Talk About the Direct Approach...

Chapter Twenty-Four: Meeting the Parents

"She's just fine. How are you?"

"Swell. So, what exactly is wrong with you?" I ask, pulling her into a quick hug.

"Ugh, I've been throwing up for the past four days. And I just want to sleep all day," she groans. I rub her back in a soothing manner and lead her to the couch.

"You and I both know this most likely isn't the flu," I point out.

"Well maybe it is!" she snaps, taking me by surprise.

"Uh..." I search for a reply.

"Maybe I'm so fucking amazing that I catch the flu in summer!' she continues. I look at her in bewilderment, wondering where this sudden anger came from. What happened to my sunshine and rainbows chick? Now that I think about it, she has been a little moody lately...

"Yeesh, who lit the fuse on your tampon?" I ask. Complete mood swing moment, she sighs and slumps down in her seat.

"Sorry, sorry. I've been a little moody I guess," she says.

"No kidding," I mutter, though she hears me. She gives me a glare and I hold my hands up. "I was just agreeing. Besides, I know your time of the month can do that to you. I want to rip someone's head off when I get cramps," I say.

"It's not my time of the month," she sighs.

"Then what's wrong? You don't really have the flu, do you? Are you upset that your hair is losing its red luster?"

"It is?!" she says in a panic, grabbing some loose strands from her bun and inspecting them.

"Of course not! It's still as fiery as ever!" Truth be told, it does look a little dull, but I'm not going to be the one to tell her that. "So flu or no?"

"No, that's just what I told Trenton. I want to surprise him with the news soon."

"Surprise him?" She stares at me as I slowly piece the information together. Throwing up, fatigue, mood swings, and the fact that she wants to surprise Trenton. And I guess the fact that she has her hand resting protectively on her stomach is a pretty clear indication.

"You're pregnant!" I gasp.

"I would have thought you would have figured that out faster," she says, lying out on the cushions as if this had taken every bit of energy from her.

"Oh my gosh! This is awesome! I'm going to be an aunt to a little fire baby!" I cheer. We can only hope it inherits Tami's hair color.

"Yea, yea, but if you tell Trenton, I will kill you," she threatens. I know better than to challenge a moody person, speaking from experience, so I nod my head. It's not like I would tell him anyways.

This is so exciting! Despite the mental images that pop in my head, and a replay of the horrible 'Miracle of Birth' video from high school, I'm excited. Your best friend having a baby is almost better than having one yourself. All the benefits, without the pain of labor.

I mean, you can spoil them, get them all jacked up on sugar, and at the end of the day, send them back. That's why people like other's kids so much.

"We have to think of an amazing way to tell Trenton!" I declare.

*****

And so, a little over a week later, the barbeque party is here.

"I hate it. No. No. No. Hate it. Ugly. Why the hell do I own this?" I say aloud as I continue throwing clothes out of the closet. How hard is it to pick out the perfect outfit for being presented to a werewolf pack as their Luna?

Apparently pretty friggin' difficult. Everything I find is either too casual, too dressy, too boring, too extravagant, or too revealing. What does one wear to these shindigs anyways? Cosmo doesn't exactly have a section for finding the perfect outfit to meet the pack.