Cresswell: The Lunar Chronicles

Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Four

Thorne kept glancing at Cress, waiting and waiting and waiting for her to finally say something but she refused to look at him. The one time she did, a grin bloomed on her face and she looked away immediately. 

As soon as breakfast was over, Scarlet asked to have a tour so Thorne was forced to wait another fifteen minutes for him and Cress to walk around the house and show everyone the entirety of the house and property. 

Only when everyone had gathered back in the living room did Cress look like she was trying to recapture everyone's attention. But Cinder was talking to Winter and Kai about something and
Jacin and Wolf were studying the mantle.

"Okay, okay, okay, can everyone shush please? Cress has something to say and she won't tell me what it is and I'm been dying to know for weeks so keep it down!" Thorne said.

"Someone's a little grumpy," Scarlet said with a smirk.

"I didn't have something to say, I just got you all little welcome baskets," Cress managed to get out, looking suddenly nervous. She ducked into the soon to be office and came back out with a pile of nicely decorated boxes and passed them out.

"I don't get one?" Thorne asked.

"You get me," she whispered.

"Ah." Thorne watched, trying not to smile so much, as everyone opened their boxes. Cinder,  the closest to him, set her box down on the coffee table as she opened it, revealing a small collection of neatly arranged gifts. Across the room, Scarlet pulled out a blue silk scaft and matching hair ties, Iko squealed at seeing a personalized makeup bag, and it looked like Kai got some kind of T-shirt with writing. Thorne couldn't see what it said.

"Ooh chocolate!" Kai grinned.

"And the Too Faced Chocolate Bar makeup palette for Iko!" Cress said quickly, grinning.

"Oh this one's for Aunt Cinder," Winder said, handing Cinder box of chocolates with the words For Aunt Cinder written on the top.

"Yeah and I have Uncle Jacin." Scarlet chuckled. She froze. Her eyes snapped up to Cress and then Thorne, a hand slapping over her mouth.

Cinder and Winter's attention simultaneously shot to Cress, Cinder almost squeaking.

"Wait, what?" Jacin asked, clearly confused as he studied the words on the chocolate.

"I knew it!" Iko cried, launching herself at Cress and then Thorne.

"Knew what? What's happening?" Kai glanced at the box Wolf handed him, glancing over at Wolf's and reading the same words written on his own.

"Don't get any ideas," Wolf muttered, holding his box against his chest. 

"You're pregnant? Actually pregnant?" Scarlet said, the grin on her face so big it looked painful.

"Heck yeah, look at dis bump!" Thorne added, moving behind Cress and smoothing his hands on her stomach so her dress didn't hide her little bump. 

Kai's eyes popped open and he almost laughed. "No way!"

Suddenly everyone was talking at once, Iko and Winter squealing, Scarlet excitedly laughing, Cinder grinning and stunned beyond words. Wolf's jaw was on the floor. Everyone hugging both Cress and Thorne at the same time. Even Jacin hugged him.

"Oh my stars look at you!" Winter said, her eyes misting. "And little baby Thorne," she added with half a squeak, touching Cress's stomach. She hugged Cress again.

"Sorry the chocolates were all mixed up, I did that on purpose because I wanted you to open them and see the wrong name and have to actually read it," Cress said with a laugh.

"No worries," Wolf said, already tearing into his. "I knew something was different about you."

"Oh yeah." Cress laughed.

"He did?" Thorne asked.

"Yeah, he said I smelled different."

"Her scent is mixed with the baby's."

Cress blinked, warmth crossing her face. "The baby has a scent?"

Wolf lightly frowned as if she'd asked an obvious question. His box of chocolate was already more than halfway empty. "Yeah."

Cress grinned, resting a hand on her stomach.

"I've been wanting this," Iko added with a nod to her faux chocolate.

"Okay, who had Cress and Thorne first?" Jacin asked as Cinder gave Cress another hug.

"Just you and Scarlet," Cinder muttered.

Thorne, his arm still around Cress, frowned. "Wait, what?"

"We each had ten univs on who we thought would be first to have a Rampion Crew baby," Kai said with a laugh. "My bet was on Scarlet and Wolf."

"Yeah, Jacin and I are the only smart ones. You each owe us ten big ones." Scarlet thrust a hand out.

"Hey why didn't we get in on it?" Thorne asked.

"Because I knew you'd be first and it was my idea," Scarlet retorted. "Besides, you should thank me; I just saved you each 10 univs."

"Well if I knew we were betting we'd have been more careful; you're talking about my area of expertise."

"I doubt very much that you of all people would be more careful."

Thorne shot her a glare but it didn't last long. Cress's arm snuck around his waist and he squeezed her against him.

"So back to talking about whatever it was you were talking about, I didn't mean to make that all about me," Cress said, waving her hand toward the collective group and no doubt having enough attention on her.

"Well I for one appreciate hearing about it first instead of over a comm," Iko said with a laugh. 

"Me too," Cinder added. Winter held up her hand and Cinder have a her a high five. "When are you due?"

"Early November."

"Aw a Thanksgiving baby."

"Do you know what it is yet?"

Cress shook her head. "Soonest we can find out is in two weeks."

"What does your shirt say?" Jacin asked, leaning around Winter and trying to read the writing on Kai's shirt.

Kai, grinning, held it up. A cartoon picture of two stick figure women, one clearly made to look like Cinder, was printed on the front. On top of the first were the words "your girl" and over the Cinder rendering were the words "my girl."

"That's so cute! Did you make that?" Cinder asked.

Cress shook her head. "No, there's this site I found where you can do it customizable and there are a ton of fan arts of Cinder so I found the one that I liked and used it."

"It's perfect." Kai leaned over and kissed Cinder.

"I have to see all the rooms again so I know how to start setting up the nursery," Iko said, starting up the stairs.

"Um, Iko? Maybe Cress wants to do that?"

Iko groaned. "Oh stars, of course. I'm sorry, I'm just so excited!"

Cress shook her head. "No, no, that'd be great; I was actually going to ask for your help in setting up the office, which isn't as much fun, but--"

"I'll help you with the office if you at least let me help with the baby's room." Iko grinned, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Deal."