All for you

Chapter 27

"Jo sweetie it's so great to see you. We just got -" she started all the whilst walking forward with a smile printed on her lips before her eyes dropped to my abdomen.

"Oh my goodness" she screamed, bringing her hand to her mouth in a paste so rapid I was barely able to make out her movements, "what on earth Josephine?"

"What's wrong Elizabeth?" my dad questioned, still staring with a grin plastered on his face at myself and the man parked just behind me.

"You're pregnant Jo, my baby girl is pregnant?" my mum spoke hardly giving my dad a moment to finish before she voiced her inner thoughts, "I can't believe my little girl is having a baby"

At this point, I couldn't quite figure out what on earth I was meant to do. At the realisation of my mother's words, my fathers gaze instantly shot to my tummy, where a look I couldn't distinguish made its way onto his face. My mother, on the other hand, seemed easy to read, she always had been, as I watched the looks of confusion, disappointment and slight glimpses of joy spread across both her cheeks.

Watching as she walked off with my father following somewhere deeper into my apartment, I quickly spin my body around to meet the green eyes I'd found myself already getting used to again with the image of them permanently printed to my brain

"Would you like me to talk to them Jo?" he questioned, with a look on his face which I knew meant he was balancing his concern and need for a solution to the shit I'd managed to drop us all into.

"No" I started instantly looking up to watch hurt cross his features at my sudden answer, "not because I don't want you in their baby, but I think it's best I have this chat with them on my own first"

"If that's what you want love, I'll be right out here if you want me" he spoke kissing my cheek before walking over to the couch where Hallie and Kath were sat together with their eyes glued to my every movent.

Taking one finally breathe, I began my walk towards the room I'd watched my parents walk into only moments ago, which happened to be my own, as I tried to figure out what my next spoken words would be. How I would possibly explain the past few months to the two people who brought me to life.

Opening the door, I peaked through the small crack I had created instantly coming face to face with the two of them lying back against the headboard. They lay silent, seemingly trying to take in the shock I'd sprung upon them only moments ago wrapped in each other's arms similar to the way I'd grown up watching them.

I'd always dreamt of a relationship like the two of them have when I was younger. I'd watch the way my dad told my mum he loved her every morning before a long shift and heard him repeat the exact same words hours later. No matter whatever shit was going on in their lives, whatever argument they'd had that day, they'd made sure one another knew how much they meant in their lives.

Breaking me out of my thoughts, my mum called my name forcing my eyes towards her own before beckoning me over to the place where the two of them were now sat in sitting positions. For moments, the three of us just sat in silence. It wasn't the tension-filled silence I'd expected but more so the type which showed how much we'd truly missed each other.  I'd usually go weeks, even months without seeing the two of them, endless phone calls being the only thing keeping me in contact with two of the most important people in my life, but this was different. This was in the middle of a global pandemic where your every worry goes to your loved ones wondering whether or not they'd be safe. Wondering whether or not they'd fall victims to something completely out of the human hands.

"I'm sorry" I quickly stated after staying quiet for far too long as my eyes switched between the other two pairs which were staring directly at me, "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you"

"Oh baby, don't get upset" my mum responded wrapping her arms around my body as the tears I didn't even realise were falling nonchalantly rolled down the two of my cheeks, "we were just surprised is all"

"You're not angry with me?" I questioned as my vision became cloudy with my hormonal outburst taking a toll on the entirety of our conversation.

"We could never be angry at you love, definitely not for something like this sweetie. You're bringing a life into this world, I'd be lying if I was to say I was anything but proud of you love. Of course, we weren't expecting it but that doesn't mean we are disappointed Josephine, we were actually just talking about how excited we are" my mum finished as my dad continued nodding his head at each of her statements.

"The two of you will be the most amazing grandparents" I spoke imagining the moments my son would spend with my parents in the future and the fun life I already knew the two of them would make sure he had.

"And you are going to be the most incredible mother Jo" my dad finished grabbing my hand before pulling me into a tight squeeze reassuring me of every word the three of us had shared over the last 10 minutes or so.

"So, tell me all about my beautiful grandbaby" my mother said moments after pulling me into a grip of her own as a conversation started about everything I could possibly share about my son. Well, everything excluding the fact he was a he. At the realisation there was now 4 people in the proximity who still didn't know the gender of my baby, I quickly stood up making the surprised looks on their faces appear once again.

"Hero and I found out the gender a few weeks ago so I think now's the perfect time to tell all four of you"

"All four of us?" my mum questioned with a curious look on her face.

"Yeah, Hallie and Kath don't actually know yet so I want to tell you all together" I said opening the door prompting the two of them to move towards it before speaking up again, "I wanted to ask by the way, how on earth are you here?"

"We got called over to one of the local hospitals as they needed extra staff on hand so we start in a few days" not wanting to think too much about the danger the two of them were being placed into, I only nodded my head in response before returning to the room I had left almost an hour ago with all three gazes instantly flickering towards me.

Watching my parents sit down, the corner of my eye captured the sight of Hero's own movements as he guided his feet slowly towards my standing position, stopping only inches away before whispering in my ear, "Is everything okay?"

Looking into his eyes, I quickly realised something. The love my mother held for the man sitting next to her, the love I'd watched only grow with time between the two of them, that exact love was the kind I felt for Hero. I'd fucked up, beyond massively when it came to the course of the last six months, but it was our time now and I was more than ready for my life with him.

"Everything perfect" I started earning a rewarding smile before starting up again, this time louder for the other people sat a matter of feet away to hear, "in fact, the three of us, You, our son and I are beyond perfect"