by K E Osborn
“Sorry Mum,” she apologises and runs off to another room.
We walk into the kitchen-living area and it’s an open plan room and quite spacious.
“You really have a beautiful home, Fran.”
“Yeah, we do. I love it, thanks. Have a seat at the table and I’ll bring in some tea and the cupcakes.”
“Do you need a hand?” I ask and she shakes her head.
“No, no, you go and sit down and I’ll be back in a moment.”
Hudson chuckles and takes my hand leading me into the dining room.
“Shit babe, this house is amazing. You grew up here?”
“Yeah, I know, but it’s been renovated since I was little. It does look great now though,” he replies and I smile as he pulls out my chair for me. I sit down just as Flynn and Bill come into the room.
“Hey guys,” Flynn announces.
“Hi,” Hudson and I both reply in unison.
“How’s the lungs going kid?” Bill asks while he sits down next to Flynn.
“Yeah, good thanks, Dad,” he says as I hear the front door open.
“Holds is here,” Brige yells out again from somewhere in the house making us all laugh.
“She gets so excited when we’re all together, the little brat,” Flynn says as Brige runs in with Holden holding her hand and being pulled behind her.
“Geez kid, slow down,” he suggests as she drags him into the dining room.
We all laugh and she sits down next to Hudson, and Holden sits down next to her.
“Just ‘cause you can’t keep up old man,” she teases and he pulls a face at her.
I love how this family interacts with each other. It only makes me more nervous to tell them what’s happening with us. The wedding and the baby… they’re finding out about both today, so I just hope it goes well.
Fran walks in with a tray of tea and a gorgeous stand filled with decorated cupcakes all neatly arranged on it. I look at Brige and see her lick her lips. I smile and remember what it was like craving sugary foods as a kid.
“Right, well, it’s nice to have all the family together for a good reason instead of a bad one this time,” Fran says and I remember every time we’ve been together was because Hudson or I have been sick. Hudson looks at me and smiles as he takes my hand under the table and squeezes. I think maybe he’s as nervous as I am.
“So, ah… I may as well jump straight into it,” Hudson says and my body inadvertently tenses.
“Into what Hudson? Take a cupcake everyone,” Fran suggests while everyone looks at us.
“Yes!” Brige says and leans forward quickly taking a cake.
I lean forward and take one too, I don’t want to be rude by not eating one. Plus they look delicious. I start to pull the wrapping away and take a bite. I figure I’ll let Hudson do all the talking.
“So, here goes... Violet and I, we’re engaged,” Hudson starts and I look right at Fran watching her reaction while the room goes deathly silent.
I swallow the cake and watch her while her eyes fill with tears.
Shit!
“You’re getting married?” Fran asks. A tear running down her face. Everyone is looking directly at her.
My heart starts to pound and I feel like I might cry too.
“Holy fuck,” Fran blurts out and I almost choke.
The guys all laugh as Brige opens her eyes wide and smirks.
“Language Mum,” Brige chides the same way that Fran always says it to her boys.
“Sorry. I’m just… it’s just… holy fuck,” she says again and I furrow my brows, not knowing what to say to make her feel better.
“Mum,” Hudson scolds.
Shaking her head, more tears fall freely down her face.
Crap!
Shit!
Fuck!
This is not going well at all!
God damn it!
“Sorry, I’m just so God damned…” she pauses and stands up suddenly, her chair screeching on the tiled floor beneath it. I jump slightly at the noise. My heart is racing so fast I think I want to puke. “… just so damned excited,” she exclaims and races over to Hudson and hugs him tightly.
I gasp in shock. Crap! She isn’t upset, she’s ecstatic.
I wonder if her excitement will be brought down by the news of the baby though?
“Oh, Violet, come here,” she asks.
I stand up and walk across and she embraces me tightly.
“Is there a ring?” she questions and I bring up my hand to show her. “Oh God, Hudson, you did such a good job. I’m so proud of you, honey,” she says hugging Hudson again. “I’m so happy! Finally… finally a wedding in the family,” she says and Brige laughs at her mother fussing about over Hudson.
“Does that mean I get to be a flower girl?” Brige asks and I laugh as Hudson looks at me like he’s wondering the same thing.
“Of course, Brige, we wouldn’t want anyone else as our flower girl,” I reply as I sit back down and Hudson smiles at me brightly.
“Yes!” she says as she grabs another cupcake.
“Congrats bro,” Flynn says.
“Yeah, thanks fuckhead, now Lucy’s going to be on my back again,” Holden jokes and we all laugh.
“Holden… language,” Fran chastises with a great big smile.
“Yeah, good one, Mum,” Holden says bumping into her side with a cheesy grin.
“Well, welcome to the family, Violet. We’re so glad that Hudson has chosen you. We all love you,” Bill states and I actually tear up.
“Oh, thanks Bill, that means so much to me,” I say and run my finger under my eye to stop myself from crying.
Stupid hormones!
“So, when can we expect the pitter-patter of grandchildren’s feet then?” Fran asks.
“Oh, Fran, let them have a moment together before you start harassing the poor kids about children,” Bill says and she frowns at him.
Hudson looks at me and I nod letting him know he should tell them.
“Well Mum, actually, there’s more we have to tell you all.”
“Eat your cupcake, Violet,” Fran says seeming to ignore what Hudson has just said.
I pick up my cupcake and take a bite. I chew on the fluffy sweet cloud as Hudson tenses his shoulders.
“Mum, don’t freak out, but Vee… well, she is… pregnant,” Hudson states and all eyes turn to me. I take another bite of the cupcake not knowing what to do with the awkward silence that has enveloped the room yet again.
“Stop!” Fran yells out and I halt everything I’m doing and just stare at her with wide eyes.
“Violet, stop eating that cupcake right now young lady,” Fran says and I put it down on the table wondering what the hell she’s on about.
“Mum,” Hudson reprimands and she waves at him dismissively.
“Spit it out, Violet. Now,” she says and I gasp. She stands up abruptly and rushes to my side. “Spit. It. Out,” she insists and places her hand out under my mouth. I look at everyone else in the room and they are all smirking.
“Violet!” she castigates loudly and I jump. So I spit the cupcake into her hand like an admonished child. She places the chewed up cake onto the tray and then she looks at me placing her hands on her hips.
“Umm,” I say, not knowing what to say.
“Violet, you’re pregnant. You have to watch everything you eat. I insist you only have healthy food. This is my first grandchild, so none of this sugar and processed crap is allowed to enter your body. Do you understand?” Fran states and I actually want to laugh. Like a laugh out loud, fall on the floor belly laugh.
“Mum, settle down,” Hudson says and she glares at him.
“No grandchild of mine will be born with diabetes! Now get up and give me a hug!” Fran says and I can’t hold back my laugh this time as I stand up and she wraps her arms around me, rocking me from side to side. I hug her back while she laughs along with the rest of the family.
“Jesus Christ! A baby Stone. My first grandbaby.
I can’t wait!” Fran says and I shake my head in disbelief. This all went the complete opposite of how I was expecting it to go.
“Mum, stop swearing,” Brige says and runs over to Hudson and jumps in his lap while their mum continues to hug me tightly.
“So, what does all this mean exactly?” Brige asks and Fran looks at Hudson sternly making him laugh.
“It means you’re going to be an auntie,” Hudson tells Brige and she turns up her nose.
“What do I have to do? I don’t have to change, like nappies and stuff, do I? ‘Cause if I do, I don’t want to be an auntie—”
“Brige, you can’t say that,” Fran berates letting me go and looking at her daughter with that look Fran gets… that one that makes you feel like a little girl again.
“It’s okay, Brige. You don’t have to change nappies. That’s Vee’s job,” Hudson jokes and I fake disgust and shake my head at him.
“Congrats big bro, seems like it’s all happening for you,” Flynn says walking over then hugging his brother and then they do that back slapping thing that men do so well.
“Congrats Violet,” Bill says leaning in and hugging me.
“Thanks everyone and thanks for accepting me into your amazing family,” I say.
“Wait!” Brige yells out and we all look at her. “Does this mean you’ll be my sister, Violet?”
I smile and nod. “Is that okay with you?” I ask and her bottom lip trembles and she starts to cry. I frown and look at Hudson, it’s breaking my heart to see her so desperately upset. She walks over to me and I pull her hair from her face and look at her while she holds her hands to her face and cries into them. I look back at Hudson and he looks distraught that his sister isn’t happy for us.
“Brige?” I say and she slowly takes her hands from her face and wraps her arms around my waist.
She sniffs and cuddles into me tightly. “I’ve always wanted a sister,” she says through sobs.
My heart thuds and then flutters as I breathe a sigh of relief. My eyes well with tears as I hug her back tightly.
“So have I, Brige… so have I.”
She cuddles into me further as I look at Hudson, who’s smiling so brightly, his gorgeous eyes are sparkling. I mouth ‘I love you’ to him and he blows me a kiss as we get ready to spend the rest of the day with my brand new family.
After spending the afternoon with Fran fussing over me in my ‘state’ as she kept saying, I’m about ready to go home when Hudson walks into the kitchen with Brige and smiles at me like he’s up to something.
“Okay Brige, go and tell her,” Hudson says.
Brige runs up to me and smiles so brightly her cheeks must be hurting.
“You’ll never guess where Huddy is taking us?” she says excitedly as she bounces up and down on the spot.
I look at him and raise an eyebrow. “Where are we going?”
She claps her hands together. “To the Animal Welfare League. We’re going to rescue another dog and you and me, we get to pick! Isn’t that the bestest?” she asks getting very excited.
I look at Hudson and he smiles. “Really? We’re getting another dog?” I ask and he walks over, taking my hands in his.
“If you want to?” he asks hesitantly. “I just want our pets to be half you, half me. I loved picking Spider the fish with you and so I want us to have another dog that we can love as ours. I know you don’t think of Midas as yours, so I want to get one that we can love together. It’ll give us a trial run at being parents. What do you think?” he asks and I notice Brige moving up and down on her toes like she’s dying for me to say yes.
I smile and nod my head. “Okay, let’s get us another dog. Can we get one a bit smaller though… like a lap dog?” I ask.
“Oh yeah, can we, Huds? Can we?” Brige asks sounding desperate, even though the dog won’t be hers she’s still massively excited.
We both laugh while she pulls on his arm. “Sure, you and Vee can choose whatever dog you want,” he says and we both smile.
“Can we go now?” Brige asks and I chuckle as Hudson rolls his eyes.
“Okay, but Flynn or Holds will have to take us,” Hudson says and Brige lets go of him and runs out of the room as quickly as the Road Runner.
I laugh and Hudson steps in front of me and wraps his arms around my waist. “So the dog idea? You like it? Really?” he asks leaning his whole body against mine.
I nod and lean in pressing my forehead to his. “I love it. I can’t wait to be doggy parents with you,” I reply and he laughs.
“Well, hopefully, the right dog will be there.”
I gently press my lips to his and then lean back looking into his eyes.
“Have I ever told you how sexy it is that you love animals? And that it’s even sexier that you get rescue dogs?”
“Umm, no, I don’t believe you have ever told me that,” he says as I wrap my arms around his neck and lean in kissing him gently.
“Eww gross, c’mon let’s go!” Brige says making me take a step back from Hudson as Holden smirks at us.
“Righto Brige, hold you’re bloody horses,” Holden says as she drags him along toward the front door.
“Right, let’s go get us a pup,” Hudson says and I smile taking his hand as we walk toward the front door. “Bye Mum,” Hudson calls out, but we don’t hear a reply. She must still be outside with Bill and Flynn.
We walk out the front and all pile into Holden’s 4WD, ironically it’s a Ford Territory. I giggle to myself but decide not to tease Holden about his car brand name. I sit in the back with Brige while Hudson sits in the front passenger and Holden drives.
“So is Midas going to be okay with another dog?” Holden asks and I look toward the front at Hudson.
“Yeah mate. He used to hang out with Macca’s dog all the time. Plus, he’s so placid he’ll probably let the dog jump all over him and he’ll sleep through it,” Hudson says and I smile because I know that’s probably true.
I buckle up Brige’s seatbelt and then my own and Holden and Hudson talk loudly about some bullcrap scandal happening in the AFL. I turn to look at Brige as she sits in the car right next to me.
“So do you know what type of dog you want to get?” I ask making her giggle.
“Something cute and a girl so Midas can have a girlfriend,” Brige replies.
“Okay, cute girl, got it. Speaking of girlfriends and boyfriends, how’s James going?” I ask and she widens her eyes and looks at me with creased brows.
“Shh, I don’t want them to know,” she whispers nodding her head toward her two older brothers.
“Sorry,” I say with a wince and she shakes her head.
“It’s okay, you’ve never had a brother, so you don’t know what to expect. But when you and Huddy get married, Holds and Flynn will be your brothers so you’ll get it then. They can be so over protective, silly idiots,” she says rolling her eyes. “And now you have a sister too who will always look out for you.”
“And I will always look out for my sister too. You know you can always come to me for anything right?”
“Yep. Oh my God, we should totally have a sleepover!”
I laugh and nod. “Definitely!” I say as Holden drives us toward the Animal Welfare League.
Hudson and Holden start laughing at something they’ve just said and Brige looks at me and smirks. “Idiots,” she says shaking her head.
I love this kid!
She leans in close to me and whispers in my ear, “James said he wants me to be his girlfriend.”
I look down at her and smile. “And what does being his girlfriend mean?”
She smiles so brightly. “Well, holding hands and sharing lunch and stuff. He said he wanted to kiss me, but I said it was gross and that he could only hug me. He was fine with that and he hugs me at school when no one is watching,” she says and opens her eyes wide and bites her bottom lip like she’s excited.
I inwardly breathe a sigh of relief and chuckle to myself. I’m so glad she isn’t kissing J
ames and that the thought scares her. She’s too young to really have a boyfriend, but to have a boy-friend who’s there for her is sweet, and as long as James treats her right, I’m all for her thinking she has a ‘real’ relationship. Who am I to tell her she can’t date a boy?
“Well, it sounds like he’s the perfect gentleman. How old is James?”
“He’s ten, like me, but his birthday is before mine so he’s older I guess,” she says and I nod. At least he’s not an older boy, like thirteen or something. Then I’d be concerned, but for now it’s just a schoolyard crush and that seems harmless enough to me.
“Well, I’m happy for you, Brige,” I say and she smiles and cuddles into my side.
“Just don’t go and tell Huddy, he’ll get all stupid about it,” she says and I smile knowing he would indeed get all ‘stupid’ about it.
“It’s just between us sisters.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders and we talk the rest of the way about her favourite new song, something about stealing my girl. I don’t know, I have no clue about music these days.
We arrive at the Animal Welfare League and we all get out of the car and watch as Brige almost bounces her way out. For someone who isn’t actually going to be living with the dog, she sure is excited. I walk across to Hudson and take his hand as he finishes talking to his brother.
“Hey baby, how’d you go with little miss in the back seat with you?”
“Oh, pretty good, until she started talking about some boy band, then it kinda lost my attention,” I whisper and he laughs as Holden walks across to Brige and wraps his arm around her shoulders.
We walk inside the building and are then ushered out the back to the kennels to see the dogs. Brige is so excited, you can see it emanating from her. I remember when I was a kid being excited over things. I think you feel emotions greater when you’re young, but I have to admit, I’m pretty excited too.
“You ready, baby?’ Hudson asks and I nod as we walk down the aisles looking at the dogs. There’s some of every breed you can imagine, and I honestly feel terrible that I can’t take them all with us. Some are happy and barking, others curled up and sleeping as Brige rushes ahead of us with Holden looking inside all of the cages.
“See any you like?” Hudson asks as we slowly look at all the homeless animals. I feel so sad for them. I didn’t know coming to a place like this would affect me so much.