dally

“Would that certain website be Reality Steve? Or is it Reddit? I’m very active on the latter when it comes to The Bachelor franchise. I hope she does; she deserves better. But she’s too young to be the next Bachelorette. –Ooh, Dally… We should nominate you.”

“Reality Steve. There’s people on Reddit talking about The Bachelor? --I hope she does too. She’s way too young. And I doubt she’d go to Bachelor in Paradise. --Darce. Do it. Do it. Make me The Bachelor and get Hannah B. to go back on.”

“He and Madison would never work in the real world, but I think she’s the biggest contender because he said he loves her before any of the other girls… Even though it’s against the rules for the lead to tell the contestants that he’s in love with them… Hey, you’re a local celebrity. Try shooting your shot, we could make you go viral.” 

“Yeah, true. But I read from a certain website that there’s more to the story and Madison possibly leaves? --Oh, I’ve been trying. She’s an Alabama girl, I’m a Georgia man-- we’d be a match made in heaven.”

“Don’t get me started on Pilot Pete. I knew he would be a terrible Bachelor the second he was announced. He’s too hung up on Hannah B. to make a decision, but if he is going to choose anyone, he’ll probably go with Madison.”

“Hannah B. is too good for him. As is Madison-- though I think she’s way too young for him anyway. And I don’t really think they’re as compatible as they might look. He doesn’t really fit her needs of wanting a religious husband. But he and Hannah B. definitely aren’t getting back together. She’s probably going to get with her partner from Dancing With the Stars. Or me, I’m still holding out hope.”

“You’re missing a key element –they can’t see each other, they talk through a wall. They get engaged to a total stranger. Oh, come on. It’s shittier than this season of The Bachelor.” 

“Even shittier than The Bachelor? Alright, count me in. I didn’t think anyone could beat Pilot Pete is the Bachelor-- it’s been a goddamn train wreck watching him make stupid decisions. Not to mention, he’s been absolutely boring.”

“You, me, my place. I’m cooking and forcing you to watch that awful new show Love is Blind with me. You can’t agrue it because I’m pregnant.” @dallaswebb​

“Are we talking about the show where you have people who’ve known each other for two days tell each other they’re in love? Because I don’t think I could handle that, D.”

Raising her eyebrows, she nodded at the man currently holding her cup of coffee. “Uh huh. You did. I would say you don’t have to apologize but I take my coffee very seriously.” She offered and smile and nodded before seeing the bills in his hand. “..Do you know how much a coffee costs?” She asked with a laugh. “I’m hoping your parents didn’t name you Serena too.” She chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me about caffeine withdrawals. If I try and go to lunch without any coffee..” She let out a whistle. “Bad things happen.”

“--Yes, but I’m also compensating you for the time it’ll take them to make you a new coffee since I took a sip and you probably don’t want it back,” Dallas began to explain. “Plus, the stress of having to see some strange take your coffee? It’s like getting hit by a car you didn’t see coming, it’s only right I pay for the damages,” he murmured with a laugh. “Nope, not Serena, Dallas, actually. Dallas Webb.” He held out his free hand to shake hers. “Well, I’m glad it’s not only me who has a serious problem when it comes to caffeine. I’ve tried support groups, but I almost took someone out for bringing in decaf for refreshments, so I was told not to come back.”

“You really are out of it before your caffeine, Dal. I don’t know how you would think Lucy sounds like Dallas.” She chuckled and took the cup. “You don’t have to buy another one, we’re family, after all.” When they finally called up his name, she grabbed the drink and motioned for him to follow, leading him to an empty table in the corner. She set his drink across from her. “You need to be careful about throwing those bills around.”

“--Weird things happen when I don’t have my morning coffee, Luce-Goose,” Dallas replied, following after her to an empty table. “Oh, it’s no big deal. I have plenty of it-- more than I need, really,” he murmured as he finally took a sip of his coffee, sighing in relief. “Oh, that’s good.”

“We can look it up. I’ve got a few apps. –I did, thank you.” The brunette popped the rest of the broken up cookie into her mouth and chewed. She wasn’t sure why fortune cookies were a thing when 99.9% of the time, they tasted like cardboard. “But I think I’ll enjoy what’s after dinner a little bit more. If y’know what I mean.”

“An asshole, that’s who.” Tabitha crumbled her own faulty fortune up and threw it into the bag with the rest of the empty take out cartons. “Today’s was ‘You’ll get a shitty fortune cookie’. How accurate is that?”

“Only listen to fortune cookie, disregard all other fortune telling units. –As stupid as that sounds, you have to admit it’s pretty funny. As if this fortune cookie things I’m going to stop reading my horoscope.” 

@dallaswebb

“It’s better than mine. ‘The fortune you seek is in another cookie’? Who the hell wrote these fortunes? They’re awful.” He shook his head and tossed the slip of paper onto the coffee table, setting down the broken cookie in front of him. “--What was today’s horoscope?”

“I also had a kale salad the other day for lunch.” In Darcy’s book, stomaching raw kale was enough to make her the Patron Saint of Whole Foods. She understood that Dallas worried about her –he wouldn’t have been her big brother if he didn’t. But at the same time, she was determined to do this… Determined to make her mother proud. The bakery was a success and she’d be a good mother. “God no. I wouldn’t touch that prick with a ten foot pole for the last year of our marriage. Atticus has no reason to be jealous,” Darcy murmured. She took a deep breath. This was the moment she’d finally let somebody in on her secret. Dallas was well aware of the affair, simply because she and Atticus hadn’t tried to hide it in front of her family. Now it was time for the kicker. “Because the baby’s his.” 

“Oh, a kale salad? Jeez, you’re a real health nut now, huh?” Dally teased, his eyes bright with amusement. “We should start taking walks, I hear that’s good for you and the baby, too.” He had to let out a sigh of relief, when he found out that no, the baby was definitely not her ex-husband’s-- he wouldn’t be able to stand having to share DNA with that asshole. “Thank god...” he took a sip of coffee, glancing at a newspaper in front of him absent-mindedly. “I don’t think I could stand to share my niece of nephew with that shithead. --Wait, what?” He stopped, eyes wide. “Did you just-- the baby--?” He set his cup down, unsure whether he’d heard correctly. “Darcy. Say that again.”

“I’m taking care of myself. Look at me –I’m drinking fresh pressed grapefruit juice. I haven’t inhaled a whole pie in weeks. I’m the picture of health.” Darcy knew what Dallas meant –mentally, she was being hard on herself. Something needed to change. Despite their loving quarrels, the Webb siblings knew each other inside and out. She’d never been able to lie to him because he’d figure it out within a split second. “Disgust then. Because I’m pregnant and he wasn’t expecting it.” And because he probably assumed it was with her ex-husband’s baby. 

“Yes, the absolute picture of health,” he murmured back, rolling his eyes. “One fresh cup of juice doesn’t suddenly make you Wonder Woman, Darce.” He chuckled, shaking his head at his little sister. Honestly? He worried about her. She was doing all this alone, with no guidance from their mother, and was struggling with it, on top of losing their mom so recently. He just wanted to make sure Darcy was okay. “Oh, please. That was definitely not disgust. If anything, he looked jealous. To see you pregnant. I think his mind automatically jumped to your charming husband being the father. --He’s not, right?” For all he knew, she’d had one last roll in the hay with her ex husband before divorcing him.

“She’d be kicking me in the ass right about now, telling me to get my shit together.” Darcy gave her brother a melancholy smile. She reached for his hand to give it a squeeze. Though they both handled their grief differently, she could tell Dallas was still reeling too. “Maybe she’s manifested herself in the form of my morning sickness,” she laughed. Feeling a wetness prickle at her eyes, Darcy let go of Dallas’ hand and dabbed at them with a napkin. “I’m sure he’s moved on. Lucy’s wonderful… He probably was just in shock.” 

“Absolutely,” he replied with a grin. It was hard, talking about their mom-- she’d only passed recently, so it was all still a fresh wound, one that still ached everyday, as much as he tried to ignore it. “Well, that would explain it. She’s reminding you there’s a little one in there and take care of yourself.” Dallas watched as she dabbed at her tears, and sighed softly. He really hated when she cried; something he’d always hated, even when they were kids. It made it very hard for him to give her a hard time. “Well, yeah, no kidding. He’s invited to a family reunion, and who shows up? You with a bun in the oven, followed by me and Dad. I probably would’ve been in shock too, in a similar situation. --But I didn’t just see shock in his face.” Dally shrugged. 

“Exactly… I’ll never sleep again.” Darcy let out another groan and took a sip of her drink. Chagrins aside –she was excited to be a mom. She’d just hoped it would have come along entirely differently and she wouldn’t have to do it without her mother. “I know you guys are all here and willing to help. I just wish I didn’t have to go through without her, though, y’know?” Darcy felt no need to clarify her statement –Dallas would understand. “It’s selfish, but no… I didn’t think he would have. Because I haven’t… Entirely. And it sucks.”

He really didn’t need her to clarify who was the she, she was referring to. Smiling sadly, he nodded. He missed his mother-- she and Darcy were always really close, though, so he could imagine how Darce was feeling. Especially now that she was pregnant and had no guidance. “I know. She would’ve loved to be here for this,” he started, quickly taking a sip of coffee to hide the emotion on his face. “And she is here, in a way. In spirit. Not the same, I know.” He shook away the thoughts of their mother, and frowned. He honestly felt terrible for Darcy, Atticus, and Lucy. It was a very weird situation. So many feelings involved. This was exactly why he avoided serious relationships altogether. “I don’t think he’s entirely moved on, either, if it makes you feel any better. I saw the way he was looking at you. He was... not expecting to see you at the reunion. Or expecting us all to be related. I feel bad for the guy.”

“I’m going to have to in a few months. I’m never going to sleep again.” Her brother remained unintimidated by her, which was not surprising, but terribly disappointing. It was much easier to get back at him when they were kids. “Awkward and uncomfortable…” A weight lifted off her shoulders as she admitted how she actually felt. “I didn’t think he and I could just pick up where we left off, but… I thought I’d at least have a chance, y’know?” 

“Don’t be so dramatic. You’ll sleep again, just... never as good as you once did,” he joked. “Besides, if you ever need help with the little one so you can catch up on some shut eye, you know Dad and I will be more than happy to help. Lucy, too. And Diana.” He nodded. He could only imagine. Just seeing it all unfold at the reunion had been awkward, and he was an outsider to the situation, just related to the two girls involved in the love triangle. “You didn’t think he would’ve moved on.”

“I didn’t intend to get myself knocked up. If I’d known I couldn’t drink coffee, I’d have been more careful.” She gave Dallas a snarky smile and then took a sip of her juice. Fresh pressed grapefruit juice wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t hold a candle to a latte. “I will kill you.” Darcy’s smirk turned cold as her brother teased her. Her hormones were sending her on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Happy, sad, murderous, hysterical –she could be all three in the matter of moments. “With her,” Darcy finished. “It’s a little more than strange.” Considering the fact that Lucy was dating the father of her baby –unbeknownst to the two of them. 

Dallas let out a laugh and nodded. “Lesson learned, right? At least you’ll be able to in a few months.” He grinned back at her, completely unfazed by her expression and threat; she was dangerous, but while pregnant? Not so much. She might be hormonal, but she’d have to catch him first. “Well, yes.” He frowned, taking another sip of his coffee. “How are you feeling about it? Really.”