Tobias - after Allegiant ✔

44

She's pregnant. I'm going to be a father. My mind has been trying to wrap around this fact, but it didn't succeed yet. Tris felt really guilty, so she left to get lunch, but never returned. Instead, she sent Evelyn.
   
The door opens and Evelyn walks in.
   
"Hi Mom," I say.
   
"Wow, you and Tris really need to attend world's biggest smile competition," she says with raised eyebrows.
   
"We're just happy," I say. "Is there a rule against that?"
   
"No, there isn't." Evelyn sighs. "This is a nice way to spend your honeymoon, by the way. You have a warm bed, your food is brought without having to ask... Sounds great."
   
"Yeah, it's a new phenomenon," I say. "People are going to get rich of this."
   
"Well, it's more of a honeymoon than I had."
   
"You were Abnegation, your honeymoon doesn't count."
   
"Right, I'm sorry."
   
I laugh carefully. I didn't forget the pain I had when I started laughing back when Tris was here and I don't want to be reminded.
   
"I had to wait way too long to see you, sweetheart," says Evelyn.
   
"Mom, don't blame Tris. She really tried to convince me to see you and I didn't want to. So don't get angry or jealous at her for something she couldn't control."
   
"She could've sent me anyway, whether you liked it or not."
   
"And then I didn't want to see her, either. No, thanks. The only thing she did was listening to me and making sure everything was going at my pace."
   
She's about to interject again, but I hold my hand up.
   
"You should thank her for bringing you here, because actually, I wanted to stay here with her."
   
"But you're not angry at me now."
   
"It's not that I didn't want to see you, I didn't want to let her go. I held her hostage here, but released her to get lunch, but she never came back. She brought you."
   
"And why didn't she get me this morning when she found out you remembered?"
   
"She wanted to, but I stopped her." I don't want to tell her about Tris's pregnancy yet. We need to do that together and when she's ready to tell everyone.
   
"Why did you stop her?"
   
"Because I didn't have the chance to talk to her as my wife. She didn't feel like my wife yesterday, Evelyn. She was just the only one I could and wanted to talk to."
   
"You talked to Zeke yesterday."
   
"That's off the record. And not allowed. And Tris's plan. And I'm afraid I won't be able to talk with you any longer if you keep going on about how Tris is selfish and a bad daughter-in-law."
   
"Why did you shield her?" she asks.
   
I sigh. "Now I understand why I didn't want to see you. I didn't want to lose her, Evelyn. I've lost her once and I'm not going to that grief again. I'd rather die."
   
The door opens and Tris walks in.
   
"Oh, great," says Evelyn. "Now she comes to interrupt us."
   
"Enough!" I shout. "Go out of the room!"
   
Tris turns around to get out.
   
"No, not you, I meant Evelyn."
   
"Well, appawently, she doesn't want me hewe and she desewes mowe time with you aftew waiting this long."
   
"Oh, so now you're the understanding woman who cares about everyone?" scoffs Evelyn.
   
"She has always been that woman, Evelyn," I say. "And you are just blind. I practically held her hostage. If you say one more thing like that, you don't even have to try to come in here again."
   
Evelyn shuts her mouth, and decides to just scowl at Tris.
   
"Thank you," I say. "Tris, what brings you here on this lovely evening?"
   
"I thought, maybe we should tell hew, but now I'm not so suwe anymowe." Even from a distance I can see the tears in her eyes.
   
"Tell me what?" asks Evelyn.
   
"Evelyn, have you ever wanted more kids?" I ask.
   
"With that monster?" she says with raised eyebrows. "No, thank you. I would've considered it if I had another husband."
   
"You have a daughter now, Evelyn, without needing a man. It's a gift, and you should treat gifts well."
   
"I'm too old for having more children."
   
"Lucky for you, she's old enough to take care of herself." I look at Tris. "I'm going to tell her. Stop me now if you don't want me to."
   
She shifts uncomfortable, but doesn't say anything.
   
"I'm going to rephrase," I say to Evelyn. "You have two more kids. We will take care of them. The only thing you need to do is love them as your own children."
   
Now I hope she really loves me, or else I just gave her permission to hate Tris and our baby.
   
"Two more?" she says surprised.
   
Tris clears her throat. "Yes. I'm pwegnant, Evelyn."
   
"So, I'm a grandmother now," concludes Evelyn. Tris and I nod. "I'm too young for that."
   
Tris falls against the door and slides down against it. I shouldn't have told Evelyn about this. It was a bad idea, really bad.
   
"Evelyn, leave the room." I say harshly.
   
"No. You're my son; I need to protect you from disaster."
   
"Well, then you failed." I slam my hand against the red button. "Leave the room, Evelyn! I don't want to see you ever again!"
   
With her chin tilted up, she leaves, looking at Tris like she's a piece of garbage while doing so. Helen walks in.
   
"Could you please bring Tris over?" I ask. "And prevent Evelyn from coming in? I don't want to see her anymore."
   
Helen nods and crouches next to Tris. She puts her arm around her torso and helps her up. Tris leans heavily on her as she makes her way to the bed. Helen helps her onto the bed and leaves the room as well.
   
I kiss Tris's forehead. She lays her head on my chest and just cries, my hospital gown clutched in her fist.
   
"She hates the baby," she sobs. "I'm sowwy, Tobias, I'm so sowwy."
   
"Shh, don't be," I say. I try to take steady breaths to calm her down, but my heart is beating fast in anger. "I don't need her. I don't need someone in my life who hates the woman I love. I'll protect you and the baby, even if that means my death."
   
"Don't die," she whispers. "I don't want to waise a child alone."
   
"I'll try, Tris. But you know I can't promise you that."
   
I feel her nod against my chest. I move my hand up and down her back. After a while she calms down a bit and the shaking of her hands isn't as bad as it was. I move my hand back to her belly. My heart fills with warmth with the thought of the baby inside of her, even though it's nothing more than a bunch of cells at the moment, shapeless.
   
"Tris?" I say. "Can... can I talk to the baby?"
   
Tris smiles and turns a bit to expose her belly. My hand is big enough to cover the width of her stomach. I smile a little and remember how she gasped when I touched her stomach during initiation. Even now, she doesn't know how to react to my touch, so she just lies still.
   
"Hi baby," I say. I wait, but I don't know why, because I won't get a 'hi' back. "This is your daddy."
   
Tris's smile grows and a single tear escapes her eye. A happy tear, I hope.
   
"I wanted to tell you that I love you and your mommy very much," I continue, "and I can't wait to show you this world. I promise that I will protect you and do everything in my power to give you a happy life."
   
I kiss my fingers and press them to Tris's stomach, since I can't reach my head down to kiss her belly.
    
"I love you so much," says Tris, and she sounds like she's about to cry again. But I can't judge, because I feel my own eyes sting with tears as well. Tris wipes away a tear before it touches my cheek. "So now you'we a softie, huh?"
   
"Am not," I say. "I love you, too, Tris. I love you so, so much."

A/N - I have a paper cut on my ankle😏
How was your week?

Be brave & stay alive