Though she's given up on art as a profession, Tatum still paints from time to time. It's a very different kind of creative process than inventing and sometimes that's just what she needs.
However, today's painting is interrupted by a violent churning in her stomach. She barely makes it to the toilet down stairs to throw up.
***
Another Lucky interlude while Tatum drags herself to the hospital to get checked out...
Since moving out, Lucky has been couch surfing. It started with Janel's brother offering him his room while he goes to college, and now he's been bouncing around the town. He spends most of his time fishing and doing odd jobs to pay his hosts. He's having a pretty good time.
Today, he braves the swamps in the search of toads. The Elixir Consignment store on the outskirts of town pays handsomely for those!
****
Tatum leaves the hospital with a life changing diagnosis- what she thought could be food poisoning is actually the early stages of pregnancy.
Her bubbling emotions aside, the morning sickness is already making her stomach churn again.
I've gotta tell Elias... after she finishes throwing up.
She doesn't waste any time biking up to his house. Instead of Elias, she only finds his aunt inside.
"Oh, he's working his shift at the theatre. He'll be back in the evening, though," Vera informs her.
"That's ok, I can come back..."
She comes back in the evening, but Elias still isn't home.
Feeling bad for the young woman, Vera insists that she join her for dinner. Tatum is ravenously hungry after not being able to eat all day and can't refuse.
"These are some really nice paintings," Tatum admires.
"Elias picked them out. If nothing else, the boy has good taste," Vera sighs. She's lived with him for too long to not have been exposed to a healthy dose of his indecision and barley audible mumbling. Talking to him has always been difficult for Vera despite her best efforts.
Joni, Elias's mother, sighs impatiently. "Where is your brother?" she asks Qiana, Elias's younger sister.
"I don't know mom! I'm not his babysitter," Qiana replies sulkily.
"No one in this house is ever useful!" Joni snaps.
Tatum shifts uncomfortably in her seat.
Elias comes in finally, not noticing his girlfriend sitting in his dining room.
"Elias, what took you so long?"
He crosses the room, launching into a tirade about how "that dumb bitch Kaira" made fun of his work outfit. Evidently, he ran into her on his way out of the theatre. Kaira and Janel are back for a few days before their next trip to Bridgeport.
"Well..." Joni stares at Tatum uncomfortably.
Elias looks over and his face immediately loses all colour.
"Tatum! Hi! I didn't see you there! Um..." he looks to his mother, but she lets him flounder helplessly.
Tatum's mind is occupied by other matters.
After her news, Elias gives her a shaky thumbs up.
"That's...cool, or whatever..."
"Elias, is that all you have to say!?" Tatum snaps at him.
"I'm sorry! I was just surprised! A baby? Really? Wow..." he suddenly thrusts out his hand and puts it on her stomach. Tatum jumps.
"Ah...sorry...can I...?"
"Well, there's nothing much to feel...but sure..."
They have a lot to talk about.
***
The next evening, Dot comes over to Erich's, shocked by Tatum's news.
"Slow down. So, her boyfriend lives with you two now?" Erich wants to get this story straight.
"Yes! It was all so sudden... I told them I'd stay and help with the baby in any way I can!"
Erich furrows his brows, "Didn't you say you wanted to retire soon?"
Dot wrings her hands, "Yes.." truth be told, she's getting too old to keep up with multiple, energetic toddlers and she hasn't been able to even find an assistant. "But I don't want to leave them without some extra money..."
Erich frowns, "Dot, you've given both of your kids so much already... Think about yourself for a minute. Don't you want to slow down?"
Dot sighs. "Of course I do... and honestly, the house will be crowded once the baby is born..." Dot does not have fond memories of living with six people in their cramped house. With her mother's living space now just a kitchen and Tatum's room now just a workspace, beds are in short supply. There's enough room right now for the three of them, but with a nursery and a new master bedroom, there will have to be some major renovation to accommodate the four of them plus Tatum's bulky inventing station. And that kind of renovation will need money.
Erich chooses his next words carefully, "You could move in with me. Retire. We can both send them some money if they need it..."
Dot blinks. "You'd do that? We aren't even married..."
Erich smiles bashfully. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to, I wanted to take things at your pace..."
Overcome with emotion, Dot dips Erich and plants a passionate kiss on his lips.
"I want to marry you, Erich."
Though her mind is still on her daughter and grandchild, Dot sleeps peacefully next to Erich that night. Somehow, she feels like everything will be ok.
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AN: Kind of a short chapter.
Dot moving out felt out of character to me, but I really want to give her some freedom. She's spent her entire life taking care of kids one way or the other, mostly by herself. This way, if she and Erich start a new family or not (Dot's still young enough for one more pregnancy and Erich is quite a bit younger than her), at least she'll be with someone she loves :)
On a more practical note, the house is awkwardly built. Even though the lot ispretty big, there aren't that many bedrooms. I turned Tatum's bedroom into a workspace, so now it's her easel and inventing station, and the kitchen downstairs that Damaris and Santiago used to sleep in is just a kitchen. Dot's little house is mostly the nursery downstairs and the upstairs is a living room/hang out. Right now, there are three bedrooms in the house (Dot's master bedroom, a small room attached to the nursery, and Kaira's old room on the second floor of the main house). If future generations have big families, I'll probably move them to a bigger lot in town.
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