Expect the Unexpected (Kiko)

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

It was a rare weekend that both Rome and Kiko had an entire weekend off together. Her hospital schedule was forever changing and unpredictable at times, and while his schedule in private practice was a little steadier, there was always the possibility of an urgent after hours case.

But having the weekend together was fantastic.

Though if he thought about it, Kiko had been a little bit... off, since Friday night. They'd had date night, but she'd been unusually tired. He'd tried to worry after her, but she'd waved him off. It wasn't unusual for her to be tired from work, but... well, if she said she was fine.

Saturday morning Rome had gotten up early and flipped the coffee on before drifting to the television and, after careful consideration, fired up his fancy new Xbox One. He had a few games he needed to finish, but he wasn't in the mood to campaign until at least two cups of coffee. Instead, he threw in his copy of Lego Avengers and got to work running around and collecting things. The volume was kept low, to keep his wife from waking before she was ready. Once she was up he would look at cooking breakfast, but for now he was happy drinking coffee and sneaking Pop Tarts from the pantry. Adulthood? What was that?

[Tsukiko Aoki]

Kiko had been utterly exhausted lately. No matter how much she slept she still felt fatigued. She also was hungrier than usual, and whenever she ate high salt items her ankles swelled up.

Was this what she had to look forward to as she aged? She was decidedly not thrilled by that.

But then her period was late. She told herself it was only late by a day, and had gone to bed convincing herself not to get her hopes up.

In the morning she still hadn't had her period.

She was getting her hopes up.

She knew it was foolish, because she'd be so crushed when she was wrong, but....

She took out the little pregnancy kit anyway, and then suppressed a squeal when lines appeared in both windows.

"Rome!" She called, not bothering to change out of her nightgown. "Rome, look!"

She made her way into the living room, waving her test at him.

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

Rome was happy to keep his focus bouncing between the television and his little supply of Pop Tarts. It was fun to be ten years old again on weekends, even if in the back of his mind he was fully aware he was a grown adult with things like responsibilities.

Yeah, this was much more fun.

Running around collecting lego pieces on the screen, he took another bite of strawberry Pop Tart before his attention was diverted down the hall. Worry crossed his face for a moment, and he paused the game, sitting up a little straighter.

"Kiko? What's wrong?"

When she came in waving something small, he tilted his head. The worry he'd previously felt had morphed into a much more relaxed expression. "What's going on?"

[Tsukiko Aoki]

"Look!" Kiko repeated, shoving the pregnancy test in Rome's face. A barely contained grin of delight crept across her own face. "Look, look! Can you believe it!"

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

"I'm looking, I'm looking!" At what, he wasn't quite sure until he pulled back just a little so he could focus. Wait. Was that...

Holy crap.

A grin split his face, and in seconds his controller was dropped on the floor and he was up on his feet. His arms found their way around his wife and he scooped her up into a warm hug. "No way! Kik! That's just... I don't even know what to say!" Except a whole lot of words that weren't really all that polite, but damn it he was going to be a Dad! If that wasn't the best time to swear, when was?

[Tsukiko Aoki]

Kiko buried her face into Rome's shoulders. "We need to start working on the nursery before I get too pregnant to move. And! We need to look at car seats!"

After all, they couldn't go home from the hospital without one of those.

"And...I guess this means I have to plan a baby shower...!"

Or perhaps her mother and sisters would plan one, when she told them.

"But yes, yes, yes, we're going to be parents!"

[Dr. Roman Tilford]

At least one of them was thinking ahead. Or at all, really. "We can do whatever you want, Kik. Build a nursery, go shopping, tell everyone we know." He knew James was going to be happy about this, and his mother was going to flip. "Oh, and I'm sure Jilly will be willing to talk to you anytime about pregnancy and babies and everything in between. I'd trust her advise more than Cassie's." His oldest sister might have been the most 'experienced' when it came to kids, but he also didn't trust her as much as he did Jillian. Jilly would at least be nice about it.

Then again, his sisters could be entirely different when just around Kiko. He didn't know.

He kept holding Kiko to his chest, still not quite sure what the appropriate reaction to all this was. "I know, I know. It's great."

[Tsukiko Aoki]

"Don't be mean," Kiko chided gently. "I'm sure both of your sisters can help me out."

In any event, it wasn't as if she was entirely naive when it came to children; her entire job involved knowing and understanding kids, from infancy up through high school.

"Do you want to call your sisters and I'll call mine? Then we can pool together any advice about what car seats and cribs to get," She offered, resting her head on his shoulder and making no effort at all to move.