31. Turned Into More
TURNED INTO MORE
“This month it’s babies galore,” Gabriela said on Saturday.
They were at her brother’s house for his birthday. Justine wanted to have dinner and cake. Nothing major, just pizza and wings, that she was dying for.
“It seems to be,” her mother said, reaching into the box and snagging a slice of the veggie one.
She grabbed one of those and one pepperoni. She’d come back for wings.
They all sat at the table. Her brother’s house had been small before he got married.
But the addition he and Justine added last year almost doubled the size with them moving all the bedrooms upstairs, going from two bedrooms to four, and the two bedrooms downstairs converting to an office and bigger living room and kitchen.
They’d stayed at her parents’ house while the bulk of the work was done.
It worked out well she had the house to herself now.
“The family is expanding faster than most can keep up,” Garrett said.
He glanced at Justine. Almost too quick.
Like a knowing grin and back to his food.
Gabriela wanted to ask what that was about, but decided it wasn’t her place.
She didn’t like everyone always wanting to know her personal business.
But like she’d told Luca, it was getting harder for people not to say something.
Though she and Luca didn’t work at the same time, they weren’t making a secret of their relationship.
They worked out at the gym together multiple times a month.
They went to dinner and lunch during those five days they had off together too.
Maybe not as much now with the weather having been miserable, but they still were seen.
Just not by anyone who worked at the hospital.
Or not that she’d noticed.
Yet it didn’t stop Kate from poking at her, throwing sly hints and asking how her dating life was going.
As if she knew Gabriela wasn’t single but was waiting for her to admit it.
She would next time... once she had that conversation with Luca.
“Grace is doing well. Baby Wesley seems to be up and wanting to eat nonstop,” her mother said.
“If I had Grace cooking for me all the time, I’d never sleep,” she said around a mouthful.
“Now you’re being silly,” her father said.
“Always. What about Natalie?” she asked. “She had the baby after my last day. Did I hear what they named him?”
Natalie Bond, a distant cousin of hers.
“Graham,” her mother said.
“Nope, didn’t hear that. I would have remembered that.”
“Natalie is complaining that she doesn’t get to hold her son as much. Arik won’t give him up.”
She laughed. “That’s very sweet.”
And made her think of Luca. He’d be the same way. She had no doubt.
“Any word on their wedding?” Justine asked. “Or staying engaged for a bit?”
“I think I heard in the spring. Maybe May? It will be at The Retreat.”
“Not surprising,” she said. Since Natalie worked there, she’d have access to available dates of her choosing.
“May is good,” Justine said.
There was that smirk again. What the hell?
She wasn’t going to let them off the hook. “You’ll just need to buy a bigger dress, huh?” she asked.
Justine’s jaw dropped. “How did you know?”
“Yes,” she said, putting her fist in the air, standing up and doing a little dance, then spinning in a circle. “I called it.”
“Are you pregnant?” her mother asked, moving closer and ready to grab her daughter-in-law in for a tight squeeze.
“I am,” Justine said. “Due July fifteenth, so a little over four months.”
Her mother pulled Justine close, giving her a huge hug, then Gabriela nudged her mother out of the way and did the same. “I can’t believe you kept this a secret the whole time.”
Garrett’s smile dropped and she felt her heart pound more than it should be. “We weren’t sure. Or we were, but then...”
“Then I started to bleed a few weeks after I tested positive. They said it was normal and fine, everything still looked good, but I bled a few more times up until two months ago. I think we were just kind of skittish. It wasn’t like I was getting my period, but any signs at all raised the flags.”
“Understandable. But it’s all good now?”
“It stopped around nine weeks. Then once we got out of the first trimester, we wanted to wait until my next appointment a few weeks ago and decided to tell you all tonight.”
“On my birthday,” Garrett said proudly. “And to give you the last piece of the news. It’s a girl. We found out two days ago.”
She screamed loud enough to have everyone covering their ears. “I’m going to have a niece. I can spoil her rotten. Buy her all the pink dresses and teach her cuss words.”
“Gabriela,” her father said sternly. “Enough.”
“She’s going to do it,” Garrett said, the smile still not leaving his face. “The more you tell her no, the faster she’ll do it.”
She winked at her brother. They all knew she was joking.
Not about the pink frilly dresses though.
Her mother wiped a tear from her eye. “I can’t tell you how happy and excited I am to be a grandmother. Is this news allowed to be public or do we keep it quiet?”
“You can tell people,” Justine said. “We’ll start on Monday at work. We just wanted you all to be first. The only person who knew was my sister, and of course Ava.”
She wanted to complain about that, but it wasn’t fair. Justine had the right to confide in her only sister, Jordan.
Who was a surgeon and lived in Indiana.
“I bet Jordan is super excited.”
“She is,” Justine said. “And looking to make the move to Boston. It might take time. She’s looking into fellowships and that’s not easy, but she will try to get closer at the very least.”
Gabriela looked at her father. “I’m sure you could put a word in, if not Uncle Michael. That’s his field.”
“I can if she wants me to,” her father said. “But since I’m just hearing this now for the first time, I’m not sure what is out there.”
“I’d love it,” Justine said. “But I’m not sure how Jordan will feel. We’ll let you know. We just started talking about it last month. I know I’ve got family here though. All of you.”
“Awww. You’re going to make me cry. I don’t like to cry,” she said.
“No, you rather tell jokes,” Garrett said. “Or we can change the subject and put you on the spot with Luca.”
She knew that was a possibility tonight.
And with this news, she was kind of glad he wasn’t here for it.
Not that she thought he wouldn’t be happy about it. But she wondered about every time someone he knew said they were having a child, how he felt.
“It’s not putting me on the spot,” she said. “Things are going well. I’m heading to his place once I leave here.”
“He’s working, isn’t he?” her mother asked.
“Yes, but I’ve got a key. I’ll be there when he gets home and I won’t be back tonight. Sometimes on the weekends we do that. Not always. It’s hard to go ten days and not see someone.”
Her parents exchanged glances.
They knew that admission was just a step closer in how serious her relationship with Luca was.
Her mother’s mouth curved into a knowing smile. “Ten days. That’s hard.”
“It is. Or harder than I thought. But he misses my personality. Can I help it that I’m awesome?”
Garrett snorted. “You have a key, you’re doing overnights, and you’re counting days. But sure, totally casual.”
“Don’t start,” she warned, though there was no real heat behind it. “And no one said it was casual.”
“I believe the whole ‘we’re friends’ thing was said for a solid month,” her father said.
“We were friends at that point. But then it turned into more. We said slow, but not casual.”
Her father crossed his arms, studying her with quiet satisfaction. “We’re not interrogating you. We’re just noticing.”
“Noticing what?” she asked, even though she knew.
And it wasn’t a big deal.
It wasn’t as if she and Luca hadn’t already tiptoed around this.
“That you look settled,” her mother said, smiling. “Happy. You haven’t looked like this in a long time. I’m not sure ever.”
Her throat tightened like she was choking on her food, though she hadn’t taken another bite. “I didn’t realize I was being evaluated.”
“You always are,” Garrett said cheerfully. “It’s the price of being the favorite.”
She rolled her eyes and picked up her napkin to toss at him. It didn’t go far. “I am not the favorite.”
Garrett laughed. “You’ve always been the favorite and you know it.”
She really didn’t.
It wasn’t like she always tried to put herself as center of attention.
She didn’t even start until Garrett got sick.
A kid with cancer... when their father was an oncologist.
Thyroid cancer caught early, aggressive surgery and medication for life, but he’d had no problems since.
During that time though, to take the attention off of her brother, she tried to make him laugh.
Tried to get everyone to see how funny she was, and not pity Garrett, who didn’t want it.
Her brother knew what she was doing without words.
Maybe they got even closer during that time, and it only strengthened their bond.
She shook her head, smiling despite herself. “I’m not making any grand declarations to him or you all. I’m just showing up and being me. So is he. That feels like enough for now.”
Her mother reached over and squeezed her hand. “That’s how the good ones start.”
“I think so. I hope he does too.”
“You’re not joking now,” Garrett said seriously.
“Not everything has to be funny. You know his history.”
“So you’re nervous,” her father said. “That maybe it’s too much for him too soon?”
She had been, but maybe wasn’t so much now.
“It’s crossed my mind a few times. It’s not like I think he’s going to have a change of heart about me or being in a relationship. Nothing like that. He’s said it before, that he’s not meant to be someone to take relationships lightly.”
“That’s good,” her mother said. “That has to make you feel better.”
“It did. It does. But he’s older than me. Thirty-eight.”
“It’s not that much older,” her mother said.
“He thought he’d be somewhere else in his life,” she said. “That’s all I’m saying.”
“And you don’t want to worry he’s rushing for what he thought he’d have with someone else?” Justine asked. “Is that bothering you?”
She hadn’t realized it until those words were said.
Until she was reminded that her sister-in-law was pregnant and she’d tell Luca tonight.
But saying that out loud felt wrong.
It felt like judgment when she didn’t know that for a fact.
And didn’t want to believe it either.
“I don’t think his mind is going there. We’ve talked. What we’ve got is good. It’s strong. We have ups and downs like the next person.”
Though they didn’t fight.
Not once. Not even have a disagreement.
Wasn’t that odd? Did that mean there was a problem?
She didn’t think so.
Some of it had to do with them not seeing each other much. She knew that.
The other was, they just thought so much alike half the time.
“That’s what it’s all about,” her mother said, “and we’ll let you off the hook now too.”
“Thanks,” she said, diving back into her dinner. “I want to talk about my new niece.”
The table went back to the newest arrival in months and she made her exit an hour after cake, taking home a slice with her for Luca, along with two pieces of pizza.
When he came in his door at nine thirty, she thought for sure, she might have fallen asleep.
He had texted that he was finishing up but wouldn’t be on time. That was an hour ago.
“Hey,” he said, reaching for her and giving her a kiss on the lips.
It’d be great to have this every night.
Wow, that was a runaway thought she had to pull back in.
“I brought you food and dessert if you’re hungry. I can heat it up or you can have it cold.”
He moved to the fridge and pulled out the plate with the pizza. “Cold and on my way to the shower. I’m starving.”
“Then I’ll be waiting for you here so you can have the rest before bed if you want.”
“This should be good. I can bring the rest tomorrow.”
“Come back if you don’t mind, I want to share some good news with you before bed.”
Might as well get it out there now. Waiting would serve no purpose.
He gave her another kiss around a second bite and went to the bathroom while she waited in the living room for his return.
“What’s the good news?” he asked ten minutes later, his hair towel dried and only slightly damp. He had sweats on, slippers on his feet and a sweatshirt.
He was exhausted, she knew, and didn’t think it was right to keep him up long.
Especially since weekends for him were full on in the ER, unlike her helping out.
“Justine and Garrett are having a baby,” she said, her smile wide. “I’m going to have a niece.”
“Wow,” he said, his smile matching hers. She saw the excitement in his eyes as much as hers.
She worried over nothing.
“Must be pretty far along to know the sex.”
“Just past eighteen weeks,” she said. “They waited some to tell everyone.”
She filled him in on what had happened but now everything was good.
“That’s great. I’ll text Garrett tomorrow and say congrats.”
“You’re texting my brother?” she asked, sitting up straighter. “Since when?”
She had her hands on her hips. Why hadn’t her brother told her that?
“It was work related,” he said, tapping her on the nose. “I had to send a patient to him, then I was checking in.”
“Oh,” she said. She should have realized that. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“It’s fine. We aren’t trading your secrets or anything.”
“That’s a good thing. I’m scared of what Garrett might share.”
“I’m sure nothing horrible,” he said, pulling her close. “I’m happy for them. And you.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Did you think I wouldn’t be?”
She’d be honest over being funny. It was the right thing to do.
“I wasn’t sure. It’s not like I wouldn’t tell you, but I really didn’t know.”
“I’m always happy when people I know are having a child. It’s when the situation isn’t good, that’s when it’s hard. And even then, normally I’m not fazed.”
“But a teen pregnancy and in Taylor’s situation?”
“That’s hard to swallow. Even if I had a child of my own, I’d still feel the same way.”
She nodded. “I feel the same as you, but not really because I didn’t live your life.”
He gave her another squeeze. “Gabriela, I’m fine. I really am. Life goes on and I think I’m doing a great job of it...now. With your help.”
She rubbed her knuckles across her chest. “I am pretty handy to have around.”
He stood and picked her up in his arms, cradling her. “You are. Good at wearing me out to sleep hard.”
“Well, then, let me get to work!”