Forever Yours, Elliot

Chapter 34 - Family Tree

"Will you still love me when I'm as big as a house" I murmured, as I stretched on the deck chair in the sun.

"Elliot, I'd love you even if gained 100lbs and grew a hunchback" Matt grinned as he placed a banana berry smoothie beside me.

It had been six weeks since we'd found out the babies were Matt's, so much had changed in such a short time, that it was hard to believe it was happening at all.

I'd applied for an early graduation soon after we'd discovered we were having twins. One baby I could have probably hidden until graduation, but two babies was a little harder to hide with a baggy t-shirt. I'd be lying if I said that I could have handled the whispering behind my back, because I couldn't.

Once it was accepted Matt and I began focusing on the drop in centre and he kept tutoring as much as he could to keep the bills paid.

It would have been more bearable if that was where the changes ended. But it wasn't.

Louise and Ryan had broken up, Jake had gone AWOL and Jeanie had returned earlier than expected with a belly rounded like my own.

Yep, it had been an insane 6 weeks.

"You're deep in thought there" Matt questioned.

"Just thinking about the past few weeks" I replied,

"It's been a whirlwind."

I smiled and nodded. This whole year had been a whirlwind.

"I miss my friends." I whispered softly.

Matt sighed and sat down on the end of the deck chair and rubbed my leg. "I know you do. Maybe you could ask Louise to come over for the night?" He suggested.

"It won't be the same without Ryan...Or Jake." I whispered.

Matt frowned and nodded. He stood up then walked over and pressed his lips to my forehead. "I'm going to head inside and work on my tutorial for the barkers and Willis families. Try not to stress too much babe. It'll all come right. Eventually."

Matt walked inside and I stayed out on my chair and sipped the smoothie. There was no use Bing depressed about my lack of friends. These days I was just too tired.

It didn't kill me that the last time I'd seen Ryan was over three weeks ago, and it didn't kill me that Louise and Ryan couldn't be in the same room together anymore, and it didn't kill me that I'd lost my two best friends.

At least that was what I had to keep telling myself.

They had broken up over college, not lack of love. Louise had applied for a college out of state, and Ryan didn't. But both were so broken over the whole situation that the breakup had become frail.

Ryan felt betrayed by Louise, and then betrayed by me when he realised I knew she'd applied for Yale. The last time we spoke he'd berated me for not telling him.

Louise felt like he wasn't supporting her dreams.

It was all a big mess.

I was going to fix it, hopefully before I gained 100lbs and a hunchback.

I stood up and walked inside. Matt looked up from the table and smiled then shoved his paperwork out of the way. He held his arms out and gestured for me.

"Are you kidding? I'll kill you." I laughed.

"Babe. You're pregnant. You're not an anvil." He retorted, his arms were still stretched out for me.

I sat on his lap and curled into him. He placed his hand on my belly and sighed. "Is it strange that our relationship has endured such stress, but I feel like it was all worth it... just for this moment?"