Ch.54

One day as Alex and I were getting ready for work, we got a call from Claire saying that Dede, Claire's mom, and Alex's grandmother died. So we were able to get emergency leave from work and head over to the Dunphy's house. Walking inside we see Luke going through a box of old kid toys. 

"Hey guys, check out the stuff Nana's husband brought over for us," Luke says taking out an old 'View-Master' and clicking through some old pictures of who knows. 

Alex then begins looking through the box, as I just stand behind her to be her emotional support. Even though the family wasn't that close with Claire's Mom, it was still their grandmother, so I wanted to be there for her. Then as Luke was clicking away and Alex was rummaging around Haley walked in. 

"Oh, cool!" Haley says seeing Luke play with an old toy. 

"Yeah, Nana left us her old toy box from her house," Alex says holding an old dinosaur toy.

"Awe, bless her hoarding heart," Haley says with a sentimental smile. 

"Remember how I used to hide in here and pop out like a scary monster?" Luke says with a sentimental smile now too. The sisters smile back at him remembering their childhood. 

"I had so much promise back then," Luke says like he left something behind, I just stare at him trying not to sigh at his stupidity. 

"A stick horse that vibrates? I never got the point," Alex says pulling out the old toy, as I stare at her with an expression of 'really'. 

"I don't know, but I remember spending hours riding on it," Haley says making me stare at her in disbelief too. 

"Same," Luke says nodding his head. As I now shutter at the thought. 

"Oh, Lookie here, Alex. The source of your greatest shame, the puzzle that I solved but you never did," Luke says pulling out an old bag that I can't tell what's in there. Alex gives me a side glance then looks back to Luke.

"Who cares? We were just dumb kids," Alex says with a forced chuckle still upset about it, it seems. 

"Uhm, no. We were dumb kids, and you were the genius. That must eat away at you," Haley says pointing to herself and Luke, then gesturing to Alex with a smirk. 

'Scoff' "Please, I graduated with my PhD in Biochemistry and work at the top hospital in the state," Alex says looking at them with pride, but I can see the annoyance hidden on her face. 

"Give me that damn puzzle!" Alex says ripping it from Luke's hands giving into her wounded pride making us all look at her knowing it was coming. 

"Oh, my God, it's Lulu! She was my favorite toy," Haley says pulling out a very old and ugly-looking pink doll from the early nineties. 

Haley then begins to cradle the doll for a few seconds looking down at it. Then she begins crying all of a sudden making us all look at her confused. 

"I guess I– I just really miss Nana," Haley says breaking up still. However, a part of me starts to rack my memory, and then my eyes widen at realizing she is pregnant. 

'Who is the father this time? She is still with Andy, but then Dylan showed up… oh fuck, this is gonna be a big thing isn't it?' I think to myself while looking at the crying Haley. 

After that, the siblings all go about their day, with Alex dragging me into the kitchen as I spend the next couple of hours online shopping for some items for our apartment. Alex is trying her best to solve that weird puzzle she could never solve. With the money we are both making and saving up, I plan on asking her to marry me next weekend, however, with Dede's death it might have to be pushed back. 

"Oh, my God, you're cheating," Luke says walking in and catching Alex using her laptop to solve the puzzle. 

"No!" Alex says while giving me a side glare since I was supposed to be looking out but kinda forgot. 

"You're looking at ways to solve the puzzle," Luke says as the laptop clearly shows that's exactly what Alex is doing. 

"How'd you do it, you pea-brain?" Alex says giving Luke a very annoyed glare, before grabbing a meat mallet and smashing the puzzle in anger. 

"What is wrong with me?" Alex says as I look away not wanting to answer that one. 

"Maybe Dr. Johnson is right. Maybe I don't have what it takes to live on Mars," Alex says as I look over at her confused since she has started seeing a new psychologist at the hospital for her anger and stress issues. Then she goes back to smashing the puzzle. 

"Stop, stop! It's not you! After I solved the puzzle, I wanted to make sure you couldn't. So, I broke a few pieces and glued some others together. It can't be solved," Luke says as Alex calms down for a second, but then stares at Luke with utter hatred, a look I've only seen a few times on her face. 

"I've had nightmares over that puzzle! I cried about it in therapy!" Alex says and starts to attack Luke. 

"Don't let her hurt me! Gabe! Stop! Not the hair!" Luke says as Alex starts to put him in a chokehold. 

I get up and grab Alex as she struggles in my hold trying to keep attacking Luke. At the same time, Haley comes into the kitchen and grabs Luke pulling him away further. 

"What the hell?" Haley says as we break them up. 

"Luke started it!" Alex says trying to grab him again with an annoyed growl. 

"Yeah, well, you make him feel dumb. And he acts like it doesn't bother him, but it does. And Luke, you know better than to mess with someone so uptight," Haley says berating both her younger siblings. Alex looks very offended and ready to smack Haley if she isn't held back by me. 

"What do we always say?"Haley continues while staring at Luke. 

"Don't break Alex. She's our safety net," Luke says with a sigh as both Alex and I share an incredulous look. 

"Now, you both need to calm down. Luke walk it off," Haley says and Luke grunts in annoyance but walks away. Seeing Luke walk away I place Alex down but hold her close to me in case she attacks Haley next. 

"Oh, no. Where's Lulu?!" Haley says looking very scared and nervous. 

"Wh–Huh, the doll?" Alex says looking at her confused, while I understand Haley is using the doll as a test run for her pregnancy. 

"Who cares?" Alex says very confused at Haley's panicked behavior. 

Just then Haley pulls the doll out of the freezer, as I stare at Haley in disbelief worried about her future child. Haley then leaves with the doll crying on her way out. Alex stares at Haley leaving for a few seconds very confused at her behavior. I just look at Alex and shrug, Alex then quickly follows after Haley. With a sigh, I follow after them. 

"Haley, what's going on with you today? Are you ok?" Alex says as Haley walks into the living room holding the doll close to her. 

"Okay, um… So, no one else knows, especially Mom and Dad, so you guys can't tell anybody, but… I'm pregnant," Haley says giving Alex and me a very scared and nervous look. 

"You're pregnant!" Luke says busting out of the old toy box surprising us all. 

"Damn it, Luke!" Haley says looking panicked. 

"Wow!... Uhm… Wait Gabe you knew?" Alex says registering the information and looking at me as if I'm not that surprised. 

"To be honest, yeah. I could tell the minute she started crying about the doll, plus she has some bloating. I do work for the best diagnostician," I say as Haley gives me an annoyed look at the bloating part. 

"Guys, don't look at me like that ok?! You must think I'm some irresponsible idiot, don't you?" Haley says and looks ready to cry again sitting down. Alex and I share a look both feeling that way, but Alex speaks up. 

"Um, uh, it's a– Wow, that's– You got– That's a lot to process… I… Do you know who's the–" Alex starts to say butchering her words unsure what to say. 

"It's Andy's," Haley says taking me by surprise, as I thought she'd possibly cheat on Andy. 

"Oh… What a joyous–" Alex begins to speak again. 

"Oh, save it. He's been great, actually. I'm the disaster. I mean, look at Lulu!" Haley says and then holds up the doll, a second later one of the legs falls off. 

"I'm gonna be a horrible mother," Haley says starting to cry again. 

"I mean, it's just a doll… Plus there are parenting classes you can take and books you can read. We even have a program at the hospital," I say with Alex nodding her head. 

"Plus you've been taking care of Luke and me, our whole lives," Alex says sitting down next to Haley placing a hand on her shoulder. 

"Yeah, remember how you used to pick out my first day of school outfits so I wouldn't get beat up?" Luke says sitting down on Haley's other side. 

"Or how you'd hold the book while I read myself a bedtime story?" Alex says as I place a hand on Alex's shoulder for her weird childhood. 

"And you're still doing it. You just swooped in and handled our fight like a pro. And you're understanding and loving and a total badass," Alex says making Haley smile at hearing their words of encouragement. 

"She's right. You're the kind of person that can patch things up if, say, Alex ever found out that I re-arranged the stickers on her Rubik's Cube," Luke says as Alex stares at him with hatred again. Though I place my hand on her shoulder as she just glares at Luke. 

"Gabe… would you be my Doctor?" Haley says breaking the silence as Alex is staring at Luke with anger. 

"Uh, what? I'm not OB/GYN," I say looking at Haley confused. 

"Ok, but can you atleast help if I have any questions," Haley says looking at me with a pleading look, as Alex gives me a silent look to say yes. 

"Sure…," I say as Haley looks relaxed again. 

"What am I gonna tell Mom and Dad?" Haley says with a heavy sigh, leaning back into the couch. 

"They are gonna find out eventually, I'm gonna get fat," Haley says poking her stomach. 

"You should have a few more weeks before any obvious signs start to show. So you have a bit more time to think about how to break it them," I say as Haley nods her head with her siblings just giving her reassuring looks. 

"Alex, Gabe, can you both be there when Andy and I break the news?" Haley says to us as we both share a look. 

"Yeah, we'll be there," Alex says nodding her head, and I slowly nod my head too, just expecting my fate of that awkward conversation. 

"What about me?" Luke says looking annoyed he wasn't asked. 

"Uhm…" Haley says trying to think of how to word it. 

"I'm just kidding, I'd rather die than be at that awkward ass dinner," Luke says with a laugh making Haley and Alex give him annoyed looks. 

"I guess tomorrow, could you guys come back and we can all break the news?" Haley says to us turning from Luke who has now left the room. 

"Of course, we'll be there," Alex says as Haley smiles and leaves taking out her phone to call Andy I assume.

"Think we can call out sick for tomorrow's dinner?" I say once Alex and I are alone. 

"I wish," Alex says with a sigh as we both dread tomorrow's dinner.