Chapter 4, Several Big Surprises

"The mind that is anxious about future events is miserable." - Seneca

Della Mason

Work hours pounded me, I was doing 10 hour shifts 5 days a week and the exhaustion was wearing me down. Brenda, my boss, wasn't the most pleasant person to be around. She seemed angry all the time, and it stressed me not knowing when she'd take her anger out on me. The place was still grungy over all; It'd take and army of cleaners to make the place spotless. But I was getting there one day at a time. I had plenty of time to clean in between each person who came and left. This place was never busy with more than 2 people at a time.

I also had a bad stomach flu for a week now. I called the doctor, he just told me it'll pass eventually and to take any over the counter meds that would help. It wasn't working well, so I made an appointment for this weekend. For the meantime, I had to make sure I didn't throw up on the customers, not that they came in frequently enough to worry about this. 

"My shift's over. See ya Monday, Brenda," I said bye. She grunted and went back to flipping pages in a celebrity gossip magazine. 

I got home nauseous as usual, trying to hold back my lunch. The house felt silent and I grew used to this feeling. If only I could get used to being alone now. My friends hadn't contacted me in days, simply because I've been too bloated and tired to do anything. My dinner was small, I couldn't hold anything down.

"Agh! My abdomen hurts," I whined to one of my friends.

"You should go to the emergency room. Sounds like it really hurts," she told me. Maybe she was right.

The ER was nothing less than crowded and depressing. Most people sat around with ice packs on various regions of their body, holding supposed broken body parts. There was the constant sound of a crying child in the background, or moaning adults in pain. I'd rather be in a coma right now.

The nurse called me over, pointed toward a doctor and I followed him to the room he was to examine me in.

"So, what is the problem?" he asked, looking me up and down. I clutched my lower abdomen.

"I've been vomiting a lot lately. And recently I've been having pain and bloating here," I pointed. The doctor nodded, telling me to lie down. He pressed his two fingers down, told me to tell him when it hurt.

"Ow, ow, right there." He held his hand on it, feeling for differences. 

"I need to take a few samples. We'll do the pee cup first. This will rule out any possible diseases and cancers, just in case."

I nodded. Not like I had a choice unless I wanted to live my life having cancer with out treatment. It was awkward sitting in the bathroom and peeing into a cup the size of my fist. When I came out there was a nurse there to deliver it to the testing room. The doctor left, and I sat for another hour or so, alone most of the time.

The doctor came back, a chart with several pages of information in hand. He smiled, which reassured me greatly. He pulled the spiny chair over, sat down and looked down at the chart.

"We've got great news," he started.

"Yes, what is it?" I was eager. Maybe they had a cure to what ever I had after all.

"The results came back negative for all diseases and cancer," he said. So then what was wrong with me? He continued," However. The nurse tested for ALL possible causes. And they came back positive for pregnancy."

My heart dropped down to the very core of my being. What did I just hear? This wasn't real, was it? I pinched my self a few times, even tapped on my cheeks to wake me. All the doctor did was laugh.

"Yes, it's true, Ms. Mason. You're expecting a child."

"T-thank you..Doctor. I-I...," I fell over and fainted.

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Maria Dreivus

We arrived in the plane 5 minutes before they closed the doors. The plane was almost packed completely. I sat on the inside seat, Ashton sat in the middle, and some random 13 year old with acne the size of watermelons sat on the outside row. Ashton pulled the middle arm rest up and scooted closer. I rested my head on his shoulder and watched the world below pass by. 

Nadia's baby cries could be heard across the plane and several times I saw Amber get up to calm her in the bathroom. Alec was asleep 90% of the trip, so he was no hassle. Scott and Eve sat a few rows in front, on a two seater facing the wall. The flight was a few hours long, and since we took the late flight we landed in South Carolina at 11:00 P.M.

And of course, the car drive to their apartment took an hour because of night time traffic all across the city. Their apartment was large, nicely furnished, and sat on the 7th floor of the 10 floor building. It wasn't the tallest building, but the eloquence was beyond lovely. The apartment had 5 bedrooms, a family room, common room, kitchen, and dining room. The spare room had a queen sized bed that Eve and Scott claimed before we entered the apartment. Nadia was placed in her bassinet in the master bedroom, and Alec was carried in by Ashton to his space themed bedroom.

A fold out bed came out of a closet in the family room, set up for me. Ashton made a spot on the couch, and we collapsed. Niko brought in our luggage and the last thing I saw before dozing off was the clock, which read 12:23 A.M.

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Ashton Locke

I woke up late that morning, and my neck felt stiff in several areas. Maria snored louder than a vacuum cleaner, and I had to laugh. Standing up, I walked over and shook her awake. Her eyes blinked open, and she swung at my face slapping me. 

"Ow," I said hurtfully.

"For a second your face looked like a monster.  Oh, wait. That is your face."

"Ha ha, funny. Not like you were just snoring like a gorilla five seconds ago."

"Okay, truce," and I pull her out of bed.

"I don't wanna wake up.." she argued. I sighed.

"C'mon. They might be cooking breakfast.." 

"Fine. As long as I get a bagel, I'm good."

She got dressed in the bathroom, and came out in her normal jeans and a blouse outfit. I stepped in the shower for a few, and got into jeans myself, wearing a grey t-shirt and sneakers. I went to the kitchen and watched Maria chew on her bagel, eyes falling back to sleep. Niko and Amber were up, but much more active this morning. 

The last to drag in were Eve and Scott. They giggled and whispered to each other childishly, and it wasn't hard to guess what kept them up last night. Maria made goo goo noises at little Nadia who sat in her mini table swing, and Alec was in blue Transformer themed pajamas today. He sat on the floor eating spoonfuls of Fruit Loops on the floor, near the cat. 

We all gathered by the TV in the living room, relaxing from a day of travelling. Then Niko spoke up.

"Me and Amber were talking this morning, and we thought it'd be nice to go out later tonight"

"Sounds good," Eve said. She sat in Scott's lap. I thought it sounded nice too.

"I guess. Where too?" Maria asked. That was a good question, actually.

Amber spoke up,"We were thinking somewhere really fancy. Secluded. I was gonna call the babysitter down in room 12F."

"Sounds even better, except I don't have anything fancy to wear," Maria said. Amber's face lit up.

"You can borrow my red dress, I've been dying to wear it but the baby fat hasn't quite gone away. You'd look very lovely in it," this was the most excitement I'd ever seen Amber physically show.

The windows were open, letting a cool breeze through and it kept me in a really good mood. The weather was spectacular today, and the view of the city was beautiful. 

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Maria Dreivus

The Restaurant opened late; 8'o'clock at night on the dot. It was apparently the hottest spot in town, as the line was longer than the building's perimeter added together. La Rouge was the name, very French. So I assumed that was the theme. My dress stopped below my knees, halfway in between. In front of me was Niko holding his arm around Amber and behind me was Scott hold his arm around Eve. Ashton and I stood close together. 

He wore one of Niko's dark blue blazers, a dark grey tee shirt underneath and dark black jeans. He looked very handsome with his hair combed back nicely. He even offered to hold my hand purse. It took an hour before we actually got in, and 30 minutes for a table to free up. In the back there was a band playing and the dance floor covered with people. 

Our table was a booth seat in the corner, and everyone ordered some wine and small snacks. It was all French themed, as I had expected, and the food was served like appetizers all over. It wasn't like most restaurants; They let you stay the whole night here, instead of rushing you out quickly. 

"Having a good time?" Amber asked over the loud music. I nodded, smiling. We sipped more red wine before Niko dragged everyone out onto the dance floor.

I hadn't danced since high school senior prom, so I had a bit of brushing up to do. Half the time me and Ashton laughed at the ridiculous dancing most were doing, even though we were probably ten times worse. Eve and Scott went back to the table to make-out a bit. (Ew, it's always gross seeing your brother shoving his tongue down some girl's throat) 

The band changed tone, something really slow. All the couples sorted into their own worlds, like floating islands in the sea. Separate from each other yet so close to one another. Ashton stretched his had out.

"May I?" I don't know. Should I?

"Of course," I said, almost stuttering it. We moved into a slow dance, inches away from each other.

"So, how do you like it here so far?" he asked, we bobbed back and forth slowly.

"Good. Actually I like it a lot."

"Good deal. Maybe we should come again this summer."

"Definitely."

The song lasted a while, and we got really into dancing. My head rested on his shoulder, I closed my eyes. I felt his arm climb around me, like a hug, while the other kept hold of my hand.  He ran his hand down my bare back a few times; It felt surprisingly relaxing.

Then it ended. The beat turned fast again, reality started up once more. I walked to the balcony with Ashton. It was much quieter, over looking the town, like a pew in a church. My hand grasped the rail. I shivered from the cool air.

His hand pressed against my back, and he stood next to me.

"It's really beautiful out here," He broke the silence.

"Mhm."

"You know, the first time I saw you, I was shocked."

"How so?" 

"You were so pretty I almost forgot to say sorry."

I laughed," Really? That's funny. The first time I saw you I had to pinch myself. I never believed in love at first sight. But.... I don't go by that rule anymore."

We turned and faced each other. He stayed silent, looking at my face. His hand reached for my cheek, grazed down to my arm and grabbed my hand. We slowly pulled closer and as our heads got near our eyes began to shut. Our cheeks grazed on opposite sides, and in my ear he whispered," I love you too."

The kiss was warm, soft. My arms around his neck, his around my waist. A few minutes before they became more passionate, loving. I paused for air.

"I love you so much," and we closed in for more kissing.

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Della Mason

The lights nearly blinded me as I sat up on the bed. I looked left, right. No one. I thought what I remember was a dream; I really passed out in the waiting room and the doctor was going to come and check on me any moment  now. A nurse came in, smiled.

"Are you feeling okay? Need water?" She asked.

"Nah. I'm good. Did the doctor figure out what's wrong?"

"Oh dear, you don't remember."

"What? You mean what I'm thinking wasn't a dream after all?"

"No, you really are pregnant. The doctor told me to ask a few questions and perform an ultrasound to see how far you are along."

What was I supposed to say? All I did was nod, and wait for the first question. They were basic, such as,"What's your diet, How long have you been nauseous? Tired? Bloated? Hungry? What are your cravings, etc?" I answered still in shock.

She guided me to the ultrasound room. It was small with a bed and a monitor and counter and stuff. I pulled my shirt up as far as she told me to. Some kind of gel was spread on my stomach, and the screen was flipped on. 

The nurse looked around for the heartbeat.

"Aha! Here it is," she said, smiling.

"Oh..that's the baby.." I didn't truly know what to say. It looked like a blob for the most part, small things sticking out the nurse called the arms and legs. And the heart. It beat at a steady pace, a bit faster than I'd imagine....It was scary real.

"It looks like you're around 8 weeks along. Maybe even further. Is there an exact date you had in mind that you might have conceived?"

"N-no. No, I don't think so."

"Very well then," the nurse wrote down something on a slip of paper," This is the number to a really good gynecologist. She's the one most of the patient here go to."

"Thanks, thanks a lot." I was getting shaky again. I wiped my tummy off with a towel, and got up. My stomach felt nauseous. 

The problem wasn't that I was pregnant. It was that 2 months ago, I wasn't only with Ashton. So the possibility it was his child was a 50/50 percent chance. Damn it.

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Ashton Locke

Sitting up in bed I felt Maria move slightly. What a night. I ran my hand over her back softly; It was bare. Stretching, I got up and slid on some fresh pants. No light came in from the windows, suggesting it was still quite early.

Nadia's baby cries were heard from the room over and I stepped out to check on her. She lay in a pink crib, squirming and whining. I picked her up, like Amber showed me, and lay on her on my shoulder, patting her back soft. She still cried.

The changing table was next to the crib, and I put her down on it. I clicked the little light switch on the moon-shaped nightlight above me. It lit the area slightly, enough to change a dirty diaper. The only problem was the last time I changed her diaper I was scolded for putting it on backwards.

Pictures stay on the front of the diaper, I repeated in my head. She had since calmed down while I slid the diaper out from under her. The wipes were in some kind of heater-box-thingy and it definitely stopped her from crying again. I buttoned her pink pajamas up and lay her back in her crib. She started to cry again. I picked her up. This repeated several times before I sat with her in the rocking chair. 

An hour passed and I must have been drifting to sleep. She was perfectly swaddled (At least almost perfectly) and I closed my eyes for a moment. The sun was rising.

The door startled me but I managed to stay calm and quiet with the baby on my chest. Maria walked over, a robe on around her.

"Told you," is all she said, smiling at me. She sat on the ottoman and rocked softly on it.

"I guess you're right. I'm a natural born father," I whispered. We held hands, rocking in sync together. It must have been another hour before Amber walked in and nearly fainted when we surprised her sitting in the nursery. We put the baby into her crib and had breakfast at the kitchen counter island. 

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Maria Dreivus

Last night...wow. What can I say? It was the time of my life. Ashton and I sat on the couch in the living room close together, facing each other. Our faces stayed close, whispering to each other like school kids. Niko looked excited to see us so happy together; He always told me I'd find someone that'd make me happy. He was right.

Eve walked out, slightly skimpy night gown and Scott came out in boxers. Looks like we weren't the only ones awake at night. Everyone lay strewn across the couch lazily, along with Alec jumping from person to person with way too much energy for anyone to handle. 

"What do we want to do today?" Scott asked, twirling Eve's loose curls around his fingers.

"Myrtle Beach is a few hours away, if we leave soon we can spend a day on the board walk," Niko said. Amber rested on top of him while Alec finally rest on the ground playing with matchbox cars.

Then Ashton's phone rung. He exited the room to talk privately. Standing by the door, I caught hold of the conversation.

"You say what?! I can't even...Is this really true?........Uhuh.....Uhuh....Damn it, Della! Alright. I'm gonna be in South Carolina for 3 more days. Just......ugh. We'll sort it out when I get back." Click. I opened the door slowly.

"What was her problem?" I asked. He looked distraught, like when we first met.

"I...Della found out she's pregnant."

"What?"

"Yea, I can't believe either. She also told me there's half a chance it is actually mine. Goes to show you what I said was true about her."

We stood silent for a few minutes, trying to comprehend what to do next, if anything. Niko called us over, and we stepped out of the room.

"You guys okay?" he asked.

"Yea, just some...surprising news. Nothing you guys need to know though." Ashton answered for me. 

This news in the least, WAS surprising.

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End of Chapter 4