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Noah
My finger rested on the doorbell. I waited for a second and stepped back. Grace looked at me slightly petrified. She was a little bit more nervous after she explained to me what happened to her mother and why she didn't want a baby. It seemed like the fear had set in about what if she is actually pregnant.
The wait for the test result wasn't going to calm her nerves.
I grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly, she relaxed.
The door opened revealing my smiling brother.
"Ah Noah!" He hugged me before turning to Grace and giving her an equally bone crushing hug.
"I see you haven't gone off the deep end. Come in. Abby is in the kitchen; you can hand her that wine Grace." Grace nodded and headed towards the kitchen.
Adrian studied me and smiled.
"I told you I know more about women than you think that I do." He grinned smugly.
"Yeah, yeah. Hey, why haven't you gone back to base yet?" He shrugged.
"I wanted to spend some time at home and visit mom and dad again."
"Good luck with that. They're waiting for the fruits of your loin, so they're going to cross-examine you." I pulled off my jacket and hung it on the coat stand before taking a seat on the couch. I looked around the house, it hasn't changed much since I was last here. It was still the same old Victorian style house with the same old French doors and carved fireplace.
"Fruits of my loin? You sound like mom. Grace looked worried back there." He stated as he poured me some wine.
"We have a few...things to figure out." Grace and Abby emerged from the kitchen and Abby sat down beside Adrian also with her wine and Grace beside me with hers. I looked at her and then to the wine.
"Shouldn't you stick to something like hot chocolate?" She frowned and then realized.
"Oh yeah."
"Nonsense Noah! Let her have her wine and fun."
"No don't worry I really shouldn't." She set down her wine and moved closer to me.
"Dinner is almost ready. Grace can you help me with the salad please?" Grace smiled and stood up muttering a 'sure'.
Adrian looked at me again and then shook his head.
"It's a wonder she can cope with all your hang-ups, it's just wine and as far as I can see she really needed that drink."
“Believe me, it’s not just about the wine.”
Grace
I was mixing the salad when Abby turned to me.
"Are you pregnant?" Her green eyes oozed worry.
"I'm not sure. I'll find out soon." I chuckled bitterly. The doctors usually deliver results like that almost immediately, but I guess not mine.
"Not planned right?"
"Nope." I pressed my lips together and added olives to the green salad.
"That makes two of us. Noah is a great man; he's got his issues and of course the Miller temper but believe me their bark is far worse than their bite.” I turned to her with a frown.
"What? You're pregnant?"
"Shhh! Adrian doesn't know and I hope he doesn't find out now. He's been away for four months so he's going to be paranoid about me. I didn't want to tell him while he was there, he'd send me bodyguards to protect me, god knows he's done that before."
"But the wine? You don't look pregnant; how have you been hiding it?"
"A lot of baggy shirts, sweaters and coats but I'm going to tell him soon. As far as he's concerned, I'm just getting fat. I just wanted us to enjoy the time we have together while we can. Oh, that wasn't wine that was berry and apple juice." She giggled and placed the roast on the platter then started cutting it.
"Noah mentioned you were mad at Adrian on the way over, but you seem to be fine now."
I stated. I wasn't trying to be nosy, but it looks like we're all up in each other's business even if I don't even know her that well.
"Yeah I guess under all that gruff and brute force is a teddy bear." She smiled and carried out the platter to the table. I grabbed the plates and silver wear. Noah came into the kitchen just as I was about to grab the salad.
He pecked me on the cheek and wrapped his arm around my waist, he bent over and whispered in my ear.
"It's going to be fine." That didn't help my newfound jitters.
He pecked me again and grabbed the salads heading to the dining table.
––––––––
Noah
We sat down at the table. Adrian sat at the head of the table while I sat on his one side with Grace and Abby. Adrian took a sip of Abby’s wine thinking it was his. Grace looked up and turned red along.
"Is this apple juice? That's not my wine." Abby also turned red and slightly smiled before muttering something about her not wanting wine and continued to eat.
"What's with all the red faces around the table?" Adrian asked with a glare. Abby swallowed hard.
"It’s just an inside joke, hun." He clearly wasn't buying it. Dinner was light-hearted, Adrian and I reminisced about our childhood and Grace shared stories about hers. Adrian agreed that he'd like to meet her brother because he was also stationed where Grace's brother was when the explosion occurred.
When Abby heard of the explosion, she didn't remark on it and instead retreated to the kitchen for dessert. Adrian followed behind. I turned to Grace.
"I wonder what that's about." She bit her lower lip harshly.
"You know that kind of if' we have...well she has a ‘definitely’." It took me a second to realize what she meant.
"Really? Oh wow, I’m going to be an uncle. He doesn't know right. Miller men get particularly protective of their women." I rolled my eyes.
"That I know. That kiss in the store today proved it. You know I should've been a jealous one." She winked. Before I could remark I heard something fall in the kitchen and then a loud yell. I jumped from my seat with Grace and hurried to the kitchen
"You didn't tell me?! You didn't tell me! Four fucking months and you didn't tell me. Abigail, you...you...how the fuck did I not notice!" Adrian stormed out of the house. Moments later we heard his car speed away. I went into the kitchen and saw that Abby was sitting at the table, tears streaking down her face. I tried to calm her, but nothing was working.
Grace sat down beside her and started talking to her.
"It's going to be okay, he just needs to adjust to the idea." She cooed.
"I was going to tell him.”
"Take a deep breath, and look at me," She obliged and looked at her," He loves you; he just feels overwhelmed now. Men in the military, they take it to heart when they aren't around, and something happens to someone. They blame themselves. My brother went through that too. He needs to adjust. He'll be back soon-these Miller men have a thing with babies that they wouldn't let go."
Abby stopped crying, I made her some tea and just as I was done, I heard Adrian pull into the driveway again.
Grace was spot on.
"I think we need to get going." Grace nodded and as Adrian walked into the house we walked out (not before Grace grabbed a piece of roast from our plates). We heard them kiss and make up when we strutted out of the door.
When we got home, I warmed up some of my famous leftover pasta for us since our dinner was in shambles.
Grace sat at the island beside me as we ate, I turned to her after a bite.
"You'd be a great mother. I think I'm the one who needs to study up on this. You’re a natural."
"We don't know yet." With her thumb, she wiped away the pasta sauce mess on my cheek. She rested her soft hand on my stubbled cheek. I leaned into her soft touch. “I’ve decided after many debates with myself that I'll move in with you. I know, I know. I’ve been shying away but I need you here with me." She uttered softly.
I took her palm and pecked a kiss on the inside.