Chapter Text
//IN THIS CHAPTER//
Jack Gibson (mentioned)
Andrea 'Andy' Herrera
Victoria 'Vic' Hughes
Lucas Ripley
Robert Sullivan
//
Two women who lived a footloose and fancy-free lifestyle found themselves in forebotten
romantic entanglements (Victoria with her boss' boss' boss; Andy with her boss' boss). Both
are pregnant something neither of them EVER expected to be...
//
"Lucas Ripley: This is your life!"...or possibly: hey, Rip: we're PREGGERS!...no...PREGGO!: HELL NO!...
For Vic, the announcement has to be JUST RIGHT; she'll call Andy, and ask how she announced her pregnancy to Sullivan.
"I said, 'I promised to dedicate 100% of myself to you: my heart, my soul, my LOVE'...I have to amend that now, because
you'll have to share that commitment with your baby son, due June 2020...but don't 'bite-off' me, change the wording a little."
"I like that; who knew that you had such sappy sentiments inside that little pea brain of yours!"
Vic waits until Lucas, red-faced and sweaty from his gym session with Sullivan, has showered, put on fresh clothing, eaten, and
is seated in front of the TV to make her announcement. He mutes the wall unit, per request, and she says: "My LOVE...the day that
you told me you loved me was my all-time favorite day until today; because today I found out I'm going to deliver your baby eight
months from today...your Eggy now comes EGGPLANT as a 'side'."
"And now today is MY favorite day of all time as well." He clasps her to him, to hide the misting over of his blue eyes.
//
"What are you grinning about," Vic asks her man. She notices him staring at the living room ceiling with a silly smile on
his face instead of watching the Australian League Rules Football (soccer) match on their large-screen tv (which is more
than unusual in itself!)
"Only that...I'd imagined my chance at fatherhood gone for good after Number Two," he says, with a shake of his head.
"WIFE Number Two," he clarifies. "You've resurrected that dream; thank you."
"I've avoided pregnancy during my teenage and young adulthood years and my plan was to continue that streak; thanks for
blowin' my TREND, Chief!" Victoria laughs. He joins her and she adds "I just never cared about having any children of my
own until Pru; and then Sully mentioned something about how he wouldn't mind having a child and that your first wife
had given you children or at least A CHILD there might not have been a divorce. Eva was just a gold-digging slut"-
"Easy !" Warns Luke.
"I didn't say it-your beloved buddy did...and so have you many times My Love! ANYWAY...I love this little booger already."
//
Chopping the vegetables for their dinner salad, Robert directs part of his attention to Andrea, who's using the stove-top
grill function to cook their steaks and says "You never had a chance to respond to my question from before: after Hughes'
call."
Puzzled the Latina responds "Which question, again?"
"Do you prefer that only Luke and Hughes know that we're expecting twins for the time being or loop in the station?"
"According to your superstitious Suegra [Mother In Law], we should wait until after the first trimester to say anything.
If you're OK with that I'm more comfortable doing it like that."
"Lo que tu quieres, Amor" [Whatever you want, My Love].
Andy continues reciting more 'historias de las Señoras de edad' [old wives tales]: "ALSO: avoid moonlight, and large bodies of
water-meaning no ferry rides, and stay away from cats. No funerals...that's all that I can remember for now. Did your parents
pass along any superstitions or customs?"
Robert thinks about it, then snaps his fingers (as one does after something comes to them). "After the baby's born the
parents should request a silver dime from a relative-it HAS to be a silver dime from a relative -and it's
attached to a clean white string around the child's neck. That somehow lessens teething pain. I remember too that boy's
hair isn't cut until they are at least three years old. Those two are from my Mom; from my Dad, I only recall him saying
that in Germany the Registrar has the power to reject names because it's not legal to name a male child 'Stacy' for example
or a female 'Michael'-they consider that misgendering. They also don't allow anyone to use surnames as first names or
the reverse. We'll never have to worry about any of that."
"I might want to have our babies in Germany...you DO'N KNOW!" she jokes, laughing loudly.
"Uhhuh; yeaah...plates, please!" Robert says, laughing along.
Though by no means old-fashioned Andy DOES take her Mom's advice about marriage to heart: Elena advises her to 'serve'
her mate's plate, as she herself had done during Andrea's childhood and before she became a widow. Robert appreciates
as his mother did the same for her father and son. She shoos him toward the dining room, saying "Yo te sirvo-sientate"
[I'll serve you; sit down.] They enjoy a great meal and chat about possible names for BG, GG, and BB twin combinations.
During an after-dinner glass of wine, Andy said "I'm so sorry, Baby for everything: you begged me to get therapy and of
course I know it all so I didn't...when we broke up I ran straight to Gibson's bed because THAT'S WHAT I DO; I didn't
take one second to think he suggested it and I was DTF. I couldn't blame you if you questioned the babies' paternity"...
"That's enough OK? We'll worry about that later."
Sniffling, Andy said "I'm pretty sure there's nothing to worry about because I was extra careful-condoms and the pill,
I stopped the pill the month after we got back together and as you know condoms aren't part of our normal...it-it
just never should even be an issue and that's ME"-
"ANDREA...ven [come]" he said, holding his arms wide. "We're okay, alright? We're okay," over and over until she calmed
down. "C'mon, let's go to bed."
Mischievously, and in a 'little girl's voice she said "Ca-wy me."
Smiling back he lifts her easily in his arms and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom...