The Before [Prequel- Part 2]

News and Decisions

~~~Catherine's pov~~~

The baby shower went on for another hour or so before Linda started to get fussy and overstimulated by the full house of people. One by one, guests filed out, leaving only my parents. They insisted on staying behind to clean up the mess left behind by Thor's drunken stupor and Loki's overprotectiveness of our daughter.

It might not have been the best idea to serve alcoholic champagne at a baby shower... Especially with the God of Thunder present...

We were all gathered in the kitchen, my dad talking to Loki, my mom cradling Linda at the table, and me, trying to clear away some dirty dishes.

"Seriously, guys, you didn't have to stay to help with the cleanup. There's magic for that—" I started, but quickly got cut off when Loki swiftly took the plates out of my hands and placed them in the sink. "...and overprotective helicopter husbands," I added teasingly.

"You just had a baby less than a week ago. Excuse me if I think you should be resting." I could practically hear his eye roll in telepathic form.

"No offense, but I don't exactly think Pep stayed back for the dishes." My dad winked, gesturing to Mom, who was still holding Linda with a large grin.

She scoffed playfully, but her eyes never left Linda's tiny face. "Can you blame me? She's the most precious wittle baby I've ever seen! Just look at those chubby cheeks!"

Hearing my mother talk in baby talk was one of the oddest, yet most natural things I had ever heard. She really really loved kids. I'm 99% sure the main reason she stuck with my dad throughout all of his crap was because she didn't want to leave ten-year-old me behind to deal with him.

"Pep, come on, you gotta release the mini-demigod at some point." He laughed under his breath and turned to Loki and me. "Sorry about her, she's just a bit hormonal around babies right now—" He stopped himself mid-sentence when my mom started glaring at him with the burning intensity of a thousand suns.

"Tony, I swear—"

I just chuckled at their antics, in slight disbelief that they thought they were being slick. "You guys think I don't know?"

Mom just furrowed her brows in faux-confusion. "Know what?"

"Mom, come on, give me a little credit." I rolled my eyes, ready to present my evidence. "Dad's been hovering around you like crazy, you didn't drink any champagne, even though I know for a fact it's your favorite drink, and you can't even look at Linda without getting tears in your eyes. You're pregnant!"

The signs were far too clear to ignore, not to mention familiar. My first few months of pregnancy, Loki refused to leave me alone for more than thirty seconds, alcohol was obviously off limits, and whenever I'd see a baby, I'd cry.

"And the Stark genes strike again!" My mom laughed, confirming my theory. "You truly are your father's daughter, Cat. I'm about a month along."

I grinned, the smile spreading across my face instantly. "Oh my God, Mom! That's amazing! I'm gonna be a big sister!" I hugged as tightly as I could without jostling Linda, who was still nestled in her arms, and then turned to my dad. "Congrats, Dad! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well, when we found out, everything was still settling after....." He trailed off, but we all knew what he was referring to. "...and your due date was coming up and we didn't want to steal the spotlight so close to your big day."

I smiled at the gesture. "That's so sweet. Stupid, because this is the best news ever, but still sweet. And that definitely explains why Mom's been crazy about Linda since the second she laid eyes on her. When I first got pregnant, anytime I saw a kid under the age of seven, I was a mess of hormones and tears."