Her cheeks turned a warm pink and she chewed her bottom lip as she peeked at
Derek and then blurted out "We're going to have a baby."
Alex blinked and looked at Nick.
Nick blinked and looked at Alex.
Then they both blinked again and looked at Julia and Derek, only to have
them both break out in big grins and chorus "I knew it!"
"Well, not the pregnant part or the actual admitting to each other how you
were feeling," Alex clarified as she stood and went over to Julia to hug
enthusiastically "But we figured it was there... oh congratulations! You
must be so happy!"
Nick was a little slower in reacting after the initial exclamation, his gaze
moving from Derek, to Julia, back to Derek again before breaking out in a
big grin and thumping him on the back and then, surprisingly feeling choked
up about it, taking the older man in an almost bear hug before setting him
at arms' length, voice low and gaze meeting his solemnly "Congratulations,
Derek. I'm glad you..."
He wasn't sure how to verbalize what he was feeling. Before, Nick had
suspected Derek had cared about Julia and had just kept it to himself as was
his habit. Now, there was no denying it and it was obvious Derek was
happier now than he had been in years. Since, Nick suspected, before Julia
was taken from them.
And it was obvious that Julia felt the same way for Derek.
It had all worked out the way it was supposed to, no matter the past, and
Nick was happy for both of them. He just couldn't put it all into words.
Alex was fussing over Julia, claiming all kinds of things about how she
would look and take being a mother in stride. She even broached the subject
of shopping to which Nick spoke up and interrupted them with a dry comment.
"Now we're in trouble. Alex has a shopping spree planned."
Alex half whapped his arm with a mock indignant expression "Hey!"
