Welcome To The Family

Flash Forward

Two Years Later

My knee bounced as I sat on the edge of the bathtub. Jenny was downstairs making dinner and Jared was running up and down the hallway screaming. Gabe and I had moved into a small home down the road from Noah's farmhouse. We spent all day at the farmhouse as Gabe helped his father and brother with the farm.

While cleaning the house today, I realized that I had not had my period for a few months. I excused myself from cooking and I went upstairs and looked through the cupboards in the bathroom until I found a pregnancy test. Gabe had bought a few when we lived with Noah when I was a few weeks late once.

I had a few mornings where I felt nauseous, but I did not think much about it. I don't know how I could be so naive and not think that I was pregnant.

The test sat on the counter. I did not tell Jenny that I was taking it. I waited impatiently as the minutes ticked by. I reread the instructions multiple times. If there were two lines then I was pregnant.

I would love to have another baby, but the thought of having a daughter sat heavy in my chest. Every day I thought of Bonnie, especially as Jared hit milestones. When he started walking I burst into tears. Gabe thought it was out of happiness but I was afraid to tell him the truth.

I lifted my shirt to look at my stomach. It had not grown at all. The thick white scars of our last name were marking my skin. When I was pregnant with Jared they stretched and became distorted.

I let out a deep breath as I got up off the edge of the tub. My hands shook as I picked up the pregnancy test. I smiled as I saw the two little lines.

I stepped out of the bathroom. Jared was at the end of the hall. He had a stuffed teddy bear in his hands and was spinning around. He stumbled, fell down and giggled. I scooped him up in my arms. I kissed his cheek and he squealed.

I walked down the creaky stairs. Jenny was at the stove cooking. She looked over her shoulder at me when she heard. Jared put his thumb in his mouth and rested his head against my chest.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"I'm good," I said.

I shifted Jared's weight in my arms and held out the pregnancy test. Her jaw dropped as she looked down at it.

"This is great news," Jenny said.

"I'm nervous," I said.

Jenny reached out and placed her hand on my arm. I bit down on my bottom lip.

"That's natural," she said. "I'm sure it will be a healthy boy."

I smiled. She turned and continued to cook.

The back door opened and my heart fluttered. Jared took his thumb out of his mouth and held his arms out as we watched Gabe walk into the house. Gabe picked Jared up out of my arms. Jared clutched the teddy bear to his chest before sucking on his thumb again. I quickly hid the test behind my back.

Jenny had a wide smile on her face. She tried to not look at the men and give away my secret.

"Have a good day, buddy?" Gabe asked Jared.

He nodded his head. I let out a shaky breath and my grip tightened on the pregnancy test. I knew he would be happy, but I wondered if he would have the same worries as me.

"I have some news," I said.

Gabe raised a brow. The corner of his lip twitched into a smile. I wondered if he already knew.

"What is it?" he asked.

I held the test in front of me.

"I'm pregnant," I said.

Gabe reached forward and pulled me into his chest. He had one arm holding Jared and his other arm wrapped around me. He tightened his arm to a crushing hold. He pressed lips against my forehead.

"This is great," he said. "I'm so excited to have another boy."

"You're pregnant?" Noah asked.

"She is," Gabe said.

I stepped away from Gabe. I gasped in surprise as Noah pulled me in for a hug. In the almost four years I was here, Noah had never hugged me. He soon pulled away with a wide smile on his lips.

"It will be nice to have another baby in this house," he said.

"Do you know how far along you are?" Gabe asked.

"I think about three months," I said.

"This is wonderful," Jenny said.

Noah sat down at the table, and Taylor and Dylan followed. Gabe gave me one more kiss before walking over to the table and setting Jared down in the high chair. I helped Jenny carry the dinner over to the table.

"There's a lot of change in this house," Noah said.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked.

"Lindsay is going to have another baby," he said. "And I'm going to get your wife tomorrow night, Taylor."

"Already?" Dylan asked.

"Of course," Noah said. "His birthday is in a few days."

I had not put much thought into the brothers getting wives. For the past four years, it had just been Jenny and I in the house. I remembered how upset I was when I was first brought into this family. Everything was so new and scary. I did not realize how Gabe was trying to protect me. I predicted that the girl they saved would act the same way.

"This house is going to be full of more love," Jenny said. "This family is getting larger."

"Hopefully she is not too much of a fighter," Noah said. "Gabe sure had his hands full with Lindsay when she first came here."

My hand went over my stomach. My eyes darted over to Gabe. He saw my concern and put his hand on my knee. He curled his fingers into my flesh.

"She's perfect now," he said. "I knew that when I saw her."

"Taylor's girl will be perfect for this family too," Noah said. "I will make sure to get the right girl."

I struggled to eat as the dinner conversation about Taylor's new girl swirled around the table. My thoughts were torn between my new baby and the new girl to come into this family. I was unsure how the girl would act and I did not know how to make her feel safe in this family. I am glad that she will have Jenny. She had made me feel at ease when I first came to this home.

We went back to our home after dinner. Gabe carried Jared to the truck and strapped him into the carseat in the back. I sat in the passenger side. My fingers fiddled with themselves as I waited for Gabe to get into the driver's side. When he did, he did not look over me as he pulled out of the driveway. The gravel rocks crunching under the tires of the truck.

"We need to get you home to rest," Gabe said.

"I am only a couple months pregnant, Gabe," I said. "I am fine for now."

"This is why you have not felt well the past few mornings," he said. "The baby is getting bigger and you need to rest."

"Jenny will make sure that I rest," I said. "Trust me."

Gabe chuckled. He shook his head as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Mom will make sure you don't work too hard," he said. "She'll be sure of that. I just hope Taylor's wife will not be too hard on you."

"I am sure it will be okay," I said.