What is the greatest thing a man can experience? Having what you have been searching for show up on your doorstep. It is true that good things happen to those who wait but damn did I had to wait long.
Ava ~”Are you going to stop staring at my stomach and let me in?”
Trayton ~”Sorry baby girl, you are just so… big.”
Ava ~”You can be glad my hands are swollen or else I would have punched you.”
Trayton ~”Come everyone is in the kitchen.”
Ava ~”Who would have ever guessed that?”
I am a mess, but I am a happy mess. My baby is here and she is here with my other baby, a very very big baby. They are both very big, to think that is how much I missed. I don’t want to miss the rest of it, I can only imagine how big she is going to still get. She is going to need all my help.
Everyone is dumbstruck as I bring her into the kitchen. Of course mom is the first to run up to her and give her a big hug.
Mary ~”Oh sweety it’s wonderful to see you. You looking good. How is the baby?”
Ava ~”Craving more flapjacks than it is really necessary.”
Mary ~”Do you want me to make you some?”
Ava ~”We are definitely not going to say no.”
I would have thought mom would be a lot more excited to have seen Ava, even more the baby. She is acting weird again, she has been acting weird for a while now, disappearing to who knows where for sometimes a whole day.
Dominic ~”Hey mommy, how is the little man doing? You guys are quite… big.”
Ava ~”What makes you think it is a little man?”
Dominic ~”Little men or rather big men run in the family.”
Ava ~”So I have been told, I just don’t know so much about another DeCarlo man running around breaking little girl’s hearts.”
Dominic ~”Whichever way it is good two see you two again.”
Dominic gives her a big hug as far as her big stomach allows. I still can’t get over the fact that she is so big. That it’s my baby in her belly.
Kenton ~”Hey you little nutter.”
Ava ~”I hope you talking about the baby and not me.”
Kenton ~”What is going to happen if I was talking to you?”
Ava ~”I would punch you.”
Kenton ~”But lucky for me you can’t. So I will just say you both are a bunch of nutters.”
Ava ~”You always have such nice things to say. When I look at you it definitely reminds me that I should have a girl.”
Kenton ~”Why? Because I am so good-looking?”
Ava ~”I was going to say naughty but you can be both.”
Kenton ~”I am just happy you both are well and okay.”
Kenton gives her a big hug too, careful not to squeeze too tight. I can see he is happy and relieved to finally see her here and that they are okay.
Trayton ~”Baby can I get you anything while mom is making flapjacks?”
Ava ~”There is some of that strawberry milkshake stuff in my bag.”
I go to fetch the milkshake and pour it into a glass for her. Grabbing a bottle of water for myself.
Ava ~”Come let’s go get you cleaned up and then we can talk.”
We both head upstairs to my room. She is sitting on the bed happily drinking her milkshake while I take a shower and shave. There is some cartoon on again, I think it is the one where he blows up the building because she is giggling and laughing. I have missed that sound coming from the lounge so much.
I step out the shower, wrapping a towel around me I step back in the room. I watch her out the corner of my eye as I search for something to wear, she seems so happy. I quickly get dressed and go sit next to her.
Ava ~”Now this looks better, the whole bum look did not work for you.”
Trayton ~”I was going through a phase.”
Ava ~”Some dirty ass phase.”
Trayton ~”I did not say it was a good one.”
Ava ~”Please don’t do that again, it breaks my heart when I see you like that.”
Trayton ~”It breaks my heart when I don’t see you.”
Ava ~”And whose fault is that?”
Trayton ~”I was a jerk and I am still a jerk.”
Ava ~”At least we agree on one thing so far.”
I take her hands into mine and hold them really tight. I don’t ever want to let them go. I don’t ever want to let her go. I need to make this right, she must come back home.
Trayton ~”Baby girl I am sorry.”
Ava ~”Baby don’t.”
Trayton ~”No I have to. The things I said to you the day we found out were very mean. Mean is actually putting it lightly. It was unforgivable and disgusting. It was hurtful, I feel ashamed at how I reacted.”
Ava ~”You made it seem like I did it on purpose. How can you think I would do such a thing on purpose? Yes I was scared and I am still scared and believe me I am still not ready. I would never do something so big on purpose.”
Trayton ~”I also was scared but instead of sitting and figuring it out I lashed out at you and made it all your fault. I am not ready to be a dad but seeing you at the door with your big belly wants me to be a dad.”
Ava ~”You made me feel that I was not wanted. That I am something you can toss away when things did not go your way. We been through so much, we can go through having a baby.”
Trayton ~”I really did not mean for you to feel that way. The only way I thought of dealing with it was pushing you away and pretended it did not exist. I saw how wrong I was, that I was a selfish asshole. When you needed me the most, I pushed you away.”
Ava ~”I know you are scared of mixing what you do with having a family. It only becomes a problem if you allow it to.”
Trayton ~”The only thing I thought about is that I don’t want my child to grow up without a father. We both know how it is not having a father. I don’t want the same for our child.”
Ava ~”We deal with it when we get there. Stop worrying about things that have not happened yet.”
I must tell her about her parents but I feel we should figure out how we are going to be parents first.
Trayton ~”I know I told you that I was not ready and it’s not what I planned. I am still not ready but I want to be a dad. It’s my fault I have missed half of your pregnancy but I do not want to miss the rest.”
Ava ~”Then don’t run off and make the club more important like you did that night. Instead of talking you ran off and got drunk. This is not going away if you drink. You are a mess, yes you miss me but you can’t fall off the wagon when something does not go your way.”
Trayton ~”I did not know how to deal with it. I just drank and made myself believe it was going to go away.”
Ava ~”Yes straight into another woman’s arms.”
Trayton ~”What? No!”
Ava ~”Are you really going to pretend that I did not see you half-naked in the kitchen with her? I am sure Kenton can clear that one up.”
Trayton ~”Yes Kenton can clear that one up. It is Kenton’s girlfriend. He hooked up with her that night at the club and she came home with him. We ended up in the kitchen at the same time by accident. I did not know she was in her underwear until you said it.”
Ava ~”Really?”
Trayton ~”Yes really. Her name is Kaylin, she and Kenton have been going steady since then.”
Ava ~”So I fucked off and left for no reason?”
Trayton ~”I am not going to answer that.”
Ava ~”You better not.”
Trayton ~”You made sure you really left. You switched the cameras off, you left your car, and made sure who you were with did not get seen. Did you plan it before the kitchen incident or was it last minute?”
Ava ~”Honestly I was planning it before but I could not go through with it and that is when the kitchen thing happened. I was acting more on emotion than common sense.”
I want to know with who she left. I want to know who was that good that they missed every possible camera out and I want to know who has been looking after them.
Trayton ~”May I ask who it is?”
Ava ~”Who what is?”
Trayton ~”That got you out?”
Ava ~”I made him promise not to tell you but I am not sure how he is going to feel if I tell you. Just give me a sec.”
She goes outside to speak to someone, I cannot make out what she says. Just don’t lose it, if you lose it, it is going to make things worse again.
Ava ~”Okay he said he punches harder than you so he is not scared.”
Trayton ~”Do I know him?”
Ava ~”Yes you do.”
Trayton ~”I am assuming that it is someone that I trust.”
Ava ~”Yes.”
Trayton ~”And I am correct in saying it’s Jackson?”
Ava ~”How can you be so sure?”
Trayton ~”He is the only person I trust that can avoid a camera.”
Ava ~”Are you cross?”
Trayton ~”Upset that you left yes but glad to know you were with someone that looked after you.”
Ava ~”He did not look after me, he just gave me a place to stay. I did all the rest.”
Trayton ~”Did you stay with him then?”
Ava ~”No it is Kay’s old apartment.”
Trayton ~”And how did you get around?”
Ava ~”Bought a small car. How did you think I got here?”
Trayton ~”Okay it is a dumb question.”
There is something that just comes to my mind, something I saw in the kitchen. Something I don’t know how I am going to react to if my suspicion is right. Is it something I look past, do I really want to know.
Trayton ~”Can I ask you a question, you don’t have to answer. I just need to warn you that if I am right, I am not sure how I am going to react.”
Ava ~”I am already not liking the start of your question but you can ask.”
Trayton ~”Mom has been acting weird and disappearing off to places. Is this places you?”
Ava ~”She has been going with me to the doctor and just for coffee and lunch sometimes.”
Trayton ~”I am upset but I am not going to be an asshole about it. I guess I can be glad that you did not go through it on your own.”
Ava ~”I am sorry.”
Trayton ~”Don’t apologize for thinking of the baby first. I am so happy you are home. I don’t really care who did what.”
Ava ~”She did tell me what you were going through and that you desperately looking for me but I just could not come back, I wanted so many times to phone you.”
Trayton ~”I wish that you did. I was really losing myself.”
Ava ~”I am sorry. It is hard to know what to do for the baby if you don’t know what is right.”
Trayton ~”It’s okay don’t worry about it.”
She leans over and gives me a hug, her big belly, yes I am going to carry on calling it big. She is pressing her big belly tight into my body. I can honestly say that I have never felt something so strange but yet so amazing.
Trayton ~”I guess the big question now is, are you coming home?”
Ava ~”Well seeing that we both acted like idiots, it means we are equally wrong, maybe you a bit more than I am.”
Trayton ~”Okay you are pushing it a bit.”
Ava ~”Are you are up to moving all those shoes?”
Trayton ~”I will move a damn bus if I have to.”
Ava ~”You don’t have to go too far to find a bus.”
Trayton ~”You are not a bus, you are beautiful. And I love you whichever way you are.”
Ava ~”I love you too. There is something I want to show you.”
She grabs my hand as the slides of the bed. Before she used to jump, now she is so big she can only slide. I know if she could read minds, I would have been smacked by now.
I follow her downstairs, watching her as she sort of waddles off each step. I should really not find this funny but it is just too cute.
She scratches around in her bag and takes out an envelope, she hands it to me with a big smile on her face. Whatever is in here must be a big deal. I take the contents out, I am confused at first but when it settles, I am blown away.
Trayton ~”Is this what I think it is?”
Ava ~”Yes it quite clearly looks like what you think it is.”
It is a picture of the last sonar she took. I never thought a black and grey picture of a growing baby could bring so much joy in my heart. It is a different kind of warmth that I have ever felt before in my heart. I can see now why she is so big because the little someone inside her is what is making her belly like that.
Trayton ~”Do you know if it a boy or a girl?”
Ava ~”No I have not asked. Maybe next time we go, we can ask.”
Trayton ~”You want me to come with you next time?”
Ava ~”Of course silly, last time I checked you were dad.”
My mouth is hurting because I can’t stop smiling. I really love this woman and when I think I could not, I even love her more. But this time around I love her and the baby even more than before. How could I have been so stupid and push them away? I have missed so much but trust me I am not missing a thing again.
We join the others in the kitchen where mom just finished the flapjacks. Ava excitedly piling them on the plate, mom just smiles.
Trayton ~”Mom don’t you think there is something you forgot to tell me?”
Ava ~”Sorry mom but he guessed right.”
Mary ~”You were too busy feeling sorry for yourself. The two of them were more important. I knew you would stop your shit eventually.”
Trayton ~”Stop cursing, the baby can hear you.”
Ava ~”Oh my fuck, you are going to be one of those dads?”
Trayton ~”I just said stop cursing.”
Kenton ~”Says the one that says fuck more times than he can count.”
Trayton ~”I am making a swear jar, if you don’t want to listen then you going to pay. It can go towards the baby’s toys fund.”
Dominic ~”What on earth is a toys fund?”
Trayton ~”Money to buy toys.”
Ava ~”Somehow I think you are not going to need a toys fund.”
Kenton ~”I am glad you two have stopped your shit. If you can’t be great lovers at least be great parents.”
Talking about parents. I can’t keep it to myself anymore. I need to tell her.
Trayton ~”I will be back in a second.”
I go to my office where I print the mail so I can show her but before I leave I take my phone and send a quick message.
Trayton ~”Thank you for looking after them.”
Jackson ~”Any time, don’t go lose them again.”
I put the phone down and head back into the kitchen.
Trayton ~”Baby there is something I want to show you. Do you want to go to the lounge quick?”
Ava ~”No I don’t want to get up again.”
Trayton ~”I love you and everyone here loves you too. We are here for you, please remember that.”
Ava ~”This sounds serious. Hand me that so I can see what has got everyone so quiet now.”
She takes it from me, even before she reads it, her eyes go wide. There is a picture of her father and her mother, which she has clearly recognized. She starts to read what is below. What she is reading is confirmation that they are alive and further down is the address where they live.
She pushes the paper aside and continues to eat her flapjacks. She does not know what to do or what to say. I can see the tears forming as everyone is still staring at her.
Trayton ~”Dominic, you and Kenton need to start learning to change diapers.”
Kenton ~”Your ass, you are the dad.”
Dominic ~”Exactly, you the one that popped her belly.”
Trayton ~”I think you just made that expression up, didn’t you?”
She smiles at me and squeezes my hand, grateful for me for changing the subject, and stopped everyone from staring at her.