VAL, AKA THE LUCKY ADONIS CELEBRATES HIS WINNINGS

Soon after Lola and I are married, we spend a week in Arcadia. I quickly learn I’m excellent at surfing while Lola proves she looks super sexy falling off her board. When not in the water, we enjoy the seaside restaurants and spend time at the lake behind Rie’s house.

During the second half of our trip, Lola and I hit up Arcadia’s sister city. We visit Avalon’s amusement park two days in a row, riding the roller coasters, playing at the water park, and gorging ourselves on overpriced food.

After returning home, we assume Lola’s nausea and fatigue are related to a bad hot dog.

“Here, Lola, pee on a stick,” Ma-Poppy suggests when my exhausted wife won’t budge from my parents’ couch for eight hours. “I’ve stocked up on them since I figured someone in the family would get knocked up soon. I assumed the first preggo gal would be Alexis since her raccoon people are extremely fertile, but it might be a McGraw for the win.”

“Yay,” Lola mumbles, face down on the pillow. “I might have created life. Now, I’ll get to feel like shit for nine months.”

“No, baby, just for a few months,” Ma-Poppy promises while Lola crawls her way to the bathroom. “At the beginning and the end. But the middle part is great.”

Soon, I sit on the floor with Lola as we wait for the test result. She hides her face against my chest.

“Is it wrong that I hope I ate a diseased hot dog?” Lola asks me. “I’m rethinking the mom thing.”

“Nothing you do is wrong.”

“You’ll never win an argument if you talk like that,” she says with her face still pressed against my chest.

“I’ll win plenty. I’m surprisingly sneaky.”

Though Lola smiles at me, she seems drained of all her energy.

“If it’s a bad hot dog, this aversion to food will pass. If there’s a bun in your oven, we’ll need to find a way to get you to eat.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And if this test comes back positive, I’m bound to act like a complete jackass while announcing the news to my family. I’ll likely run around with the pee test and sing ‘Circle of Life’ at the top of my lungs.”

Laughing against my chest, Lola closes her eyes and goes quiet. I enjoy the silence. When we first got together, I felt the need to make noise to keep Lola from thinking too much. If she started doubting us, I worried she wouldn’t stop. That ended once the curse was broken, and Lola trusted in us.

I reach up to the bathroom counter and bring the test down for us to see.

“It’s not a hot dog,” I murmur.

Lola lifts her gaze and meets mine. “Do you really like the name Worth?”

“Yeah, baby. I can almost picture our boy. He’ll have dark hair and blue eyes. He’s going to have your great lips and my cowlick. Women will love him, and men are going to die of jealousy. Mostly, I can picture how much little Worth is going to love his ma.”

As Lola’s fears drop away, she smiles easily. “I can see him.”

Kissing her tenderly, I can barely contain my excitement. After a few minutes, I silently beg Lola to let me run around and announce our news to everyone.

“I want to claim the couch again,” Lola says and crawls away from me. “You go be a proud daddy.”

After I help Lola to the couch, I show Ma-Poppy the test result. Immediately crying, she jumps up and down.

“I’m going to take such good care of you,” Ma promises Lola who gives her a thumbs-up before hiding her head under a pillow.

Ma-Poppy and I head outside where we run around to share our news with everyone we find.

“Val created life!” Tuesday cries and jumps around with our mother.

My ma runs over to tell Justice who is just getting home from the shop.

“I was a grandmother first, and I’m eight grandchildren in the lead, so don’t get too high on your farts here,” Justice announces before beginning to bounce with Poppy. “You're going to be a meemaw!”

While the sisters celebrate, I get a hug from Queen Meemaw Christine and a proud wink from King Peepaw Jared.

By the time Pa-Emmett arrives home, the homestead has broken out into an impromptu party.

“I’ve created a child,” I tell my pa.

“With Lola, right?” he asks. “This isn’t another random faker like at the wedding, is it?”

When I frown at his lack of enthusiasm, Pa-Emmett sighs dramatically. “My children are so needy.”

“You hugged us too much when we were little,” I insist and open my arms wide. “This emotional garbage is all on you.”

My grinning pa hugs me. “I hope you have a boy as obnoxious as you,” he whispers in my ear. “He’ll keep you entertained into your elder years.”

“Thanks, Pa. Stay close when I tell West. I’m worried he’ll show his love by trying to decapitate me again.”

West doesn’t assault me with love when he learns the news. He congratulates me and then looks at Alexis who rode in with him.

“I thought you’d be preggo by now,” he tells her.

“Me too. I might need to ride you more. That or your swimmers are defective.”

“Val did kick me in the crotch a lot as a child.”

“My balls took a beating, too,” I point out, rejecting his revisionist history bullshit. “Yet, I created life in the first month with my dream girl. I suspect Alexis is right, and you aren’t enjoying her body enough.”

West glances at Alexis who is walking toward our parents’ house to check on Lola. I smile at how close the girls have already gotten.

Lola often swears she wasn’t lonely in Basin Rock. She had Clover, Erin, and Duke. Her life was busy and fun. But I think she missed out by never having close girlfriends. Now, she’ll be surrounded by an army of them as she deals with the wonders of pregnancy and motherhood.

“I’m proud of you,” West whispers and slaps his hand on my shoulder. “Somehow, you’ve managed to mature into a husband and the leader of men while also retaining the obnoxious aura of a second-born, second-rate son. That takes great skill.”

Pa-Emmett stands nearby, frowning at us. Based on his fearful gaze, I suspect he’s coming to terms with how he has less than a year to prepare to become a grandpa.

“Next year, a small human will be hanging out with us,” I point out while pulling my father and brother in for an awkward hug. “I wonder how old my son will be when he learns to gasp dramatically.”

My pa loses his frown and begins chuckling. He catches sight of his wife running toward Journey’s arriving car. We all smile at how Poppy and Justice nearly tackle their sister in excitement.

As the homestead celebrates, I step into the house to find Lola staring at the ceiling while still planted on the couch.

“Maybe you can put on something to watch,” Alexis suggests from her spot next to the couch. “Perhaps, one of those classic movies with deep meaning and a master class in acting.”

“Any suggestions?” I ask my sister-in-law while settling on the floor next to the couch.

As Lola grins at me, Alexis finds a movie for us to watch.

“Everyone is excited,” I tell Lola.

“Later, I’ll tell my family. I need to feel better, so they won’t think something’s wrong.”

“Maybe you can invite them over for dinner tonight. That way, they can enjoy the festive mood.”

Lola exhales deeply and smiles at me. “You always have the best ideas.”

As I kiss all over Lola’s face, Alexis hands me the remote.

“Best to introduce the baby to the classics early,” she says, and I realize she’s fired up “Tremors.”

I end up sitting on the couch with Lola’s head resting on a pillow in my lap. By the time the last Graboid is defeated, her family is on their way to Tumbling Rock.

Lola doesn’t say a lot that afternoon, but I catch her watching me more than once. The smiles she offers steal my worries over her nausea and exhaustion.

I find myself replaying the night at the bar when I finally met Lola McGraw up close and personal. In my heart, I knew I’d never be the same man again.