New Beginnings: A Hessa Story (2)

Chapter 4: Tessa

"I know, I'm sorry for not saying anything!" Trish touches my shoulder, but my mouth is hanging open, my jaw literally on the floor.

"How far... along are you?" I stutter.

"Six months."

"Does Hardin know?" I really hope that he does know because this whole trip is going to be ten times more awkward if Hardin finds out his mother is pregnant, very pregnant.

"He doesn't. I've been too nervous to tell him, honestly."

Oh my god. Hardin has so many siblings now. He has Smith, Grace, and this baby as biological half siblings, and Landon and Abby as step siblings, but then again, they aren't even really his step siblings because Ken isn't Hardin's real father even though everyone thought he was for twenty one years... geez, this should be the plot of a TV show.

"How do you think he's going to react?" Trish asks me honestly as I begin driving home.

"I have no idea." I cannot imagine what Hardin's reaction will be like. Shocked, probably. Trish is 52 years old, which isn't the most probable age to be having another baby.

"I think he'll be excited." She tries to convince herself, and I don't have the heart to tell her otherwise.

"How exactly do you plan on telling him? You're just gonna walk in with that bump?" She is taken back by my tone. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude." I immediately apologize. "It's just, as you know, Hardin doesn't do well with his surprises." Images of Hardin burning down his mother's house back in England after finding out Vance was his father come to mind.

"I know." She bows her head. "I just didn't know how to tell him, you know how Hardin is..."

"Yeah, well I guess we'll see, but it's very exciting!" I try to lighten the mood, but in reality, I'm still reeling from the fact that she and I are both pregnant at the same time. Hardin will be getting a sibling and a child. Shit, he's gonna lose his fucking mind.

As we get closer to home, the more anxious I grow. I feel like I need to prepare Hardin for this type of news.

"Listen, Trish. I think I should go in first and at least warn Hardin that you have something to tell him." I speak up after ten minutes of silence.

"I agree. You can go in first while Mike and I grab our bags?"

"Yeah, I'll do that."

I pull into the driveway, and I feel my heart pounding out of my chest. I hope Hardin is awake when I walk in there. Before Mike and Trish get out of the car, I run up the steps into the house. I open the door, and run to the bedroom.

I knock on the door, and open it slightly. He is standing near the closet suspiciously, and jumps back as he sees me.

"Hey, where are they?" Hardin moves to walk past me, but I stick my arm out to block the door.

"Hardin, I need to tell you something."

His facial features freeze.

"What's going on? Is everything okay? Are you okay?" He examines my entire body.

"It's not me, it's your mom. I just wanted to come in here before she did to let you know that she has a surprise, well... not really a surprise, but there is something that she needs to tell you."

"Okay?" Hardin looks quizzically. "How bad could it be? It's not like she's dying." He shakes his head and tries to walk through the door again, but I continue to block him with my arm.

"I'm serious, Hardin. I just want you to expect that something big is happening."

"Wait, is she dying?" His eye bulge out of his head. Hardin would never admit it, but watching his mother die would absolutely destroy him, no matter how rocky their relationship is, he loves her.