"So, why is your new... aunt?" asked Spencer Lawson, as they arrived to pick up their charges for today's baby sitting gig, "having her shower now? I thought expectant mothers usually had those parties closer to the actual due date."
"Confidentially, that's what Lila wanted too," said Frieda Knight, as she and their mutual boyfriend Eric Anderson got out of Spencer's pick up truck. "But you know my mother," added Frieda, referring to Amanda Knight. "With all her upcoming social events, parties, and other commitments between now and next February, Amanda said the shower either had to be now or sometime next Spring AFTER the baby arrived."
"Knowing both parties as well as I do, it sounds like a bit of a snub to me," observed Spencer. "If it was me, I would have squeezed in the time for family whenever necessary, not at my convenience."
"Is it tough having, let alone raising a kid?" asked Eric, stopping to stare at his girlfriends.
"Can't be any worse than what our families have had raising us," commented Frieda.
"Sounds about right to me, but I can't say from first hand experience though. After all, Frieda and I aren't destined to have our first cubs with you until after our 25th birthdays, remember?" asked Spencer, recalling the happy dreams the trio have shared of their mutual future together.
"Yeah... about that..." began Eric, wondering how to say what he wanted to.
"What is it dear?" asked Frieda, as both girls stopped and came back to where Eric was standing, realizing there was something important on his mind.
"You're not having cold paws or something, are you?" kidded Spencer, but worried about their boyfriend.
"It's not that. I... it's just that... You see, originally this all started with me falling in love with Spencer until you came along Frieda, and showing us just much how happier we are as a trio than as a duet," began Eric, while looking at both women.
"And I love both of you," said Frieda, giving each half of her heart a quick hug.
"It's gotten to the point where if there was any way I could legally do so, I would marry BOTH of you. I love you Frieda Knight as much as I do Spencer Lawson," said Eric, while taking each lady's hand in one of his. "Maybe this is something I should have asked sooner, but you aren't going to feel left out or... whatever when Spencer's the one that becomes Mrs. Anderson someday?"
"Is that what's worrying you honey?" asked Frieda, as she moved a step closer to their boyfriend. "Spencer and I have talked about this privately before, and we probably should have included you in the discussion," she realized. "Each of us have more than enough love in our hearts for both of our respective partners. You for us, and each of us for you and the other," added Frieda with a smile.
"It doesn't matter to us if we have any official documentation or not," said Spencer, moving closer to her friends and lovers. "What matters is that we all love each other and will always be together. Yin, Yang, and Whole," she added, spreading out her arms to embrace Eric and Frieda in a group hug.
"Isn't our Eric cute when he worries?" asked Frieda, staring at the two halves of her heart.
"Yeah," agreed Spencer, giving each a quick kiss on the cheek before breaking the hug. "Now come on. We have to collect Cindy, Jasper, and Yogi and get going. I want to turn both of your heads when you see me in my swimsuit," she added, which received an intimate purr from both Eric and Frieda as they resumed their short trip to the house.
MEANWHILE...
Mike Lawson was happily painting the nursery of his son Evan's house. The walls were slowly going from their previous dull white to a deep shade of blue, for he would not only be a grandpa again soon, but Evan didn't know yet that the cub that his wife was carrying would be a boy.
Evan will be quite surprised. I've got to see the look on his face when Maggie tells him, unless he walks in here first before she can let him know, realized Mike as he stopped to look around at his work.
"Need a break dad?" asked the mother to be, as she came into the room carrying a cold beer and a sandwich for the hard working grandfather. "Thought you'd might like something to eat."
"Thanks Maggie," said Mike, taking the food before sitting on the covered floor, while she walked over to sit in the tarp covered rocking chair. "It obviously won't be dry by then, but I will have this room completely finished before my son gets home from work tonight. But I've got to ask you something."
"What?" said Maggie, absent-mindedly rubbing her stomach while looking around the future nursery, that used to be just an unused bedroom the Lawsons were using for storage in their house.
"I've never heard of this color before," said Mike, while taking a quick glance at one of the two paint cans that had been left for him to use. "TARDIS Blue? What kind of a shade is that?"
"It's something Spencer picked out herself, with Eric and Frieda's help. They know the reference better than I, but it has something to do with a TV show they all like. Which reminds me, Spencer said the three of them will come in this weekend to do the trim and other decorating, but she wants whatever's left saved for her room. Something about painting her doors and window trim, if I remember correctly."
"Well, I will definitely be in the second can before I'm done, but there should be enough left to tackle those small areas if that's all she wants to do," replied Mike. Then he paused before adding, "Those three are as thick as thieves, aren't they?"
"I think it's a lot more serious than that. Sometimes I honestly can't tell where one ends and the other two begin," admitted Maggie. "I can remember when Spencer was just crawling around on the floor in her diaper or onesie, always getting underfoot somehow. But to see her now..."
"I know. Spencer's growing to be quite a lady. A really big change from her tomboy days," observed Mike.
"Yeah. Something else we can thank both Eric and Frieda for, although he had more of an early influence on Spencer than she did. Do you know the other day I caught Spencer looking up the requirements for the Moon Lake Police Academy on her computer?" asked her mother.
"Really? I thought Spencer wanted to go into the military like her old man," said Mike.
"Me too, but I think part of that was also inheriting Evan's wanderlust from his early days, something Spencer doesn't seem to have now since falling in love with her... partners. I hate to say this about my own daughter, but whatever she does decide to do in life professionally, I knew Spencer didn't have what it takes to be a doctor like me. Yet law enforcement is a good career too."
"Never said it wasn't," pointed out Mike, "only that I thought Spencer had other plans."
"Me too. But times change, and so has she," observed Maggie. Then she stopped rocking and smiled.
"What is it?" asked Mike, worried that something might be wrong.
"The baby just kicked. Want to feel?" asked Maggie, as her father-in-law approached and gingerly laid a hand on Maggie's extended belly.
Mike smiled as he felt the sensation. "The kid's definitely a Lawson," he said with a smile. "Have you picked out a name yet?"
"Nothing definitive. Besides, you already know the gender before my husband does. You have to allow a woman some secrets," said Maggie with a smile, before asking Mike for help getting out of the rocking chair. "Now, I think I'm going to lay down for a bit. Spencer and her friends are out babysitting and won't be back till late this afternoon. Evan will be home sometime after 5 and you still have a nursery to finish painting," she added, before giving Mike another smile.
"Yes, ma'am," he said with a mock salute, before finishing his sandwich and picking up the paint brush to resume working on his project.