Forever is Right Now

**Brian’s POV**

Two weeks have gone by since the vandalism, we were all finally getting back to where we felt somewhat safe again. We’d still look over our shoulders but for the most part, we finally felt we were safe to be out and about. Tonight, I was sitting at home, by myself watching an episode of Family Guy. My phone buzzed and I rolled my eyes when I saw it was Casey:

So are we going to talk about this? Or are you going to keep being an ass about it?

Me: Casey, what the fuck do you want me to say? How far along are you?

Casey: I’m 8 weeks along

I counted backwards in my head the weeks it’d been, my bachelor party had been November 18th, 8 weeks ago would have been November 25th, Thanksgiving Day.

Me: Casey, we slept together almost 10 weeks ago, there’s no way that baby’s mine. Sorry for your misfortune, you need to leave me alone.

Casey: I meant 9 weeks Brian, I fat fingered and hit the 8.

Me: Casey, until there’s proof that you’re actually pregnant with my child. I don’t want anything to do with you.

I turned off my phone and went back to watching Family Guy. After about an hour there was a knock on my door and I was about to go off on Casey as I stormed over to the door until I opened it finding Tennessee on my doorstep. “Tenney?” I asked as I stepped aside. She held a child in her arms, he looked to be about 3 years old, about the same age as Landon, but maybe a little older. He had bright green eyes with flicks of brown in them.

“I need to talk to you, and it can’t wait,” Tennessee said as she brought in the kid and sat him on the couch. I looked around then shut the door and locked it before taking a seat next to her.

“Who’s this?” I asked nodding towards the kid.

“His name’s Lyric, He’s my son,” she said not meeting my eyes.

“What do you need?” I asked raising an eyebrow.

“Casey’s not pregnant Brian, after I had Lyric and Savannah had Landon, she became psychotic, more than what she was before. She began making up stories about what happened between her and you guys. She began stalking your every move. She found out about Ember and the drama that happened there. She knows you’re taken, but she wants you. That night at The Cat’s Cradle, you were drunk, but it was like you went from being your normal drunk to being so drunk you’re almost passing out,” Tennessee said as Lyric walked around the front room.

I sat there processing as I followed Lyric’s movements, “Tenney, how old is Lyric?’

She followed my eyes and I thought I saw a look of despair in her eyes, “He’s three, almost four.”

“How long after you left tour did you have him?” I asked curiously, we’d all kept in contact through Jimmy, hanging out sometimes but after a year we didn’t hang out at Savvy or Tenney’s houses anymore, we text every now and then but very rarely did we hang out in person.

“6 months,” she said softly not meeting my eyes.

I nodded as Lyric brought me a picture of the guys and I, “Uncle Jimmy.” He said as he pointed to Jimmy’s face.

I smiled and nodded, “Yeah it is.” I looked up at Tenney, “I take it Zack doesn’t know but Jimmy did?”

She nodded carefully, “Please don’t tell him, I’ll tell him when it’s right, just…right now it’s not a good time.”

“How’d you guys get here?” I asked curiously.

“I walked, it’s only a quarter of a mile, Savvy and I still live in the same apartment,” She smiled at Lyric. “The boys love that loft that Jimmy did. Whenever Jimmy came to see Landon, they’d always end up playing up there together.”

I smiled sadly, “I wish we could have seen them together.”

She nodded, “Me too. I realized that I don’t want that to happen to Lyric. I don’t want Zacky to never know him or to keep him secret.”

I hugged her tight, “Do you guys wanna stay here tonight?”

She giggled, “Brian, isn’t Ember your girl? Come on now, I imagine going home with Casey was a big enough detonator. You got a death wish? Cuz I sure don’t.”

I chuckled, “Yeah she’s my girl, I wasn’t meaning as anything more than friends. Hell you could invite Savvy and Landon over and we could all hang out for all I care. I just…I don’t want to not know my nephews. You need to tell Zack.”

“Did you tell Em about Casey?” Tenney asked picking Lyric up and holding him in her lap. He stared up at me making a face.

“Not the pregnancy, shit’s been a bit strained, we haven’t really spoken about much sense the funeral,” I told her honestly.

“Mommy, potty,” Lyric told her holding his crotch.

She looked at me expectantly, “Down the hall, second door on the left.” I told her nodding.

While she took him potty I took in the information she’d told me. Casey wasn’t pregnant, but could I really keep Tenney’s secret? Could I really not tell him about Lyric?

*BUZZ*
Ember: Hey Bri, we need to talk about Simone’s baby shower. It’s on Jimmy’s birthday, theme is Jimmy. They only want stuff that will remind them of him for the baby. Just wanted you to know

Me: Thanks babe, how are things at Matt’s?

Em: Fine

I sighed knowing the conversation was over. I shook my head, she’d been freezing me out for awhile. I was trying to be patient but I couldn’t help but get the feeling that she was hiding something.

**Ember’s POV**

I sighed as I texted Brian, the conversation was over, but I couldn’t risk the chance of spilling the news I was going to give him at the baby shower. I knew I’d been putting on weight, but I’d not noticed that I’d been missing periods. The last 3 months have been stressful and it wasn’t until I’d stopped to realize that I hadn’t had a period that I realized I was in deep shit.

Simone came and sat next to me on the couch, she was the only one that knew what was going on. I hadn’t told Matt yet, but that was changing the day of the baby shower. I didn’t want anyone else to know except for Simone right now, but after the Ultrasound tomorrow, maybe I’ll change my mind. “Ready for tomorrow?” She asked me curiously.

I nodded, “More than ready. It explains all my mood swings, the anxiety over nothing. It makes sense, I just…I don’t know what I’ll do.”

“You’ll get through it,” Simone said supportively and hugged me.

I smiled and rest my hand on her stomach, “I hope so.”

The next morning Simone and I made our way to the Dr.’s office, and believe me it took us almost an hour to convince Matt that we were going to have a shopping date afterwards and that he wouldn’t want to come with. Which, we were going to have a shopping date after. But we weren’t sure how Matt would take to me getting checked out by the OB/GYN.

We sat in the office waiting for them to call Simone’s name, we’d asked for extra time for the appointment, and luckily they had an hour slot before lunch, so technically we had as much time as we needed. Simone grabbed my hand that I had been fidgeting with and I looked at her apologetically. “Simone Edwards?” The nurse said from the doorway.

We got up and followed her back to the office, Simone stepped on the scale first and they recorded her weight. “We’re also here for her, so we need to take her weight as well.”

The nurse nodded and grabbed another form for me. “Please step up on the scale Miss…”

“Sanders,” I told her as I stepped on the scale. Fuck I’d put on 5 pounds already.” The nurse recorded it then led us to the room.

We sat through Simone’s appointment where they did an ultrasound and then just finished checking her over. They said that she’s progressing very nicely, but was measuring at 30 weeks even though she was only 26 weeks along. They noted that was weird but she had admitted to eating a lot.

I laid back on the paper, they’d ran a urine test on both of us and they did the initial pregnancy test on me. They confirmed the pregnancy and decided to do an ultrasound on me. I watched the screen as they spread the jelly around my belly. I had a little bump, but nothing major.

“There we are,” the doctor smiled at me. “Looks like you’re around 13 weeks along.”

I stared at the screen, my eyes tearing up as Simone stroked my hair. “It’s so beautiful, that’s my baby.” I whispered to Simone and she nodded.

“Yes it is,” Simone wiped the tears away from her eyes.

The doctor took pics and printed them for me before cleaning off my belly, “Alright, we need to get you on prenatal vitamins, and you need to drink atleast 64 oz of water a day, preferably 72. No caffeine and we’ll see you back in a few weeks for your next ultrasound. We can try to see the sex of the baby at that appointment.”

I nodded, still halfway in shock as I buttoned up my pants and stared at the picture. I couldn’t wait to tell Matty and I knew he’d be excited at being an uncle, but fuck if I knew how he’d react to all the drinking we’d been doing.

When we got home from the mall, Simone took the bags upstairs to our rooms while I sat on the couch next to Matt who was playing videogames. “How was the mall,” he asked as he stuck his tongue out the corner of his mouth concentrating.

I shrugged, “It was fine. You need to pause your game.”

He spared me a glance looking at me like I was crazy, “Alright in a minute. I’m almost to a checkpoint.” I giggled and shook my head, knowing that this couldn’t wait. I stuck the ultrasound pic on his lap which caused him to look down. Forgetting what he was doing with the video game he stared at the picture as his person was killed. For the first time he didn’t seem to care. “Who’s is that?”

I smiled and kissed his cheek, “You’re gonna be an amazing uncle Matty.”

He sat there staring at the pic while slowly a huge grin came over his face. “You’re pregnant?” He asked excitedly.

I nodded, “I am, it’s Brian’s. I’m 13 weeks,” I answered all of his questions.

He chuckled, “You know me too well.” He pulled me in and hugged me tightly. God I couldn’t wait until the baby shower.

Notes

One chapter to go guys!