Expecting (Grayson Dolan)

Chapter 6

After Grayson was told that his girlfriend was pregnant with his child, his paternal instincts kicked in and he became even more protective of Lauren. He would constantly keep his large hand placed on her still flat stomach, and he waited on her hand and foot, even though she objected. She wasn't allowed to carry anything even slightly heavy, and if she was on her feet too long, he would usher her to the couch and make her rest.

Ethan was cautious around Lauren. He was used to throwing her in the pool and joking around with her like she was one of the guys. Now, he treated her like she was a breakable object. His eyes stayed glued to her stomach after he was told the news, and he was just imagining his future niece or nephew.

Today was the day of Lauren's check up with her doctor to confirm that she was, in fact, pregnant. She sat in a cushy chair in the doctors office, with Grayson holding her hand. They had drawn blood, which made her dizzy, and she just wanted to lie down. They had also collected a urine sample, and her cheeks burned red hot when she had to carry it out of the bathroom and in front of Grayson. But he didn't care. He was so anxious to hear what the doctor had to say that he was practically twitching in his seat.

The doctor knocked on the door, and he slightly opened the door. "Lauren, its Dr. Flowers. Can I come in?" She gave him permission and he opened the door the rest of the way, smiling widely at the couple. "So, I have your test results. You are pregnant. You're about 6 weeks along." He said, and Lauren couldn't help the tears that came to her eyes. Grayson squeezed her hand tightly, and she saw the tears forming in his own eyes. "I can go ahead and do an ultrasound, since you're already here today. Would you mind if I went ahead and got everything ready?" Lauren shook her head, knowing that she couldn't speak due to being choked up with emotions.  

Dr Flowers turned on the ultrasound machine and squirted some of the cool gel on her belly. He ran the instrument over her abdomen, and Lauren held her breath. "Now, its definitely too early to tell the gender, but..." he turned the screen on the ultrasound machine towards the couple. "There's your baby." He announced, his voice cheerful. Lauren and Grayson's eyes flickered over the screen, taking in the image before them.

Their baby was obviously very tiny, and nothing had really formed at this point. Lauren thought that nothing could make her happier than that moment, until the doctor gave them a grin. "And here's the heartbeat." He said, turning the sound up on the monitor. The heartbeat was impossibly fast, and it sounded like a little flutter. Lauren placed her hand over her mouth and choked back a sob, and Grayson was smiling widely as a tear slid down his cheek. He pulled out his phone and started a video, recording the heartbeat and snapping pictures of the ultrasound.

"I'll print multiple copies of the ultrasound, just so you have them if you want them. I'll give you a few minutes and then you can get out of here." He wiped the gel off of her belly, but the picture remained frozen on the screen from where he paused it.

"Gray, that's our baby." She whispered, leaning her head into his chest. He kissed the top of her head.

"Our little bean."

Grayson and Lauren left the doctor with an envelope full of pictures and hearts full of love. Before they left, Dr Flowers snapped a photo of the two of them on Grayson's phone, per his request, of course. Their little bean was teeny tiny at six weeks old, and they would already do anything for them. After stopping at McDonalds, per Lauren's request(or as she said, "beans request.") Grayson happily bought her a burger and some chocolate milk, wanting to do anything to make her happy.

"Can we FaceTime your parents tonight and tell them?" Lauren asked. "I really want to tell them in person, but I can't wait for them to fly all the way out here." She said, and Grayson nodded eagerly.

"I can't wait to tell them." His grin was infectious, and Lauren quickly scarfed down her food, eager to get home and give them a call.

When it was time to call Grayson's parents, Lauren had her pregnancy tests and ultrasound pictures beside the laptop on the coffee table. She sat in the middle of both twins, and Ethan had his phone ready to record their reactions. When Grayson called his mom, she picked up quickly, a smile on her face.

"Look at my babies, what are you three up to?" She asked, and Grayson fought back a huge smile.

"Just hanging out. Where's dad?" He asked, and she shouted for Sean. His smiling face appeared on the screen, and Lauren could feel herself growing anxious.

"Hey kiddos, it's nice to hear from you." Lauren didn't say anything right away, as she was trying to think of the right way to announce their big news. Grayson could sense her anxiety, so he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Hey, grandpa."

Lauren felt her heart stop, and Ethan looked shocked. Sean and Lisa were quiet for a moment, before Sean broke the silence. "Grandpa?" He repeated.

Grayson smiled at his parents and wrapped his arm around Lauren. "Yes, grandpa. Lauren and I are ... well, we're gonna have a baby." The pride was evident in his voice, and Lauren leaned up to kiss his cheek. Ethan was happy for the couple, and the smile on his face was undeniable.

"Grayson Dolan. If you're joking right now, I will fly over there, and I will hurt you." Lisa threatened, and Lauren giggled in response. She grabbed the pregnancy tests off the table and showed the, the little plus signs, and then she grabbed the ultrasound pictures. She showed them off proudly, and the tears from Lisa appeared instantly. "We're gonna be grandparents!" She sobbed into her hands, and Sean wrapped his arms around her, his own tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. Ethan had his phone out, recording the whole thing.

"When did you find out?" Lisa asked, wiping at her eyes with a tissue.

"A few days ago, but we had the appointment this morning. I wanted to have the pictures to show you when we called." Lauren replied, and Grayson grabbed his own phone from his pocket.

"And listen!" He announced, playing the video of the baby's heartbeat. Lisa smiled fondly as she listened to the sweet sound, and Sean wiped at his own eyes with the back of his hand. "She's six weeks!" He told them.

"Oh, congratulations you two." Lisa said tearfully, and Sean nodded his head.

"Congratulations, you two will be wonderful parents." He said, and Ethan raised his hand.

"And I will be a wonderful uncle." He boasted, making everyone laugh.

"Now we have to tell Cameron." Grayson said, and Lauren leaned against his side.

"Well, why don't you three fly out to Jersey and you can stay with you for a few days? You can tell her then." Sean suggested. The trio agreed that that would be the best idea, but first they needed to tell Lauren's parents the news.

Everyone said their tearful, yet joyful, goodbyes. Grayson promised to send the video of the heartbeat and pictures of the ultrasound. Lisa made Lauren promise to call her if she needed anything, no matter what time of day or night it was.

Lauren yawned loudly, and Grayson encouraged her to go lay on his bed and take a nap. He covered her up with a light blanket and kissed her on the lips, brushing a piece of hair out of her eyes.

"I love you Lauren. And I love you too, little bean." He said, lightly rubbing his hands over her stomach. His heart was full of love, and he knew that when this child would be born, he would do anything to keep them safe.