6. Surprise
Chapter 6
Surprise
Darcy || 13 weeks pregnant, September
T he night following brunch with my parents I couldn’t stop thinking about how Tatum stood up for me. No one has ever stood up to my father like that, and admittedly, it was hot as fuck. Tatum’s vein popping as he clenched and unclenched his fist under the table, the protective arm he wrapped around me, and the way he repeatedly checked in on me until we got home and I passed out. Now, three weeks later, I’m standing in front of the mirror, noticing how my black yoga pants are hugging my thighs a little tighter and my stomach looks a little swollen. I throw on a light green, oversized flannel that hangs off my shoulders revealing the lace strap of my cream bralette to show off the small wave tattoo that adorns my collarbone. It’s a small, but meaningful, reminder of my happy place. My long hair is in a messy braid hanging on my opposite shoulder. I pull my phone out, snapping a pic to show the girls, Ko, Harls, and Sin.
Kodi
OMG! A little bump!
Me
I think it’s just water weight?
Sin
Might be but it’s still cute. Have you been doing monthly photos?
Me
No! Omg, I’m going to start making Tatum take them for me. I mean I’m only thirteen weeks along so we didn’t miss too many.
Harls
Yes! Document this journey. It’ll be cool to see how you change and then see the blob outside of the womb.
Kodi
You’re calling it a blob, too? Ugh.
Me
What else are we supposed to call it? We don’t know if it’s he or she yet, so blob it is.
“Hey, you about ready?” Tatum’s voice causes me to jump.
“How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to watch you take a picture of your stomach,” he says, stepping into the room, “may I touch it?”
“Um, sure. I don’t think you’ll feel anything and it’s mostly water weight I think.”
“That’s okay, I just want to say hello to our little blob.” He steps closer to me, dropping to his knees in front of me and I’m going to blame the pregnancy hormones for the way my pussy clenches at the sight.
“Kodi still thinks it’s weird we are calling it a blob.” I laugh as he gently presses a hand to my stomach.
“Hi, little dude or lady. It’s your dad here, just saying hello.” He speaks directly to my stomach and for some reason it makes me giggle and Tate looks up at me with his brow furrowed, “What?”
“I’m sorry it’s not you, this is very sweet, it’s just also very weird to me. I think that after the gender appointment they might be able to hear you.”
“That’s fair, this whole situation is a little weird, isn’t it?” He asks me.
“It definitely is. We need to take monthly photos to document my stomach growing, can you take one quick? Then we can go.” Tatum pulls his phone out quickly as I stand against the empty wall in my room, facing sideways and letting a small smile grace my face. Then Tatum does something that surprises me, he steps forward and gently lays his left hand back on my stomach snapping another photo before pocketing his phone.
“Thanks, let's get out of here.”
* * *
We barely make it out of the car before Tatum's mom and seventeen-year-old twin sisters have their arms wrapped around us, squealing that they missed him so much and telling me how beautiful I am.
“She is, isn’t she?” Tatum says to them. I’ve chosen to forgo makeup today, which gives them a clear view of my cheeks flushing at his praise.
“Okay, people, let the woman breathe.” Tatum chuckles as they detangle themselves from around us. Up on the porch stands an older, yet still handsome, version of Tatum—his greying hair and numerous crinkles at the corner of his eye stand out to me as he grins at our approach. He wraps Tate in a hug before introducing himself.
“Hi, sweetheart. I’m Walter, this is my wife, Rose, and our daughters, Tessa and Tinsley. I think they forgot to introduce themselves in the excitement of things.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Walter. I see now where Tate gets his good looks from.” They all laugh at this and instantly I feel ten times more comfortable here than I did at my family brunch.
“Any friend of our Tate is welcome here.” Rose chimes in, smiling at her husband with so much love and adoration that my heart squeezes inside of my chest. It twinges in a more painful way, when my mind pieces together that Tatum told them ahead of time I am just his friend. I know I shouldn’t hope for more and that I’m the one who wanted a one-night stand, but the decision is slowly starting to come back and haunt me.
Following Walter inside, I notice the aura of their home is much different from the one I grew up in. It smells inviting, like freshly baked vanilla cookies. On almost every wall are pictures of family vacations, baby Tatum and his siblings, senior photos from all three kids, and other precious family memories—I can’t help but wonder how similar our baby will look compared to Tatum as a child. His hair much lighter, a carefree and lopsided grin on his face, his eyes still bright as ever. To the left of the entryway sits a family room that is, somehow, covered in more family photos. Two small, gray couches sit on opposite sides of a coffee table holding a few board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly. Across from the living room is a dining space, with fresh flowers sitting atop an oakwood table with six place settings. Speaking of food, whatever Rose has cooked up smells like comfort, matching the vibes of these people and this home. We file into the room, Tessa and Tinsley following Rose into the kitchen to help her bring the food to the table, when I offered to help I was told to have a seat because guests don’t work in this home.
Ten minutes later, our bowl-shaped plates—the superior kind of plate if I do say so myself—are piled high with pot roast, mashed potatoes, and cornbread. We sit chatting lightly about Tates work and the wedding, enjoying our meals for a few moments before our blob decides that they are not enjoying the meal as much as I thought.
Tate leans in, whispering under his breath, “Are you okay?”
“Nope, bathroom.”
“First door on the left.”
I’m out of my chair and leaning over the toilet before Tate could say anything else, and I hear him get up to follow me, based on the grating of his chair legs across the floor.
“Sorry, you had to witness that,” I sigh. I rinse my mouth in the sink and snag some mouthwash from the cabinet underneath. “We only have eight to ten more weeks of this, at least that's what the internet says to expect... Hopefully.”
“I’m sorry, D. You okay to go back in there?”
“Yep.” We make our way back to the dining room where everyone else is still eating.
“Darcy, are you okay sweetheart?” Rose asks, her eyes seeming to see right through me; her furrowed eyebrows and pursed lips cluing me in that our blob may not be a secret any longer. Tate pushes my chair back into the table after I’ve sat. I look up at Tate, attempting to gauge if this is the time to break the news or not. Taking his seat beside me again, he gives me an encouraging nod.
“The food is delicious, Rose, really. I would have liked to eat some more of it. I just… well… I can’t…” I sputter, feeling more nervous about sharing the news with Tate’s family than my own. Despite feeling welcomed here, I’m still uncomfortable at the idea of just spitting out such big news.
“What Darcy is trying to say,” Tate announces, taking over for me, “is that she was enjoying dinner until our child decided that they didn’t enjoy it.” Tate, in a show of support, moves his chair closer and wraps his arm protectively around me just like he did at family brunch three weeks ago—only this time, it feels more like a comfort rather than a shield.
Simultaneously, Tessa and Tinsley begin squealing about becoming aunties, Walter chokes on his water, and Rose starts to sob.
“Now, before anyone gets too excited,” interrupts Tatum, shooting a pointed glare at his sisters that quiets them almost immediately. “We have some important details you all should know. We are not in a romantic relationship, and we might never be. We spent one night together, this,” continues Tatum, gesturing towards Blobby, “pregnancy happened, and we decided that we want to raise this child together under one roof as a co-parenting family rather than separately.”
“Ew, Tate, you didn't have to spell out that you had sex,” Tessa groans, while Tinsley mimes barfing, to my amusement.
“Well, I must say that I am surprised, but still so excited for the both of you. I’m going to be a Gramma,” Rose says, batting at some tears. “Regardless of your relationship status, you are now a part of this family, Darcy, and will always be welcome in our home.”
My heart pinches in my chest, tears prick the back of my eyes and I feel Tate’s hand rubbing circles on my lower back.
“Thank you, your support means so much. Our kid is going to be lucky to have all of you in their life.”
“And they will be really lucky to have you both as parents.” Walter smiles beside his tearful wife, I can see emotions swimming in his eyes. The happiness, the surprise, the excitement.
With full bellies, and overflowing hearts, we eventually move over to the living room with Tatum and Walter leaving us girls to chat. Rose delves right in, asking me how I’m feeling, how my parents reacted, and a multitude of other questions regarding my life and pregnancy. The twins offer to babysit for a hefty fee, drawing Rose’s ire. She wastes no time, telling them that, as aunties, they provide babysitting for the low price of free—it’s written into the job description. Eventually the men return, joining us, and we play one very long and very competitive game of Monopoly before Tatum and I have to head out.
The next morning, to our surprise, we open our front door and find a giant box addressed to Tate and me. Within, we discover a plethora of baby clothes, preggy pops, baby bottles, stuffies, and books—along with a note from Rose. Sniffling as I read the note, I am overtaken by the overwhelming amount of love and support given by Tatum's mom.
Darcy and Tatum, I couldn’t help myself, I had to start my Gramma shopping this morning. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Please call me if you can think of anything you need or, Darcy, if you are ever wanting someone to talk to about pregnancy or motherhood with. I love you both, Mama Rose.
Is this what family is supposed to feel like?