Ava Grace

From the third day of November, and her brother's visit, time quickly passed for Ava. Soon, it was the middle of January, the 16th to be precise, and her stomach was now surprisely large, and she was wearing maternity clothes. Early that morning, Ava had fallen victim to hard kicks from her unborn child, and had gotten out of bed at six in the morning. She ate breakfast and then sat down to read on of her pregnancy book in the living room. By the time Liana finally woke up, Ava was already showered and was back to reading.

Liana sat next to Ava with a mug of tea and said "How can you be up so early?"

"My child."

Ava rubbed her belly and said "You're grounded when you're born."

"I can't believe how big you are."

"I know."

"Excited to find out what you're having?"

"You have no idea. I can't believe Adrienne is flying here so she could come with me."

Liana laughed and there was a knock at the door. Ava looked at Liana and said "It would take me like five minutes to get that."

Liana stood up and walked down the hall to get the door. About two minutes later, Adrienne walked in the living room, followed by Liana. She dropped her duffle bag by the hall leading to the bedrooms and bathroom and Ava pushed herself into the standing position. Adrienne smiled at the glowing younger sister of her husband, and hugged her.

"Oh, Ava, you look so cute pregnant."

"Thanks."

"And you're so round for four months."

"I've been eating a lot of fast food."

The two Armstrong's laughed then Adrienne said "So, when's your appointment?"

"Not till eleven. So you can go pack and lay down in the guest room since you got the red eye from San Francisco."

"I'm not tired. I'll just sleep tonight."

"You sure?"

"I've gotten used to travelling overnight. I don't sleep until the night when we arrive wherever we were travelling to or else I'd get jetlag."

"Very clever."

"I know."

Ava sat back down then Liana said "Adrienne, do you want some coffee?"

"Oh yeah please, just a little milk and two spoonfuls of sugar."

"Okay."

Adrienne sat next to Ava and a few minutes later they were joined again by Liana. The three girls sat in the living room for the next few hours talking, until fifteen minutes past ten, when Ava and Adrienne left for Ava's doctor's appointment.

When they arrived at the doctor's office, Ava told the receptionist she was there and her and Adrienne sat down in the waiting room. As the next few minutes passed, the two were silent until Adrienne said "So, do you want a boy or a girl?"

"As long as the baby is still healthy, I don't care."

"Really?"

"A boy would be nice. I already have a name picked out and everything."

"What is it?"

"Ryan Andrew."

"After Mike and your dad."

"Yeah."

"Any ideas for a girl?"

"A few. There's Audrina. And Claire. And Chloe. And Sara."

"Those are cute. Except I'd rule out Sara."

"Why?"

Ava looked up from her magazine to Adrienne, as Adrienne sighed and looked away from Ava. Adrienne looked back at Ava then said "I'm not supposedly to tell you. Your brother told me not to. But, I can't...I really should tell you."

"Well, get on with it then."

"Mike's got a new girlfriend."

"He does?"

"Yeah. Your brother told him you were pregnant with Ben's baby and he took it hard, then he met Sara. They've been dating since around Halloween."

"Oh. Well, um, I guess it's good he doesn't know it's his."

"Ava don't take it hard. He doesn't even know you're flying out next month. Or that you're moving back. Maybe they'll break up cause of it."

"No, he can move on. He should. We weren't even really dating. We just slept together and he called when he could. I mean I figured he stopped calling because Billie told him about the baby, but I never thought he'd start dating so soon."

Ava put the issue of Vogue she had been reading on the empty chair next to her and said "Maybe it's a good thing he found someone."

Ava sighed and Adrienne opened her mouth to speak, but closed it when Ava's doctor came in the room and said "Miss Armstrong?"

Ava stood up and said "You coming with?"

"Yeah, of course."

The two walked over to the doctor and Ava said "Dr. Janes, this is my sister in law Adrienne."

"Hello."

"Is it okay if she comes in with me? I'm kinda of nervous learning what I'm having and all today."

"Of course she can Ava."

The three walked down a hallway and went into the third exam room. Ava sat on the exam table and Adrienne sat in the chair next to her. The doctor turned on the unltrasound machine then rolled up Ava's shirt. Just before she squeezed the controller jelly on Ava's belly, she said "This may be cold."

Ava gasped at the coolness on her stomach, but as it was rubbed around by the ultrasound control stick, she settled into the feeling. Within seconds, there was a loud heartbeat echoing in the room. As Dr. Janes looked at the screen she said "Well, I have great news."

"What is it?"

"Well, listen for yourself."

Dr. Janes put the control stick in one spot for a minute or so, and a loud and quick heartbeat filled the room. She moved it over some, and a different slightly slower yet equally loud heartbeat filled the room. Ava and Adrienne looked at each then Ava's doctor said "You are having twins Miss Armstrong."

"Wow."

"Would you like to know the sex of your babies?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay."

Moving the control stick back to the first heartbeat, Dr. Janes said "Baby A is a girl."

Ava and Adrienne smiled at each other, as the doctor moved the control stick again. Then, the doctor spoke and said "And Baby B is a boy."

"Shut up."

"Indeed Miss Armstrong. You are having a little girl and a little boy."

"Oh my god."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

Five minutes later, Ava's stomach was cleaned of the jelly and she stood up from the table then her doctor said "You can come pick up your files on the 13th of next month if you'd like Ava, since you said you were moving back to California."

"All right, thank you."

"And be sure to make and appointment with your doctor there as soon as you get there. You're due for an appointment on the 16th."

"I will."

"Okay, take good care of those twins."

"Oh, I will. No doubt about that."

Ava and Adrienne left the doctor's office and headed back to Ava's apartment. When they arrived back at Ava's apartment, Liana, Kristin, and Jenna were all waiting in the living room to find out what Ava was having. And, the girls freaked out when they learned she was having twins. That evening, the five woman went out to dinner at the restaurant in the Four Seasons.

Two days later, on the eighteeth, Adrienne flew home to Berkeley. That evening, Ava gave her two week resignation for work. By the time, Ava's two weeks were up, she had worked nearly seventy hours both weeks, and her body was feeling the affects of the pregnancy and long hours working.

On the third of February, when Liana was about to leave for work at nine, she knocked on Ava's bedroom door. Opening it enough to poke her head in, she said "Ava, do you want breakfast? I got bagels earlier."

Ava rolled on her side to face the door, coughed then said "No."

Liana walked in and said "You feeling all right Avs?"

Ava shook her head and said "Baby wise, I'm fine. But, I think I got the flu from working so much and being in the cold air so much, especially after the last snow storm."

"Do you want cough medicine from the bathroom?"

"No, I'd have to call the doctor to find out what I could take."

"Okay. I'll see you around six then."

"Bye."

Liana left Ava's room, closing the door behind her, and a few minutes later, Ava heard the door to the apartment shut. Ava laid on her back and closed her eyes to try to fall back asleep when her cell phone started ringing. Ava groaned, grabbed it off her night table, slipped it open and said "Hello?"

"Hey Avs."

"Beej...why are you up so early?"

"I have to fly to Toronto at eight for this thing at Much Music."

"And you decided to call me?"

"Well, I knew you'd probably be up. Since you are four hours ahead in New York."

"I'm pregnant and I have the flu. I was trying to go back to sleep."

"Shouldn't you call the doctor to find out what you can take?"

"I will later. I barely slept at all during the night. If one wasn't kicking, the other was."

"Bet you can't wait till June."

"I'm already counting the days."

Billie Joe laughed the said "The nursery is looking good."

"Is it?"

"Yeah. The painters came yesterday and they painted two walls baby blue and two walls like this bubblegum pink. And, they're coming back today to paint the room for you like this soft yellow. Plus, Adie already has all this stuff for the nursery. By the time you get here, your room and it will be done."

"Great."

"And, she got this mint green 'R' so I'm guessing you've chosen the name for the boy."

"Yeah, I had it picked before I found out what I was having."

"So what's my nephew's name?"

"Ryan Andrew. After Mike and dad."

"Nice. Pick a girl name yet?

"Yeah, tell Adie to get and 'A', she'll know exactly which name I picked."

"What is it?"

"A name that starts with 'A'. You'll find out in June."

"Ashlee?"

"No."

"Amanda?"

"No."

"Ainslie?"

"No."

"Abigail?"

"No."

"Alexandra?"

"No."

"Annabelle?"

"No."

"Ariel?"

"No."

"I give up. What is it?"

"Christ Billie Joe. It's Audrina."

"That's cute. What's her middle name?"

"I have a few in mind it's just the fact of that they have to match with Armstrong and Pritchard."

"Ava..."

"What I'm keeping an open mind...when I'm ready to tell him maybe he'll dump his girlfriend."

"I don't think he will."

Ava laughed and said "What? Did he get her pregnant too?"

"No, it's just he's happy with her. And she lives in San Francisco so she's close."

"I'll be closer, you two live like fifteen minutes apart."

"He says he loves her."

"They haven't been dating four months yet. He just thinks he's in love."

"Ava, when you're ready to tell him...he's going to take it harder then when he found out it was Ben's."

Ava sighed then said "Can I let you go? You're starting to make me feel guilty and I'm getting hungry. Plus, I should really call the doctor's."

"Okay. Me or Adie will be in touch."

"All right. Bye."

"Love you sis."

"You drive me nuts bro."

She heard Billie Joe laugh as she hung up then dialed her doctor's phone number. A half an hour later, Ava was comfortably sitting in the living room drinking a cup of tea with a spoonful of honey added, and her coughing had disappeared for now since she had been okayed to take the cough medicine in the bathroom. Hours later, Ava was three boxes into packing her things for the movers, when Kristin and Jenna brought over more boxes.

When Ava answered the door, she moved out of their way and said "Shouldn't you guys be working?"

Kristin put the boxes down in the kitchen then said "I worked last night. I've only been awake for two hours then she called and asked if I had any boxes cause she was bored and wanted to help you pack."

Ava laughed as Jenna put down boxes next to Kristin's pile and said "I'm off today and tomorrow."

"All right then."

"So can we help you pack Ava?"

"I'm not packing much yet. There's still seven days before the movers are due to come."

"But if you're packed for then, then you can take your time with the rest of your stuff that's flying with you."

"Yes, but what if I need something before the movers show up and it's packed."

"Don't pack it if you think you need it."

Ava sighed then said "Fine. I'm still working on my closet."

Kristin and Jenna each grabbed a box and the three made their way to Ava's room and into her closet. Kristin put down her box and said "So how are who doing this?"

"Um...work on a section. If it's not maternity pack it, and if it's maternity but springy or summery pack it too cause that's the stuff I've been getting for California."

"What about shoes and purses?"

"Don't touch them. I'll deal with them over the next week. It's gonna be hard choosing what to pack and what to keep out of the boxes."

"Okay."

The three girls set to work and didn't stop folding and packing until Liana walked in and said "I got pizza."

Ava looked up from her spot on the floor and said "What kind?"

"I got two miss picky eater. One with bacon, pepperoni, green peppers, mushrooms, black olives and extra cheese for you. And I got another pepperoni and cheese one which has to be split three ways."

"So does mine. Somebody help me up."

Jenna helped Ava up and they went out in the kitchen to eat. A few hours later, Kristin and Jenna went home and Ava went to bed, as Liana cleaned up from their evening then went to bed herself.

The next morning around ten, after eating breakfast, Ava began packing again. By the time Jenna showed up at three, Ava was done packing all the clothes the movers would be taking and was halfway through choosing the shoes and bags to keep with her.

That evening, when Liana got home from work accompanied by Kristin, Ava and Jenna had all the things Ava was letting the movers ship to Berkeley packed. Deciding on the fact none of them wanted to cook, the four left to find a restaurant to eat at after Ava found her boots in her shoe pile and her jacket on the bottom of her pile of clothes.

When the Liana and Ava got back to their apartment, the light on the answering machine was flashing. Liana mumbled "You can deal with it..." and made her way towards her bedroom. Sighing, Ava walked over to the phone and the answering machine and pressed the play button.

Ava sat down on a stool at the counter and the machine beeped and her mother's voice began to play.

"Ava dear, I know you're coming back just before your brother's birthday so, the whole family's going to get together for dinner here. For some reason, your brother said not to invite Michael or Frank, because you'd want just the family together...but they are like family. I will never understand you two. Eh, anyways, what do you want made? Or do you even care? Or should I even ask and just judge you'll eat whatever because of your bundles of joy. Call back, yes? Okay, goodbye dear."

Ava pressed delete and the next message began.

"Ava...it's Mike. I know we haven't talked since September, but I had to call you. I've been putting this off forever and I can't anymore. I loved you up until finding out about the baby with Ben. I can't explain what made me change like I did, but I know I did since I met Sarah. Maybe, we'll have a chance when you're ready to grow up. I'll see you whenever I do."

The message ended and Ava lifted her head. With tears rolling down her face, she felt the presence of arms around her body. Twisting her body to see it was Liana, Ava said "It's my fault he's like that. Let me go."

Liana did as Ava asked and Ava left the room. A minute later, Liana heard Ava's bedroom door slam shut.