Trey
"When are you going to show me the surprise? It's been like two months now," Kiara whines beside me in the passenger seat.
"After dinner with your parents," I answer, chuckling at her impatience. Using one hand on the wheel, I let the other rest on her protruding belly, gently rubbing small circles on it.

I can tell sense her nervousness about telling them about her pregnancy, but it's not like she's some rebellious teenager that got knocked up. She's a grown ass, successful, beautiful woman that is carrying my child. Ever since she shared the news with me, I've had this uncontrollable urge to protect her at all times. I find myself not wanting her out of my sight, but I've come to terms with the fact that she can't just stay home.
The IV treatments have been working for the most part, although she still carries vomit bags with her everywhere, just in case. Like the badass superwoman she is, despite her condition, she still continues with her book signings, forums, and other book related stuff I don't fully comprehend, but I try my best to take an interest in just because they're her passion. Also, she has started writing another book that she promised not to overexert herself with.
After helping my pregnant fiancé out of the car, I knock on the door, and Lavender opens it, rolling her eyes as she let's us in. "Mom, they're here!" she announces, leading the way as we follow her into the house.
Lavender sits down beside a dude I've only met once, but hate his guts for what he did to my Cupcake. What the hell is he doing here, anyway? Last I heard they were broken up.
"Hey Ki-"
I shoot him a glare, cutting him off mid-sentence. He doesn't need to speak to her, or even breathe the same air as her. But for her and her parents sake, I'll be civil.

Her mother is setting a pot roast on the table as we enter the kitchen. A warm smile graces her face upon seeing us. "Hey ya'll, I'm so glad you made it to dinner! Tyrone hasn't shut up about it all week," she says, rolling her eyes playfully.
Her father walks into the room, his face lighting up as he daps me up. "Hey Trey, how are you doing, Son?"
I grin in return. "Great. Business is booming, and I have the most beautiful woman that is going to marry me in just two months."
And will be having my baby in five.

I can imagine Kiara's belly will be be pretty big by then, but I'm willing to do anything to make her feel comfortable and beautiful on our big day. She wanted to wait until they told us the sex to tell them, so here we are. Thankfully, before we get married, so there shouldn't be any drama.
Seated beside Kiara, we eat in comfortable silence for a while, everyone immersed in their own conversations while Tyrone engages me in a conversation about his job. I have a feeling he doesn't like Jordan very much because each time he tries to speak, Tyrone sharply cuts him off, and I can hardly contain my amusement.
"So, Kiara, where has Candy been?" her Mom asks curiously, "I haven't seen her in so long."
"Good, that bitch needs to stay away," I hear Lavender mutter.
"Lavender," she snaps.
I redirect my gaze to Kiara's sister, silently staring her down. Nobody talks about my sister like that, especially when she's no better herself.
Kiara clears her throat. "Actually, she's been busy with her own online baby boutique. In her words, the clothing in stores are 'fugly', so she wanted to create her own," she snorts.
"Oh, that's good. I love that for her," her mom responds sincerely.
"Anyways," Lavender cuts in, "guess what, Kiara? I got engaged too!" She smirks as she proudly displays a massive diamond on her left hand. I notice Jordan grimace. Glancing at his face for the first time tonight, I spot a few grey hairs in his new beard.
I bet it's because of her.
"Wow, that's great. Congratulations," Kiara tries to sound sincere, but I can hear the subtle discuss in her voice. However, her sister obviously doesn't notice or care.
"We're getting married in six months, and it's going to be at 'The Gala 417,' which is like the fanciest venue in Virginia Beach. You're going to help me plan everything, right Kiara?" She beams.
"Sure," my fiancée grits out, "you know, after I finish planning my own wedding."
As Lavender continues talking about herself and her wedding, I find myself tuning it out. Her boasting ignites a desire in me to change our entire wedding plan, opting for something grander just to spite her. It's not like we can't afford it, but we settled on a small, intimate wedding to spare us the extra stress.
Can she just shut the fuck up already? I think to myself as she rambles on and on. At some point, it seems like everyone has stopped listening, and she's just talking to hear her own voice.
"Honey, didn't you say you had some news of your own to share with us tonight?" Her dad interrupts, and I silently thank him.
All eyes shift to Kiara, a thick tension growing in the room as they wait for her to speak. Her mouth opens and closes, but she seems unable to form the words. Glancing up at me, her face flushed with distressed, she screams for help with her eyes.
I squeeze her hand to let her know that everything's alright. Clearing my throat, and stand up. Who knows why; maybe it's because I'm accustomed to making announcements this way at my restaurant.
"We're having a little girl together," I say proudly, unable to contain my grin. Although I can hardly believe it myself, I've heard her little heartbeat and watched her suck her thumb at the last ultrasound. To say I'm over the moon is a fucking understatement.
I feel the peace in the room pop like a bubble. Her father stares at us in stunned silence. The color drains from her ex's face and he looks as if he may be stick to his stomach that it's with me and not him. Meanwhile, her sister bursts out laughing, the sound echoing through the tense atmosphere.
"Kiara, what the hell were you thinking? You're not even married yet," her Mom scolds, he voice laced with disappointment as she scowls at her daughter.
My Cupcake manages to find her voice, her voice trembling slightly. "It wasn't exactly planned, but I'm happy anyway...we're happy," she says, her eyes briefly meeting mine as she flashes a small, reassuring smile.
"You're at the top of your writing career," her mom continues, her voice rising with anger. "You didn't think to use contraceptive? Look at me and your father, is this is how you want your life to turn out?" She stands abruptly from the table, her hands braced against the wood.
Her father raises an eyebrow as he looks at his wife. "What is that supposed to mean?"
She glares at him, her eyes flashing with resentment. "It means I'm not fucking happy, Tyrone. My children are grown and I have a husband I barely see and we live in the same house. One daughter won't grow the fuck up, and the other just threw her life away," she says bitterly. Without waiting for a response, she storms out of the room, the sound of a door slamming echoing from upstairs.
Well, that couldn't have gone worse.
Kiara rises to go after her, hurt etched across her beautiful features, but her father intervenes. "Leave her be. Your mother is just being dramatic right now," he grumbles, his tone resigned, as if this is just a normal, everyday thing for him.
"Look who just became the favorite," Lavender smirks from across the table.
Kiara shoots her a glare. "You've always been her favorite," she sneers.
Alright, time to go.
"Let's go, Cupcake. Stress isn't good for you or the baby," I say firmly, standing and wrapping my arm around her waist, well...mostly her belly that's hidden underneath her oversized hoodie.
"Let me walk you two to the door, " Tyrone says. As we reach the entrance, he adds, "Congratulations, I think it's wonderful that you guys are having a baby. Your mother will come around eventually." He plants a kiss on Kiara's forehead, shakes my hand, and disappears into his office.
Well, I can see a divorce happening in their near future.
When we get into the car, I see the hurt in her eyes, and it makes my heart ache. I don't like my Cupcake sad, and I know the way her family reacted just wounded her to the core.
We both know my Mom wouldn't have done that. Shit, even William showed more excitement than they did. I see why she was so reluctant to tell her mom; she even showed more support for Candice than her own daughter.
But I'll do everything I can to make it better.
When I reach over and gently place my hand on her stomach, she lets out a little gasp.
"Shit, did I hurt you?" I ask, furrowing my brows.
Tears fill her eyes as she smiles. "No. I just felt the baby kick."
"Where?" I ask, my heart pounding with excitement. I've been waiting for this moment since I saw our daughter wiggling on the screen. I can already tell she's going to keep us on our toes.
Kiara points the bottom of her belly, near the waistband of her leggings. "Right here," she says softly, her voice filled with wonder and joy.
She grabs my hand and guides it to the spot, resting her hand over mine. There's a little thump against my palm, like a tiny high five. "Woah," I whisper, my voice barely above a breath.
That's our baby.
"I love my girls so much," I murmur, feeling a lump form in my throat from the overwhelming rush of love and pride bursting from my chest.
Kiara sniffles, her voice thick with emotion. "We love you too."
Suddenly, my phone vibrates, breaking the tender moment. Glancing at the screen, the text says, "it's done."
I kiss her passionately, savoring her lips before I pull a blindfold out of my pocket and reach over to cover her eyes, gently tying it behind her head.
"What's this for?" she asks, grinning.
"Time for the surprise you've been waiting so impatiently for," I say, my voice brimming with excitement as I pull out of her parent's driveway. My heart races, imagining how she's going to react when I reveal the long-awaited surprise.
I really hope she loves it.
It's not long before we pull up at a familiar address, although the house has been completely transformed in the past four months.
"We're here," I announce, swallowing hard as I step out of the car. The air crackles with anticipation as I help Kiara out of the car. William, Candice, and Jeremiah are standing on the porch, their faces lit up with huge grins.
They just finished the final touches to the interior. That's right, while Candy knew Kiara was pregnant, she also knew I was doing this. I'm surprised she was able to keep her mouth shut so long.
Maybe it's just because I paid her to.
Kiara thought I was just working a shitload of hours at the restaurant, but the extra time was spent remodeling what will soon become our new home. I mostly have William to thank; he has been there every step of the way working with me.
I didn't want to make too many changes to Mom's house, but it was old, and in a few years, it would've started falling apart. So, we replaced all of the old wood, carpets, and repainted the walls. Then, we refurnished each room, even transforming my old room into a nursery.
Putting Mom's things away was hard, but I believe it provided me with the closure I needed. I know she'd be happy knowing we're going to live in her house, and that her grandchildren will be raised here.
"Alright, you ready?" I ask, pressing a finger to my mouth to silence my family.
I slowly untie the blindfold and remove it from Kiara's eyes. She inhales sharply, her mouth dropping open in awe as she gazes wide-eyed at the sight before her.
Everyone remains smiling as they exclaim, "Welcome home!"