Real.Doc - Part 2 - Joe (English Version)

Announcement party

"You're having a baby?" The question, though quiet, still carried the weight of its implications. Amy's voice barely cut through the air, but it was enough to make the room pause.

"Chaos is my baby, dear, nobody else's," MaryAnne replied smoothly, her tone leaving no room for debate. "In due time, we can explain why Joe was chosen as the donor."

Jase, ever the master of avoiding uncomfortable topics, found an excuse to leave the table. He was always quick to dodge questions he didn't want to answer. 

~

Later that day, I found him by the drink table, nursing a glass as if it held all the answers he wasn't willing to give.

"So... Françoise, huh?" I probed, trying to gauge his thoughts.

"He's something else," Jase replied, his voice thick with meaning.

"Right... so are you two..." I let the question linger, knowing it would unsettle him.

"I won't answer that. He was a customer, and I protect customer privacy."

"Hm... so you eventually..."

"I won't answer that as well."

"There's no need to feel embarrassed," I insisted, sensing the hesitation behind his words.

"I'm not embarrassed by him or by being with him," Jase admitted, his voice softening. "But he was just a client, you know? I'd do my job, and that would be it for me. But he fell in love, and now... I don't know how to handle it. I don't want to hurt him, but I also don't know how to deal with his feelings."

"Do what you normally do, and you should be fine."

"Hopefully, he'll fall out of love with me at some point. Now that he's Chaos' godfather..." He hid his face in his hands, the weight of the situation finally settling in. "Oh, I can't believe the witch has done that."

"He's quite extraordinary. Fit for Chaos' godfather."

"He is indeed... and powerful too. You guys have no idea. But now he'll be all over me."

"There there..." I teased, giving his shoulder a light pat. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"And how about you? How are you holding up?" Jase asked, deflecting the attention back to me.

"I have no idea why, but I'm even having fun with it."

"That breakfast was fun... 'You're having a baby?'" He mimicked Amy's earlier question and then laughed, the tension easing from his shoulders.

"You just couldn't miss the opportunity, could you?"

"Absolutely not."

"But... what do we do about it?"

"Nothing at all. We shouldn't even talk about it. If what my gut tells me is true, we won't have to do anything. We better not even talk about it, or we'll jinx it."

"Fine."

~

On Friday, I received a message from Vince: "Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow." I didn't understand what it was about, so I didn't respond.

The next morning, we were awakened by the sounds of people bustling around the house. I went downstairs in my nightgown, bewildered by the sight of people coming and going, balloons everywhere, and sky-themed decorations being hung up.

"What in the..." I began, only to hear a familiar voice directing the chaos. Françoise was in the middle of the action, showing an employee how to arrange part of the decoration.