Uncle Good Riddance

“Baby girl! Oh my god, I've missed you!” My mother grabbed me, hugging me tightly as I walked nervously through the door to Billie's house. I had gone to meet her at Billie's, I didn't want to give Perez any more to use against me.

“Hi.” I managed to choke out. She looked at me, tears filling her eyes.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry for what I said, it's hurt me so much to think I said it, I love you Bodaceia.” She whispered, holding my cheeks with her hands, and push back my dreads off my face and tears falling silently down her face.

“It's okay. I'm sorry too. I never meant to get into all this trouble. I really didn't.” Tears fell down my own face as we hugged again. “I love you mammy.”

“Oh my god, your going to make me cry.” Tre joked from behind me. My mother let me go and smiled at him.

“So I finally get to meet the man who knocked up my little girl eh?” Tre looked shocked, and his grin fell from his face.

“Uhm... yeah... about that.” He mumbled, looking at his feet.

“I'm teasing you. Nice to meet you.” She held out her hand and shook his.
“Now, you come and sit down right now Bodaceia. 8 months gone, only a few weeks now!” She babbled, taking me by the hand and leading me into the living room. I sat down and rubbed the belly.

“I'm pretty nervous.” I smiled, I almost felt shy of my own mother.

“Did you find out what your having?” Tre drew in a breath. Touchy subject, I warn you now. Me and Tre argued for the whole week before the scan over whether or not to find out. I didn't want to, Tre did, then I wanted to, but he didn't. It was hell. In the end, the midwife refused to tell us whether we wanted to know or not.

“I wouldn't ask that one if I was you Holly.” Billie smiled handing Tre a bottle of beer and sitting down on the big squishy chair opposite with his own beer.

“Don't ask about names either. They are not even thinking of one until they see the baby's face apparently.” I nodded.

“It's true. We can't plan a name, put all our hopes on it, then the baby doesn't even look like it. Like say we decided on Freya, and the baby comes out and looks like, I don't know, a Venus?” I argued.

“You always talk about little girl names! You know we're having a girl! I bet the mid wife told you.” I rolled my eyes at Tre as he looked very outraged with me.

“You were there when she wouldn't say. How the hell could she have told just me?” I argued back with him, my temper flaring up.

“I was just saying.” He mumbled, taking a small drink.

“AND YOU ARE ALWAYS MUMBLING! SPEAK PROPERLY!” I shouted at him, while Tre just sat there looking shocked.

“I'm sorry baby. I'll try better.”

“And now your just patronising me! My mother has just flown all this way to see me, and to meet you, and to see our baby and oh my god, your acting like a complete twat to me! I do not deserve this. I am 8 months pregnant with your child if you hadn't realised!” I shouted at him, before bursting into tears. “Oh I'm sorry, I'm sorry Tre.” I wiped my tears as he sat next to me on the sofa, kissing the top of my head.

“This is what it's been like for the past month or so, it's one extreme to another, honestly.” He smiled down at me.

“Pregnancy eh? You can't beat it.” I sniffed, grabbing a tissue out of the box on the coffee table.

“It'll be all worth it when you get that precious little bundle in your arms, daughter.” Mam stifled a yawn and tried to hide her tiredness.

“Hey, you better not be tired. Adrienne is cooking a meal for tonight, and the whole family is coming round.” Billie smiled.

“The whole family?”

“Yeah, David, Allen, Marcy, and Anna, plus Mom, plus David's sons Andrew and Michael, and Marcy's daughter Ariel. It's like a big family reunion.”

“Do Allen and Anna not have any children?” Billie shook his head.

“Right I am going for a nap.” My mam stood up and yawned again. I caught the infectious yawn.

“Tre! I wanna go home to sleep!” I said, sternly.

“Okay, okay, calm down. Billie, we'll be back at around half 7 that okay?” Tre asked as we stood up and I stretched my aching back out. Billie nodded and we let ourselves out.

***

“I am so nervous and I am dying to pee.” I moaned in the car on the way to the family meal. I fixed my black and blonde dreads in a messy, but going out style, pony tail and had lightened up on the make up. I was wearing a black floaty dress that reached just below my knees and black ballet pumps with a short sleeved thin cardigan over it. The floaty aspect of the dress played down my bump, so not to shock any relatives expecting a sweet, innocent girl. Tre was looking smart and handsome, in a plain light blue shirt with rolled up sleeves and casual dark blue jeans which was made out of that material that seemed to shine and sparkle. We looked damn good and I knew we did.

“Don't worry okay.” Tre gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and I smiled at him, thankfully as we pulled into Billie's drive way, a few other cars already parked there.

“Tre, oh my god, oh my god.” I squeezed his hand so tight as I got more and more nervous as we parked.

“Deep breaths.” We got out of the car, and he placed his hand around my back, the air was more chilly now it was getting into winter.

We entered the house to a happy mull of noise and laughter coming from the front room, where everyone was gathered. My maternal grand mother was stood talking to my mother and a taller man I had never seen before. Anna was stood with a woman I'd never seen, Adrienne, and a younger girl who was devastatingly gorgeous with tanned skin, big bambi eyes, and long curly dark hair – think Miley Cyrus, with a dazzling smile and that is what this girl looked like. Billie was stood, drinking a beer with a man who was taller than him with two men who looked around 25 each, and Jakob and Joey running around everyone.

“BOO-DA!” Jakob noticed me and ran towards me, arms wide open.

“Hi munchkin.” I smiled, bending down to hug him tightly. The room fell silent and I began scarily aware that the whole room was staring over at me. I stood up, grabbing Tre's hand and squeezing it.

“Hello everyone.” I smiled shyly.

“Bodaceia! Welcome!” My grand mother walked over and gave me a hug. “My, not long to go now eh! Come on, lets introduce you to everybody.” 'Everyone' stood awkwardly in a mock line up, as if I was choosing my attacker or something.

“You know your mother, and Billie Joe and Anna and Adrienne. This lovely lady is Marcy and her daughter Ariel.” My grand mother pointed to a woman, a little taller than my mother with long dark brown hair with blonde highlights and who appeared younger than my own mother and the Miley Cyrus girl. “My eldest is David and the two young men with him are his two boys – Andrew and Michael who are 25 and 27. Andrew's a doctor and Michael is a scientist.” David smiled at me. He was tall and sturdy, he looked like he might have been a popular jock at my age. Both of the boys were good looking, Andrew had floppy dark blonde hair and fair skin with blue eyes, and Michael had short, spiked light brown hair, a few freckles and dark brown eyes. Both were as tall as David, and it's obvious all our height had gone into their family. “And the last, but not least, is Allen.” Allen stood at the end, he had slightly curly black hair and a pair of glasses, he smiled at me and nodded his head and he was just a little bit taller than Billie Joe and skinny like Billie.

“Family, this is my blooming daughter, Bodaceia and I assume everyone knows Tre?” My mam came forward and grabbed my hand, dragging me round the room to talk to everyone as they all struck up conversations again.

During dinner, I sat between Andrew and Tre. Adrienne had tried to set the table so it went boy-girl-boy-girl, but unfairly there were more boys than girls so that plan fell threw a little.

“You don't have any plans for university then?” Andrew asked me, trying to strike up a conversation over the starter of soup and fresh bread rolls. Tre's hand tightened on my thigh, and I knew he was willing me not to fly off the handle at the question.

“Honestly, I think I've completely fucked up my chances to ever get there.” I shrugged. “I mean come on, not going to sixth form so I could go out drinking, then getting pregnant? Not exactly the model student.” He smiled warmly.

“I think you could easily be a model student, lots of people go to university after they have had children. You could really make a difference to the young one's life by giving him a good start in life.” Grandmother tapped her glass at the head of the table and stood up.

“Quick toast before dinner.” She smiled and every one instantly gave her the complete attention and respect she deserved.
“Its made me so incredibly happy to have my family together once again. Holly, you have been sorely missed by everyone. And Bodaceia, you have made a beautiful addition to the family and soon will be adding her own addition. I'm so proud to be stood here today as a mother, a grandmother, and soon great-grandmother. We can't forget the people who are missing. Your amazing father, who sadly couldn't be with us very long and has missed his grand children, but I know he's in heaven watching us. Your stepfather, who passed before getting to meet Holly and Bodaceia. And David's beautiful wife, Bree, who I know is so proud of her gorgeous sons and husband who have had twelve long years missing her. I ask us all to take a moment to remember those we've lost and be thankful for those who are here today.” The family were moved, tears sprung to eyes and I myself felt moved as well. It hit me that this was the first proper family gathering I had ever had.

“And now, on with dinner!”