Be Happy with what you have while working for what you want

 Remi was surprised to see Vanna at her door. Usually, Vanna would call or text, but they rarely saw each other. Remi didn't think she was that kind of friend to Vanna. Of course, she wasn't sure who Vanna's best friend was, but it was all a pleasant surprise seeing Vanna lugging True as if he might be her daughter's new bestie.

Of course, Dove and True were too young to play together. Actually, they were both snoozing at the moment.

"What's the occasion?" Remi asked as she went to get them something to drink from the fridge. It was just homemade lemonade. Remi didn't really have anything to offer. These days Wolf was taking classes and working full-time at the Assisted living place as a bus driver and helped out when maintenance was needed while Remi was taking a break and staying home with Dove.

"I have a favor," Vanna finally fessed up. She looked as if it might be a big secret.

"You're not pregnant already?" Remi squinted.

"NO!" She almost woke the babies. She frowned a bit. "I found out something." Still, she wasn't telling Remi anything.

"OK, like what?" Remi couldn't imagine what this was about.

"I need your help," she did look sad.

"Really?"

"I heard from Maisy, she has a baby and..and she lives in North Omaha."

Vanna nursed her bottom lip. 

"I see."

Remi remembered her. She always found Maisy just a little snooty for Harry, but she never said so and she had done her best to be nice to her cousin's girlfriend at the time, but when she left well, of course, she was OH HELL NO about Maisy and was certainly on her cousin's Harry's side. 

"I ..I want to see her, but..but I don't know how," Vanna looked worried even in her fresh makeup as if she could still be an influencer on TicToc if she thought of it.

Remi remained even-lipped and then said. "Can't you get Koda to take you?"

"I don't want him to know."

Vanna shook her head no, as she looked over at True in his infant carrier. 

"He is Harry's best friend," she said, explaining to Remi about Maisy's ordeal in New York City and how she was with Cade now.

Remi hugged herself swearing she wouldn't get involved. She didn't want to believe it. What kind of person was this Maisy, getting involved with rich people. She sighed and looked Vanna in the eye.

"All right, already. I'll do it."

Remi asked when Vanna wanted to go to North O. Remi grew up there.

Felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders

 "That brother of mine," she could hear him speak under his breath as he put down the backpack unzipped it, and started bringing out packaged cookies and muffins. There were sandwiches too.

"You'd think he never had any family, you know."

Boone said to no one. He wouldn't look at Tammy and she couldn't stop looking at him. She thought she might melt in a puddle.

"Oh, sorry."

Boone looked back at her and gritted.

"I'm..I'm afraid..I..I can't have any of that," she shook her head, no. She said she couldn't have bread. Too many carbs. Oh, she wanted it, all right. So many things she wanted. She guessed she might be wringing her hands. She sighed, choking up.

"I'll keep digging," and Boone did. He talked a bit more about Alfie and Zoey. How this should be their moment. Something they could navigate themselves. He said he could see how emotional Zoey was. "If only he could think of her first."

He festered a frown as if this was not a good idea to bring in everyone, but of course, Maddie went upstairs with them as if it might be a field trip of some sort. Maybe Boone and Maddie were thinking of having a baby.

It was a funny feeling to think how it might happen. Oh, one grandbaby would be great, but two? Tammy found herself smiling. She moved closer to Boone as if she could help. Only, that would be wrong. She took a step back, but Naoki was behind her and kept her from falling.

"Ma, you need to sit down, you didn't even have lunch."

Naoki moved her to the window seat in the main lobby area next to Boone's backpack of food. Naoki had a bottle of water handy and told her to drink something.

Tammy nodded.

"I think I've got a salad," Boone said, "but I don't have any dressing."

"That's OK." 

Her sad eyes looked at him and she began to weep. She took the container and looked at the browning apple slices on top. "I remember how happy I was when I was pregnant with Alfie."

She could barely catch her breath. "But with you, I cried the whole time." She shook her head, no. "It's amazing you turned out so well. I know I had nothing to do with it."

Boone reached for a napkin then and she blew her nose and asked for another.

"Is it really so awful to see me?" Boone looked her in the eye.

She said YES, but shook her head, no.

He took the container from her and handed her a big chocolate chip cookie that covered her entire hand. "I don't trust that salad. Maybe your blood sugars low."

"I doubt it," she pouted but took it anyway, and bit into it to savor. 

Boone handed Naoki a chicken salad sandwich. He didn't ask who he was. His phone dinged in the back pocket of his jeans and he went to look at the text. He sighed. Tammy wasn't sure what to expect.

"Well, we've got maybe six weeks until the baby gets here," he smiled as if he might laugh. "It's a boy. A very big boy, evidently."

As Long as were going down

 Boone still wasn't sure why he had to be at the hospital, but Alfie was so demanding over the phone. Evidently, Alfie didn't have time to tell Boone anything crucial.

 Boone didn't want to leave things hanging in the afternoon cleanup, but Ste said he should go. Alfie was at the hospital with Zoey. 

After, getting out of his apron and getting his stuff in the locker room along with the leftover goods that didn't sell, Boone called Maddie and told her something bad must have happened to Zoey so she got off from the library early.

"What did he say?" Maddie wanted to know who nervously slurped down the bubble tea he brought her.

"Didn't say," Boone kept his cool and was happy they met every green light going toward Omaha. 

"I hope she's OK."

Maddie was about to cry, but she said it was just her allergies.

"It couldn't be that bad," Boone pressed his lips, thinking how angry Alfie sounded. Maybe it had nothing to do with Zoey because Boone knew Alife would be distraught. 

Soon enough he and Maddie were spending time looking for a parking spot. It was the worst parking lot ever, but Maddie pointed to a side parking lot where maintenance parked that was empty so they took a chance. 

He grabbed the backpack of food from the bakery, and they hiked up to the main entrance on a chilly and windy afternoon. Although, they both felt a little lost. Thankfully, Alfie was waiting for them at the entrance.

"Brace yourself," Alfie grabbed Boone's shoulders.

"OK." Boone didn't want to look alarmed, but Alfie was scaring him.

"Mom's here."

"Mom?" Boone winced thinking of the one who raised him. Alfie was certainly making this a family affair. "Where's Dad?"

"I didn't call him," Alfie sighed. "I didn't think he would want to know."

"What?"

"No, your bio Mom is here with..some guy," Alfie squinted as if that was just too much for him to handle.

Boone kept a straight lip. He walked toward a woman who was larger than he expected. Her back was to him. She was having a serious conversation with Zoey who was still waiting for a nurse or someone to take her to the pregnancy floor.

"Is it the insurance? Is that what this is about?" She said she would help. She would do whatever she could for the baby.

"Mom, you don't have to worry about that," Alfie reached for her arm and pulled her toward him. Her dark eyes met Boone and they just stared at each other, like strangers.

"Mom, this is Boone," Alfie said.

Maddie went around and put her arm around Zoey's arm. 

"Are you hungry?" Boone knew his smile was weak, but he did have a lot of food on his back to unload.

Didn't know what this would be

 Zoey felt it was bad news. She didn't want to get her hopes up. She'd made Alfie bring home so many pregnancy tests. She didn't want to be fooled.

When the doctor down at the Women's clinic told them she might be farther along than she thought she was, they were both in shock. Although, they didn't have the equipment there. Zoey and Alfie needed to be sure. 

She didn't quite understand and neither did Alfie. Of course, she thought he was quite the dufus during the whole ordeal.

"What do you mean, I'm supposed to know your body better than you do?" He'd said on the way to the next hospital where they could get the sonogram they needed. 

Of course, she was in a huff about it. She didn't mean to be, but this was stressing her out and evidently, she was stressing out Alfie too. 

He even called his mother. They were going to meet her at the hospital.

Well, this wasn't the way she wanted to meet her.

"You mean, she's in town?" Zoey wrinkled her brow at this new information.

"Yes, when I told her about the pregnancy, she came clean with everything. She's been here..god, since last year." 

He sounded angry.

"Why did you call her?"

Just what they needed a spat on the way.

"I just had to, OK."

They were silent the rest of the way. It felt like a race to find out the truth. Of course, it felt weird being so unaware that she was pregnant. Somehow, she always thought she would know the moment of conception like it might be some sort of secret ritual only she could sense.

Of course, those days of quickies and ideas of making love in the kitchen, the shower and even on the couch during the Tonight Show were past due. These days were about temperatures and cycles and even following the moon. It felt so topsy-turvy now. She held her stomach. True, she felt all the medication she was taking lately was making her chubby and making it hard to poo.

Now, she felt woozy and downright exhausted. And there was his mother with some guy.

"You never said your mother was married," she whispered.

"I didn't know," he shrugged back as if he didn't even want to meet them. As if this was his biggest mistake of the year.

"He can't be any older than you?" Zoey said as she grabbed his hand. They were together in this. She couldn't let Alfie's mom think differently.