April 2008
“Kate, Nikki,” Avery spoke with a fake sweetness to her voice. Hoping it masked the terrified surprise she felt. Especially when it came to one of them blabbing to her mom that maybe they saw her holding hands with a girl. A girl who of course her mom would figure or suspect to be Paisley. “I wasn’t expecting you guys to be here.”
Kate laughed as she put her hand on her belly, “Actually I wasn’t expecting to be here either but then Nikki called me up and said she was craving ice cream and I realized that maybe I was too and with our husband’s gone and not able to fulfill our pregnant ice cream cravings we decided to come ourselves.”
Nodding her head Avery kept her guard up even as she smiled, “Seems like the best way to get that worked out,” she agreed as she looked at Nikki who also smiled at her though she remained silent.
Which maybe should have been expected since admittedly Avery wasn’t as close to Nikki or Isaac as she was Zac and Kate or even oddly Taylor and Natalie. Yeah she did babysit Everett on occasion but more so it was Taylor and Natalie’s kids she watched the most and she just usually hung out with Zac in general.
Except lately. Lately they had both just been so busy with other things that it felt like they were passing ships who only saw each other rarely at family dinners or events for the band where Avery was a kid wrangler and far too busy to talk to him.
“Oh definitely,” Nikki piped up using her normal sunshine tone. “Surprised to see you here too. The way Diana talks you’ve been so busy with studying that you barely leave the house.”
“I have been but I was leaving class tonight and my friend Paisley invited me to come for ice cream,” Avery explained as she turned to look at Paisley who had been standing there all quite.
Probably wondering who the heck the two women were but maybe she had figured it out some.
“Which I don’t think you two have met her yet,” Avery said as she looked back at her sister-in-laws. “She’s a new friend I made recently.”
Kate seemed to grin at that information, “New friends are nice,” she told Avery sounding honest in that which maybe surprised her since Kate was always cautious on letting people into her own inner circle. “Nice to meet you Paisley. I’m Kate and this is Nikki,” she said as she pointed to Nikki. “And we’re two of Avery’s sister-in-laws.”
Paisley smiled politely at that but even Avery from where she stood could see it was just as guarded as her own was. She too obviously on edge around Avery’s family probably because of the experience with her mom a few weeks back.
An experience that Avery would like to forget but one she was afraid she wouldn’t for a long time. Having realized that maybe her mother was far more close minded than Avery had expected her to be.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Paisley told them both and even with being guarded she did at least sound genuine in her response, which Avery thought was a good thing.
Though before anyone could say anything else, Paisley and Avery’s ice cream had been put into bowls and Paisley murmured something about paying before turning away quickly.
Leaving Avery to stare at her sister-in-laws.
“So are you guys going to stay and eat here?” Kate asked sounding hopeful. “If so maybe I can sit with you guys. Nikki has to get back home as her babysitter has an early errand to run tomorrow but I kind of don’t want to go home just yet. It can get pretty lonely without Zac at home sometimes,” she finished and Avery almost felt bad for Kate.
Knowing she wasn’t sure if she herself could take being married to someone who was gone a lot. Then again at the same time she would maybe never be able to get married legally so she guessed in her case she couldn’t take being a lifetime partner to someone who was gone a lot.
Which made her wonder if depending on what kind of job Paisley got in photography if she’d be home a lot or not. Which again made Avery feel pathetic, imagining a future with Paisley already. After not even a month of being official though it was almost a month.
In a matter of days it would be a month which was hard to believe. Because some days it felt just like yesterday that they had became official.
“Yeah we’re staying here and you can sit with us,” Avery answered not sure if Paisley would be okay with it but she’d probably feel guilty if she turned Kate down when Kate had asked so nicely.
She’d probably also be even more guilty if Zac somehow found out she had snubbed his wife when his wife had been nothing but nice to her.
Kate grinned at that sighing in relief which made Avery feel a bit better on sparing her feelings a bit.
When Paisley got done paying and handed Avery her cup of ice cream, Avery chewed her lip as she looked at Paisley. Hoping that she looked innocent enough in case Paisley got mad at her.
“I kind of told Kate she could sit with us,” Avery spoke softly as Kate and Nikki moved to make their order.
Paisley gave Avery an endearing smile as she shook her head and lead the way to the nearest table, “Of course you did because you’re such a caring soul Avie,” she spoke and well at least she didn’t seem mad.
If she was she was doing a bang up job in pretending and hiding it.
“I wish I felt half as caring sometimes as you think I am,” Avery muttered under her breath as she sat down next to Paisley at the table that Paisley had chosen and now Paisley’s smile did falter some.
“You are whether you believe it or not,” Paisley told her and she sounded confident in that but even with Paisley’s confidence Avery didn’t seem convinced.
After all she was inside of her own body twenty-four seven and most days she didn’t really seem caring. If she was caring wouldn’t she try to be close to all of her siblings and not select ones? If she was caring wouldn’t she just bend to what her mom wanted like she always used to do?
No, Avery was sure she was slowly losing her caring attitude or maybe she was only starting to truly care for people who showed her respect.
Before she could reply to Paisley though, Kate came to the table and slowly sat down. Finally accomplishing it with a gleeful smile.
“I’ll never get back up now probably,” Kate mused as she looked affectionately at her bump. “But I do think the baby inside is worth all the trouble he gives me now,” she said and Avery didn’t miss the wistful look in Kate’s eye.
Like maybe she was thinking about the baby she had lost and she could have been. Avery always suspected that the baby she miscarried would forever stay with Kate and Zac somehow. Even as they eventually had other babies and the years went on.
Avery had never been pregnant nor lost a baby but she did feel deeply for people who had. Kate and Zac included because they had both seemed so happy before things had turned out for the worst.
The little spark of happiness slowly dying though now it seemed maybe it was coming back. For Kate at least Avery wasn’t so certain about Zac sometimes especially not with how off he seemed in Austin the brief few times she had seen him last month.
“When are you due?” Paisley asked pulling Avery out of her thoughts and Avery blushed hoping neither Paisley or Kate had noticed her checked out.
Reaching for a spoon she took a bite of her ice cream before it melted anymore than it already had.
“Late May. Though he is probably stubborn enough he could stay in until June,” Kate teased as she took a bite of her own ice cream. “But we’re hoping not for my sake and I also kind of want Avie here to meet her nephew since she leaves the first week of June for her summer trip.”
Avery smiled at Kate’s words, “Then let’s hope he doesn’t acquire the Hanson soon gene,” she replied back knowing Hanson’s were known for doing things on their own time. “Because I really would love to be here for my nephew’s debut into the world.”
“I’ll pray you will be,” Kate told her and Avery believed fully that Kate would indeed probably go home and pray. Also not just because she wanted Avery to be there for the birth but also because she probably didn’t want to be pregnant longer than she had too. “So how exactly did you two meet?” Kate asked in between another bite of her ice cream. “I know I’ve met Juniper and Cordelia and Avery said you’re new so I’m just curious how you came to know our dear sweet Avie.”
Rolling her eyes at Kate’s words Avery was sure Kate had only added the last part to be nice. Maybe was still afraid Avery was in the same funk she had been in at Kate’s baby shower.
Paisley smiled some at the answer, this time not seeming as guarded as before, “Avery came into the record store where I work a lot and would just sit in a corner with her sketchpad and just draw the day away.”
“I didn’t always draw the day away,” Avery defended with a shake of her head as she looked at Paisley giving her a smile and maybe now she wasn’t as guarded either.
Not when she was able to look at Paisley and smile like her whole world was in front of her and pathetically maybe it was.
“Most of the day,” Paisley corrected as she stuck her tongue out at Avery. “Sometimes she’d read too but I always wondered why she came in there if she didn’t want to buy anything so one day I just got up the courage to ask her and she’s been a pain in my ass ever since.”
Avery only rolled her eyes again though she was also slightly surprised when Kate genuinely laughed at that. Even with the curse word that Paisley had dropped.
Mainly because Avery knew sometimes Kate could be weird on that but then again she was married to Zac and Avery doubted Zac had fully cleaned the dirty mouth he could sometimes have. So Kate was probably used to a curse word every now and then.
“Well I mean she has a huge family so I can’t blame her for needing a place just to get away,” Kate spoke as she turned to Avery briefly. “I’m sure if I had grown up stuck with six other siblings I’d need an escape too. Luckily I just had two brothers and sometimes I think they were the ones who needed a break from me.”
“Yeah Avie has told me horror stories and I met a few of them last month,” Paisley revealed with a shrug of her arms. “I’d probably need an escape from that circus too,” she spoke and Kate looked at Avery curiously.
“She met mom,” Avery explained as she took a bite of her ice cream. “And dad and the circus at home,” she said referring to the siblings who still lived there. “It was just a crazy night that night.”
Kate snorted as she looked down at her half empty ice cream cup, “When isn’t it a crazy night at the House of Hanson?” she asked jokingly. “I’m really surprised I kept coming back after meeting everyone but I guess Zachary bless his own crazy soul is worth it.”
“Only said by someone who didn’t have to live with him,” Avery shot back though it was only as a joke. She’d much rather have had Zac over some others in the end if her parents had cut their brood down to size. “But let’s not tell him that and damage his ego.”
“Scout’s honor,” Kate said before doing a tiny salute to Avery’s words. “But now I guess I’m just wondering do you think Avery is worth all the crazy Paisley?” she questioned and Avery didn’t once miss the way Kate looked at Paisley like maybe she was looking deeper for something.
Though Avery was almost afraid of what she could be looking for. Afraid that whatever it was maybe Kate would go and blab to Diana to keep her good daughter-in-law status that she strived for at times.
Paisley paused as if she was contemplating her answer before finally grinning, her eyes lighting up some as she looked at Avery, “Yeah I think she’s worth it,” she answered and Avery felt her heart skip a beat as she returned Paisley’s grin.
Hoping that neither of them looked too much like lovesick fools. At least not in front of Kate.
“Spoken like a true friend,” Kate spoke up bringing both Paisley and Avery out of their grin filled staring contest. “I think Avery is lucky to have you.”
“I think I am too,” Avery agreed with Kate watching as Paisley blushed at her words and after that the conversation seemed to change so effortlessly.
To books that both Avery and Kate had read recently because at least they did have that in common. As well as Kate asking Paisley about her job and school and how she liked college.
Something that of course Kate would be interested in as she was the only wife who had graduated from college. Probably the only Hanson who actively supported good higher education which Avery liked since she did want to attend a University and not Tulsa Community College like Jessica went too.
By the time the conversation was over and their ice cream had been finished Avery was surprised to find it was almost ten and she pouted slightly as Kate left and she stood with Paisley to leave as well.
“Kind of dreading going back home now,” Avery said as she reached for Paisley’s hand again, feeling safe in taking it now that Kate and Nikki were gone.
“Why? Because you love my presence so much?” Paisley questioned with an irritatingly playful smirk.
“Of course,” Avery replied with a nod of her head. “But also knowing I’m going to be up all night now thanks to that sugar and tomorrow is going to be horrible. Especially going to that play.”
Paisley laughed before squeezing Avery’s hand, “Just try not to fall asleep love,” she muttered and Avery again felt her heart beat skip when Paisley called her love.
“I’ll try not too cause I know Cordy will hate me forever if I do,” Avery said though deep down she was sure Cordelia wouldn’t but she would be upset.
Which was the last thing Avery wanted since they were slowly getting back to being good again after their slight fall out last month.