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Chapter Twenty-Five
"I think we need to celebrate,"Gabby declared as the three of them left the courthouse. She grinned as if nothing in the world could go wrong. Her excitement was contagious and Holly and Jake grinned as well.
"What did you have in mind?" Holly asked, raising an eyebrow. With Gabby, she didn't always know what to expect. It could've been anything from a simple family dinner to a full-blown party if she wasn't careful.
"Dinner at that little Italian place, the one you used to take us to as a treat when we were kids."
Holly raised an eyebrow. That place hadn't been anything special, just a little mom-and-pop restaurant that hadn't been too far from their house. But whenever the kids had done something worth celebrating, that was where they had always wanted to go.
It wouldn't have been Holly's first choice, but if that was what Gabby wanted, who was she to argue?
"We'll have to call Sean and let him know how it went. And invite him along," Holly said as they headed toward the cars.
She would fill him in on everything as well. He had wanted to be there with her in court, but Shawna hadn't been able to get off work, so Sean had been watching their daughter. That was one thing Holly had put her foot down over. She wasn't going to let her granddaughter witness any of their turmoil. She was only three, and she didn't need this kind of stress in her young life. Sean had agreed.
Gabby smirked at the mention of her brother and then made a sour face. "Do we have to? Can't we just invite Shawna and Rachel and leave him home?"
Holly playfully smacked her daughter's shoulder. She doubted they would ever truly stop their sibling bickering, and she hoped they never did. She didn't want her kids to grow apart like she had done with her own siblings.
Holly had managed to rekindle things with her brother, but she still had a long way to go with her sisters. She hadn't spoken to Rina since that night, and though Randy had filled Amy in on everything going on with the inn and their mother, Holly still hadn't gotten up the courage to call her.
When they finally reached Gabby's house, they found her fiancé looking like he had been through the wringer a few times. The moment he locked eyes with Gabby, he rushed over to hug her, making her squeak at the suddenness.
"Oh, thank God!" he yelled. He blinked a few times like he was on the verge of tears. "When you ran off to the Keys to track down your mother and then called to say you were staying there for a while, I thought..."
"You thought I wasn't coming back," Gabby finished for him, and he nodded.
Gabby sighed as she hugged her fiancé back. Holly knew Gabby had been considering doing just that, at least for a little while. But Holly also knew Gabby had sorted through most of the insecurities they'd been having and was ready to face whatever life threw at her.
"Come on, let's go sit down." Gabby took Lucas's hand and guided him toward their living room. Holly and Jake headed for the kitchen to give the two of them some privacy, but their apartment wasn't very big, and they could hear everything that was said.
"I'm so sorry I scared you like that. I was just... I was going through some stuff, and I needed to talk to Mom first. I now know I should have talked to you first instead."
"What's going on, baby? Did I do something to upset you?"
"No, it wasn't anything you did." Gabby took a deep breath. "It was just... all this stuff with my father; it kinda hit me all at once. It freaked me out, and I started having some crazy and irrational thoughts. But Mom helped talk some sense into me, though."
There was silence for a few moments. Holly could only imagine what went through their minds right then. She knew Gabby had to be on pins and needles, getting ready to give her future husband the big news.
"Lucas, there's something else. I'm... I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby."
The silence that followed only lasted for a brief second. Then, Lucas's shouting filled the apartment. "What? Oh, my God! Really? Are you sure? Have you been to the doctor yet?" He asked a dozen questions, one after another, not even giving Gabby a chance to breathe, let alone answer.
Holly and Jake exchanged smiles as they listened to them celebrate their upcoming child. Will had certainly never reacted like that when she had given him the news about their children and that alone told Holly her daughter would be just fine.
Lucas wasn't Will. He wouldn't do the same things Will had done. He wouldn't put his family at risk, wouldn't jeopardize their futures and happiness, just to satisfy his own needs and desires. All the fears Gabby had about her relationship, turning out just like her mother's, were completely unfounded.
"Think it's safe to go in there?" Jake whispered. His eyes darted in the direction of the living room. "Or do you think they're going to try to rope us into baby shower planning or something?"
Holly laughed, then took his hand and led him to the living room. After introducing Jake to Lucas, it was indeed baby-mania for a little while. Holly slipped off and called Sean, giving him an update on how court had gone and invited them to the little celebration dinner.
Except, now it wasn't just a dinner for Holly. It was one for Gabby, too. Now that she had told Lucas about the baby, there was no point in keeping it a secret anymore.
Holly had planned on driving back down to the Keys that night, but by the time they finished their celebration dinner, it was far too late to travel. Gabby, of course, insisted they stay at the apartment for the night and wouldn't take no for an answer.
For a brief moment, Holly had a vision of her and Jake curled up together in the guest room, sleeping in each other's arms for the night. But Jake, ever the gentleman, had taken the couch instead, leaving Holly's dream just that.
