Jughead Pov:
"I heard Autie Cheryl talking to Mommy about a baby that Mommy had.".
I was completely dumbfounded. Paralyzed. Toddlers always tell the truth, right? Could this be what she was hiding from me? No... Betty wouldn't hide something THIS big... Right? Or maybe...
"Lola, maybe you misheard her. You don't know what tenses are yet, but she was probably speaking in something called 'present tense'. Maybe she says that she has a baby, meaning you, or is... having a baby.", Archie was quick to say when he saw me, completely unresponsive.
"I think Uncle Archie is right, Sweetie. There's no way that Mommy has had a baby.", I added, trying to conceal the doubt in my voice. But regardless... a baby?? OF ANY SORT, AT ANY TIME, A BABY? Maybe she WANTS a baby... I shivered, my emotions unclear; they depended on whether or not Lola was correct.
"No! She said had. With a 'd' sound at the end.". She was visibly frustrated that we weren't taken her word for it. She wasn't as dumb as Archie took her to be.
Not only was I just not in the mood for Lola breaking down, but I also didn't feel like dealing with the possibilities at the moment. "You know what? I'll talk to Mommy later. How does that sound?", I suggested.
Lola hesitated before she nodded, plopping right back down onto the couch. Her focus shifted very swiftly, transferring right back into conversation with Archie.
"Did you know that Mommy and Daddy took me to this treehouse, Uncle Archie? That used to be their favorite place. They also took me to Pop's, and we go out in the rain sometimes!", she squealed as she recalled these moments. Archie laughed at her excitement. "Really? That's so cool!", he enthused. "We used to go to Pop's all together sometimes; Mommy, Daddy, Auntie Veronica and me.".
Her face brightened with interest as she scooted forward, asking for more details on our past. "Have Mommy and Daddy sang you their song yet?". Oh, God. Our song. I completely forgot about that. Lola's braid whipped the back of her neck as she spun around to face me.
"You and Mommy have a SONG?? AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME???", she screamed, though in a zealous manner, rather than angry. I flushed with both embarrassment and affection as I recalled the nights that Betty and I used to spend together, singing our sweet little tune every night as we dozed off in each other's arms, or the song that we sang to the other when comforting them, or sometimes, even if we were just in the mood for it. It had been so long, but I hadn't a doubt in my mind that I would still remember it.
I cleared my throat. "Y-Yes, we did, in fact.", was all I managed to croak out, mid-thought. She hopped into my lap, turning back to face Archie as he took a deep breath, his eyes peering over at me as if to apologize in advance.
"You should ask them to sing it some time. I bet they would if you begged enough. Here, I'll teach you how to do 'puppy eyes'", he said, biting back a laugh as he took in my pissed-off expression.
Just as he began to provide tips on her already spectacular begging face, someone thumped loudly down the stairs. I watched a flash of red spring towards the door, it shutting quickly behind her. Where was Cheryl going? Why was she in such a rush?
Not ten minutes later, she bolted back through the door and up the stairs, not sparing a glance at any of us on the couch.
Lola began to slide off the couch, but Archie and I held her back. "Maybe it's best if we let them be for now." I suggested. "They haven't talked in a while, and they need their girl time.", Archie pointed out. Lola only shrugged, thought I caught her glancing back towards the stairs every so often.
We were lost in another conversation, whatever confusion or concern from before had drifted away. But once again, within a matter of minutes, a deafening shriek...
"OH MY GOD!"
😌
