An inconvenient surprise

Gala

Month Eight, Week 1. Mr. Galpin returned from his trip in the middle of the night. He was too tired and grouchy from the train ride (and also a very minor sunburn) for them to even try to slip in a family dinner before the gala that he was insisting they attend.

It was honestly getting ridiculous at this point. Or maybe getting ridiculous was the wrong phrasing.

It already had been ridiculous. It was just worse now.

"If anyone knew to look for it, they would be able to tell that I'm pregnant," Wednesday said as she scanned her reflection in the mirror. "Otherwise..."

"Considering that you'll be giving birth in a couple weeks, it's insane that it isn't immediately obvious," Tyler commented. He scanned Wednesday's dress, looking it up and down.

With the draping sweater hiding the side view of the bump and a gorgeous silver necklace drawing attention to Wednesday's neck and away from the bump that was almost entirely hidden by the black empire-waist dress, it would be a rare person who picked up that Wednesday was pregnant.

"I know exactly where to look, but as long as no one is looking too close they won't pick it up. And no one should have any reason to, really."

"I just worry that someone will figure it out partway through the evening." Wednesday fussed with her dress once more, than straightened. "Hopefully they wouldn't just blurt it out in front of a group. Private congratulations I can deal with."

"And that's the most we would get, I think. You don't look that far along, especially not in that dress." Tyler gave Wednesday's arm a quick squeeze. "You look radiant, love."

"Thank you."

The Gorilla, an officer friend of Tyler, picked them up, since the gala was a bit out of the city limits and neither Tyler nor Wednesday wanted to borrow her parents' bakery van again.

Mr. Galpin had already headed out, of course- he had insisted on overseeing the last of the preparations- so they had the car to themselves and were free to update the Gorilla on the progress of Wednesday's pregnancy. He listened with an interested expression though, as usual, he didn't make any comments.

"We have approximately three weeks left to tell my dad," Tyler commented, and wow, saying that out loud really cemented the fact that there was not a lot of time left. "We're talking to Tom, of course, to try to get dinner scheduled, but he only has so much control over his schedule."

"I've practically resigned myself to showing up for dinner a couple months in the future with Adrienne in my arms and letting Mr. Galpin find out then," Wednesday mumbled into her hands. "That's just how this is going right now."

"I think the papers might have picked up on her by then," Tyler pointed out helpfully. "And honestly, I refuse to hide our kid from the world just because dad can't make time for us. If he finds out the news via tabloid or some officer congratulating him on his granddaughter, so be it."

"I was curious, so I decided to look up stories of other people who didn't discover their babies as early as usual," Wednesday told him as they merged onto the highway. "And there were cases where people got to the giving labor part without realizing. And they must have had even smaller bumps than me."

Tyler let out a low whistle. "And we were rushing to get all caught up on all of the tests and forms and whatnot when we found out at four and a half months. I can't even imagine getting to nine."

"To be fair, some of them went into labor early. But yeah, the point still stands." Wednesday caught herself mid-yawn and made a face. "Ugh. I rested all day today, I shouldn't be tired."