The Pregnant Bride (a bonus Scott Family story!!)

So much cake. Too much cake.

"I'm going to get sick," Jeb glared at me. 

"Just don't eat it. You don't have to," Marco lifted his eyebrows. "You know processed sugar is an epidemic in this country?"

"You might have mentioned it once or twice," Maggie teased, lifting her daughter Marita onto her hip. 

"He's right," Jay piped in, taking a slice from the carrot cake. 

"See? The doctor agrees with me!"

"Jay!" Queenie rolled her eyes. 

Jay turned, "I'm not gonna lie, OK? Processed stuff, fructose, yeah - dump it where you can. But, in deference to my wife, I happen to know that these cakes were primarily made with sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, fruit juices, and sugar cane. So...yum."

I looked around and took a deep breath. Queenie had somehow convinced her baker to bring a bunch of cake samples to the reception after the baptism. They were glorious. I was gonna stuff myself into a happy stupor. 

And I needed it, you understand. Because the night before, Jeb and I fought and made up - twice. My body was feeling like it had run a marathon - I was sore and tired and maybe a little fed up. 

"This one is gross," Jeb put down his plate. "It tastes like a steak cake."

"Oh, that must be the salted tofu. I should have warned you about that one," Queenie turned her face but I could see she was giggling.

"Why would you even let him eat that?" Jay whispered, making a face.

"He's being a butt. He deserves tofu cake."

"Salted tofu could be good, using the right..." Maggie took a taste. "Oh, that's unpleasant."

"You all don't have to do this," Jeb turned to us. "A wedding is a nice idea at first but it was already taking over our lives. Now it's taking over everything else? No."

"But if it helps Alice feel like she's completing things that feel unfinished, Jeb, then what is the harm?"

"The harm is conflating it with getting pregnant, am I right?" Jay took a bite of the carrot. "It's actually a common..."

"Stop," I insisted. "Please. I said this last night and I am saying it now. I appreciate the help with the wedding but I do not want to talk about getting pregnant. That's private between me and Jeb. I'm... really uncomfortable with this conversation."

"Alice, honey, there's like 72 million kids in the room. I mean, if you're looking for fertility tips..."

"Thanks, Queenie. But I don't think we're at the point of asking for...uh...tips." Jeb walked over to stand by my side and slid his hand up against the small of my back. 

As mad as I was, I had a moment of relief. If he was by my side then whatever was going on between us couldn't be a world-ender, right?

"We're hiring a wedding planner," Jeb announced. "A really good one. One that makes all the decisions. What we want is for everyone to just to show up. Have a good time. And then, after that, we'll be focusing on what happens. You know, after that."

"Well, that's not exactly..." He squeezed his hand against me and I shot him a look but stopped talking. 

"All right," Marco pivoted and held up his hands. "I think we've got the message, yes? They are having a wedding and they are trying for a baby and they want to do it all on their own."

Maggie and Queenie exchanged a long, long look and shrugged. 

Jeb took my hand and led me outside to the courtyard. The wind was up and it was just starting spit rain. He slipped his suit jacket it off and covered my shoulders. 

"Thanks."

"Of course. Look, querida, I hate fighting."

"Me too, and..."

"Can I? Uh, go first?"

I nodded.

"Levi is good enough, right? I mean, this isn't about... uh... I think, I think maybe with myself sort of growing up as an extra....you know, not really my dad's..."

"Oh. OH, Jeb," I stepped closer. "I didn't realize. No. This is not.. look, I can see that me kinda going gangbusters about having a baby could seem that I'm saying our baby boy isn't enough - but he is. This isn't about adopted versus birthed, ok? This is about me never having a sibling. You have Jay and Maggie and Laurie."

"Alice, you literally have like 12 siblings."

"13 - but not really. I lived like an only child until I was 7 or 8, ok? There was never anyone that felt like a real sibling. And I want that for Levi. I want him to grow up with someone. If we wait much longer, I'm not sure..."

"Really?"

I nodded. "Levi is our son. Together we are a family. Yes, I want to be pregnant. I want to have a baby. I want to see Levi holding his little brother or sister. I want it all - the squabbling, the adventures, the fighting over the last whatever..."

"Oh, hun, you're gonna regret those words."

"I hope so. I really do," I laughed. "But if it never happens, I'm not going to live bitter. You should know me by now."

"You hold grudges."

"Not real ones."

"Huh. We'll discuss that later. One more thing, though. That tofu cake was heinous. I don't want a baker that would even put that out."

"But Queenie..."

"I can't even. After today, we're not even having cake - you got that? I have an opinion now. You wanted me to get involved so here I am. No cake."

"But we need something to cut!"

"Bread then. Let them eat bread."