i still love you • blake griffin

•eight•

September 18, 2015

Vivian sat at the island in Blake's kitchen looking at a sonogram as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. She had just come from her doctor's appointment and since she was five months pregnant, they found out she was out of the miscarriage stage. They also found out Vivian was having a girl, which she was excited about. She'd always wanted to have a boy but since Blake already had a boy, she wanted a girl.

"Hey." Blake walked in the kitchen and sat next to Vivian. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She let out a sigh of content, and turned to look at him. "I'm just happy, that's all. I'm actually gonna be a mom this time."

Blake smiled at the look on Vivian's face because it had been a while since he saw her so happy. Of course, he was the reason for her unhappiness, but he was glad he had a little to do with bringing it back.

"And I know you're gonna be a great mom."

Vivian smiled at Blake's kind words, then stood up to give him a hug — catching him by surprise. She would be a liar if she said she didn't feel anything during that hug. But when Blake wrapped his arms around her waist, she felt like she was back in high school when she would get butterflies whenever he looked at or touched her.

"Thank you." She pulled back from the hug that was already too long for her liking, then grabbed her keys off the counter. "I'll be back."

"Wait." He grabbed her waist and pulled her back to him. "Where are you going?"

"To the office," she answered. "I may be pregnant, but I still have a job to do."

"Oh no. You're not going anywhere."

Blake wasn't trying to sound demanding, he just wanted Vivian to be careful. He knew her job sometimes stressed her out, and he didn't want any unnecessary stress on her or the baby.

"Blake —"

"I just don't want you going to work. Whatever you need from your office, just tell Natalie, and I'll pick it up because I have to go out anyway."

"So you expect me to stay in this house until the baby's born?"

"No, but I know you didn't get a lot of sleep last night, and I just want you to relax for the rest of the day," he said. "Is that too much to ask?"

Vivian smiled to herself because she liked this side of Blake. She liked that he cared so much about her well-being and that he was willing to do anything for her.

"I guess not," she sighed.

"Thank you. Now, I'll be back. What do you want to eat?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Surprise me?"

He nodded and made sure she was comfortable in the living room before he left. After he picked up what Vivian needed from her office, he went to the airport, then to Chipotle to get Vivian some food.

When he returned home, he led his parents into the living room, where Vivian was lying on the couch.

"Vivian?"

She looked toward the doorway and grinned when she saw Tommy & Gail Griffin next to their son.

"Hi!" She jumped off the couch to hug them. She hadn't seen them in so long, and she missed them. The Griffins were like a second family to her.

"What are you doing here?" Gail looked down at Vivian's protruding belly and covered her mouth. "You're pregnant?"

Vivian nodded with a smile. "You & Tommy are gonna be grandparents again."

Tommy & Gail engulfed Vivian in a hug, making sure not to squeeze her too tight. Of course they didn't like the situation she & Blake were in, but they loved Vivian; they were thrilled that she was giving them another grandchild.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Gail asked excitedly, making Tommy & Blake chuckle. "And when are you due?"

"It's a girl," Vivian smiled. "And I'm due on January 25."

Vivian & Gail sat on the couch, talking about anything baby related, so Blake carried his parents' things upstairs. When he came back down, he went in the kitchen with his dad.

"So your ex-wife is pregnant with your baby," Tommy Griffin said to his son the minute he sat down. "How'd that happen?"

Blake sighed, running his hand down his face. "Well, she was drinking —"

"Say no more," Tommy chuckled. "You know your mom & I aren't thrilled you're having another baby out of wedlock."

Once again, Blake sighed, knowing his dad was probably seconds away from lecturing him. He knew his parents would be disappointed, but he'd hoped he could skip the lecture this time.

"You guys didn't seem too disappointed when she told you," Blake replied.

"Well, we like Vivian," he simply stated. "We always thought she'd be the one to give us our first grandchild. Speaking of grandchildren, has she met Ford yet?"

Blake smiled. "Yeah, they've met. They got along really well."

Tommy nodded and looked at his son out of the corner of his eye. "What about Ford's mother?"

Blake couldn't help but laugh at his dad. Tommy had a habit of calling Brynn "Ford's mother" instead of by her actual name. It wasn't out of hatred or to be petty; it was just a habit.

"No, they haven't seen each other yet and to be honest, I'm not looking forward to it. The last time they saw each other, it didn't go well."

"Well, son, that probably had something to do with the lack of respect. Vivian is back in your life for good now and somehow, you need to make your son's mother realize that."

The elder Griffin stood up and patted his son on the shoulder, then walked out of the kitchen, leaving Blake alone with his thoughts.