full-body mirror and doing a quick once-over of my handiwork. "Thank you." I was rewarded for my efforts with another kiss. She went back to the mirror and flattened the fabric down against herself, resting one hand on top of and one hand below the gentle curve of her stomach that was just barely starting to show.
"You know, I never thought I'd get to see myself like this, ever." She sighed, content. "To look into the mirror every day only to be met by the same reflection; the same exact image for an entire century. It gets tiring, somehow." She moved her hands a little, running them up and down the front of her dress. "You don't know how happy I am to see myself differently for once, Beau, and it's all thanks to you."
"I didn't really do much, you know." I laughed, feeling the red rush to my cheeks at the truth of the statement - I certainly felt like I got the easier end of the bargain, in any case. She was literally amazing, everything about her. I came up behind my wife and wrapped my arms around her waist, covering her hands with mine. Leaning down, I inhaled the sweet, intoxicating scent of her neck and pressed my lips to it, holding her tighter to me. She laughed and turned around, stretching her head up a little to reach my lips. Her cool hand pressed against my cheek and I brought mine up to meet it as we kissed again.
"I love you." she whispered.
"I love you, too." I answered right back. "And you too, of course." I said, dropping my hands to her stomach and feeling another flurry of movement brush up against them.
"He says he loves us, too." She stroked my face. "Now come on. We don't want to keep Charlie waiting." With that, she pulled me by the hand to the door.
"Think he'll notice if we don't say anything?" she asked, holding back a laugh like she already knew the answer to that. She pressed the dress fabric to her again, making that gentle curve even more noticeable.
"Well, I think my dad might have some questions, especially if you keep on doing that." I laughed, feeling my face heat up just anticipating his reaction... and the conclusion he's going to inevitably draw from those things put together.
"I'm counting on it." Edythe gave me a radiant smile that made my heart go into overdrive. Shrugging on our coats, we walked out the door together.
…
"I'm driving!" Edythe declared, grinning.
"Um, no you're not." I sprinted to claim the driver's seat of the Volvo for myself but obviously, she beat me to it and slammed the door shut in my face. I trudged over to the passenger side of the car giving her a dark look, still staring at her the whole time as I slid into the seat. "Fine, you win. But go slowly." I said, elongating the word for emphasis. "It's practically winter already, so there might be some ice on the road. Safety first."
She pursed her lips. "You have no faith in me." She started the car but I stopped her.
"Here." She narrowed her eyes at me as I pulled the seatbelt down over her lap and clicked it into place. "Much better. You may now proceed." I gestured to her then the cool gray road ahead of us. She let out a little huff and pulled out of the driveway but to my absolute shock, accelerated down the street at a very sensible pace.
"Happy?" she grumbled, but I could still hear the grin in her voice.
"Very." I nodded, leaning back in my seat.
We got to my place – I mean, my dad's place – a quarter to four. Jules, Bonnie, and the Clearwaters wouldn't be here for another two-ish hours, plenty of time to fill him in on old news. I just had to figure out how exactly to do that.
Edythe parked us perfectly in my old driveway. I shut the car door with the quietest little "thud" not wanting to alert my dad of our presence just yet, at least not until after I could breathe properly again. My nerves came out in a wheeze, and Edythe caught my arm and gave it a tiny shake.
"Oh, Beau. Don't be that way. He's your father, he'll understand."
"Yeah… that's what I'm kind of afraid of." I sighed, staring out in front of me at my looming house which made a giant shadow over us. That was certainly going to be some conversation. I might've feared this one even more than the one where I told Mom about my getting married all those weeks ago. Edythe strode forward with a big smile on her face and yanked on my arm, practically dragging me to my old front door and knocked on it very loudly, which I'm pretty sure she did on purpose. It wasn't two seconds before Charlie met us on the porch and his eyes softened, an expression of deep relief evident on his face. The shadow of a beard was forming on his chin and I knew that meant he'd been busy worrying. It made my stomach flip-flop again and without even thinking I pulled him into a hug.
"I've missed you, Dad." I whispered, happy I still had him in my life; that it wasn't goodbye – not yet, at least. And hopefully until much further notice.
"Missed you too, kiddo." he said in a voice just as quiet before going in to hug Edythe.
"Hi, Dad." She smiled at him and tossed me a sly, happy look from over his shoulder. I chuckled.
"Come inside, you two. It's freezing out there." Dad stepped to one side of the open door, giving us some room to enter. The minute we walked in, I instantly smelled hints of gravy and turkey stuffing in the air coming from the kitchen and my mouth began to water. "Wow, Dad. That actually smells great." I said, sounding a lot more surprised than I should have been. Not taking offense at the implication of my statement though, Dad just laughed.
"Yep. Turkey's already in the oven." He led us into the living room, motioning for us to take a seat on the worn green couch as he eased himself into his favorite recliner. So this was it. I took another breath to collect myself.
"Must've been some bug, huh?" Dad started, gnawing on his moustache. I looked to Edythe, but she motioned for me to continue.
"Um, yeah, about that…" My voice trailed off. Dad tilted his head.
"I take it that the two of you are feeling a lot better now though, right?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah, totally." My voice cracked and I tugged on the collar of my shirt. Dad narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me just then and I sang like a canary. "Actually… I wasn't really sick." I turned towards Edythe, pointing a guilty finger in her direction. "Just her." My cheeks flushed twenty shades of red. Dad's eyes flicked up towards the ceiling and he shifted his moustache from side-to-side, looking genuinely confused there for a second. A beaming smile played across Edythe's lips and we squeezed each other's hands, still looking at Charlie. It was only after another minute though that I saw him putting two and two together, so to speak.
"Oh, no." He clasped his hands together, pressing the middle of his touching fingers to the tip of his nose. Edythe rested a hand in her lap, tucking it between her thigh and under the faint, gentle curve of her torso. Dad pinched at the space between his eyes and let out a long, loud sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Let me guess, Beau... you didn't listen to me, did you?" Can I just die now? I guess seeing the mortified look on my face, Edythe brought a fist to her mouth, pretending her laugh was a cough.
"Beau and I-" she started up when she was done laughing at me. She motioned a finger between us, a radiant smile again lighting up her face. "We're going to be parents, Charlie." Her voice when she said that was filled with such an immense happiness that I had to stop and stare; it was all the joy in the world concentrated in the single breath of a phrase. Her eyes wavered a little, like they were filling up with tears and I realized just by looking at her now how special this must be for her; how special this is for us and my chest tightened a little. No matter what anyone said, no matter what anyone thought, she saw this as a blessing, our miracle, in every sense of the word. Naturally, so did I. I took my wife's hand; squeezed it.
And then Dad made this noise with his throat and his mouth fell open, looking from me to Edythe and back again. My stomach flipflopped.
"Um... surprise?" I winced. Dad went dead silent, his face hard-set like stone. His hands clenched themselves into two threatening fists atop his lap, and I could most definitely feel the whole "Mortal Danger" thing coming on which Arch was telling me about earlier when I saw the look on Charlie's red, red face. He lurched up from his chair with a huff looking directly at me, and I prepared myself for imminent death. My eyes narrowed in legit fear now as I saw Dad put both his hands on either side of his hips. His eyes burned a blazing brown and his lips twitched.
And then they pulled themselves up into the biggest, brightest smile I'd ever seen on him in my life.
"Well. What else can I say? Congratulations, kids."
He held his arms wide open. My jaw went slack and became one with the wooden floor while Edythe on the other hand let out a cheery laugh.
"Bring it in. Give this old grandpa a hug, you two." His voice grew thick but he was still all smiles as he wrapped his arms easily around the both of us and we could only pay him back in kind.
His eyes fell on Edythe. "You're freezing. Aren't you cold, hon? Let me get you a blanket." Before my wife could even answer, Dad all but sprinted to the couch at top speed, grabbing the blue blanket hung on it and threw it over her shoulders. She smiled a silent "thank you" at him.
"Have you told Renee yet?" Charlie asked. I shook my head.
"You're the first." Though it was a lie, I knew it was a necessary one to tell. "I really don't think Mom's ready to be called "grandma" yet."
"You… certainly have a point." Dad agreed with a nod and laughed. "I guess you might want to hold off on that for now. Maybe next time she comes up here." I nodded at Dad's suggestion. "Was this why the two of you didn't want to head up to school just yet?" His voice was soft; non-judgmental. It was a relief to hear his words come out like that. I shrugged, biting my lip - though it wasn't the whole truth, it was close enough. "Yeah. It really threw us for a loop."
"Oh, I bet it did." He nodded like he understood it all and laughed again.
"You don't know the half of it." I muttered. Edythe gave my knee a squeeze then like she was telling me to shut up. I guess that was wise, Dad didn't need to know anything else.
"Do you need any help preparing the food for tonight, Charlie?" Edythe asked and stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her skirt. She laced her fingers in front of her and showed Dad a helpful smile. Charlie moved his hand up and down in the air, motioning for her to sit down.
"No, I can't ask you to do that-"
"Please, I insist." She flashed her dimples at him. The light-colored contacts she was wearing made her eyes look even bigger and she fluttered her lashes at him. Dad kind of just blinked at her, his cheeks flushing the lightest shade of pink. I guess even he couldn't help it, either.
"Well. Alrighty, then." Dad mumbled and got to his feet. "Maybe you two can help me toss the salad." He started towards the kitchen and we followed after him. Edythe slid her hand in mine and when Dad was out of earshot, I leaned down and began to whisper in her ear. "You don't have to do this, you know. Just leave it to me."
She shook her head, smiling. "But I want to. Come on." She tugged on my hand again. By the time we got in there, Dad had already taken out the greens and the vinaigrette dressing, a big glass bowl ready to go on the kitchen counter. Edythe and I came up beside him and we took turns tossing the salad, one of us sprinkling in splashes of dressing while the other mixed everything up. Later on, Dad had me check on the small turkey in the oven every couple of minutes.
"So, are you two looking forward to parenthood?" Dad asked, putting a dollop of canned cranberry sauce in the bowl of stuffing.
"Very much so." Edythe piped in a bright voice. Hearing her answer, I quickly nodded to match her enthusiasm.
"Yeah, definitely. It's pretty crazy, though." I admitted with a shrug. "But I'm excited, too."
"Well, I'm very happy for you both." Dad and Edythe smiled at the exact same time and I wondered what was going through their minds. Seeing the look on my face, Edythe motioned for me to come closer.
"Yeah?" I whispered.
She let out a silvery chuckle. "He's remembering when he and Renee brought you home. You were kind of a surprise too, you know. But he wouldn't have it any other way." I laughed thinking about that – looking at Charlie now, it was hard for me to imagine the guy who married a beautiful girl he met on the beach after a whirlwind summer romance; even harder to believe I could have ever surprised him in any way.
"What are you kids whispering about over there?" Charlie called from across the kitchen.
"Nothing." I answered, chuckling. "Nothing at all."
…
I helped set the table, circling around once, twice, three times; first with the plates then with the napkins and utensils which I neatly arranged on top of them. Dad brought out the turkey, putting it in the center of the dining room table while Edythe came by with the salad, poking some stainless-steel salad tongs into the big, leafy greens to serve it with – not that she was going to eat much of anything on the table anyways. I wondered how she was going to swing that, but I guess it wasn't too big of a deal since our guests were already in on her secret and it was only Dad you had to worry about. Of those guests, Jules and Bonnie were the first to arrive. I heard the doorbell ring and let them in, stepping to one side to give them some room to enter.
"Hi, Bonnie." I waved. She narrowed her eyes warily at me. "Hello there, Beau." she finally sighed, pressing her lips together and nodding once like it hurt her to see me. When she passed by though, she gave my arm a gentle squeeze - maybe that meant I was forgiven. I watched her disappear into the kitchen then turned my gaze back on Jules.
"Hey, Jules." I greeted her like I didn't already see her this morning.
"Hey, Beau." We hugged it out but the instant it was over, Jules whammed a rectangular Pyrex dish covered in plastic wrap hard into my chest and I kinda gagged from the sudden impact. "Ouch." I muttered under my breath. She laughed out loud when she saw my face. "We got you guys something." She pointed at the glass platter in my hands. I looked down and saw what it was – brownies. I remembered Bonnie used to make these all the time for us growing up and I smiled. They were my favorites, and Jules knew that.
"Thanks." We walked together to where everyone else was and the instant I stepped foot into the kitchen, it felt like an arctic wind was blowing through the place in the look Bonnie gave Edythe and vice versa, and I think Edythe actually even hissed at one point. Of course, this was all happening when Dad's back was turned on them. Jules and I gave each other a knowing look and laughed super quietly together at the exact same time. She started towards her mom and I started towards Edythe, taking her hand in mine.
"She's on our side." I reminded with a laugh, leading her to the living room so it was just us two now.
"Old habits die hard." she whispered viciously into my ear. I was about to say something, but she shushed me with a little wag of her finger. "And that is only if at all." She stared up at me again with her beautiful glittery eyes and this angry little pout so I had to look away, lest my face would melt off completely with all the burning red patches on my cheeks which her look inspired in me.
"Beau? Are you alright?" Concerned, she turned me round to face her but laughed when she saw the splotches.
"Wow. I guess I am pretty good at that." she mused with a chuckle.
"Just try to be nice, okay?" I mumbled, looking everywhere else in the living room but at her.
"Always am." She beamed.
"Keep telling yourself that." I nodded very slowly. Tracing the red blooms on my cheeks with her cold fingertips, she laughed again.
"You're impossible. Utterly absurd." she purred, throwing her arms around my neck and covering my lips with hers. My arms tightened around the curves of her hips and I pressed her tighter to me.
…
The Clearwaters arrived just before seven. Saul told my dad that Holly had stayed behind because she was tired – she had a heart attack last year I know, so she was probably still recovering. But a part of me couldn't help but wonder if she just didn't want to see Edythe long as she could help it and the thought made me upset, even when I knew I couldn't really blame her. I tried not to think about it, though; to save it for another day.
"Hi, Saul." I greeted as casually as I could and took from him another rectangular Pyrex like the one Jules and Bonnie had brought brownies in, only this was a platter of green bean casserole instead.
"It's been a while, Beau." He showed me a tight smile and didn't even bother to look at Edythe, who was standing right next to me. He disappeared into the kitchen to greet Dad, and coming up right behind him was Lee then Sarah.
"Hey, guys." I showed them a little wave.
"Hi Beau! Hi Edythe!" Sarah gave each of us a big hug before joining her dad in the kitchen. I was glad to see her, just being near her was enough to make me smile. Lee on the other hand just kind of mumbled a quick "hello" or at least the semblance of one. He was following behind his little sister but stopped just then and looked right at me.
"Jules in there?" he asked, angling his chin in the direction of the kitchen and dining room.
"Um, yes?" I answered in a shaky voice. He scoffed once and parted his lips, the whites of his teeth grit behind them, his jaw hard. Hostility pulsed from his look in waves - it was never easy to know that someone could hate you so much, and it made me feel so small.
He took a step forward, his burning eyes the same level as my own. "I honestly don't know what she sees in you, but you better thank your lucky stars that you have a friend like her who's willing to stick around even when it hurts. There's no one better. I hope you realize that and can grow a pair; find it in you someday to stop torturing her. She deserves so much better than that." His eyes narrowed angrily when they met mine and I swallowed hard at the truth in his words. I felt a lump forming in my throat like it was choking me and my heart dipped into the pit of my stomach, making me feel sick. Just like his dad, Lee pretended not to see Edythe and it felt like only a biting, gelid wind was left in his wake; like coming down the stairs one day and realizing the front door was left open all night when it was below freezing outside.
Jules. I had the urge to go see her again and started following after Lee, but Edythe pulled me back to her with one tug.
"He's still hurting. That's why he said all those things." she told me, trying to get me to stay. I could feel my arms tensing under Edythe's fingers and I let a breath out through my nose; stopped walking. I guess Jules was only in the other room anyways, we'll meet again soon enough. Remembering something else though - a big something at that, too - I gasped.
"Beau? What's wrong?" Edythe stroked my face.
"I'm sorry." I began, realizing she still deserved an apology, too.
"Sorry? About what this time?" She let out a quiet laugh.
"About … you know, what happened between Jules and I," I bit my lip, guilt tripping up the words I needed to say.
Edythe stopped me. Inhaling a sharp breath, she closed her eyes and shook her head. "I know it wasn't your fault. I don't blame Julie, either. She was hurting, too."
But I had to wonder to myself, was being hurt enough to justify being careless with someone else's feelings? How I was careless with Jules when Edythe left? I clung to her, pushing her down into the water just so I could stay afloat. When Lee said those things, that was exactly what flashed through my mind; it was what made me feel the absolute worst. I tried to shake the thought away for now, wanting to concentrate again on what I was getting at with Edythe because I knew I was being careless with her feelings, too. My eyes found hers and I stroked her cheek. "I'm also sorry for, you know, forcing such a difficult position on you, especially tonight. I just want to thank you for putting up with us all." I tried to laugh but it didn't really come out right. She was looking up at me now, her lips forming a gentle smile.
"Apology accepted." She brought her face nearer to mine, her lips brushing soft against my own.
…
It was a noisy dinner. Loud, boisterous laughter echoed out all around us at inside jokes, fishing horror stories and the best days of our parents' lives. Whenever there was a lull or a small dropoff in conversation and someone would ask someone else to pass the turkey or casserole or stuffing or salad to them, Dad would glance at me and Edythe expectantly, wondering when we were going to announce our good news to the guests I'm sure. We didn't have to I know, and it wasn't very good news to most of them anyways but I wondered if we should do it just for show; to carry on the charade. Dad might question things otherwise since we didn't really have a good reason not to tell his best friends, if you know what I mean. Edythe filled up her plate with just a couple bites of everything and genuinely smiled when she brought the fork to her lips, so I'm guessing the baby must have liked the food because I knew for a fact that my wife did not. Both Bonnie and Saul were looking incredulously at Edythe from across the table, trying to hide that they were looking at all in the first place.
"They're totally mystified by how human I look right now." Edythe explained, whispering it in my ear. "It almost makes me want to take this whole human thing one step further." She flashed me a grin and during one of those lulls in conversation I mentioned earlier, Dad gave us that look again and this time, Edythe pushed her empty plate away from her and stood us both up, hooking one arm under both of mine and whisking me to my feet so quickly I nearly fell over backwards. Dad was grinning from ear to ear while Bonnie and Saul just kind of stared at us, an unreadable expression on their faces. Jules gave me a small, discreet "thumbs up" sign and showed me a smile that almost looked like she was making fun of me while Sarah's eyes were shining with excitement. Lee just kind of rolled his eyes at us and shoved a giant spoonful of casserole into his mouth, chewing it very fast. Needless to say, I don't think he was too thrilled about it.
Edythe looked directly at Charlie now and nodded at him very slightly, scanning her eyes over everyone else a moment later. And just like that, I knew the charade had begun.
"We have a very special announcement to make." She laced her hands in front of her and her voice rose with excitement despite the fact that everyone kind of already knew. "Beau and I…" she bit her lip, motioning from me to herself, "we're going to be parents. Surprise!" She flattened the fabric over her torso, making the gentle curve of her stomach that much more noticeable. Bonnie and Saul's eyes widened a little because now they actually had proof that it was all true; that this was for real. Dad on the other hand just nodded proudly - I really had nothing to worry about earlier, he was totally thrilled for us.
"Wow, that's amazing news. Congratulations!" Jules was the first to speak. Only I could tell there was a hint of laughter in her voice when she said the words. And the Oscar goes to… I grinned at her. Like I said, with Jules, you'd always be in on the joke.
"I'm so happy for you both!" Sarah was next. Her eyes lit up – I mean, this was technically the first time we were officially announcing it to her - and I knew she meant those words completely. It made me smile too, she just had that effect on you. Maybe his little sister's enthusiasm rubbed off on him, because even Lee managed a quick, almost genuine "Congrats."
"Very happy for you both." Saul's voice was gruff as it left his lips and he leaned back in his chair, still holding his fork tight in his hand. Bonnie was the last to speak. She lifted her head, narrowing her eyes.
"Congratulations." Her hard voice was edged in ice, but I don't think Dad noticed.
"Thank you." Edythe graciously bowed her head, acknowledging both Bonnie's icy words and everyone else's prior comments regardless if they were made with the best of intentions or not. I mean, you really had to hand it to her. She squeezed my hand one last time and we sat back down again. Conversation resumed around the table once more, but things were a little quieter this time around, and I think I knew why. Just before dessert was served, Edythe pressed two fingers to the space between her eyes, squeezing them shut like she suddenly had a bad headache or something.
"I think I might need to go lie down for a bit. I'm so sorry." Her voice was regretful, but I couldn't tell if she was just saying that so she wouldn't have to eat any more human food or if she was really feeling sick. She pushed the chair out behind her and stood up, head lowered. My body tensed as I watched her walk up the stairs to my old bedroom at Dad's urging and I thought to follow her.
Jules handed me one of her mom's brownies. "Here, maybe you can take this up to her." she said loud enough for everyone to hear.
Dad nodded his approval. "Great idea, Jules." She showed him a smile and wrapped my fingers over the napkin the brownie was on.
"Thanks." I gave her shoulder a squeeze and hurried up the stairs, letting myself into my old room. Edythe was already propped up on the bed.
"Hey." I said, closing the door behind me. "Are you okay?" I slid in beside her. She nodded.
"I'm fine. Just needed to change my contacts." She gestured to her eyes. "Wouldn't want to freak out your dad, right?" She chuckled once, but was looking down. Her palm pressed into my mattress and she leaned all her weight on the one spot - something else was on her mind. "And…" she started with a hesitating breath, "I was reading their thoughts – Bonnie's and Saul's, that is. They're very… conflicted. They do want to be happy for us, but they're just so scared. It was exhausting to overhear, they're very stressed about it." she sighed. I figured as much. They had nothing to worry about though, I was confident in that. I leaned over and put my hands on her stomach. Another little flutter came up to meet me; like it was reassuring me, too.
Edythe put her hands over mine. "And your son was kicking my ribs again, of course. But I must say, he quite enjoyed his first Thanksgiving meal for the most part. He was just full." She laughed. I chuckled.
"But there's always room for dessert." I took the brownie and opened the paper it was wrapped in to reveal the little square of chocolate goodness. Tearing off a small piece, I bounced it around in my hand and held it out to my wife. "Bonnie made these all the time when I was growing up. They're my favorites, maybe he'll like them, too. Here, try it." She took the little piece from me and ate it, closing her eyes. A few seconds later she opened them and nodded. "Approved." She laughed, laying herself back down on my old bed again. I joined her then, our hands holding on tight to each other between us.
…
Saul, Lee, and Sarah left a little before ten, Jules and Bonnie around eleven. Edythe and I helped Dad clean up afterwards. I started on the dishes, soaking the messiest platters with water and a squirt of dish soap before scrubbing them out a couple minutes later. Edythe went to wipe down the table but Dad stopped her as quick as he could.
"I'll take it from here, thanks hon. You've been on your feet so long, go and sit down." He took the cloth from her.
"I really am perfectly fine, Charlie." she assured, gently taking the rag back from him.
"Sorry, sorry. I was like this with his mom too, you know." He motioned his chin in my direction, chuckling.
"You've nothing to apologize for." Edythe showed him another winsome smile. Dad returned it, easily.
"I'll tell you what – I'm sure I have some of Beau's old baby things sitting around somewhere in the house. I'll be right back." He pointed a finger behind him and dashed up the stairs before we could even say anything. Edythe and I exchanged a grin - it felt nice that Dad was so excited for us; that he was supportive. I knew we were lucky for that. After finishing off the last of the dishes I came up behind my wife, bringing my hand over hers and we wiped down the table together.
"Thanks, you two. Knew I had these somewhere." We turned to see Dad lumbering down the stairs with this giant cardboard box in his arms that was nearly blocking his view. I ran over and took it from him, putting it down on the fresh-cleaned dining room table. Dad opened the top two flaps and showed us what was inside – old baby clothes, toys, bibs, and blankets. It wasn't too much (Mom had the rest), but it was a pretty decent collection. "All yours." Dad announced.
"Wow, thanks Dad." I flashed him a grin.
"This is perfect." Edythe declared.
"I'm glad. Thought you might have some use for them one day… just didn't think it was going to be this soon." Dad chuckled. Though his words seemed to suggest otherwise, I could tell he was really, really happy. "I'll help you load all this up in the car-"
"No worries, Dad. I got this." I picked up the ginormous box before he could even protest and turned towards the door. Edythe and Charlie trailed after me though, eyes wide and arms out to steady me if I ever looked at risk for falling flat on my face because apparently, they had absolutely zero faith in my fine motor skills. It was almost insulting. I set out to prove them wrong though and somehow, I managed to make it down the porch steps in one piece even with the big old box obscuring my vision. Ha, in your face! I laughed triumphantly and tossed a smug look over my shoulder at Edythe especially. Of course, right after doing that I walked straight into the hood of the Volvo and the box whammed hard into my chest, making me let out a choking cough. Edythe sprinted towards me at top human speed but realizing I was more or less alright, she wrapped her arms tight over her stomach, shoulders literally rolling with her silent laughter. I blew up a breath and narrowed my eyes at her. It only made her laugh even harder.
"Oh, Beau." she breathed out, wiping an invisible tear from her eye.
"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead, laugh all you want," I grumbled.
"I already did." she said, but then let out another bright, ringing chuckle so apparently that was a lie.
"You okay there, sport?" Dad came up to us and clapped my back with his hand.
"I'm grand." I muttered.
"Here." Edythe already had the trunk open and took the box from me, setting it down easily. It was no effort for her at all you could tell, even Dad looked kind of impressed. It was almost time to go, so we walked Dad back to the house and went to grab our coats. I held Edythe's out for her to slide on then shrugged into my own. Then we stepped outside again onto my old porch - I wasn't used to calling it that; my 'old' porch, because it still felt like I was coming home instead of leaving for it.
I gave Dad a big hug. "It was really, really great to see you, Dad." And I meant that. I hadn't realized just how much I missed him.
"Same here. The both of you. And congratulations again, kids. You two are going to be great parents." Dad pulled us into another giant hug.
"Take care of yourself, Charlie. We'll see you soon." Edythe gave his hand a squeeze. We started towards the car and once we were both buckled up inside, she pulled out of my old driveway with ease and entered onto the main road. Dad stayed looking after us until we were out of sight.