Glad to Meet You Again

Lena was approaching eight months, making her feel like she was ready to get it done and over with. She spent more time trying to get comfortable on the couch or in bed than she actually spent resting. Occasionally even the kicking made her feel nauseous despite the morning sickness being long over. After six months, she already felt ready to give birth and was done with being pregnant. It was quite normal to be fed up, but Lena still felt horrible. Society made it seem like being pregnant was supposed to be wonderful and made you glow. Sure, she was happy and excited in the beginning, but the weight just kept accumulating and she was having trouble doing the simplest of things.

Still, that didn’t stop her from trying to do her usual ‘duties’ whenever Anthony had people over at his studio recording music. As a stay at home mom, she liked taking care of people. So, she’d often make sure Anthony and the artists would have food if they didn’t want or if they didn’t have the time to go out and get their own. Sometimes she would make the best sandwiches, other times she’d go completely out and cook something, and other times she just went out to buy something. With how pregnant she was, it often turned out to be the latter. She just didn’t have the energy to stand on her feet long enough to make some homemade food. But all the artists loved their junk food, especially the All Time Low boys.

So, yet again, Luna had gone out to buy them some food, feeling better about walking short distances than standing in one place for too long. She put all the bags on the table outside, assuming the guys would like to get some fresh air after an entire morning in the studio, especially with the weather still being great. After putting out plates and something to drink, including four beers and water with lemons in it, she walked the distance to the studio, careful not to trip.

She knocked on the door and let herself in, smiling at the guys who were listening to the most recent take. “Hey, guys, your food’s here. It almost made me throw up, but I pushed through.”

“You shouldn’t have gotten it if it makes you want to throw up!” Anthony laughed and got up from his chair behind all the controls. He wanted nothing more than for his girlfriend to just relax, but she always insisted on doing things. The least he could do was actually go to her when she called, unlike he would usually do when working on music.

“How are you doing?” Jack asked, putting his guitar back in the stand, happy to go eat the Taco Bell he and the others had asked for.

“Just hoping I don’t pass out,” Luna joked while all the guys were figuring out what to leave behind and what to take with them, some finishing a text they were sending.

“Pass out?” Alex asked with a frown, stuffing his phone into his back pocket. “From the food?”

“No,” she chuckled and entered the room so she was no longer blocking the doorway. “Babies usually turn head down around this time. With Nick, it was like one swift motion and made me pass out.”

“She literally passed out after walking down the stairs. So, that was fairly lucky,” Anthony recalled, remembering when they were going out for dinner and the elevator was broken in their apartment building. It was one of the times he could admit he was absolutely terrified without seeming ‘unmanly’, or according to society. “At least I know what to do now.”

“It’s easier the second time around, I guess,” Rian commented, seeming like the only one ready to actually leave but not wanting to be the first to go without anybody following.

“Easier for him, not for me,” Lena snorted and crossed her arms. Sure, there were fewer things that worried her. But actually carrying a child and giving birth wasn't any easier.

“I suggest we go get that food before we get her mad and she takes it away from us,” Anthony warned, wiping his hands on his shirt. Suddenly, he seemed like he was in a rush to get everybody going despite being relaxed before. It was almost like he suddenly remembered another thing they had to do for the song and that they were now on a time crunch. But that wasn’t it at all.

There were three people who were very nervous that day, but they were all trying to ignore it. A letter had arrived not long before and they planned to open it that day. They could have chosen to opt for a phone call, but they wanted to make sure they were all there. Just a while before, they had sent their DNA to a lab. Alex and Anthony had decided to go through with the paternity test. Although both were afraid, they knew that they had to do it or else everybody would always have that question in the back of their mind. Anthony wouldn’t know if the child he had been raising was actually biologically his own, Alex wouldn’t know if he was actually a father, and Lena would never know whether or not she was lying to her own child. It was important to know.

Anthony just seemed particularly extra nervous despite being the one who was exceptionally okay with everything that had been happening to his family. He never got mad at Alex, he never felt like Lena betrayed him, and he never felt the need to leave. Even though he didn’t have those malicious thoughts, he really was the bigger man in the entire process.

After the four boys of All Time Low had left the studio, Lena went to follow them. However, Anthony held her back.

“Wait, Lena, can I talk to you real quick?” he asked, reaching out a clammy hand and tapping her on the elbow to gesture for her to stay.

“Yeah, what’s up?” She smiled and turned back around, closing the door a little in case this was going to be a private conversation.

Anthony took a deep breath in and closed the distance between them, taking hold of her hands. “I know a lot’s happening right now, and I know a lot might change, but I want you to know no matter what I’m always here for you.”

“I know,” Lena giggled, not taking the conversation a seriously. “You’re the one that went out to buy me pickles at two am a couple of nights ago.”

He shook his head, “you know that’s not what I mean and you know I love you, right?”

Suddenly Lena felt how serious this actually was and not just a casual conversation. The smile on her face dropped. “You didn’t do anything stupid, did you?”

“No, no, of course not,” he quickly said to calm down Lena before she started over thinking his words. “I just want you to know, before we find out whatever the results are, that I love you, I love Nick, and I love our little unborn baby who will be here soon.” He carefully slipped his hands onto Lena’s belly and smiled lovingly at it.

“I love you too,” she replied, putting her hands over his.

“What I’m trying to say is…” He didn’t get down on one knee, he didn’t make any romantic gesture, there wasn’t another entire speech about how much he loved her. All he did was pull out the velvet box from his pocket and opened it in front of Lena, holding it in her direction. “Will you marry me?”

“Ant--”

“I know it might seem a little rash, but I’ve loved you for six years of my life. I never thought I would find a girl I would want to marry, but I’ve already known for a while that I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And I know our life’s going to be hectic, that you don’t want the stress of planning a wedding on top of the stress of having a newborn, but I don’t mind waiting another six years or more until we plan our wedding. I just want it to happen someday.”

“But we always agreed that we didn’t need to get married,” Lena answered, staring at the engagement ring that was being offered to her. “That we could be in love, have a family, and grow old together without it. Don’t get me wrong, I love you and would love to marry you, I just don’t want you to regret this later on.”

“I won’t ever regret this,” Anthony promised, pleading her to look past everything they had said before.

“Okay,” Lena nodded, putting her hands on Anthony’s cheeks and kissing him softly, smiling when she pulled away, “yes, I’ll marry you.”

She just felt like celebrating it right now was the wrong thing to do. There was one more thing they had to do before celebrating was an option. Even after that, it would seem wrong. She couldn’t celebrate if any of the guys found out they weren’t the father. But she didn’t mind having her own celebration a little later just with Anthony.

While Anthony put the ring on her finger, the All Time Low boys were outside at the table, a little confused why their producer and hostess weren’t with them and were hiding out in the studio. Well, it made sense why Lena didn’t want to be around the food, but she wouldn’t ever hold back Anthony.

“Where are they?” Zack was the first to question after they had all already started their tacos. “Weren’t you guys going to look at the results right now?”

“Yeah.” Alex nodded with his mouth full, putting down what was left of his broken Taco. “But they’re probably having a conversation beforehand. I get it.”

“Do you need to have a conversation?” Jack asked sheepishly, feeling for his best friend. Even he could barely eat, he was that nervous.

“What’s there to talk about?” Alex shrugged, making a point by refusing to drink alcohol and instead going for the water. He didn’t need comments about his trying to drink the nerves away.

“What you will do when you know the results, what you will do if he is your son, what you will do if he isn’t, if you’re nervous or not… to name a few,” Rian listed.

Once again, Alex seemed impartial. “I don’t know what I’ll do until I know the results. And I think we’ve kinda dragged out the whole ‘are you nervous?’ and ‘what do you want?’ thing for way too long. I’ll be fine, guys.”

“Are you sure?” Jack double checked.

But even if Alex had doubts, it was too late now. Anthony and Lena appeared out of the studio, still seeming as happy and calm as always. While he had felt calm before, seeing them suddenly made Alex nervous. Although they had assured him many times, he didn’t want to ruin what they had. But he couldn’t get cold feet now.

When Anthony and Lena came onto the porch, everybody could see the sparkling ring that now resided on her left ring finger, but they didn’t announce anything, so nobody mentioned it either. It was just impossible to miss. The guys immediately knew what had happened in that studio unless they had somehow missed it earlier (which wasn’t possible as said before).

“So, you want to…” Lena pointed at the door and looked at Alex.

“Oh, yeah, right,” Alex said as if he hadn’t just been talking about it and quickly wiped his hands to clean them before getting up and following the couple through the door, closing it behind himself.

Lena got the letter as the men sat at the indoor dining table. The more relaxed and comfortable place to sit would have been in the living room, but Anthony knew Lena had trouble sitting down and getting off the fairly low couch. They all sat at that table together, Lena at the head, Anthony to her right and Alex to her left.

“Okay,” she put the letter, which was still in its envelope, in the middle, “so… who’s going to open it?”

“I think you should,” Anthony said, pushing the letter in Alex’s direction, “your life could quite possibly be the one which changes the most depending on the contents.”

However, Alex didn’t know how to react. Was he supposed to be happy when it said he was the father or was he supposed to be happy when it said he wasn’t the father? Both seemed inappropriate. Being happy about being the father was like being happy he was happy about ‘ruining’ a family; being happy about not being the father made him seem like he didn’t like Nick or kids in general. At least Nick was at school, so that made things a little easier. But still, he couldn’t be the one that had to give the first reaction. The only one he could possibly think had a clear reason to be happy about one outcome was Anthony. Lena wouldn’t want to hurt either, so she wouldn’t dare be ecstatic if it said Anthony was the father just for Alex. However, if Anthony read he was the father he’d be happy, and upset if he wasn’t. Alex didn’t blame him, though. They were supposed to be happy if Anthony was the father.

“No,” Alex quickly made up an excuse to give it back to Anthony, “he’s your kid, you should open it.”

Anthony nodded, his lips in a straight line, and looked at the letter for a few seconds, before giving it back to his girlfriend--or now fianceé. “Lena?”

“Oh my god, I get that you guys are scared, but you’re just being babies now. I’ll open the letter and we’ll read it together.” Lena snatched the letter away from Anthony and tore it open, causing the men to hold their breath.

When she straightened her arms so the others could read as well, still holding the folded letter, Lena also started getting nervous. She wanted nothing more than Anthony to be the father. It might have been selfish, but it was allowed in this circumstance. She wanted to have her family and not have that guilt for the rest of her life. But she would never ever push Alex and the others away again. They were in her life again, and she wouldn’t lose that. So even if Alex wasn’t the father, she was determined to keep him around. Just as friends, but still.

She finally opened the folded paper and started reading it along with the others. Her heart was pounding as she let out her breath. And there it was, the answer. The one thing that had brought them together and could be a significant turning point.

After some silence, they all went back outside. It felt weird knowing the answer after having been busy with it for so long. They all hoped it wouldn’t change anything between them, but that was probably inevitable. That answer was going to change things.

“And?” Jack pressed, not able to stand the suspense.

Alex put on a smile, still unsure if he was supposed to be happy or not, but not wanting to be rude either. “I don’t have a son.”

They all looked at him, also unsure whether to celebrate with him or get up and console him. Nobody knew how to feel, except for Anthony and Lena who were quite relieved and glad. They had gotten engaged and their kids really were theirs. But they didn’t show it off, though. Instead, they were humble to keep Alex in mind and not to make him feel bad about himself if that was the underlying feeling he was suppressing.

“But, hey, these guys got engaged. Why aren’t we celebrating?” He pointed at them, trying to lighten up the mood and let Anthony and Lena have their moment of happiness.

However, as if on cue, Lena suddenly passed out, like she had been afraid of earlier and the past few weeks. Anthony managed to take hold of her before she came close to hit the floor, but she was too heavy for him to catch properly, so he only managed to slowly let her fall the distance.

“Oh, fuck!” Jack shrieked as he was right next to Lena’s unconscious body.

Although it scared him as well, Anthony knew better than to freak out and instructed, “she’s probably fine, just be ready to give her some water when she wakes up. It’s probably exactly what she was telling you about earlier.”

“Are you sure?” Alex asked now unsure about whether or not to help or to give space. “That was absolutely terrifying. That mustn’t be good for the baby.”

“We’ll find out when she wakes up.”

And then she did. She looked confused and tried to get up but Anthony told her to stay down before they were sure everything was okay. Jack offered the water like he was told to, and it soon became clear that nothing bad had happened, just that she had gotten lightheaded.

“I was going to warn you, but something tells me I didn’t get to do that,” Lena chuckled at how everybody around her seemed so concerned.

“No, you didn’t,” Anthony let out a breath and a relieved laugh. “Did the baby flip?”

She nodded, putting her hand on her stomach. “I thought it wouldn’t happen cause all pregnancies are different, but it might just be our genes. I felt it happen and just felt dizzy, so I was going to tell you. But we all know I just passed out with no warning.”

“Okay.” He seemed way calmer now he had gotten a confirmation, but was still crouched in front of her. “It’s time to pick up Nick. I’ll go do that.” He turned to the All Time Low guys. “Are you guys cool with looking after her until I’m back?”

“Yeah, of course.” Rian nodded in understanding while they were all cautious and Lena was helped into the chair Jack was sitting in first.

“Oh no, you can’t do that,” Lena disagreed with Anthony. “You have to work.”

“I’m sure half an hour won’t make that much of a difference. And if it does, I’ll just work overtime,” Anthony told her even though he often worked way longer than he was supposed to anyway. It was just him telling the All Time Low boys that they wouldn’t have to pay for that extra time he would be spending picking up Nick.

Anthony left Lena with the four men, confident they would take good care of her. However, as soon as he left, the atmosphere turned a little awkward. Maybe it was because Lena had just fainted and nobody wanted to make it worse for her, maybe it was because of the news they had all just heard, or maybe it was because they usually hung out when Anthony was around as well. All that was sure was that there was a strange tension.

“So,” Alex broke the silence, using the same subject as before to brighten up everybody, “you just got engaged!”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Lena smiled, never having expected to be where she was in life at that moment.