One Day at a Time - (Season One)

Chapter Four: Shopping

Of course, Lukas was the one who brought her out of her funk. He placed his tiny hand on hers and smiled in an adorable, concerned manner, "Marty, are you okay?"

Marty smiled back at her brother, pushing back all the negative feelings that'd been threatening to overwhelm her, and instead let the love she had for Lukas practically ooze off her as she took in his worried expression and adorable pouty lips, "Yeah, I'm okay, squirt."

The boy nodded, "That's good. What about Nicky? Did he get hurt?"

"Nicky's fine. He was just in a little car accident, but he's already up and about." Marty withheld a sigh, "His mom just called to let me know."

"Oh," Lukas nodded, brows scrunched up, "That makes sense. 'Cause he's your best friend like Rudy is my best friend." The implication being that he'd want to know if his best friend was hurt. Marty just wished that it'd been Nick who had reached out to her.

Fucking hormones dictated that her eyes glossed over once more with unshed tears, "Yup."

Lukas' big brown eyes locked onto hers, "Are you gonna tell Nicky 'bout the babies? I already told Rudy that I'm gonna be a big brother. He's real jealous, 'cause he's the littlest in his family and they call him the baby. Rudy wants to be a big brother too, but his Momma said that she wasn't sure that their family is gonna get another baby-"

Right, that was another issue. After throwing Nick out on his ass three months ago, she hadn't caught even a glimpse of him. Nick had ghosted her out in the same way he'd always done to his own family when he went on benders. It wasn't that Marty entirely blamed him, she had been firm and even downright mean when she found him.

-"I-I can't Nicky... Why- Why would you, here, after we ju-st..." a broken sob escaped from her throat, she ignored the pained whine and platitudes escaping from Nick's mouth, "I told you. I told you never to bring this shit here. Get out of my house. Nick, get out! Get out! Get OUT!"-

But she never thought that Nick would actually decide that he'd rather continue shooting up in Needle Alley than stay with her. Because even during his worst moments, Nick had always decided to stay with Marty.

Her anger had been justified, even her reaction was acceptable given the circumstances... but they'd never really fought like that before either. Marty had been open about her thoughts regarding his drug use, but she'd never judged him for it or told him to leave. Not like she had that night. Nick did what he always did when he was hurting, he ran. And by yelling at him in the way she had, Marty had taken away his safe place. So, in a way it did make sense that he was avoiding her. He was probably afraid that she didn't want him to come around anymore. That their friendship was ruined like the majority of the relationships he had before he started using.

But despite the truly shitty circumstances, Marty needed to tell him about the baby. Well, babies.

Marty hadn't been a virgin when she and Nick slept together, her first boyfriend from high school had already seen to that one night when she was feeling particularly low and self-loathing—there was a reason why Nick had hated that douchebag—but he'd been the only one she'd been with in over a year and a half.

Nick was going to be a Dad. And even if she didn't know where they stood in their friendship or relationship, or whatever complicated mess it had turned into... Marty thought that he should at least know about the existence of his children, even if he decided that he didn't want to have anything to do with her anymore.

"Marty? I asked if you is gonna tell Nicky about the babies?"

Marty blinked as she corrected him absentmindedly, "It's 'you are,' not 'you is' Lukas."