Modern Love 2: The After Years

A Legit SURPRISE Party

A Legit SURPRISE Party

"Daddy!" Daryl shakes his head, feeling his dream turn. "Daddy!!"

That's not a dream. Looking up Daryl finds Van sitting on his chest, wide eyed and awake.

"Van! You said Daddy! Haha that's perfect! Let's go get Mommy up." Daryl and Van tip toe into Beth, who is sprawled across the mattress like a starfish. Daryl lifts Van on the bed and he sits on Beth's stomach. She doesn't stir.

"Mommy!" Beth shoots up in panic, until he sees Van on her chest and Daryl at the end of the bed.

"Van! You said mommy! Daryl did you.."

"I heard. He woke me up with Daddy today." Beth wants to frown, it's evident that Van is Daddy's lil man and not hers.

"Love you!" Van gets up and tackles Beth back into the bed and they give lil raspberries an lil kisses. Daryl gets on the bed all the way and starts tickling Van. Beth starts tickling him too and Van just rolls on his back and laughs.

Van sits up and tickles the inside of Beth and Daryl's necks.

"No!" Van sits up and runs out if the room and into his bedroom closet.

"Van! What happened?" Beth looks at Daryl, confused.

"I accidentally touched one of his scars on his back. I guess it hurt." Daryl and Beth get out of bed and go into Can's room. They open the closet and he's crying and sitting in the corner.

"Van. Come here baby. Daddy didn't mean to do that. It's okay baby. Come're."

"Vannick. Buddy, I'm sorry honey. Come on out." Van comes out and runs into Beth's arms and Daryl rubs his arm. Well that hurt. He didn't mean to hurt Van. He thought none of those scars hurt.

"Let's get breakfast okay? Hmm, you hungry?" Beth asks, standing up and bouncing Van.

"I'm gonna check on Moose and Dasty." Daryl sulks out of the room and Beth can tell he feels terrible about what happened.

Walking outside, he sits on the porch. It doesn't take long for the dogs to come running to him.

"Hey boys. How's my good boys doing?" They sit and wag their tails as Daryl pets them.

"Daryl?" Beth steps outside. "You okay?"

He just continues to sit there an pet the dogs. Beth comes over and sits next to him.

"Daryl? It's okay...."

"Beth, I jus... I can't. I mess this up more often than not. I don't anything right."

"That's not true. He loves you. He's jus had a traumatic life before us. That's all." She kisses him and lays her head in his shoulder.

"Daddy?" They turn as Van steps out and Moose and Dasty charge up the steps. Van just sits down and covers his eyes. Right as thy think the dogs are gonna attack him, both lay down by the boy and pants. "Puppies!"

Van starts petting both of them rapidly and both Beth and Daryl release their breaths they were holding.

"Guess we can let the boys inside now." Beth says and kisses Daryl. He grabs the edges of her face and passionately kisses her. He hasn't done that in a while. He's missed it. Her tender lips and sweet taste.

Van lays down and both Dasty and Moose inch closer and lick his whole face.

"I love you." Daryl holds Beth and she feels it. Love.

"I love you too, Daryl." She laughs at Moose nudges Van with his nose.

"Okay boys, breakfast!" Beth gets up and both dogs an baby run inside. Daryl scoops Beth off her feet and into the kitchen.

For breakfast they have, cereal and toast. Van mimics Daryl with his spoon and Beth laughs and takes pictures on her phone. Breakfast goes great and Daryl can't help but notice something about Beth that he hasn't seen in a long time. He just can't put his fingers on it.

"We have to be at Maggie's by two okay! Their BBQ isn't gonna last long if all those people starve to death waiting for us." Beth cleans up and has a sudden pang of back pain. Placing a hand on the arch if her back she breaths in and out slowly.

"You okay? Baby? Beth, what's wrong?" Daryl gets up and walks over to her, gently rubbing her back and holding one hand on her hip.

"I'm fine. Huh, must've slept on yer rock side of the bed."

"Well you did starfish." Daryl laughs. "You sure yer okay?"

"Yeah, I'm perfect."

Getting over to Maggie's they park on the street of the culdasac and walk through the house instead the wooden fence's gate. When they get to the back yard, everyone they know and care about is there cheering and whooping and yelling for them. Van hides in Daryl's shoulder and Beth just smiles.

"Hey!" Maggie runs up and kisses all three of them on the cheek. "Surprise!"

"Wow, didn't think there'd be enough room for the family let alone all out dear friends." Beth feels slightly bad that she's wearing cut off jean shorts and a tank too that ties above he belly button. How embarrassing.

"Yeah, but we fit. You look different today? Did you do something different with your hair?"

"No. Nothing different." Maggie shrugs and let's Beth and Daryl do what thy want. Everyone mingles and is having a good time. Van hangs out with Hershel all day. Daryl looks around to tell Beth a story, but she's not there.

He heads into the house, and passes Glenn.

"Hey, you seen Beth?"

"Yeah. Headed upstairs a few minutes ago. " Glenn pats Daryl on the shoulder and rejoins the party. Trudging upstairs, Daryl here's a faint crying. He enters Maggie's room and the bathroom door is closed. He hears Beth crying.

"Beth? Sweetie. You okay."

"I'll be out in a second!" She says through sobs. He stands back. It's odd. He has no doubt it's odd.

"Beth... open up. Please honey." He waits, leaning against the door frame with his head pressed to the door. After a few seconds if silence, she opens the door, tears streaming down her face. He walks in and shuts the door. "Honey, what's wrong?"

He looks around, nothing too out of the ordinary. She crushes herself into him. She holds him close to her and cries.

"Beth, what is it? Is it the party? Does your back really hurt? Cause I can give you a great massage."

"It's not like that...."

"Then what's it like Bethy? Baby? what is it?" He kisses her forehead.

"That's exactly what it is." She sits on the side of the tub and he kneels in front if her, confused.

"I don't understand...." Then he sees it. The small knot in her exposed stomach. Why she looked different this morning at breakfast. He has his hands on her waist and his thumbs rub circles on her stomach. "Wait... you're sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Like 190% positive?" She pulls out the pregnancy test that she had in her back pocket.

"I just took a test. And it came back positive. This is my second one in two days... I'm pregnant." She has a little bit of elation in her voice. He leans forward and kisses her stomach. She lets a few tears out and he just holds her closely and give her quick kisses on her cheeks.

"Baby, we're pregnant! Oh I love you so much! I love you." I kisses her over and over again. It really was a surprise party.