Empty Net
Page 134

 Toni Aleo

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“Oh wow, what did she say?”
“Well, she needs me to come back home and claim the unit to get its contents. So I am going home after the playoffs, I wanted you to come with me. If you want.”
Audrey paused for a moment and then said, “Yes, of course. I would love to go with you.”
“Awesome, I can’t wait to take you home. I know you’ll love it,” he said, the grin on his face so big and bright, it could probably blind someone.
“I know I will too,” she gushed, “That’s so awesome.”
“I thought so,” he answered as he nodded. Shea looked over at him, nodding his head towards the interviewer who was wrapping up with Lucas. Tate nodded and stood up, walking over to where a girl was motioning for him before saying, “I need to go, baby, it’s my turn to be interviewed.”
“Okay, so you are coming straight home right?”
“Yeah, why?” he asked, she sounded weird again.
“I need to talk to you.”
Tate paused mid stride, and said, “About?”
“I don’t want to talk about it over the phone. But I need you to come home as soon as possible, please.”
“Are you okay?” he found himself asking again.
“I’m fine, I promise, I just need to talk to you,” she said and he could tell she was about to cry. She was doing that quick intake of breath, and she was sniffling.
“I’m getting worried again,” he informed her.
“Don’t, just come home please.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible, okay?”
“Wonderful, don’t worry, okay? Everything is fine, I love you so much, Tate. So much.”
His heart skipped a beat as the girl motioned for him again. He ignored her and said, “I love you, more. Bye.”
“Bye.”
He hung up the phone and paused. It couldn’t be anything bad that she needed to tell him because if it was, she wouldn’t have told him she loved him. It had to be something about the cupcake place, which was awesome. With a wide happy grin, Tate made his way to the interviewer. He was in love. He was taking her home. He was going to introduce her to his family, and then he was going to ask her to marry him.
Tate wanted to ask her now, but it wasn’t time. She needed to meet his family and they needed a little more time to fall more into love. He had no doubt they weren’t but he wanted her to feel they were completely and blissfully in love before he asked her. He didn’t want her to question anything, he wanted the yes to fly from her mouth when he asked. He didn’t want her to pause or even think. He wanted her to know in her soul that he was the person to give her everything. And she was the one to give him everything he wanted and needed.
Tate loved her with every fiber in his body and he couldn’t wait to make her his.
***
When Fallon opened the door with her eyes wide, Audrey figured it was because she had showed up uninvited. Audrey always called before she came, but today was totally different. Audrey wasn’t thinking clearly.
“Hey,” Fallon said. Audrey waved and pushed past Fallon. “Come on in,” Fallon said jokingly.
As she laughed, Audrey swore it was a nervous laugh, she didn’t know why she thought that, but she did. When she turned to face her sister, tears started to fill up in her eyes and Fallon stopped laughing, “AA, what’s wrong?”
“I’m pregnant,” Audrey said quietly. Fallon eyes got real big and she took in a sharp breath.
“Pregnant?”
“Yeah.”
“But I thought you couldn’t have kids?”
“I thought so too, but I am. I just spent the morning at the Doctors Care where they told me I was and then with Bryan Richards who he confirmed it with this,” Audrey said pulling out her first picture of her little chicken. She came up with the name because they said her baby was sleeping beside a yolk. It was silly but it meant the world to her.
“Oh my God,” Fallon took a hold of the picture glancing at the picture, “you’re pregnant!” Audrey nodded as the tears rushed down her face. She expected Fallon to hug her or something, not take Audrey’s hand and pull her through the living room to the large staircase of the house. When they reached Fallon and Lucas’ room, Audrey was completely confused as Fallon dropped Audrey’s hand and went into the bathroom. Fallon dropped to her knees and started throwing boxes over her shoulders; Audrey saw that the little boxes Fallon was throwing were pregnancy tests.
Opened ones.
“Um, Fallon? Why do you have fifteen boxes of opened pregnancy tests all over your floor?”
Fallon looked over her shoulder, blowing her bangs out of her face as she gazed up at Audrey, “Um? Well you see what had happened was…”
Audrey rolled her eyes, bending down to look at one of the sticks that lay on the marble floor. When Audrey saw the two pink lines, her heart stopped, “You’re pregnant?”
Fallon rolled onto her butt, looking up at Audrey as tears welled up in her eyes, “Yes.”
“Oh my God!” Audrey shrieked. She dropped to her knees, crawling to Fallon to wrap her up in her arms. Forgetting her excitement that she was pregnant, Audrey hugged Fallon tightly as excitement for her took over. Audrey’s love for Fallon was soul deep and this was huge. Lucas wanted a baby so bad and even though Fallon was probably scared out of her mind because she was so busy from what she said, Audrey knew she had to be excited. Who wouldn’t be? It’s a baby! “This is so great! Did you tell Lucas? Is he excited!?”