In Omnia Paratus Book 3

Telling the Parents

Two years later and I feel like reviving this series. For some reason I've loved reading back through this and I just wanna write more now! If you're still around, thank you for reading!

We were all sat around a dinner table. Everyone, the kids, his parents, and Richard and I. We hadn't agreed when we'd tell them, we just kind of waited for the right moment.

And it seemed like that was right now.

"So, Richard. I assume you came for dinner for a reason? You need money?" His father suddenly spoke amongst the silence that held over everyone at the dinner table.

We were eating dessert and I found it hard right now to look at the chocolate mousse in front of me, thinking only about what that would look like when I threw it up later.

"No, dad." Richard laughed his awful comment off.

"Really, I'm sorry about your dad." His mother said looking between Richard and I.

"Then it must be work? You want to stay in New York? You know I spent so long getting you that transfer back to London." His father snapped again.

"Dad stop." Richard banged his spoon down on the table and let out a sigh. "I'm not here to ask you for help or to borrow anything, especially not money." He was very demanding.

"Then why the dinner?" Emily, the 17 year old girl decided to speak from the opposite side of table.

"Cant we just want to have dinner with the family?" Richard scoffed.

"Actually no." Emily smirked. I started to search for Richards hand beneath the table and take it.

"Has it ever occurred to this family that I might have something to say or announce?" He snapped.

I have his hand in mine and I squeeze it gently now. I smiled but so nervously that I probably looked like I was trembling.

"You're right sweetie." His mother said interrupting whatever his dad was going to say thank god. "Please, if you need to say anything, go for it." She smiled sweetly between the two of us like she knew what we were going to say.

"Alright well... Jenna and I are having a baby." Richard said suddenly.

Okay, his mother didn't know what we were going to say. Everyone's jaws dropped to floor and a few spoons hit the bowl with a clank.

"You're pregnant?" His mother asked.

I suddenly realised she was talking to me, the grip on Richards hand was so tight I was only focusing on my left hand right now.

"Oh uh yeah. I am." I smiled proudly.

"Well that's wonderful news." His mother stood up and engulfed me in a hug, I had to wrench my hand from Richards and return the hug before we both sat back down in our seats.

"A grandchild. Finally. That's lovely." She smiled.

A deadly silence radiated from the other end of the table where his father sat. Richard had been trying to get him to react this whole time without any luck.

"You'll be wanting that London spot then Richard? To stay here?" The only thing this man thought of was work.

"I suppose so yeah." Richard smiled. "I still have to go back to New York for a few weeks... finish up there and I'll be back here for good." He nodded and it felt nice to finally hear he'd be back here for good.

I missed him so much when he was away.

"Stop talking work." His mother said. "Let's get the champagne..." she beckoned the maid over and ordered them to bring champagne to the table, and some alternative for the kids and me of course.

Before I knew it we were toasting to us and the future. Richards siblings were excited, the younger two mainly were overjoyed to be aunts and Emily was always nice to me and she gave me a hug and told me she was happy for me when we left.

"That went surprisingly well?" I muttered towards Richard as we walked towards the car.

"Yeah... too well maybe?" He scoffed as we sat down in the car but we didn't move.

"They took it really well." I smiled.

"I'm shocked. But yeah... this is good. I suppose we are adults this time so, they don't get much say in the process." Richard nodded starting the car.

"Very strange reaction." I nodded with him. "But you're right, we're adults now."

- - - - -

My dad would hopefully be even easier to tell. We had to wait until the weekend and we travelled down to my home.

"This will be easy, I'm sure." I reassured Richard and myself as I knocked on the door to my house.

"Hey kid." Dad said as I stepped inside.

"Everything alright dad?" I smiled as we hung up our coats and waited in hallway as the two girls came stumbling down the stairs to say hello to us. Dad nodded a yea and smiled.

Violet was now 8 even though she looked about 6 still and Grace was almost 2. She toddled around the place trying to keep up with violet and it was adorable.

"Hey V!" I knelt down and wrapped my arms around her tightly, squeezing her close. "You look like such a big girl!" I admired the dress she was wearing while holding both her hands.

She moved on to say hello to Richard while I tackled trying to get the shy 2 year old to say hello.

"Hey Gracie." I smiled widely. "Remember me, I was here in the summer."

She stepped forward a few paces and then smiled at me gently. "Come here then." I edged her closer and she eventually gave me a big hug.

To my right, Richard was behind me giving Violet a huge hug and holding her on his hip, high up above her.

"Who can walk like pro eh?" I admired Grace as she followed us into the living room to sit and relax.

Violet was glued to use both, if she wasn't sat on Richards lap showing him a new toy she was with me, telling me all about school and what book she was reading.

Rachel and Dad had made us tea and coffee and we sat around watching the kids play and chatting before we started to bring up why we were there.

"So uh, you're probably wondering why we're here... but we actually came to tell you something!" I smiled at them both.

Violet had perked up at this and wondered what I had to say.

"As much as we love the visits, I did wonder if there was an alterer motive..." Rachel laughed.

"Well yeah there is..." I laughed nervously. "I'll just spit it out—" I kept laughing "Richard and I are going to have a baby." I smiled and gripped Richards hand tight, waiting for the blow.

"You're pregnant!" Rachel leapt up in screams of happiness and hugged me so fast. She was overjoyed. I think she saw how hard Maisie had hit me, and we shared that love for kids. She knew I wanted my own kids so badly since Maisie.

"That's great, Jenna." Dad nodded at me and I smiled at Richard widely.

"You're going to have a baby?" Violet was a bit confused at first and then she asked for some confirmation.

"Yeah! Soon you'll be an aunt!" I smiled.

"Wow! I can teach her so much, like I did with Grace..." Violet was walking around collecting pen and Paper as if to start making the list now.

"Hold on, it might not be a she Violet—" Rachel laughed at her.

"Actually, it is." I smiled so widely my cheeks were starting to hurt.

"That's incredible Jen." Dad said and Rachel echoed him along with a huge rant on how she has so much baby girl stuff I can have.

"We're very excited." Richard nodded and pecked my lips quickly. "She'll be with us late January or early Feb!"