Poppy's Secret

Baby Shower

Branch couldn't believe it. Poppy, the only woman he ever cared for aside from his grandma, was pregnant. He knew it might not be his, but it was still possible. But if Poppy wouldn't tell him about the baby, he must've had something to do with it. He looked at the invitation Poppy's friends made him and took a deep breath. If it was... No. The baby was a girl, to call her “it" just felt wrong.

If she was his, he had a lot to discuss with Poppy. How she planned to raise the baby, what she was going to name her, if he was going to be a part of their child's life. Branch didn't like children very much​, but he couldn't help but feel some sort of obligation to the child. But Poppy may not even want him near the baby. This was all just too much to think about.

••••••••••••••••••••••

Three weeks later, Poppy left her house to talk with King Peppy, who was simply distracting her while the Snack Pack got ready for the surprise party. But they weren't really happy with the decorations DJ Suki's friend, a half-grey teenage Troll named Willow, set up.

“Willow, what did you do?!" DJ Suki yelled. All the decorations were black when they should have been pink​. “We're throwing a baby shower for Poppy's​ daughter, not Rosemary's Baby!"

“Give me a break!" Willow groaned. “My family's almost broke, I have, like, 157 brothers and sisters, and all this stuff was on sale!"

“I told you we should've paid her," Guy Diamond whispered to the DJ.

“You know what? Just get rid ​the decorations," Suki decided. “We don't need them. Let's take care of everything else."

“Got it!" Cooper said, grabbing a bunch of them with his mouth.

🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻🔺🔻

“I don't understand, Dad," Poppy explained. “It should be kicking by now. I know it's healthy, but nothing's happening."

“Don't worry, Poppy," King Peppy assured her. “Sometimes, they just wait for the right moment. In fact, your mother was worried, too. Then one day, she was just singing a little and... it just ​happened."

Poppy returned home later that afternoon and brought her father with her. He said he had a surprise for her.

“Can I open my eyes now?"

“Not yet," King Peppy replied.

Inside, the Snack Pack and all the other Trolls they invited hid behind the furniture.

“This was a great idea," DJ Suki whispered to Chenille.

“Well, it was Satin's idea, too," Chenille pointed out. “But... thank you."

“I could kiss you right now," DJ Suki muttered.

“No!" Chenille quietly scolded. “Not at Poppy's party. We must be strong."

“How can I be strong when you make me so weak?"

“SURPRISE!"

DJ Suki and Chenille's romantic moment was gone when everyone saw Poppy and her father enter the pod. Satin jumped up and Chenille was yanked away from her secret lover.

“What is this?!" Poppy asked, quite surprised.

“It's your baby shower!" Cooper replied. “If we had decorations, it would've been more obvious."

“We just want the best for you," Satin said.

“And your baby girl!" Chenille added.

Poppy gasped. “I'm having a girl?!"

“Yes!" both twins answered.

“This is going to be the best party ever!" Guy Diamond said. “Maybe it's a good thing Branch didn't accept the invite!"

Poppy was stunned.

“Wait a minute," she said. “Are you trying to say that you guys invited Branch?"

“Yes, but he said no," Cooper answered. “I believe his exact words were ‘You are putting everyone, including your friend's new baby, at risk.' But then we told him it was yours."

Poppy nodded and turned to Creek.

“Can I have a word with you?" she asked the Zen Troll.

“Of course," Creek replied. He was nervous, but knew it was inevitable.

So, Poppy led Creek to the spare room and closed the door behind them.

Everyone was silent. No one had a clue what was happening.

•••••••••••••••••••••

While everyone else waited in the living room, Poppy spoke with Creek in private.

“Okay," she said. “Let's be civil here... What the heck were you thinking, you jerk?!"

Out of rage and fear, Poppy punched Creek in the arm but not hard enough to cause any damage.

“Ow," he groaned as he rubbed his arm. “Believe me, Poppy. I'm sorry this happened. I didn't want Branch to find out this way, either."

“What's that supposed to mean?!" Poppy asked angrily. Creek realized if she was going to make peace with her, he would have to get to her mind before her hormones did.

“When the others wanted to invite Branch, I tried to talk them out of it," he explained. “But I didn't want to tell them why, either. I felt that if Branch was going to find out about the baby, you should've​ been the one to tell him."

Poppy sighed. “But I couldn't tell him. I never found the nerve to. But I guess he had to find out eventually. I just wish it wasn't now. I don't know what to do."

Neither do I. Do you? ✍