Entangled

Chapter 23

I'll try for one more scene before April to hopefully get my brain in writing mode. Wish me luck!

I can't believe I'm looking forward to check-ups now, Becky thinks as she stares at the calendar hanging up in the kitchen. She, Seth, and Sasha coordinate schedules on their phones to make pack life easier, but when it comes to the baby, there's something easier about seeing names and dates written out in ink. She has an appointment with Eleyna almost every two weeks, and sometimes she has to see Dr. Zaba as well, and those check-ups are some of the only times she leaves the house now. She's only into her fourth month of pregnancy, but her belly is big enough to be at month seven or eight, so they have to be careful as to who sees her. That means only working out at Black & Brave when it's closed and they can have the space to themselves, but even that depends on Becky's energy levels, which bounce from high to low with no rhyme or reason. Seth's house is comfortable enough, but cabin fever is still starting to creep up on her.

Her next appointment is in two days, and just as Becky is trying to remember if she has any pants that fit which aren't in the laundry, the doorbell rings. Annoyance and anticipation battle for top billing in her ever-shifting match card of emotions. Seth knows she's not as quick as she used to be, so he normally texts or calls if he's dropping in to pick something up or drop something off—but he's also been surprising her with little deliveries lately, everything from flowers to chocolates to books. "Coming!" she calls out, hoping she doesn't sound too winded. She's been following all the orders Eleyna and Dr. Zaba give her, but the pregnancy still feels like a workout that never ends.

She's halfway through the living room when her cell phone rings, and she pulls it out of her pocket, smiling when she sees Seth's number pop up. "Hey, Becks. Sorry I didn't call earlier. I'm just stopping in quick to drop off a few surprises...."

"Good thing I made myself get out of bed when you left," she laughs. He had an early class at Black & Brave and she was tempted to sleep in, but she figured she should attempt to be productive. "Be right there." After ending the call, she sets her phone on the entry table and unlocks the door. "You didn—"

"Hello, Rebecca."

Becky doesn't know what kind of surprise she was expecting. Seth said surprises, so she thought maybe some boxes of chocolate or some new movies to watch. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would see her father on Seth's doorstep, her mother just behind him, and her brother coming up the walkway with a rolling carry-on bag. "Dad?" Her voice cracks the way it did when she found out she would have to quit wrestling and the first person she called was her father, who listened to her rant and cry for over an hour. "Ma? Wh—what...."

Annette steps up to the door and kisses Becky's cheek. "Hello, sweetheart. Oh, you look so beautiful."

Physically, Becky feels like a bean-bag chair on legs, all floppy and unbalanced. Her heart is soaring, though, and it takes her a moment to look past her family and see Seth's SUV idling at the curb. "I—oh god, I love you so much." She squeezes both her parents in turn and then her brother, who's finally reached the door. "Go in, go in, please," she babbles. "I just—give me a minute? I'll be right in." She jams her feet into her sandals—the only shoes that will fit her these days—and shuffles down the walkway to the SUV. She can feel the tears streaming down her face and she won't even try to blame them on hormones: it's happiness, pure and simple.

"So... good surprise?" Seth asks with a gentle smile as he hops out of the SUV and walks up onto the lawn to hug her.

"The best." Becky presses her face to his chest to blot her face. "How did you—?" Her brain is too scrambled to think of what it must have taken to arrange this visit and keep it a surprise from her when she rarely leaves the house. "You said you had an early class...."