Chapter 23

“Palacé, there’s something you need to know.”

“It’s actually good news this time.”

Toby clasped his hand onto mine for support as we were about to spill a huge secret.

“Mom, we’re pregnant.” Toby told the news.

At first, it was a shock but then it turned into happiness.

“Are you telling me that I’m going to have a grandchild?”

“Yes.”

Palacé got up from her place on the couch and walked over to where I was sitting down.

“Congratulations!”

“Mrs. MacStar, this is the reason why I’m not feeling well and why I was resting. I’m only two months pregnant. When I found out that you were coming over tonight, I had to tell you. My mom was the first to know.”

“Thank you for telling me and I cannot wait until the baby is born. But how are you going to support the child with no money?”

“I have a job, mom. I’m saving up my money to help Lucy out as she is still under the age to get a job.”

“When the baby comes and you need a babysitter, I would be more than welcome  to babysit.”

“Thank you.”

I had to frost the brownies before I could serve them. But knowing me with frosting, I would eat the whole can. While I was frosting, Toby surprised me from behind and made me get frosting on my nose. Toby called everyone into the kitchen for dessert and coffee. Instead of sitting in my chair, Toby had me sit on his lap while he and I ate. This was showing his mom that we love each other and are ready to become parents. Within the hour, Mrs. MacStar said goodbye and left us for the evening. Toby helped me clean up dessert before I returned to my room for the rest of the night. For once, I felt right carrying a baby and to let my secret out. Toby has work tomorrow for a couple of hours and left me lonely but I had Kyle to spend time with.

After getting Kyle to settle down for bedtime, Toby and I laid in my bed. I would be alone from ten am until three pm. If I was at the working age, I would find a job to help out with money. It was Toby who fell asleep in top of me as he rested his hand on top of my tummy. I watched Toby fall asleep while I was brushing back the hair that was falling in his face. The touchness of my fingers felt amazing on Toby’s skin. Both of us were wrapped around each other while sleeping. The next morning came and I woke after Toby had left. Kyle was already up and fed curtsey of Toby. He also left me a note.

Lucy,

I went to work and will be back at three. Actually, I lied. I might be a little late. I already fed Kyle for you. I decided to not wake you as you needed sleep. I’ll see you later and I love you.

                       --Toby

I actually had a smile on my face when I got up. Kyle was keeping me from going insane by being a good boy. He was playing hockey in the living room quietly before I stopped to watch him be the kid he was. I was going to let Kyle be but he spotted me and asked to go out back. I allowed him to do so but warned him that I was going to take a shower. I was so clammy that I made sure the water was cold to cool me down. When I got out of the shower, Kyle was back in the house for a quick drink. He had asked for me to join him outside once I was dressed. I dressed in my bathing suit so I can tan while Kyle is playing. The noises outside were very peaceful. We must have been outside for a while because Toby was watching us be ourselves. Kyle and I went in once to get lunch for us.

Toby surprised me by lying on top of me but he was holding his own weight up by planking. I felt someone on top of me and when I looked who it was, I was surprised with a kiss. I returned the favor as I missed Toby. Once he pulled himself up, he grabbed my hands to pull me up.

“I miss you.” Toby said, holding his knees.

A smile appeared on my face. Toby has no idea how much I have missed him.

“Are you going to make dinner or am I?” I asked Toby.

“I would love to spend some time with Kyle before I go in.”

We stayed outside for another half hour before we all headed inside for a little bit. This time, I was going to cook dinner while he was chopping the ingredients. Toby’s dad was coming over for dinner so we could tell him the good news and ask questions about a DNA test. I made sure that Toby chopped enough food for everyone to eat. Once everything was prepared and put into the oven. Toby and I sat and waited for our company to arrive. Five o’clock was when Mr. MacStar knocked on the door. It was I who opened the door and welcomed him in. Dinner was in about ten minutes and this was a bit awkward. I could feel my nerves rising just a bit. Toby caught my look and came over to where I was standing. I felt myself get the feeling of puking. I told Toby to catch up with his father so I could get myself together.

After a while, I went back into the kitchen where the smells were overwhelming me. Finally, the food was ready to eat. Toby helped me served dinner and was giving the reassurance that everything is going to go as planned. Ken made himself at home before going through the house. Kyle and Toby showed Ken around the house so Ken could see where Toby eats and sleeps. Ken returned to the kitchen where he told me that he approved of my house. This wasn’t going to be formal like it was with Palacé Everyone sat down and started to dig in. Mr. MacStar was trying to make conversation but his mouth was full of food.

“How’s everything going with you two?” Ken said once he swallowed his food.

“Things are going good. Lucy is having some hard times dealing with the fact that her mom is away.”

“Must be hard. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be the woman in charge.”

The food was not sitting well with me. I excused myself from the table and went to the restroom. Everything was going good so far but I was afraid that Toby is going to tell his father about Brett. I returned to the table and attempted to eat. Ken and Toby both noticed me playing with my food.

“Ken, tomorrow I’m going to get a DNA test with my ‘father’ and I wanted to know if we could also have a sample of your DNA. I have this little feeling about something and I want to know if it’s true or not.”

“I would love to hear about your little feeling before I agree or disagree to anything.”

“Sounds good. Toby, will you help me clear the table?”

I asked Ken to relax in the living room while Toby and I cleaned up. Kyle retreated back to his room to watch television. Between the two of us, Toby put the food into smaller containers while I cleaned the dishes. When we crossed each other’s path, I whispered into Toby’s ear that we need to tell Ken about what happened with Brett (his possible brother). Toby agreed but he also had something he needed to tell me.

“My dad has a step brother named Brett but I don’t know if it’s him or not.” Toby muttered.

“Thanks for the information.”

He gave me a kiss followed by a look that gave me the support I needed. Both of us walked into the living room preparing for the worst to happen. Toby got Ken’s attention for me. Ken’s focus was on my hands which were shaking uncontrollably.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“I’m staring at your hands that are shaking really badly.”

“That’s because I’m nervous about the news I have to share with you.”

“What’s the news?”

“Well, �"“Toby grabbed my hand to put inside of his. “Toby and I are starting a family of our own.”

“Oh. When are you two gonna try?” Ken questioned.

“Ken, I’m two months pregnant.”

“Wow. Congratulations.”

“That’s the good news.” Toby interrupted.

“What’s the bad news?”

“There’s no bad news. But I would like to as you if you can come with us tomorrow. I want to know if Brett is really my father so I made an appointment for a DNA test. Toby and I look alike and I want to know if there’s a possibility that we’re related. Would you mind taking a DNA test to confirm?”

Ken thought about it for a moment before responding.

“I would take a test if it would put you at ease.”

“Thank you.”

“There’s something else you need to know but I think Lucy should tell you.” Toby said.

“Lucy, what happened?”

Ken’s face turned serious.

“I can’t tell you about the first incident but I can tell you about the second.”

“Why can’t you tell me about the first incident?”

“I’m afraid. I was shopping for school supplies when Brett approached me. He told me that the last time he had a drink of alcohol was when he was with me. Brett’s going to sober up if he wants to get any custody of me. This was all when I was alone and Toby was taking care of Kyle.”

“That’s no big deal.”

I couldn’t deal with this anymore. My hormones and emotions were taking over and I couldn’t handle this. I whispered into Toby’s ear that we need to have Ken leave immediately. Toby took care of everything while I went into my room. Once I heard the door shut, I could take a sigh of relief. Kyle saw me go into my room before he asked for dessert. The fear was showing through my voice when I told Kyle to hold on. We had brownies from last night that we could have again for dessert. Toby got Kyle a piece of dessert for me. Half of me was ready to break down. I paced back and forth to calm down but nothing was working. Toby felt helpless as he knows that I would just cry and think all night.

Without asking for Kyle to shower, he did what he needed to do. After Kyle’s shower, Kyle had one more hour of playtime before bedtime. Toby made up his mind to confront me about what’s going on. I was ignoring everyone until I was ready to talk. I pulled Toby aside and told him that we needed to talk this out.

“Your dad is freaking me out. Between the pregnancy and everything that has happened, he’s making me more overwhelmed.”

“Take a deep breath.” Toby said as he moved close to me.

 “After Kyle goes to bed, you and I will sit down and talk about this.”

I felt better when Toby was talking to me. We jumped into Kyle’s bed so we could spend the last forty-five minutes together before bed. Instead of Toby being on the other side of Kyle, he went on the same side as me. He wrapped his arms around me as I relaxed into him. While watching T.V., my eyes were starting to close when Kyle made sure I was still awake. He cuddled up into me as I told him to be careful of my stomach. Within fifteen minutes, Kyle was asleep and both Toby and I were able to shut Kyle’s room down before leaving. My stomach was not agreeing with me. I used the bathroom to puke again before heading into my room to talk to Toby.

“What did my dad do to you to make you so upset?” Toby questioned.

“It’s just my hormones and I’m not ready to spill the incident with Brett until I know the results of The DNA test.”

“Both of my parents told me that they approve of us and that they approve of you. They care about you and that’s why my dad is worried.”

“I’m sorry, Toby. Maybe I should call your dad and apologize for my actions.”

“He understands because you’re pregnant.”

Toby climbed into bed while I hesitated not knowing if I was going to throw up or not. I was all right until I climbed into bed. It sucks to throw up but Toby was by my side, holding my hair back. When I finally stopped, Toby led me back into the bedroom. We lay on top of the covers as it was too hot to be underneath them. Being pregnant has made me more restless in the night than having stomach cancer. The next morning, I was up at the crack of dawn because I couldn’t sleep and my stomach was bothering me. I think it was because I was nervous to find out the results. But who knows?

Kyle surprised me by being up before Toby. That means he gets to get ready and determine what I’m making for breakfast. Before breakfast, we gave Toby a surprise. Seeing Kyle jump on Toby to wake him up means a lot to me. Toby surprised Kyle by being awake and attacking him.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

“‘Morning. How are you feeling?”

“A little nervous. It’s something I don’t want to do but I need to know the truth.”

Kyle was now sitting up next to Toby who started to get up.

“Kyle, why don’t you see if the oven went off?” Toby suggested.

When Toby stood up, all you heard was snap, crackle, and pop. He walked over to where I was leaning on the door jam. For one thing, Toby knows when I’m nervous or when something is wrong. He put his hands on my waist and pulled me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let my hormones take over.

“Relax,” Toby whispered into my ear. “Everything will be fine. Why don’t you take a shower with me after breakfast?”

I looked Toby in the eye when I told him that it would be more than alright. At that time, breakfast was ready and waiting to be served. I went into the kitchen to serve everyone breakfast before we had to leave. Kyle was not going with us and Lily had volunteered to watch Kyle for us. He’s normally good for other people, which I’m very thankful. Breakfast was waiting for Toby on the kitchen table when he came out of the bathroom. Seeing my favorite boys eating at the table makes me fine life enjoyable. Kyle was all done and asked for more. Then, with my back turned to them, both pleaded me to sit with them. To make them happy, I sat down on Toby’s lap who didn’t mind. He tried to offer me some food but I refused. Being the Kyle he was, the joking started up and Toby got the chance to shove a piece of toast into my mouth. I gave him one of those looks that he responded with a different look. Toby asked Kyle to watch television while his sister and her boyfriend get ready.

The laundry was starting to pile up and was bugging me. I was able to start a load of laundry before Toby pulled me away for a shower. Trying to act like a train, Toby pulled me into the bathroom and ordered for me to strip. I had my back to him when I was undressing because I was ashamed of what I looked like. Both of us love the hot water and Toby had volunteered me to test the water. He was watching my reaction to the temperature of the water. When the water was just right, Toby stepped in behind me. He wrapped his arms around the small stomach I was starting to get and moved us farther up into the shower. The water beating down on me felt good and was releasing the tension that was starting to build me.

“Turn around and face me.” Toby said.

Doing as I was told, I met those hazel eyes that I fell in love with months ago. Getting a good look of his body made my eyes go big. He asked me to get my hair wet that way he could wash my hair. It felt good to have the water running down. Toby was enjoying the sight of me and it took him less than a moment to snap back into the present. The smell of wet hair drives me insane so Toby washed my hair first. I opened up my eyes and found Toby getting ready to put soap into my hair. His fingernails were massaging my scalp. It felt so good to have someone else wash my hair instead of me. Toby told me to scoot towards the wall so he and I could switch spots. The conditioner was going to be the last thing that happens in the shower.  Because Toby was taller than me, I had to have him lean back into the water for me. He looked like a wet shaggy dog. I told him to kneel down so I could actually reach his head.

I have very long nails and to massage his scalp meant Toby was in heaven. It was one of those moments when it was priceless to see Toby in the moment.  Once the soap was all out, I asked him to stand up so I could wash his body. His hazel eyes were shining on me when he saw my hand full of the body wash soap. He leaned into the kiss I was giving him. I started to rub my hands over his lean body. I started at his arms and continued down toward his feet. But I would always continue to go back over the places I already hit. The soap was washing off of his body before it got a chance to settle in. While I was at it, I asked Toby to bend down again so I could apply the conditioner into his hair. This time, he kept his eyes open as he wanted to see me. When I was all done with him, I grabbed his arms to pull him up. Toby held me for a moment before switching spots with me.

Because Toby was taller than me, I didn’t have to kneel down. First, he was going to wash me up before adding the layer of conditioner. Knowing how delicate I was, Toby started from the bottom up. As soon as he got close to my stomach, he paused. He kissed and then continued to my head. He poured the conditioner into the palm of his hand. I felt Toby finish up on me before he turned the water off. Toby was staring into my eyes when I sat down and started to cry. He picked up my weeping body after he wrapped himself in a towel. There was a towel that scooped me up and brought me close to his chest. My body was shaking so bad that Toby didn’t know what to do. He gave me a kiss on the cheek before he pulled me up to my feet and stared me into the eyes. When I was able to compose myself, I pulled Toby into our room so we could get dressed. Before my wet hair dried into a wet mess, Toby brushed it out for me.

“What do you want to wear today?” I asked Toby.

“A pair of shorts would do for me.”

Toby was pulling my hair back into a half-braided ponytail. He wanted me to look my best for today but I have no idea what I want to wear. This is where I have Toby come in and help me decide. He picks out my clothes and I pick out his as it’s hard for me. Because it was summertime, Toby picked out a skirt with a nice top as it would hide the start of my baby bump. Once I was dressed, I put on a pair of slip flops before going down to Lily’s house with Kyle. He was already to go and I was thankful for that.

“Toby, I’m going to walk Kyle to Lily’s house. Lock the house up for me and I will meet you in the car.”