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.

You could always count on me, darling

 "Well, sure I want to know how it's going with you two and Carrie," Axton smiled as he dribbled across the outside court behind the apartment complex. The weather was warmer, but winter seemed to have a chill near his feet. He went to make a layup and Oliver caught the ball when it bounced off the rim. Perhaps, Axton was off his game but it had felt like a long winter with such strange storms from the past month. 

"Oh, it's quite boring," Oliver's voice filled with laughter as he attempted a shot. They weren't really playing one on one basketball. Just warming up which Axton expected all it would be.

"Just the way I like it," Axton smiled back, but had to unload on Chili's unexpected morning sickness. "Sometimes, I think she needs a new job or something." He shrugged about the matter. He didn't remember this happening with Em.

"I hope she's not too miserable," Oliver said as Axton bounced the ball back to him.

"It's just," Axton sighed. "Unexpected. You know, when we think, not gonna happen again, it does. And it hits her pretty hard. It's like she needs hours of rest."

"Well, I hope she's getting checked out," Oliver said it like a reminder of some kind.

"She is," Axton assured him. "And I take it, you been sleeping good Olly?"

Oliver cracked a smiled. "I swear, Gabby could sleep through anything."

"Oh, really?" Axton smirked and took a shot at mid-court. Of course, he didn't make it, but the two kept moving as if it were a basket ball dance and the ball was the leading lady.

"Well, she's a bit of a hugger," Oliver admitted. 

Finally they took a break and Axton poured them some steaming creamed coffee from the thermos that he brought. They took a seat on the bench in the chill of the early morning. Everyone was asleep at sunrise.

"Hugger?" Axton gave him a squint.

"Yeah, it's like she's afraid I might leave, and I gotta say, there are times I would rather be on the couch," Oliver said, chilling in his thick hoodie and baggy jeans.

"You need to talk to her about that," Axton said. "Don't be afraid now. Gotta keep it real, you know."

"Uh-huh." 

Oliver nodded with a smile, but Axton knew he didn't believe him. About then, they heard another ball bouncing.

Axton looked up, it was Alfie and Gage.

"So, you two are ready to play?" Alfie asked as he dribbled a bit and showed off his ability to not miss a shot.

"Dang, what have you been up to, boy?" Axton chuckled with his arms stretched out across the back of the bench. "Don't you two want to have some coffee?"

"I think I do."

Gage trotted across the court and was happy to see the coffee in an extra cup sporting the Coffee Shop logo.  Of course, Alfie was busy practicing his basketball moves.

"You think he knows when to quit?" Axton asked.

"Oh, he's just anxious," Gage whispered. "There's a possibility Zoey might be pregnant."

"Then why isn't he home with her?" Axton scowled.

"He makes her nervous and then..you know, it's contagious I guess."

Gage shrugged as he sipped his coffee. Of course, Alfie kept taking shots as if he needed to tire himself out.