Always Us

secret keepers

"I didn't even... she's not even two... she barely just turned one... fuck, Caleb."

Silence.

Savannah pictured her brother pacing around in the bathroom in his suit, calm and composed, just like their dad. And for a moment, she felt bad for him. Two kids by the age of twenty-two. That couldn't be easy. And Audrey. She loved her like a sister. After Sienna went off to college and Gianna was too busy to pay attention to her, Audrey would always make sure to stop by her room to talk for a bit. And during her pregnancy, they only got closer.

She squeezed the baby in her arms a little tighter for the hurting mother.

And then there was her mother. She was going to kill Caleb, and he was going to sit there and take it. Savannah wrinkled her nose at the thought.

"Are you happy?"

She perked up as the conversation started again.

A few sniffles led into a mumbled, "I mean... it's our baby. Of course, I'm happy. It's just terrible timing."

Her brother exhaled.

"And you?" Audrey croaked.

"Of course, I'm happy, baby. I love you. I love Winnie."

Savannah rolled her eyes at his tone. It was like her brother and his girlfriend were in a race against her parents to see who could expel more sappy bullshit. It never ended.

"And I'm going to love this baby, too."

"I love you," Audrey mumbled.

A heel kicked into her hip, and Winnie rocked wildly against her body. "Mama! Mama!"

"Shhh."

"Mama! Dada! DA-DA!"

"I think one of us needs to go out there."

"Wait," Savannah yelped, slamming her palm into the opening door to save her niece's head from the worst possible outcome.

"What the hell, Savvie."

Savannah stepped back guiltily. "Hi."

"What did you hear?"

She shrugged, offering up the cooing baby. "Congratulations?"

"Shit, Savvie. You can't tell anybody."

"I won't," she giggled, bouncing on her heels, giddy to finally be let into the secret club. "But you guys are in SO much trouble."

Laughing quietly, Audrey stepped around the door and into the hotel room, her face completely blotched from crying. She took her daughter from Caleb, and Savannah watched Winnie nestle her head face-first in to her mother's neck. It was sweet.

"Are you going to take a test?" Savannah asked.

"Caleb's going to go get one."

Caleb, who was finally relaxing into the news, looked at his girlfriend with wide eyes. "Right now?"

"Yeah."

"Baby, I thought you already know. You said you could just feel it," he said, waving his hands around to illustrate the magical feeling Audrey had described to him moments earlier.

"Yeah, but I want to be sure."

"You want me to walk out of this hotel room, through the hallway full of family members, thirty minutes before my sister's wedding, and just stroll back in here with a pregnancy test?"

"Mhm."

Caleb approached her, gently. Ever so gently. "Baby, listen..."

"Or... Sav can go?"