Poppy's Secret

The Father

Branch heard Poppy and her friends singing their “morning song" and immediately got irritated. He decided to head to the center of the ruckus and tell her to keep it down.

Unfortunately, by the time he got there, Poppy was gone.

“Hey, Branch!" Cooper greeted. “Whatcha doin' here?"

“I'm here​ to tell you all the noise you're making is going to attract the Bergens!" Branch answered.

“Great! Maybe they can hang out with us!"

Branch groaned. “Never mind. Where's Poppy?"

“Not sure, but today's Wednesday,"  he replied. “I know she'll be in yoga class."

“Well, tell her to keep it down," Branch told her. “I'm going back to my bunker."

“Okie dokie!" Cooper said. And with that, Branch went off.

When Branch returned home, he opened the cabinet that contained his collection of all the invitations Poppy gave him over the years. And it also held something else. Branch pulled out a purple headband decorated with daisies. Poppy left it the night they...

Branch could never forget what happened that night. It was the closest he ever got to being happy again. But he knew Poppy wouldn't care. She liked that purple hippie, Creek. But Branch couldn't help but think about the night they spent together. He took a good sniff of the hairband and the sweet smell of strawberry bubblegum filled his nose.

“Oh, Poppy," he sighed. “I should've told you what it meant to me. What you mean to me."

He planted a soft kiss on the headband and put it back in the cupboard.

The next day, Branch decided to gather fruit to store away in case of emergency. But it was weird that morning. There was no morning song! Branch decided to see if there was anything wrong. He saw DJ Suki, Guy Diamond, Satin and Chenille, and decided to listen to what they were talking about.

“We heard Poppy wasn't feeling too well yesterday," Satin said.

“What exactly happened?" Chenille asked.

“She just threw up in yoga class!" DJ Suki answered. “It was really weird!"

“Not to mention she looked really pale," Guy Diamond added. “Poppy never gets sick, so something must be up."

“Cooper and Biggie went over to check on her," DJ Suki informed them. “Maybe they can figure it out."

Branch scoffed. “Cooper doesn't know a baby from King Peppy."

Nevertheless, Branch decided to check on Poppy, too. But he didn't go until nighttime, when everyone else in Troll Village was asleep.

“Poppy?" Branch called out as he knocked on her door. There was no response. “Poppy, I know you're in there. I heard you were sick, and I thought I should check on you. I'll see you later."

🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻

Poppy was petrified. Branch was just outside her door. She was slightly relieved when he left, but it still worried her. She would have to hide from him for the next nine months, or she could wait till she began to show. If he found out, she didn't know what to do.

Poppy looked at her stomach and rubbed on it as she felt a small pain. The book said it was normal, but Poppy was still tense.

“I'm sorry, baby," she whispered. “I shouldn't have ignored him, but I can't just face him. He doesn't even know you exist. I wish he was happy, I really do. But there's just something about him, and it both confuses and scares me. He seemed happy the night you were conceived, but​ I could never work things out with him. He's just too..."

Poppy couldn't finish. Instead she just made it to bed to get a long rest. But before falling asleep, she planted a kiss on her abdomen, and thought about the fact that everyone would have to know. That Branch would have to know...

that he was a father.

Dun, dun, duuuuun!!!

Just kidding, you guys already knew it was Branch.