Falling for You - Chenford

Part 18

The next day, Lucy was pulling into the parking lot of the food truck spot. Immediately after parking, her eyes landed on her parents, sitting at a table near the truck she loved. She grabbed all of the items she needed for Harper and began to walk over to the table.

"Hi Mom, Dad." They smiled and hugged Lucy.

"Lucy, it is good to see you. And, is this our granddaughter?" Patrick asked.

"It is. Meet Harper Zoe," The older couple marveled over the beautiful baby girl. After a few moments, they all sat down, and Vanessa began to speak.

"Well, to start off, we wanted to apologize for not supporting you. Especially with your career choices. We took time to think and decided that this was a great career path, and you were amazing in it." Lucy was tearing up a bit. 

"Thank you for the apologies. I am a detective now, so I don't do the most dangerous part of the job anymore, which is patrol," The two smiled at their daughter.

"That's great! What we also wanted to talk about is what you have been doing in terms of wedding planning. I thought, since I am your mother, I could offer my help. Only if you want it,"

"Well, Tim and I haven't exactly started planning the wedding yet. A few things had come up recently, so it's been kind of put on the back burner for now. First, it was me getting pregnant, and now Tamara," 

"Tamara?" She had met the girl before but didn't expect this.

"That was a completely different story from me. I'm not going to go into it," 

"We understand. Your mother and I were also curious about maybe staying with you for a few nights sometime to help with Harper? Maybe after you head back to work? Make things easier for you." Patrick asked. 

"I don't have a problem with that. I'll just have to check with Tim. We have a finished basement with two bedrooms and a bathroom. More than enough room for you," 

"That's great, and we get if you still need more time to trust us. We weren't the easiest parents to deal with,"

"I think I'm okay. Tim's were way worse, especially his father," Lucy smiled when she said the first piece, but her eyes narrowed when talking about Tim's  childhood trauma. But, nevertheless, she enjoyed the rest of lunch with her parents.

After they finished up, the new mother took Harper home to put her down. She had invited her parents to see the house she and Tim were thriving in.

"I can give you both a tour if you'd like?" The older couple nodded and followed their daughter. They walked inside the front door and were both in awe.

"So, we have the entryway into the kitchen, and then we have the dining and living rooms. We also have a small bathroom off of the hallway, " Lucy then led them down the hallway and to the main guest bedroom.

"This is the guest room we usually have Tim's sister stay in, which has an attached full bathroom. Let's head upstairs,"

"There are four bedrooms up here, and one main bath. There is an ensuite attached to our bedroom. Further down is Tamara's room, Harper's nursery, and the new baby's room, which has yet to be decorated,"

As the three made it back to the main floor, Lucy brought them to the basement to see where they would be sleeping during future stays. 

"Lucy, this is amazing. You deserve all of what we've seen here," Lucy smiled and hugged her mom and dad. The two stayed for a while longer, but scooted out around dinner. 

"Hey, Lucy," Tamara called as the front door closed behind Vanessa and Patrick.

"What's wrong?" T's plea told the cop that something was not right.

"I feel this fluttering, like a butterfly," Lucy looked at her best friend and hugged her. 

"That is the baby. The movements you are feeling happen early on. Not as strong as a kick you'll feel later," 

"Wow, they are really squirmy today," Tamara had a small bump visible, brushing her hand over her growing stomach. The two walked into Tamara's room, and then into the room next; the baby's nursery.

"Are you sure I'm making the right decision by keeping this baby?" T asked.

"You know I can't answer that, but you have a village of friends and family to support you no matter what. I think you are strong for keeping a baby conceived out of rape. Not everyone can do that," 

"Thank you, Lucy,"

The next day, Tamara and Lucy went out for a nice girls day. T wasn't too far from becoming a mother, and she was worried about that transition. What she was most nervous about was not being fully prepared.

"How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant? I really don't know how to feel,"

"Well, you and Tim were in the living room that night, and I just felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I was excited, yes, but the nerves and stress of preparing and the birthing process made me question my wanting to have children. But, we ended up with Harper, and then that all changed. I would do it again in a heartbeat." Lucy hoped that this would help T with what she had going on.

"I'm not just worried about being prepared. What if I have a son, and they look like their father? Will I resent him? I don't want to feel no connection to my child. That isn't fair to them, especially because they had no choice in how they were created,"

"T, you won't resent them, I promise. You may see their "father" in their face, but they will be raised by one of the best people I know. If it is a boy, you will teach him to respect a woman, not use his power to abuse them. That I do know," 

After talking and shopping around, the two made their way home with a car full of stuff, and smiles on their faces. Tamara was able to pick out a crib and bassinet, along with a changing table. Some onesies made their way into the cart, mainly because Lucy couldn't resist. 

Tim helped the girls unload their purchases, and move them to the nursery. Tamara was excited about the design process, hoping that Angela and Nyla would be able to help her and Lucy. But their was one thing that the young woman wanted to ask that was completely different from what she was thinking about at that moment. 

"Hey, guys?" Lucy and Tim, who were beginning to prepare for dinner, looked in the direction of the voice. 

"What's up, T?" Tim asked. 

"Well, I've had this burning question for a while, since I found out I was pregnant,"

"You can ask us anything," Lucy said.

"Well, I was hoping I could change my name... well, my last name."

"Change it to what?" Tim inquired.

"Well, I think Bradford is a great fit, especially with my first name,"

Tim looked at Lucy and smiled. He had wanted to hear this for years, and he finally did. 

"I think that is a great idea," Lucy and Tim agreed. 

"What is the reason behind this?" Lucy was curious.

"I really don't have anything tying me to my last name; no siblings, no parents, and no family around here. I also want my son or daughter to have a last name that means something to me, and to him or her. A connection to people I love dearly." Lucy was about to cry, and Tim may have shed a few tears. 

"That is the best idea I have heard of in a long time," The three hugged, and continued with their cooking.