Like Father Like Son

We have news

DECEMBER 1921

LARA

I couldn't help but giggle as Gustave tugged me along down the street to his father's house, his feet skidding along the ice as he ran. The snow all around us would have made for a beautiful walk - even if I was buried in an innumerable number of layers and was starting to overheat while my husband practically yanked my arm out of its socket.

"Lara, hurry up, love! We have to get to Papa's house!" Gustave exclaimed as he looked at me over his shoulder. He had a ridiculous grin plastered on his face, and his cheeks were flushed from the cold; he looked adorable and hilarious all at the same time, which only made another fit of giggles escape me.

"We'll still get to your father's if we walk, you know," I pointed out, knowing that basic logic didn't always occur to my husband in moments of great excitement.

"I know, I know," Gustave said, laughing through his words. "I'm just excited to tell him!"

Shaking my head fondly, I tugged back against Gustave's gentle hold on my arm, which got him to slow to a stop. "The news isn't going to change no matter when we get there," I said as I set my hand to his chest and gave him a gentle kiss. "Plus, I'm not really in any state to be running."

A wave of panic washed over my husband's face, I noticed, so I quickly gave him a kiss to make sure he knew I was alright. "Right, of course, I'm sorry," he said with a nod as the two of us started to walk again, turning onto Erik's street. "Are you alright? Are you cold?"

"Gustave, I can barely move, I'm so bundled up. I am the furthest from cold that I could possibly be."

"I just want to be sure! I know you hate the cold anyway, so I am ensuring that you're warm."

"And I appreciate that, love," I replied with a smile, wanting to acknowledge his efforts. "But I will be warmer once we get inside your father's house, so if we could do that, I would appreciate it."

Gustave nodded and took my hand, pressing a kiss to my knuckles before he led me the short distance left to walk up to Erik's front door. His excitement immediately resurfaced as he pulled his spare key out of his pocket and opened the door, then darted inside, only to bump into Nadir - quite literally.

"Where are you rushing to? You haven't been this excited to come over here in quite some time," Nadir said with a laugh as he steadied Gustave on his feet, then stepped over to me to greet me with a hug.

"Oh, can Gustave not come over to visit his father and be positively giddy?" I replied, laughing at my own comment and at the expression on Nadir's face; if he hadn't known something was going on before, he certainly did by this point.

"Alright, out with it. What's..." Nadir began but trailed off as a smile slowly crossed his face. "Oh, I think I know what's got you so giddy."

Gustave scoffed as he helped me get out of all of my layers. "Sure you do Go on, take a guess. You'll never be..."

"You two are expecting."

"Oh, my g- how?!" Gustave exclaimed, sounding quite exasperated. "How do you always know? Can I not surprise you?"

"I have been around your father for too long. It's hard to take me by surprise," Nadir said with a laugh as he gave both me and Gustave tight hugs. "Congratulations, you two. This is so wonderful."

I now had the same giddy grin as my husband plastered on my face as I ran my hand over the bump of my stomach; I had found that I couldn't stop touching that little bump since I had found out about my pregnancy.