Atticus brushed his nose against hers; all he had to do was angle his face just right, and their lips would meet. And he wanted to do it, so bad. He reached up, cupping her face in his hands, heart roaring in his ears as he came closer and closer to what everything his body was begging him to do– but before he could press his lips against hers, he thought of Lucy, and what she would think, or say, if she knew he’d kissed Darcy. He imagined her face, her reaction, and instead of bringing his lips down to Darcy’s, even though it was against everything he wanted and everything his body knew, he lifted his face and kissed her forehead again. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I wish I could be mad at you, but… I can’t. And I can’t be trusted not to cross a boundary with you, either,” he admitted. He carefully pulled away from her, trying to put some distance between them. “We can’t do that to Lucy.” He frowned, looking down at the tile floor of the diner. “–Speaking of…. Can you let me tell her about… this? The baby, I mean? I’d rather keep what almost just happened…. she doesn’t need to be hurt by something that didn’t happen. But I think I need to be the one to tell her about being the father.”

So close. They’d been so close. If only she’d closed the distance quicker... Though, Atticus had a valid point. If they kissed, it would add another layer of hurt to the news they had to share with Lucy. And as much as she wanted Atticus to kiss her, she couldn’t hurt her cousin like that. It would have been the ultimate betrayal. “I understand.” Her throat was tight, her voice thick. Darcy took a step backwards to separate herself from him --she needed some air. “No, you’re right. She doesn’t need to know about this.” Darcy gestured between the two of them. “I mean... The kiss. We obviously have happened in the past. And the baby... I agree. You should tell her. I don’t... I don’t think I can.”

He shook his head, brow quirking. “I’m not going to get mad at you, Darcy,” he murmured softly, hands running up and down her back as her fingertips grazed against his cheeks, making him long for her. He told himself he was getting caught up in the moment, that they were just happy about their baby, that they were looking at each other the way they were because it was out of habit, and they were forgetting themselves for a moment. “I could never get mad at you,” he admitted, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers. Sure, part of him was frustrated that she’d led him to believe that she was having her husband’s baby, but he understood why she’d done it. She’d been through a lot in the last year– and she’d come back to find him dating her cousin. “Maybe about other things, but not this, Darce.”

“You should.” Apparently, old habits died hard --or didn’t die at all. With their foreheads resting together, it was obvious just how close their lips were and Darcy was itching to press hers against his. Be it out of familiarity, out of emotion... The pull was just as strong as ever. “It makes it easier not to want to kiss you when you’re mad at me.” Darcy wasn’t sure how true that statement was, given that she always felt the urge to kiss him. She took a deep breath, trying to find the will to take a step back, but found it all the more difficult. “Please.”

As she entered his embrace, Atticus sighed, burying his face against her hair as he cradled her against him. It felt just the way they used to do it. Before her mom died, before she left Summerville. When she’d have a rough day, and he’d go to her apartment, or she’d come over to the diner, and they just held each other and comforted each other through whatever was happening, whether it was just a bad day or Darcy’s mom taking a turn for the worse. “Our daughter,” he repeated, quietly laughing in her ear, tightening his arms around her before gently pulling back so he could look down properly at her. “I hope I’ve made it clear that I’m…. all in on this. I want to be a part of everything from this point forward,” he murmured, gently caressing her face before leaning in and kissing her forehead. 

For the longest time (and as cheesy as it sounded) Darcy’s favorite place had been in Atticus’ arms. It was warm, safe, and comforting. There’d been countless occasions where she’d found solace curled up against his chest --and she hoped he felt the same. Even now, Darcy swore she could feel the muscles of his chest soften up under her cheek. “Yeah,” she murmured once more, a very slight laugh escaping her lips. She reached up to wipe the remnants of his tears away with her thumbs, the pads of her fingers smoothing gently over his skin. This also felt incredibly familiar too --the steady, heady pull towards his lips. Darcy willed the feeling to go away, but it was magnetic. “Very clear. But I’m begging you to get mad at me... Because I’m scared I’m about to cross a boundary.” 

shane: sure. not still.

shane: well, soap operas get their inspiration from somewhere.

shane: no, it's very... um, considerate. and true. it is congrats to him.

darcy: soap operas are not supposed to come to life. they're supposed to be afternoon entertainment.

darcy: you've got a point.

Atticus wiped at his eyes as the tears fell, and he could hear the scrape of the metal stool against the floor as she pushed off the chair, feeling her approach him from behind the counter. Something she’d done before, often. She’d usually come in during the slower hours of the night, when he didn’t have many customers and it was perfectly fine to make out behind the counter that usually separated them. He inhaled deeply, trying to regain his composure as she came around, turning his face away still, so she wouldn’t see his bloodshot eyes and tearstained cheeks, or the red tip of his nose. He had to laugh at the thought of him not wanting a girl. He wasn’t those kinds of guys who thought he needed to have a son to pass on his legacy– that kind of stuff didn’t matter to him, unlike the men that lived in town and often ignored their daughters to favor their sons. He’d never understood why anyone would do that. “–No, no, Darce…” he shook his head, wiping at his eyes again before turning to her. “How could I not want a girl? A beautiful, sweet little girl? I’d be happy if you were having a boy, but you’re having a girl, and…. it’s amazing,” he murmured, eyes welling up with tears again, but he didn’t bother to hide his face this time. What was the point? “It’s just… knowing there’s a little baby in there, a baby girl… it’s hitting me that this is really happening.” He hesitated, but slowly opened his arms to her. For the last few months, she’d done this all alone, and now, she didn’t. They had each other. And he wanted her to know that he was here for her. “We’re having a daughter.”

“Atti,” Darcy pleaded, trying to get him to look at her. Her own expression was overcome with an emotion that she hadn’t quite experienced yet --acceptance. Acceptance with her pregnancy, with their situation. Something deep inside of her told her it was going to work itself out. Having told him, she’d jumped one of the biggest hurdles towards becoming happy with the circumstances --excited, even. “Please look at me.” Her voice broke and a few tears strolled down her cheeks. Relief flooded through her when he shot down every one of her fears. She’d never taken Atticus as being prideful, but this was an entirely new thing. He could have had dreams of passing his diner down to his son, much like his own father. “Our baby girl.” It felt surreal to say, as did walking right into his open arms. Darcy pressed her cheek against Atticus’ warm chest and held on tightly, not taking the moment for granted. She got lost in his embrace, only mildly forgetting their history... Him dating her cousin... It was just them and their daughter. “Our daughter.”

“It might. A lot of women get pregnant and don’t know how to tell their husbands or boyfriends… or exes. It’s unique.” He watched her, noticing the slight glassiness in her eyes when he mentioned her mom; he knew this had to be hard for her. Not just dealing with her death, still, but becoming a new mom, without having a mom anymore. He wished his dad was here right now, too. “It’s the perfect amount dark chocolate, mousse, and…. I didn’t think it was possible, but apparently surprise has a taste.” He took another bite, blue eyes careful to not linger on her for too long. It was a bad habit he needed to break. But he couldn’t help it. He knew her almost as well as he knew himself, and had spent months of time with her. He’d picked up little things she did here and there, and he could tell that she was really struggling, with all of it. “Yeah?” he paused as he chewed, eyebrows raised as he waited for her to reveal what they were having. He didn’t know what he was really hoping for– she’d just told him five minutes before, and whether it came out a boy, girl, or some sort of mutant, he’d still be overwhelmed. But when she finally told revealed that they were having a little girl, Atticus let out a loud breath, carefully placing his spoon down before turning around so she wouldn’t see him cry. 

“You’re right.” Now wasn’t the time to think about business decisions and menu additions, but Darcy filed the thought into the ‘Later’ folder in her brain. She took another bite and managed to catch what felt like his gaze on her, her cheeks reddening slightly. Darcy was sure she looked a mess; runny mascara, red eyes, pink tinged cheeks. At least she wasn’t the only one having difficulty with accepting their new normal. She missed him. Romantic relationship or not, Atticus had proved to be one of her best friends. “Surprise has a taste... I like that.” Another mental note to ruminate over later. “Thank you.” Her spoon sliced into the dark chocolate mousse once more as she filled up the time for him to process their baby being a girl. A girl. Telling Atticus made it all feel more real. Darcy hadn’t told anyone --she’d vowed now to until she told him. “Atticus?” As he turned away from her, she felt her heart lurch. She hopped down from her stool and crossed behind the counter. “Atti, is everything okay? Do you.. Not want a girl or something?” 

“Stop. It’s not.” He shook his head and slowly cut his spoon through his slice of pie, and took a careful bite. It was wonderful. Of course it was. She’d baked it, after all. And it was his You’re Going to be a Dad pie. How could he not love it? He took another bite, sighing softly. “It’s delicious, Darce. Could be a real top seller.” He sighed again, nodding towards her. “C’mon, take a bite. You’ve outdone yourself. Your mom would be very proud.” He gently pushed her plate closer to her, trying to offer an encouraging smile, but he was pretty sure he just looked constipated. Despite the pie, he was still thinking about Lucy. And what a mess he’d caused for all of them. “Do you know what you’re having?” He paused. “What… we’re having?” It was strange, how they were just Atticus and Darcy before, each their own person, but now were a we, again. Soon to be parents, together. “I’m going to have to get used to that. Wrap my head around the entire thing.”

Darcy watched him tentatively --it was frustrating how he managed to look good eating a slice of pie. She tried not to let her gaze linger too long on the way he brought his spoon to his lips. Damn hormones. “Thanks... I might have to change the name, y’know? It might not be super marketable to the masses with its original title.” She eyed the plate he pushed towards her just as carefully. Darcy’s eyes welled up at the mention of her mother. Right now was a moment where she needed her --she willed her to materialize in front of her with some guidance. “Okay,” she murmured, picking up her own spoon to take a bite. Atticus was right --she had outdone herself. “I... Yeah.” Shamefully, Darcy kept her gaze down on her piece of pie. She’d also found that information out without him, which was sure to make the wounds sting a little more. “We’re...” Her lips felt strange pronouncing the word. Up until now, it’s only been hers. “I know what you mean,” she added. “We’re having a girl.” 

“It’s not stupid,” he replied with a shake of his head, pushing away from the counter and moving back towards her again, swallowing hard. “It’s…. actually what I think I need right now. A piece of pie and a glass of milk. That always makes me feel better when I’m not feeling at my best,” he murmured. He reached under the counter for a couple of plates, and a knife, quickly cutting out a couple of slices and placing one on each plate, gently pushing one slice over to her. “It’s not stupid,” he repeated. “What’s the name of this one?”

“It is stupid.” Darcy wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and briefly checked herself in the semi-reflective countertop. Her mascara was a mess, but she didn’t care --Atticus had seen her a lot worse. She watched as he retrieved the plates. Her mother often said that a good slice of pie could solve majority of the world’s problems. Darcy wasn’t sure how accurate it was, but it was still a code she lived by and her baby daddy had exactly the right idea. “You’re Going to be a Dad Dark Chocolate Mousse Pie.” As he cut into it, she watched as the words ‘Congrats’ in whipped cream got all smushed up. “I’m thinking of adding it to the menu,” she added sarcastically. 

shane: and still.

shane: i noticed. that's quite a pickle to be in. but i'm sure things will work out, one way or another.

shane: ...

shane: well... that's... one way to do it...

darcy: not still.

darcy: or my cousin will be my baby's step mom. that's right out of a soap opera.

darcy: i know.

lucy: no, i don't.

lucy: that's true.

lucy: i have some plaid ones, they're really cool.

darcy: EXCUSE ME?? sounds fake. you do. end of discussion.

darcy: plaid would be kind of cool. it's back in for fall.

Maggie: I have no doubt about that. You seem like a natural, and Caroline loves you, too, so I know that

Maggie: Mm not exactly.... I told Ade I'd be having dinner with a friend, but I lied....?? I don't know why I lied. I guess I wanna make him squirm just a bit. Well, squirm more. But anyway... I'm free on Friday if you wanna go out to dinner or see a movie or something.

Maggie: I'm all ears, whenever you need me, darlin

Maggie: My phone will be on full volume from this day forward!

Darcy: God, I hope I have a girl. Hanging with Caroline has spoiled me.

Darcy: I won't know what to do with a boy.

Darcy: Make him squirm. He kind of deserves it. Not kind of. He totally deserves it.

Darcy: I'd love to! Consider me your very hot, kind of pregnant date.

Diana: Maybe, but your mom also died.

Diana: I'll drink for you.

Diana: You can eat junk food, at least.

Darcy: My mom died and it was my responsibility to stay and look after the diner and I shirked that. Just ask Dally.

Darcy: I'm going to bake 12 pies and attempt to eat them all. Want to help?

shane: just a little bit.

shane: i knew you two liked each other from the moment i saw you two in the same room.

shane: i just put one and one together.

shane: i'm guessing it didn't end in a celebration.

darcy: he and i liked each other a long time ago, hence the baby.

darcy: he likes my cousin now and she likes him very much.

darcy: far from a celebration.