Wednesday Morning
(Pippa is 15 weeks and 4 days & Lesley is 11 weeks and 2 days)
🕯️🕯️🕯️

Back at home in their regular lives, the break was over and it was time to get back to school and work and reality. The twins had gone inside already leaving Allie, Killy, Joi, and Marti still in the parking lot. The girls were talking about their vacations when Allie whipped around from the front seat with a glowing smile. "What?" Killy asked, being the first to notice the look. Allie took a deep breath, feeling proud that she hadn't told any of her friends her biggest secret to date.

"Girl, you're scaring me. What the fuck?" Marti asked before hitting her weed vape and passing it to Joi. Allie opened her phone to show the ultrasound from Pippa's appointment before they left. Quickly, she dropped the phone on the middle console and backed away for her friends to see.

"Dude, what is this?" Joi asked, trying to wrap her mind around the picture and her friend's demeanor. All three of the girls looked up to Allie confused, having knowledge of her medical condition.

"That's my baby," she smiled.

"Is this a joke? Isn't that your mom's name on the ultrasound?" Marti asked, sure that she was high but not that high. Allie took her phone back with a cheerful nod.

"Yeah. I've been wanting to tell you guys for like three weeks, but I wasn't allowed until papers were signed. My mom is playing amateur surrogate. That's my baby," she answered. Killy slapped her hand over her mouth as Joi squealed and Marti gasped.

"Wait! You're gonna get to be a mom? Oh my gosh!" Joi started to cry. Tears started to become contagious as they moved from one teen to another.

"This is all you've ever wanted! How does Noah feel?" Marti asked, taking her pen back from Joi and shoving it into her bag. Allie took a deep breath and wiped her tears.

"He's so exited. He cried when we made it official and when we signed the papers. I— everything is happening so fast," she answered. "I graduate in a few months, Noah is back on base, we're planning a wedding, and getting ready for the baby like..." Allie trailed off. The girls grabbed her hands as if to say we're here for you and took a beat. "But, first things first, we are having the gender reveal this weekend. I won't announce anything until the baby is here, but I wanted you all to be there with me since Noah can't be," she asked. Since he was just off for two weeks his request for the weekend was denied, which he figured would be. So, he told her to go ahead and find out and just FaceTime him in. These were the moments of the next two years that would be hard, but with her support system Allie would get through it.

🕯️🕯️🕯️

Enzo sat out back behind the restaurant on a quick ten minute break, on FaceTime with Kate. They hadn't gotten off the phone since he came back to New York, except for to shower or work. They fell asleep on the phone, ate together, went on "dates" watched TV, everything. They'd only know one another for two weeks and they couldn't get enough of one another. "Did Feather get on the bus okay this morning?" Kate asked, sipping her coffee. She was off that morning and having breakfast with him, before he headed off to his opening to closing double shift.

"No," he chuckled. "No, absolutely not. She dragged her feet the whole time I tried to get her ready. I even bribed her with Dunkin. She did not want to go." He didn't know why she was opposed to school. She loved school, but Pippa was sure it was because she got a long break to spend with him and that he and his siblings were all like that at her age. Kate hummed.

"Poor girl. She just wanted to stay with her daddy. I get that," she sly remarked. Enzo glanced to the phone to catch the tail end of her smirk as she looked off.

"Well, if we make it that far, I will see you for Valentine's." Kate groaned. February seemed so far away, but she was grateful to have someone be so forward thinking. "It'll just be you and me," he dreamt, thinking about the tickets sitting in his inbox at the moment. Kate's face dropped just slightly.

"What about Feather? I don't want to take you away from her on that day," she asked. Kate had never dated a guy with kids, but she was well adjusted enough to know that kids always came first. And she was okay with that. She liked Feather and wanted to make sure that Enzo was always thinking of her first too.

"Don't worry. I've got that covered. On the actual day I'm going 24 hours free of anyone but Feather. I'm going to keep her out of school and take her to the Four Seasons courtesy of my mom. And we are going to get facials and massages and I'm going to get her hair and nails done and treat her to a fabulous dinner. It'll be my third holiday with her, but first Valentine and I want her to feel special," he described, warming Kate's heart. She wished her family could have done things like that when she was younger, but with one parent raising two kids on a waitress salary it was rough.

"That sounds amazing. I can't wait to see what you do for us," she smiled, biting the inside of her cheek to keep her grounded. Enzo shrugged as if he hadn't booked the trip as soon as he got home.

"Well, you'll just have to wait. But, ope," his timer went off, "I have to get to work. I will call you on my way home. Have a good day! And practice your coding!" He reminded. She lazily nodded and blew him a few kisses which he caught and placed over his heart, before hanging up. Puppy love. To be in it was to be in bliss... or denial.

🕯️🕯️🕯️

At the house Pippa did her best to clean up from the mess that was unloading a house of eleven. Suitcases and duffle bags lined the hallway that led to the laundry room, overwhelming Pippa with each step. Lin was staying in the city until Friday to work with Lac on their new Disney project, leaving her to hold down the fort alone. Everyone was at work or school, so she was truly alone. Wednesday's were the only day where all of the adult children in the house worked. Someone was always off and at home any other day, but Wednesday's. Those were reset days for Pippa. She could play music throughout the house and invite Renee and Jasmine over for wine and cleaning. But this Wednesday she was on her own.

Pippa took a deep breath and started to sort through the first suitcase by the door. Claudia's. Slowly she pulled out her undergarments bag and unzipped it, tossing the contents into the the washer. She found the teens bikinis and swim wear and added those in before tossing all of the washing and scent powders and starting the first load. Her entire day would consist of laundry and spot cleaning before the cleaners came for the party on Friday. Ugh, the party. It had snowed while they were gone, ruining Allie's first gender reveal idea. And once she found out Noah couldn't come she switched gears once more. She decided to do an envelope opening with just her and Noah once Pippa found out and then colored smoke poppers in the backyard for the family and a small party. Pippa didn't care much about any of that, but she did want to do something intimate with Lin as their last goodbye to the baby.

They hadn't changed their minds and they were excited to keep the baby in their life, but no one told them just how hard it would be to watch the baby be raised. After this weekend, they had no claim to the baby. It wasn't their baby anymore. And while Pippa was glad that she was able to find a secure home for the child, she didn't expect it to be so hard to keep it in the family. She expected to give it Allie and then Allie move. She wouldn't have to see it or hear it and be helpless to its cries because she's not its mother. She's just Nona.

So, she and Lin ordered the sneak peak test while they were in Outer Banks and the results were in her nightstand. She and Lin decided to do a small cake together when they got back.

then

The house finally stood quiet as everyone settled into bed for the night. The family had just gotten back from the longest family road trip they would ever take in their lives. Their flights were cancelled because of the snow, so they had no choice but to packed their things into the SUV's and drive. Everyone with a license had to drive at least once during the almost 12 hour trip with Enzo, Mason, Noah and Lin doing most of the rotation.

Finally cozy in the bed, Pippa pulled out a small food container and popped open the lid to unveil the smallest gender reveal cake. "I picked it up from Neé's while you were getting everyone in," she whispered. The couple took a moment of silence to allow for their feelings to settle.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lin asked. He knew that there was no going back after they knew. But he also knew that this was the last moment before everything leading up to this was real. They were really giving this baby up. They were really done having kids. They were really done. Pippa nodded.

"Yeah. I need closure. I am excited for Allie and Noah, but... it's hard," she sniffled, doing her best to reduce her tears. Carefully, she grabbed two forks and passed him one. "On three?" Lin nodded.

now

Pippa hummed to herself while she straightened up the kitchen and wiped down all of the surface they had used since being home for four days. Her appointment was on Friday and the party was Saturday, but she'd known the gender since Sunday night. It was weird walking around the house with a secret only she knew. It felt like when she found out except, even her girls didn't know. They would come over and find out with everyone else. It was truly just her and the baby.

🕯️🕯️🕯️

At work, Lesley sat in the box office, looking through the system to email a patron back about a ticket question when a soft knock on the window broke her concentration. She looked over to see her Director, Penelope wave at her, then come around to the office door. "Hi, love. I got this for you," she smiled, handing over a cup of tea.

"Thank you," Lesley smiled. She liked her theater job because her director treated her like a daughter and made her feel welcomed. "How are you this morning?" Lesley asked in a baby voice, going back to her search. Penelope took a seat on the spare chair and sighed.

"Pretty good. Traffic wasn't too bad with the snow and everything. You?" She replied. Lesley shrugged.

"Not to bad. I got to take my daughter to school. We talked on the way there and she actually talked back," Lesley answered. Penelope hummed. She knew that Nova and Lesley had a bit of a rocky relationship and hoped that the break would bring them closer.

"What happened in the Outer Banks? Things didn't get better?" Penelope asked. She had an hour to spare before her meetings with some executive producers about the next show they were housing.

"They were fine, but she found out about the custody arrangements and things got a little messy. But, she's coming around to everything. I'm spending this weekend with Vedrana in hopes that giving her space to be with her friends and girlfriend, will let her relax a bit. She's a very nervous kid," Lesley stated, omitting the "for good reason" part. Lesley couldn't play dumb when it came to her child's anxieties. It had only been a few months since she got to Lin and Pippa's officially so, the adjustment was hard in and of itself.

"Well that's nice and I hope it has the effect that you want," Penelope smiled. "How does Vedrana feel about the baby and moving forward?" She asked. The mentor in her wanted to make sure that this visit that Lesley was going on wouldn't cloud all of the hard work they had done. She didn't just hire her because of Lin. She hired her because she believed she could help her get in the right track and it was easy to do that when she hadn't been physically around her triggers or cravings in a few months. This weekend would be the test.

🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️
To My Bomb.Com Friends and Supporters,
I know this chapter was shorter but I was still feeling sappy! Are we team boy or girl??? And any name ideas?? Cause I'm fresh out !!! Love ya! Bye!
Comment.Like.Follow💕 ily💘