Give Me Your Heart

20: It’s Not Just You Now

Eyeing the scan photo which sat in his hand, Gerard quirked a small smile, his thumb gently brushing over the face of the baby. It was still sinking in, even despite the couple of hours that had passed since Alison had informed them that they were expecting a boy, and Gerard was sure that it was going to take a little longer for him to wrap his head around the notion that he and Riley were expecting a son.

Smiling a little at the sonogram, he moved to stow it in his pocket before the door of his car opened, allowing Riley to settle in the passenger seat, a sheepish look on her face. They had overlooked it, the kiss they’d shared had been overshadowed by the news that they were expecting a little boy, and Gerard wanted to keep it that way. For the first time in a little while, they didn’t seem awkward around one another and it was something he wanted to keep going for as long as he could.

“You’re sure that this is what you want to do?” Gerard quipped as he moved to turn on the car. It had been the plan, for weeks, Riley’s mother had been particularly insistent on spending time with her pregnant daughter, and with the news that they were expecting a boy yet to be shared, both Riley and Gerard had invited their parents to dinner, wanting to share the news at once.

“Can you imagine how our mothers would take it if we cancelled?” Riley quipped, resting back against the passenger seat.

“They’d be more than a little irked, but if you’d rather…”

“Gerard, I am fine” Riley interjected gently “I’m just a little tired, but we’re heading back to yours and I will rest for a few minutes before anyone shows up, OK?” she insisted with a soft smile.

Gerard offered her a slightly dubious look before he nodded, moving to steer the car away from the pavement.

~#~
“Riley, sweetheart” Audrey grinned as she moved to wrap her arms around her daughter, pulling her into the best hug that her bump would allow “You look so good, princesa” she fussed, her hand brushing against the bump gently.

“Gracias, Mama” Riley quipped, pulling away from the older woman “I am glad that you and padre could make it” she added as she led her mother through towards the living room where Gerard’s parents sat. It wasn’t the first time, in the few months that Riley and Gerard had dated, the two sets of parents had met more than once, but still Riley was anxious. Her parents had never made their feelings towards Gerard a secret and it wasn’t something which sat well with the defender’s parents who’d moved to welcome Riley with open arms.

Audrey smiled. “How could we stay away? We’re excited about any news about our little grandbaby” she enthused.

Riley offered her another soft smile before she turned her attention towards the other couple who sat in the room. “Mama, papa, you remember Montserrat and Joan, right?” she posed.

Luis, who stood behind his wife and daughter, nodded. “Of course we do” he noted politely “It’s nice to see the two of you again” he added, extending his hand over the other man who eyed it slightly before he shook it.

“It’s nice to see you too, Luis, Audrey” Joan mused.

Riley offered the cordial exchange a small smile before she excused herself, padding into the kitchen where Gerard stood, checking on the food that she had left in his oven. “They’re not killing one another” she quipped, moving to sit at the counter.

Gerard chuckled. “That’s a good thing?” he teased.

“It’s more than I was expecting” Riley mused as she tugged at the label on the bottle of water she held in her hands “I was expecting a little more scoffing and cold shoulder. It seems remarkably cordial” she added.

“They have something pretty huge in common” Gerard pointed out with a small look towards her stomach.

“Huge?” Riley squeaked, an offended expression on her face.

Gerard blinked a couple of times, concerned that he had upset her, but soon the smile appeared on her face, causing him to shake his head. “You’re not even remotely huge” he quipped as he padded around the counter, standing ahead of her “In fact, unless you know it’s there, you’d not notice the bump at all. You’re looking amazing, Ry” he mused with a kind smile.

Riley’s cheeks warmed a little. “You kind of have to say that, don’t you?” she posed as she looked up at him, her teeth gently tugging at her bottom lip.

Gerard admired her for a second, a grin on his face. “You never were any good at taking a compliment, were you?” he teased, his fingers gently moving away the few hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail from her eyes “I still remember the way you blushed when I spoke to you for the first time” he quipped, causing a hint of pink to appear on her cheeks.

Studying the soft hue of pink on her cheeks, Gerard ducked a little closer to her, quirking another smile that made the colour on her cheeks darken a little. “You’re beautiful” he mumbled softly.

Riley flicked her eyes between his eyes and his lips before she leant up, preparing to kiss him.

“Are you two ever going to…Oh” Montserrat’s voice trailed off a little at the pair jerked apart, sheepish expressions fixed on their faces.

“Madre” Gerard noted, clearing his throat a little as Riley mumbled out a ‘sorry’, stepping out of the room.

Montserrat watched the younger woman out of the room before she turned her attention to Gerard. “I didn’t mean to interrupt anything” she noted softly “It’s just that sitting with her parents is a little awkward. I’m sorry” she noted gently.

“It’s alright” Gerard insisted, scratching the back of his neck “It wasn’t anything anyway. Just us getting a little carried away” he noted.

Montserrat offered him a dubious look before she stepped towards him, squeezing his hand gently. “Just be careful with her, won’t you?” she posed gently “Any decision the two of you make not only affects the two of you, but that little baby too” she insisted.

“Little boy” Gerard corrected without a thought.

“Little boy?” Montserrat squeaked “You and Riley…it’s a boy?” she squeaked.

Gerard blinked a couple of times before he nodded, pulling the picture he had in his pocket out. “It’s a boy” he confirmed gently, a grin on his face.

Montserrat eyed the picture for a moment before she grabbed onto his hand, pulling him into the living room. “It’s a boy!” she exclaimed, offering the picture out towards Audrey who’d pushed herself to her feet as soon as the words had fallen out of the other woman’s mouth.

Gerard watched the expectant grandmothers for a moment before he lifted his head, his expression softening a little as he glanced at Riley who stood sheepishly beside her father. He wanted to avoid it, talking about them merely served to upset Riley and that wasn’t something he wanted to, but he doubted the topic could be avoided forever. Whether she said it or not, they still had something between them, and they needed to decide what they wanted to do about it.
♠ ♠ ♠
Thanks to Jayme112234 for the comment :)