For Her, He Will

Chapter Forty-Two - It's been a long, eventful week.

"I think that'll be fun," Tate giggled.

"You can get all those thoughts out of your head, pal," Oakley rolled her eyes. "Ain't none of that happening."

"What if they're boys?" Tate smiled. "Then it'll be four of us against the one of you."

Oakley's smirked died.

"What if they're both girls?" Oakley chimed back. "Then it'll be you and Dad who are outnumbered."

"That's too much pink," Tate shook his head.

"Too much?" Oakley laughed. "Tate, I don't even wear pink."

"I think they're boys," Tate reached over and for the first time, placed his hands on Oakley's bump.

She hadn't had a bump really for him to do it before, and after her own hands, only Kayce's were what Oakley was used to touching her like this. But seeing Tate's little hands over her bump make Oakley's throat tighten slightly.

"Two little brothers," Tate mumbled.

Oakley reached up and pushed Tate's hair back some as she smiled down at him. She took a deep breath, feeling better that this conversation was out of the way now. It had gone better than the first time they had told Tate's Oakley was pregnant...

Oakley turned around to bring the casserole dish to the table. But she stepped wrong, and her feet flew out from under her, sending Oakley down and the dish clanging against the tile. Kayce was y her side in an instant, Tate standing up next to them.

"I'm alright," Oakley laughed.

"Babe, stay still," Kayce held her arms. "Tate, get a rag."

"I'm fine," Oakley shook her head. "I just slipped...Kayce stop!"

Kayce was trying the reach his arms under her knees to lift her.

"I'm okay," Oakey pushed him away.

"What about the baby?" Kayce asked. "Should we call the doctor?"

"Baby?" Tate asked, making both Kayce and Oakley look up at him.

"Shit," Kayce whispered, and Oakley hit his shoulder.

"Tate..." Oakley sighed. "Honey..."

"You're gonna have a baby?" Tate asked, looking at Oakey. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We were going to tell you," Oakley tried. "It's very early on and-Tate!"

Tate ran back into his room. Oakley sighed, frowning, and looking at Kayce.

"Sorry," Kayce sighed. "I'll go talk to him."

"No, I will," Oakley stood up before Kayce could help her. "You've done enough on this topic."

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to wait and tell him," Kayce stood up too.

"Because it's early," Oakley whispered to Kayce. "Because I'm trying to be careful...for all of us."

"And I'm not?" Kayce asked.

"This isn't about you, Kayce," Oakley was frustrated. "This is about Tate. I wanted to do this the right way to make it easy for Tate."

Oakley walked over to Tate's bedroom door and knocked gently. After a few seconds of not hearing anything, Oakley opened the door. Tate was sitting back on his bed, his dinosaur book on his lap but it wasn't opened.