Chapter 4: News
After they delivered the staff to Iris, Annabeth wasn't quite ready to end her evening with Percy. So she suggested, "Want to go to the skate park?"
His eyes lit up. "Seriously? Sure!"
They had to go back to the Upper East Side for Percy to grab his skateboard, but there was a park a few blocks from his apartment that he liked, so they went there. The park wasn't crowded, which was nice. While Percy did some runs, Annabeth sat near the fence with her sketchbook, just doodling designs for fun, and occasionally glancing up to watch her boyfriend land a trick.
They stayed until the sun set and darkness began to fall over the park.
The next evening, Annabeth headed back over to the Jackson-Blofis apartment for dinner. She'd brought along her most recent baking class project. They were working on different types of buttercreams; this week was Italian buttercream, so she'd made cupcakes and topped them with the silky frosting (a little extra thick, the way she knew Percy liked). As she'd hoped, his expression brightened when he opened the apartment door to let her in.
"Sweet," he said. "Literally."
"Ha ha," Annabeth said, but she smiled and kissed him. A slight scent of chlorine still hung around him, even though he'd clearly showered, judging by his damp hair. "How was your swim meet?"
"Pretty good," Percy said, shutting the door. "I got third place in diving. Because, you know, I've had a lot of experience falling off stuff."
Annabeth actually laughed then. "You have. Glad it finally paid off."
"Me too." Percy kissed her cheek. "Come on, let's show off these cupcakes."
When Sally complimented her cupcakes, Annabeth couldn't help tearing up. It felt good to get praise from an adult she respected. Plus, part of the reason Annabeth had taken this baking class was because she and Sally had done some baking together last spring, while Percy was missing, and she'd found she enjoyed it.
Annabeth followed Sally into the kitchen to set her cupcakes on the counter, while Percy wandered over to talk to Paul. Sally asked her about the type of frosting she'd used, so Annabeth gave her the rundown on the Italian buttercream, and how next week they would be working on French buttercream, then maybe Swiss meringue. "I didn't even know there were this many types," Annabeth admitted.
"It's a lot," Sally agreed. "Although I typically just do a cream cheese frosting or an American buttercream. They're quick and easy."
"And still delicious," Annabeth said.
"Of course." Sally smiled. Then she glanced over to where Percy and Paul were talking and her expression grew more serious. "I'm glad you're here tonight, Annabeth. I wanted to talk to you about something, before I tell Percy."
"Okay?" A nervous, uneasy feeling settled over Annabeth's stomach, though she wasn't sure why.
Sally must have seen this in her expression, because she waved her hand, the smile returning. "Oh nothing bad, dear. We're just going to share some big news with Percy tonight and I think I know how he'll take it, but I'm glad you're here, just in case he needs to talk to someone else about it."
"Okay." Annabeth exhaled in relief. "I mean, of course, I'm always here for him if he needs something."
"I know." Sally gave her a quick hug. "And I hope you know that I'm here if you ever need anything."
"Thanks, Sally. I really appreciate that." Annabeth had to blink fast again, then got ahold of herself. "So, can I get a clue about this big news?"
"Oh, I think it'll be pretty obvious." Sally winked. "But I doubt my son saw this coming."
Annabeth laughed, glancing over at Percy as she did so. He met her eyes briefly, but she just grinned at him. He gave her a suspicious look, then shrugged and went back to his conversation with Paul. "He's a pretty smart guy, but he can be oblivious when he wants to be. I mean, I kissed him in Mt. St. Helens and it still took him another year to ask me out."
Sally laughed as she bent to get the lasagna out of the oven. "In his defense, it sounded like you guys had a lot of other things on your plates at the time, too."
"We did." Annabeth picked up the basket of garlic bread and set it on the table. "It's much nicer now. The only issue is these college recommendation letters. Not easy, exactly, but it feels much more manageable."
"Between the two of you and Grover, I know you'll get it figured out." Sally set the lasagna on the table, then gave Annabeth's arm a gentle squeeze before calling into the living room, "Dinner's ready!"
As soon as Percy asked his mom about her lack of wine, Annabeth had a pretty educated guess about what the news would be. And she appreciated why Sally had asked her to have Percy's back if he needed it. A new baby was wonderful news—and also a major change. She forced herself to stay in the present moment and gauge Percy's reaction, rather than let her old feelings about her family resurface.
When Sally finally said, "I'm pregnant," Annabeth felt the room freeze. Sally was holding her son's hand, a brave smile on her face, happy but also concerned, watching his face. Paul, who had previously been tapping his fingers, had gone still. Annabeth kept her eyes on her boyfriend's expression, trying to decide how he was going to react.
But none of them should have worried. Once Percy clarified that he had heard correctly, a massive grin broke across his face. Annabeth's shoulders dropped as he said, "That is awesome," and hurried around the table to hug Paul. Sally was beaming, while simultaneously blinking tears from her eyes. Annabeth felt her own eyes well up, especially once Percy hugged his mom. Just the happiness around the table was overwhelming. Annabeth took the opportunity to hug Paul and tell him congratulations, then Sally, too. And she might have had to blink back tears again when Percy's mom squeezed her tightly.
The rest of dinner was good. Afterward, Percy volunteered to do the dishes and Annabeth offered to help him.
"Good news, right?" she asked quietly as he passed her a plate to dry. Sally and Paul were in the living room; their soft voices and the sounds of a gameshow drifted into the kitchen.
"Great news," he said, smiling again. Annabeth had known him since they were twelve years old, so she knew this smile meant he was really, genuinely very happy. And that made her happy.
She kissed his cheek. "I think you'll make a very cute big brother."
"Thanks." Percy grinned at her. "You going to help me babysit?"
"Of course." Annabeth dried another plate and put it back in the cabinet. "That'll be something to look forward to on our college breaks."
"Definitely." Percy paused washing the lasagna pan and let it drift gently back into the water. "There's a lot of good things to look forward to."
Annabeth's shriek when he suddenly grabbed her, soapy hands and all, was cut off when he kissed her. A really good kiss. Like, under the Parthenon good. When she could think again, Annabeth was grateful that the kitchen wall shielded them from Sally and Paul's view.
"What—what was that for?" she asked, her voice coming out more than a bit breathless. She was grateful he was still holding her, even if the soap on his arms was leaving damp spots on her t-shirt.
"I'm just really happy. About all the good stuff coming." He kissed her again, softer this time. "And I'm glad you were here tonight."
Annabeth's breath caught. One hand still held the dishtowel, but with her other hand she traced her thumb along his jawline, where there was just the faintest hint of stubble. This time, she kissed him. "Me too."
Later, riding the subway back to her dorm, Annabeth closed her eyes, leaning back in her seat. She was grateful to have been a part of this evening. She'd meant what she said to Percy, too, about him being in a different place regarding this baby than she'd been when her stepbrothers arrived. And, honestly, she was, too. After the chaos of the last few years, it was nice to have multiple good things to look forward to.
*This chapter was really hard to write for some reason. But I hope it turned out okay and you enjoyed reading it. Next chapter will be up in a week or two. Thanks as always for reading!*
