Don't Worry Mama • #Wattys2016

In Which We Branch Out

* THREE WEEKS LATER * 

I sit in the foyer of his house, as I look at the same man my life was given to for a while now.

"Wait. You're telling me. That you don't want to follow in my footsteps?!" His dad yells, making Cody sigh.

"For the fifth time in the past twenty minutes, yes. Grandma approved. Mom would of," Cody's Dad stops, glares, and I hold a nervous breath. "I don't want my wife and I to die because I pissed someone off at a treaty signing or something! You nearly killed John, when we first started. Wasn't that scary for you?" Cody asks, giving his father a glare.

"No. Because you get to the point where it doesn't matter anymore. If it mattered, I wouldn't be here."

"Well, I wish that you never went there. Riley and I, are not going down that same road. Drake, well, Drake is Drake, he's a psychopath anyway." Drake shrugs in the corner, grinning. "I don't want my future family to be scared to walk out the fucking door, Dad!" Cody stands, squaring up to the huge man. His dad turns to me, and I straighten.

"And you want this too?" I shrug. 

"I grew up not knowing my father and his dealings. I don't want that same ignorance for my kids. I went out of the house, unafraid, because my father wasn't there. He didn't come home with blood on his hands, and say, 'Well kids, don't go outside because someone might kill you'. I grew up living a life of ignorance on the subject. I want the same with my kids. They could know that you deal in this type of dangerous game, but I don't want them to go to school and say, 'My daddy shoots guns at other men!'. I want them to grow up and go to Career Day to tell their classmates that their dad does something amazing. Something that doesn't land him in jail." I tell him, looking him dead in the eye, unafraid on the outside.

On the inside, I was scared to death. 

Drake claps in the corner, and looks at me.

"Such a speech, sister. So, the kid you're currently carrying is going to grow up like that?" I glare at him.

"Bitch says he'll keep it a secret." I mumble, and all attention looks to me.

"What?!" Cody yells, looking at me.

"I found out this morning. I wanted to tell you tonight, but Drake went into our room to look for me, and he found the test on the counter. I really was going to to tell you later, after the whole... Arguement.. Thing.." Cody's face breaks out into a grin, and he sits down.

"I'm going to be a dad.. Holy crap." I smile, but frown once his dad sits down.

"Okay. You're free. Leave. But I want to be able to see this grandchild of mine at least once a month." I smile again.

"I'll do you better. You can come out twice every month, and during summer, we'll come stay here." His face lights up, and we hug. 

"Thank you, Riley. You know, Angela would be ecstatic that she would be getting a grandchild. She would not be leaving you alone." We laugh sadly, and look around. 

$500,00"I guess the next step is finding a new house to live in. I am not living here for another year. Sorry, Dad." His dad laughs.

"I was going to kick you out anyway. I'll help pay for it, if you want." I grin.

"That would be awesome. See, Mom only gave me about $500,000 to live on. I was planning on only using about $300,000 of it." He smiles, and we all talk for another five minutes before my phone goes off.

Private Message: Carles 

Carles:
WE'RE BACK

Shut up.

Carles:
I'm not going to!

Well, come by Cody's place. I have news.

Carles:
Stopping by the house first. I'm surprised that she didn't give you the house.

Shut up. I didn't want it. I felt it too small.

Carles:
Ohh. Well, what's the news?

I AM NOT SAYING UNTIL YOU COME BACK

Carles:
Stop shouting. I'm right here.

I'm not telling you until you come here. Plus I haven't hugged you guys in three weeks.

Carles:
Well, we're coming. Hold your horses.

YAY!

Carles: 
Shouting.

Am not.

I stand at the door, waiting for Carter's familiar white SUV, and Cody wraps his arms around my waist, kissing my shoulder.

"So are you just going to stand here?" Cody asks, his breath like a heatwave on my neck.

"I'm waiting for Carter and Carly. Did you know, that if you try to give them a ship name it'd be their names? You probably could not give them a ship name. Unless you called them Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum." Cody laughs.

"So who's stupider?" I slap his head, and shake my own.

"They are both equally smart." I defend, and Cody nods his head.

"Rrriiggghhttt." I feel his chuckle, and see the vehicle. 

"Shut up. They're here." I walk out, and hug the two of them.

"Hey, sis. Carly said that you had news?" I nod furiously.

"I wonder what it could be." Cody remarks, shaking his hand.

"Shut up, you already know." I roll my eyes, and hug Carly.

"'Cause Drake had to tell me." He reminds me, a groan in response.

"I was going to tell you. I really was." Cody nods, a grin spreading across his face.

"Well?!" Carly screams, breaking us of our little banter.

"Well. What did you fear the most when we were kids, Cart?" I ask my brother, trying to hide my grin. 

"You are not." He grins, and I nod.

"What?!" Carly yells, and I laugh.

"Cody and I are going to be parents." She screams and gives me a bone crushing hug.

"AAWWEE!!!!" I wince.

"Baby. Carly. GET OFF!" I yell, and she jumps back.

"Sorry." She grins and waves her hands. "But ohh my goodness, Riley! If only Angela and Grace could be here." I get an idea.

"Cody. I have a name that could work if it was a girl. I'll tell you later." He nods, and we go inside, chatting away at future ideas.