Chapter Seventy Five – Zayn
Zayn's pacing the living room as he waits for Liam and Bella to come back down from the bathroom, Aurora on his heels as he does, he's just finished talking to his mum, who had suspiciously agreed to come over for lunch with his dad and sisters the next day. Zayn's not worried about how his family will react, because at least this time the baby was planned, and he isn't going to be raising this one alone. And if his family supported him with Bella they'll definitely support this.He's more worried about how Bella will take the news that she's going to be a big sister, sure she's all for the idea of a little brother,(always a brother, when she brings it up) but he's not sure how she'll feel about the reality. Zayn also knows that with the timing their wedding plans, (not that they've really planned much), will probably need to be put on hold, because no one wants to plan a wedding with a newborn around, at least he doesn't. Then there's Louis, Zayn's been trying to decide how to tell his best friend he's going to have another baby, not that Louis won't be ecstatic, because he will be, Harry too, Zayn just doesn't know how to tell them.
"You're thinking awful hard about something" Liam chuckles snapping Zayn from his thoughts, as he and Bella come back into the living room. Bella dives onto the couch, from Liam's arms, landing on the cushions and bouncing slightly, "Baba look" she insists, tugging on her t-shirt, Zayn chuckles "I see, did Daddy give you, your Dora t-shirt?" he asks and Bella nods proudly, "it's all she would agree to wear" Liam shrugs, and Zayn laughs. "So Bella-Bug" Zayn starts, deciding to just tell his baby girl and get it over with, Liam fortunately catches on and moves to stand beside Zayn. "What Baba?" Bella asks, blinking up at them, Zayn bites his lip, "Daddy and I have something to tell you" he murmurs, "no leaving?" Bella pouts and Zayn shakes his head. "No, we aren't leaving" Zayn assures her, "but do you remember when we talked about having a little brother or a sister?" Zayn asks, "not sister, brother" Bella insists. Zayn chuckles and shakes his head, "we don't know what it will be yet, but Daddy and Baba are going to have a baby, with Auntie Doniya's help" he adds. Bella's eyes widen and she starts bouncing on the couch, "Bella big sister, really?" she asks. Liam nods, "yeah, Princess" he answers, Bella then throws herself off the couch hugging one of Zayn's legs and one of Liam's legs "when baby coming?" she asks. Zayn chuckles, scooping her into his arms, "not for awhile yet, Love" he coos, poking her bottom lip when she pouts, "but it will go by fast" Liam offers. Bella nods, before wriggling to get down, running off to her toybox and digging through it as soon as Zayn sets her down. "So conversation over?" Zayn asks and Liam chuckles, nodding his head, "I think so, but I think it went well" he murmurs, kissing Zayn's temple. Zayn just nods because sure Bella's excited now about being a big sister, but he's sure once the baby is real, and here, it will change.
Zayn's sitting at the kitchen table marking some papers, while Bella plays in the living room, and Liam's in his office doing something, when there's a knock on the door. Furrowing his eyebrows he moves towards the door, just as Bella slides up to it, "who there Baba?" she asks, furrowing her eyebrows. Zayn just shrugs, "I don't know, but you weren't going to open it though were you?" he asks. Bella bats her eyelashes at him as she shakes her head, no, which Zayn knows that was definitely her plan, "please don't open the door especially when we don't know who it is" Zayn scolds reaching for the doorknob. It's only after he's opened the door to reveal Karen, that he remembers Liam tickling him this morning until he agreed to a date tonight. "Grandma!" Bella shrieks, jumping into her arms Karen laughs, hugging the girl close as she steps through the door. "Hello, Karen" Zayn murmurs and she laughs setting Bella down, "did my son not tell you I was coming to babysit?" she asks. Zayn shakes his head, "no he did, I just forgot" he mumbles as Aurora comes running up to the door, her feet slipping on the tiles causing her to slide the last few feet into Karen's legs. "Grandma, come play" Bella insists, grabbing onto Karen's hand and dragging her towards the living room, "I'm just going to go find Liam" Zayn says before bolting towards his fiancé's office.
When Zayn gets to Liam's office he takes a minute to just watch the older man, he's sitting at his desk typing something quickly on his laptop, Zayn bites his lip, before tapping his knuckles against the open door. Liam looks up and smiles at him, it's Zayn's favourite smile, a real one where his eyes crinkle and he just looks so good, "what's up?" Liam asks. Zayn shakes his head quickly, "um your mum is here" he mumbles and Liam grins, "alright. Just give me a minute to finish this and I'll come down, so we can talk to her" he says. Zayn nods but doesn't leave the doorway, instead chooses to wait for Liam to finish, which only takes him about thirty seconds, before he approaches Zayn. "You okay?" Liam asks, concern lacing his voice and Zayn nods, "yeah I'm fine" he murmurs, and Liam nods, tangling their fingers together to lead Zayn towards the living room where they can hear Bella, Karen and Aurora, doing something. When they get to the living room, Zayn can't help but laugh as he takes in the scene, Karen and the puppy are both wearing tiaras, although Aurora is trying to knock hers off her head to chew it, while Bella twirls around in a skirt, while waving a wand. "I'm a princess" Karen smirks when she sees the two men, and Liam and Zayn both chuckle, before coming further into the room.
Zayn goes over to Bella crouching down to be at her level, "hey, can you come with me for a minute, please?" Zayn asks. Bella gives him a confused look before shaking her head, no, "Baba, I playing she whines, Zayn smiles lightly "I know and you can play again in a minute, I just need your help with something, really important" he murmurs. Bella bites her lip before she sighs and nods, dropping her wand and turning to Karen where Liam is now sitting beside her, a knowing smile on his face. "Don't leave Grandma. I be right back" Bella instructs, Karen nods her head, "I'm not going anywhere" she laughs and Bella nods satisfied, turning back to Zayn, reaching to be picked up. Zayn complies, scooping her into his arms, "we'll be right back" he excuses them before leaving and heading up to his and Liam's room. Zayn sets Bella down on the bed and she tilts her head to the side as she watches him, "what doing?" she asks and Zayn chuckles pulling a small bag from one of his dresser drawers, before pulling out the light pink t-shirt, that says 'Big Sister' in large, sparkly, purple letters. He'd bought the shirt after work on Monday, after knowing that it was in fact the case, "I need you to put this on for me, please?" he asks turning to Bella who pouts, "but Baba, Dora" she whines, pulling on the shirt she's already wearing. "I know Love. But this is special to help Baba and Daddy tell Grandma that you're going to be the best big sister in the whole world" Zayn explains. Bella narrows her eyes at him suspiciously before she sighs nodding her head, Zayn chuckles "thank you" he murmurs, pressing a kiss to her cheek before swapping her shirts.
Zayn makes sure he's carrying Bella so the words on the shirt are completely pressed against his chest, when he re-enters the living room, he nods at Liam to let him know they're ready. Zayn watches as Liam takes a deep breath before he speaks slowly, "Mum, we have something to tell you" Liam starts and Karen furrows her eyebrows, "is everything alright?" she asks concerned. "Go see Grandma" Zayn murmurs setting Bella down on her feet, he can tell she's confused but thankfully the three year old just moves so she's standing in front of Karen, while Liam chews harshly on his bottom lip. Zayn can tell the exact moment that Karen processes the words she's seeing on Bella's torso, because her eyes widen, before her hand flies up to cover her mouth, "you mean...?" she trails off turning to Liam. Liam smiles nodding slowly, "we found out last week, Zayn's sister, Doniya she's carrying our baby" he murmurs, and Zayn can tell he's close to tears as well. Karen doesn't say anything else, just reaches over to pull Liam into a hug, Zayn can hear them both murmuring but not what they're actually saying. "Bella go play?" Bella asks suddenly, startling Zayn before he nods, "yeah of course Love. Thank you" Zayn smiles before the girl runs off again. Karen is suddenly in front of him, pulling Zayn into a crushing hug, "congratulations" she hums and Zayn smiles, "thank you" he mumbles, wrapping his arms a little more tightly around the woman.
Once everyone has settled down again Zayn let's Liam pull him down onto the couch, "tell me everything, I didn't even know you two were trying to have another one yet" Karen rushes and Zayn laughs lightly. "We've been talking about it for awhile Mum. Just decided it was time" Liam explains and Karen nods "but what about the wedding?" she asks carefully. Zayn just shrugs,because really he figures they'll just postpone it a little more. "It's still going to happen, I haven't really talked to this one about it, but I was hoping we could do it before the baby gets here" Liam says and Zayn's eyes widen, "you want to get married in the next seven months?" Zayn asks slowly, turning a little to see Liam, who nods carefully. Zayn then grins wrapping his arms tightly around Liam, "so I take it you're okay with that?" Liam chuckles and Zayn just nods against his neck in response, because he doesn't think he can form actual words right now, even if he tried.
They spend another twenty minutes talking to Karen before Liam stands up and pulls Zayn up with him, "alright Mum, we'll be back before midnight, you know the drill I'm sure" Liam says, and Karen laughs nodding her head. Zayn furrows his eyebrows he's confused and it shows, "Liam, we're leaving now? It's like four o'clock" he exclaims. Liam just laughs, nodding his head "I know, but remember you agreed to no questions" he reminds Zayn. Zayn pouts, crossing his arms, but he decides not to say anything else, because all he can think up are questions, that he knows Liam won't answer anyways. "Bella, come say goodbye, apparently Daddy and I are leaving" Zayn calls out instead, Liam sends him a wary look that Zayn ignores, deciding to let him squirm a few minutes longer, as Arabella comes flying into his arms "come back?" she mumbles and Zayn nods, "of course Bug" he murmurs, Bella nods, and pulls away to press a kiss to his cheek, before jumping into Liam's arms and doing the same, Zayn notices Bella makes him promise to come back as well, which Liam does quickly, before Bella runs over to Karen, climbing onto her lap. Zayn lets Liam tug him out of the apartment after that, he still hasn't really said anything to him, since Liam's abrupt announcement that they were leaving.