Fall - A Rocky Lynch Story

Chapter 9

It took Carter about a week and a half to get comfortable asking questions about the new things he'd learned. Rocky made sure to tell him he could always ask us anything and that the most important thing was that he felt safe about it all. I had forgotten how scary it was to be in that stage of life. Everything was changing; his voice was getting lower and he was growing taller by the day. I was terrified he would be taller than Rocky and at this point he looked like he'd be around his height and stature.
"So..." Carter made a face at his dad. "Aunt Rydel had to do that... to have a baby?"
"Well, yeah," Rocky said nervously. You could tell he was ready for the questions to stop. "That's just how it works."
"That's kinda weird," he shrugged and walked away. And that's how it had been working. Anytime Car got curious, he just randomly would ask a question. Rocky's forehead would get a bit warm and he'd try to explain it in the best way humanly possible.
I walked back over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. "You know you're doing great with all of this."
"I don't wanna give him any ideas," Rocky told me. "I really don't wanna be the parent that's like, 'wait til marriage' but I don't wanna be the parent that tells him to have sex whenever he wants to."
"I know you don't, but at least tell him it's for when he's older... When they're older. Much, much older." I kissed his cheek and hugged him.
"When who's older?" Avelyn appeared into the doorway and walked over to us.
"Nothing," Rocky told her. "What's up Avelyn?"
"Well, I'm glad you asked. I'd like to revisit that whole puppy idea," she smiled at us.
"Oh dear..." I eyed her. "Should I sit down?"
"Mhm," she nodded. "I really want a puppy."
"That's your proposal?" Rocky laughed. "That's not convincing enough."
"How convincing do I need to be Daddy? I want a puppy," she begged us.
"Avelyn, having a puppy is a big responsibility," I told her. "You have to feed it and buy it toys and train it to go potty outside."
"So it's kind of like having a baby?" she perked up happily.
"Yes," I agreed. "It is. It's like having a newborn baby. And they don't sleep all the way through the night, and I'm pretty sure we're going to be the ones taking care of it," I gestured to Rocky and I.
"No, you wouldn't. I can take care of it. All by myself," she told us. "Really, I can!"
I turned to Rocky. "Babe, if Ellie were still a newborn, I'd give Ellie to her for a week and tell her to figure it out," I joked.
"That's not a bad idea..." Rocky raised his eyebrows. "Avelyn, I'll make a deal with you."
She smiled and nodded her head. "Yes Daddy??"
"I want you to be responsible," he told her. "So starting when Ellie wakes up from her nap, I want you to go change her diaper, bring her down stairs, get her her snack, help fix her dinner, change her diaper again before bedtime and get her ready for bed until it's time for us to put her in her crib."
"Rocky..." I looked at him. "You're giving our child responsibility of our other child."
"Yes," he told me. "She needs to learn how hard it is to take care of another person."
"DEAL!" Avelyn stuck out her hand. "For how many days?" she asked.
"Well it's Saturday, so I say you do it until tomorrow when she goes down for her nap. That means you have to wake up at 7 when she does too," he reminded her.
"You got it dude," she shook his hand. "I'll show you both I can be responsible!"
The doorbell rang and Rocky got up. "It's not another surprise teenage girl is it?" he laughed out loud and I heard him open the door. Avelyn went along behind him. "Hey sis," Rocky hugged her. "I didn't know you guys were coming over...?"
"We didn't call," she sounded a bit panicky. "Where's Jules?"
I got up and walked into the entryway where Alice and Brooke stood with Avelyn. "What's up guys?" I looked at Rydel and Ellington's concerned faces.
"Brooke, Alice, Avelyn, why don't you go into the living room?" Rydel asked them softly. She looked up at us and made a face. "We need a favor."
"Anything," I told them. "What is going on?" I looked down at her belly.
"I've been having some labor like things today, so we made a doctors appointment for this afternoon."
"You're two weeks early?" I asked her.
"Yeah I know," she sighed. "But we gotta get stuff checked out." She looked at Ellington.
He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her belly. "Can the girls just stay here with you guys for the night?"
"Absolutely," Rocky nodded his head. "You guys do what you gotta do."
"Ross and Andi are coming over for dinner tonight. Can we tell them or are you trying to keep it hush hush?" I asked them.
"Well we don't know for sure, but I'll call you when we get out of the doctor's." She took Ell's hand. "We gotta go."
"Good luck," I hugged her tightly and then Ellington. "See you soon I guess."
They hugged the rest of us and left to go to the doctor's. "How exciting!" I clapped my hands. "What if we have a new nephew," I smiled widely.
"It is pretty cool." Rocky looked around. "Where in the heck are our two boys?"
"Maybe outside?" I suggested.
"I'll go check," he excused himself and kissed me on my cheek.
I went to see how the girls were doing and heard Ellie wake up from her nap. "Avelyn, Ellie is up," I called to her.
"Will you get her out of the crib for me Mommy?" she asked politely.
"Absolutely." I climbed up the stairs behind her and entered Ellie's room. I gave her a kiss and put her on the ground for Avelyn to take over. "Go for it, girl. She's all yours," I told her.
I walked down the stairs and let myself wander into the kitchen to grab snacks for everyone. "Mom?" I heard Carter's voice from behind me.
"Yeah?" I asked. "I was gonna make some fruit salad. Want some?"
"Sure, but can I ask you a question?" he sat down at the table.
"Of course honey," I nodded my head and got things out of the fridge. I was prepared for the question to be super weird or something Rocky should answer.
"Can Anna come over for dinner tonight and can we watch a movie in the media room?" he asked.
"I guess so. You know Ross and Andi are coming over tonight too?"
"Yeah, and Alice and Brooke are here," he sighed. "But she and Alice are friends!"
I shrugged. "But I want you to know that we're going to be upstairs and the door to the movie room will be open at all times. Do you understand me?"
"Yes Ma'am. But I just wanted to tell you that I don't wanna try anything like that right now," he assured me and took a strawberry off of my cutting board. "It's rude to try and do that stuff, especially because I haven't even asked her to be my girlfriend yet."
"Are you going to?" I asked him quietly.
"I was hoping to..." he smiled softly. "You know Tuesday is my birthday and I'd love if she could come over and hang out with me after school."
"I don't see why not. She can come out to dinner with us if you'd like?" I asked him.
"Actually, Mom, could she and I go out to dinner? Together?"
"Alone?" I furrowed my brows. "We always go out as a family..." I kind of frowned.
"But Mom, I'm gonna be 14," he said. "We can spend the entire afternoon together?"
"Okay honey... You guys can go out," I nodded to him and handed him some fruit in a bowl.
Rocky came striding in with Mason hanging upside down on his shoulder. "Help Mommy!!" he giggled. "Daddy's got me!!"
"Oh no! Masey, I can't help you!" I tickled him and he laughed happily until Rocky set him on the floor. "Let's eat a snack!" I called across the house. All children came running from different directions to eat their snack. My phone began to ring and I ran over to catch it. "What's up Ellington?" I asked happily. "Anything?"
"Well she's definitely in labor," he laughed into the receiver.
"Ahh!!" I shouted. "That's awesome! So what's the plan?" I looked off at the table full of people.
"I took her to the hospital and I'm running home to grab her bag and drop the girls' stuff off at your house. Do you wanna come see her?" he asked.
"We've got a lot going on." I thought it over. "I can bring the girls by tonight after dinner with Andi? I figured Rocky and Ross wouldn't wanna really see that."
"Probably not," Ellington laughed and sighed. "Okay, well I'll drop their stuff by and we'll see you guys after dinner?"
"Great!" I smiled widely and hung up.
"You guys," I walked back over to the family. "Rydel's having the baby!!"
A chorus of yells echoed and everyone smiled excitedly at the thought of the new baby in the family. "Are we gonna get to see Mommy?" Brooke perked up.
"Yeah, I'll take you guys there tonight later. Your Dad is bringing your bags by here right now and you're gonna stay the night with us. Possibly tomorrow night too," I told them both.
"That's cool," Alice nodded her head. "I'm excited for him to get here. I want you guys to know his name already."
"Aw are they keeping it a secret?" I asked her.
"Yeah, Mom made me swear not to tell," she told us all.
"Mom let me help name Mason and Ellie," Carter perked up. "That's was pretty cool."
Avelyn pouted. "I didn't get to help name them,"
"You were just a bit too young," Rocky got up and took a piece of fruit off of her plate.
"Well that means I get to name the next one," she told him with her arms crossed.
Rocky looked at me and we both laughed. "Sweetie, I think we're done with having kids," I told her. "Maybe other people will have babies you can name."
"But you guys have to have another!" she said. "I need to help take care of it!"
"I don't think so..." Rocky put his arm around me. "You four drive me and mommy crazy enough."
"We do not," Avelyn argued.
"Yes you do!" Rocky jumped over to her and pulled her out of her chair, tickling her as she giggled.
The doorbell rang and Carter jumped up. "I'll get it!"
"Who's he expecting?" Rocky asked me.
I went over to him and wrapped my arms around his torso sweetly. "I do believe our son's about to have his first girlfriend."
"Oh my..." he sighed and rubbed my back comfortingly. "Here we go..."