Before The Beginning

Chapter 22: Preparations

Begin!

~Beatrice's POV

It felt like an eternity waiting for Bertrand to respond to me. He just stared in complete silence. I think he's in shock. Though I suppose I did just tell him quite possibly the biggest bit of news that one could receive from their significant other. It's a lot to take in.

"Bertie-"

"I'm gonna be a dad," He interrupted softly.

"Yeah, we're gonna have a baby." I replied, smiling. I could feel my eyes well up a little as I was saying it to myself more than him.

Next thing I knew I had his arms around me in a big hug and he started crying into my shoulder.

"I'm gonna be a dad! Oh my god Bea, this is wonderful!"

I hugged him back as he let his emotions out. He's always so sweet like that. I had to wipe my eyes too but I was happy. We were happy. God knows when we get back home everyone is going to flip out about this!

Oh god, what will Ike and Hector say?

~Bertrand's POV

I can't believe this! We're having a baby! I've never been this happy before! I never knew if I was ever going to be a father someday, but I'm so glad I am now.

"Oh dear, Bea, there's so much to prepare for," I said wiping my eyes behind my glasses. "We need to get a bigger place, we'll need to build a crib, you'll need a healthy diet. Have you been able to eat anything yet today? Should I cook you something? Do you think our bed is soft enough for when you start showing; it causes awful back problems-"

"Bertrand!" She said giggling at my rambling.

"What; I'm just being realistic."

"Honey you're worrying too much about the future, focus on right now. I won't start showing for at least four months. It's a slow process and we have plenty of time."

I took a deep breath. "Ok I'm sorry I just want to be ready..."

"And we will be, in time. But I do think that we definitely won't be raising our child here anyway. If we're going to have a kid, I want them to have the ability to be around other kids too you know? Besides I want my friends and my family around this child, staying here was never going to be that permanent. Ike and Hector deserve to see their niece or nephew, Karrie would straight up kill me if I kept my kids from meeting her too. Quinten would be happy to see them too."

I thought about it and she was right. Despite the fact that there was one other pregnant woman in our community, it wasn't the best place to actually raise a child. She was simply here for work temporarily and would also be leaving the place once she had her baby. The facility wasn't fit for family life. Neither was V.F.D. but we would decide on that later.

"Ok I have a plan. Here's what we'll do, we'll stick it out through the first maybe 6 or so months here and then we'll get ourselves a boat and well head back to the mainland to tell everyone and have the baby then. How does that sound?"

"I think that sounds wonderful. And it'll give me plenty of time to continue overseeing the project. Hopefully by the time we move back home the apples will be ready."

I nodded. "I hope so too. And Bea?"

"Yes?"

"Have you ever considered what you might want to name your first child?"

She furrowed her brow in concentration. "I'll have to get back to you on that. We'll worry about names later right now I need something to eat since my stomach is feeling better."

~...

Bea was lounging on our bed writing reports in her commonplace book. It was nighttime now and the shock of finding out that we were going to have a baby made me need to do something I should have done sooner. I grabbed something from my bag of belongings and took it into the other room with me. It was my spare glasses case that had thankfully made it to the island with me. But it didn't just have glasses inside it. No inside this case was something much more valuable...

"You want to give me this?"

"It was specially made only for Beatrice. You don't have to use it, if you'd rather buy your own you can simply store it someplace, but I have no reason to keep it otherwise. She... gave it back when I gave it to her... but perhaps she might keep it if it's from you. This is a symbol of how I am not with her anymore. She's a wonderful woman, and I trust that you will do your best to make her happy if she'll have you."

"Thank you Lemony... that really means a lot that you're so supportive."

"You're welcome. Besides, it just hurts to keep now. And I'll be damned to hell if Moxie found it; she'd be offended at the idea that I even kept it. That's why I can't give it to her. That ring is for Beatrice, regardless of who's giving it to her."

"I can't possibly take it for free though, it must have cost you so much-"

"I don't need money; I have plenty of that. Consider it a gift."

I examined the lovely diamond ring in my hand and smiled. Lemony had done a very kind deed giving this to me. I'd never be able to repay that kindness but I have a feeling that Beatrice being happy is payment enough for him. He's a good man, Lemony Snicket. Though I was surprised that he chose to do it before the ball that night. He asked me to look after her and then gave me this as a final word on the matter. If Bea and I were going to have a child together: this was something that should be made official first.

I shoved the ring into my pocket and went back over to Bea. "Hey how busy are you right now?" I hope I didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

"I can take a break." Bea replied, setting aside her notebook and standing up. "Why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking how it's a nice night and it'd be great for a walk on the beach together..."

She smiled. "Alright let's go."

I took her hand and we left our house to walk along the beach. It was a beautiful night, but nothing compares to Bea's beauty. The way the moon reflected off of her skin and her ebony hair. She was heavenly and it didn't help my nerves. Such a woman surely deserved a better man than me. But she was with me anyway. And fate had decided that tonight I would ask her to be mine forever.

"Bertie, are you alright?" Damn her for being so observant.

"Um, I'm fine but listen there's something that I want to say and I think that now is the best time to say it..."

"Then say it," She replied.

Well, here goes everything. I don't know why I was so scared. I mean this ring is almost all I've been able to think about for as long as I've had it. She already agreed to have a child with me. Why would she not be accepting of this? So with a spark of courage I grabbed the ring out of my pocket and got down on one knee.

"Beatrice Anwhistle, will you marry me?"

It felt like my heart had stopped when she didn't respond right away. She was staring at the little glint of diamond in awe. For a split second I wanted to say something else. To add something more romantic or meaningful. She deserved more than a simple question-

"Yes!"

Bea grabbed me in the most relieving hug I've ever felt in my life and I didn't care that we both fell onto the cool sand. She kissed me all over and I swear I had never seen her so happy. I put the ring on her hand. She examined it quietly for a moment, but she was still smiling. I think she might have recognized the ring but she wasn't upset or disappointed at all.

"I love you, Bertrand. And I can't wait to be your wife."

"I love you too, Beatrice. And I am so glad you said yes."

~End of Chapter!

Yay!