Second Chances

like little bear -------->chp55

He should be working. Instead, he found his time was much better spent scouring the internet on just how to broach the topic of telling Emma that she was going to become a big sister.

And how to avoid any questions of how the baby ended up in mommy's tummy.

"So," Alya said, picking at her food while helping—read: harassing—Adrien with his research, "just how did the baby end up in 'Mommy's' tummy?"

Adrien felt himself turn a wonderful shade of red. "You're married and you need a lesson in that sort of thing?"

"I want to know what you two are doing to have gotten pregnant," she said. "For personal research."

Adrien looked over at Alya with a raised brow.

She shrugged. "I've almost convinced Nino that having a baby now would be pretty awesome," she admitted. "He loves Emma, and I think having a little 'Emma' of our own would be amazing."

"Just tell him," Adrien said.

"Like I haven't already."

"And what'd he say?"

"That he wanted to wait a little longer because we haven't been married a year yet and he wants that first year to be just us."

Adrien tapped his fingers on the table. "I can actually see his point, Alya."

"But my body's getting older by the second," she complained.

"You'll still be under thirty by the time you and Nino have been married a year. And you two were married in March. You have, what? Four months?"

Alya just shoved a bite of food in her mouth.

"You'll be fine," Adrien assured. "In the meantime, talk about actually raising the kid and getting prepared to take on that responsibility, okay? It's not exactly fun to be rushing around last minute to put everything together and cram as much knowledge as possible."

Alya sighed and began picking at her food again. "I guess you're right," she grumbled. "That didn't stop you and Marinette from having one right away."

"Marinette and I have each been married before, and then we're parents already with Emma."

Alya frowned. "Touché."

Adrien stared at his downtrodden friend a little longer before grabbing his food. "However," he said. "Come your anniversary, may I suggest popcorn, a bottle of wine, and a good video game with an ultimatum."

Alya raised a brow, a smirk slowly crossing her face. "What sort of ultimatum?"

"Winner gets their way with the loser."

With an amused snort, she shook her head. "Well, no one can say you two don't have fun."

He could feel the heat on his face, his ears, his neck, and knew he was tomato red, but if it got his friend to smile, so be it. "No," he agreed. "No, they cannot."

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It was a rainy December day they decided to tell Emma. Marinette had found a story book that happened to be specifically for telling young children they were going to have a sibling. And it was just too perfect that the story happened to include bears.