Are you lost?

[Maira]

The talk they'd had with Chester's parents had been less of an ordeal than she had expected. They hadn't yelled, hadn't stormed out, only lectured a little about being responsible grown ups now that adulthood was being forced on them. They never once said anything bad about Archer or Chester personally and that was a monumental relief.

Now, however, Archer's laptop was sitting on the coffee table and ringing through to her dad's for a video chat. Chester was sitting beside her on the couch and she could feel the occasional nervous twitch from him. When her dad finally picked up the other end, she was pleasantly surprised to see that her mother wasn't there. But her dad's look went from happy to hear from her, to oddly suspicious when he saw Chester sitting next to her.

Before either of the young people could talk, Archer's dad asked, "When is it due?"

Archer heard Chester swallow, and she was certain he had a lump in his throat to match hers. Instead of playing dumb, Archer cleared her throat and informed him that A & B were due the end of May or beginning of June. If she hadn't been so bloody nervous, she probably would have laughed at the bug-eyed look that came onto her dad's face before he turned his gaze on Chester.

"I remember when your parents went through this, I had hoped they'd raised you to know better. But, since my daughter was equal party to this I guess I can't really talk." Then he looked between the nervous couple and smiled slightly at them before adding, "Congratulations to both of you."

Now it was Archer's turn to be slightly bug-eyed in shock. Her dad wasn't angry? Really? Confused, she asked, "You're not going to tell me off for being irresponsible? Or demand we get married?"

With a loud belly laugh, he answered, "Sweetie, the look on your faces is enough for me to know you realize that this isn't an ideal situation. The fact that you both plucked up the courage to do this as face-to-face as we can this far away tells me that you're both taking responsibility for your actions. I don't need to tell you anything because you clearly already know. As for the marrying thing," he laughed again before finishing, "wait till your mother finds out. She won't tell you that you have to get married, she's just going to assume you will. I'll let you handle that one on your own."

Archer groaned and leaned into Chester for support at hearing she was still going to have to face her mother about getting married, even if she wasn't going to have to tell her about the babies herself.

The rest of the conversation with her dad went surprisingly well as they repeated the plans to him that they had already told Chester's parents. He nodded understanding for the most part, asked a few questions when he was confused or thought they'd left something out, and in relatively short order they said goodbye. As soon as the laptop screen went dark, Archer laid down, her head in Chester's lap, and cried.

[Demeter]

Chester quietly walked the halls of his and Archer’s new place. He grinned at his girlfriend as they past each other. Chester bounced Ash while Archer handled Briar. The past eleven months had been one hell of an adventure, he thought while shifting the baby’s weight to the other arm. After the fiasco of telling the parents, they’d put their plans into action.

First up had been a new place. That place had turned out to the finished basement of his parent’s house. And, bonus, it came with built in babysitters. His parents actually argued about who got to watch the babies. There were times when he and Archer had to schedule time to babysit their own children. Second thing had been working out the money and time situation. Living in the same house as his parents had eased the financial issue; his mother throwing a fit at the idea of her son paying rent. Archer would continue her schooling with a schedule that had her home during the mornings and evenings.

And he was continuing his goal of getting his doctorate, working mostly from home and between shifts of baby watching and working at the local natural history museum. His boss, a rather odd woman named Cissa, was very understanding. Somehow, out of a possible disastrous situation, they were making it work.

Moving as quickly, but quietly, Chester got Ash down into the crib without waking the baby. Behind him, Archer was doing the same with Briar. Together they snuck from the room and skittered into their own room. As one, they flopped down onto their bed. “Well, at least it is Friday and neither of us have to work or go to school tomorrow,” he said while patting Archer on her hip. “My mother talked me into letting her wake up with the babies. I have to confess that it wasn’t a hard sell. I’m pretty sure my father is laughing at me.”

Groaning, Chester rolled over and rummaged through his bedside table drawer. He rolled back and dropped a small box onto her stomach. “That’s for you. It was my great-grandmother’s set. Mother says we can have the ceremony in the garden.”

[Maira]

With Ash and Briar safely tucked away in their cribs, Archer was finally able to breathe again. Once the twins were asleep, they were pretty sound sleepers. Just until they were down and the nursery door closed, anything could startle them awake. Flopped on the bed with Chester, her eyes closed, Archer was already starting to doze when she felt him roll over and jostle the bed as he rummaged through the drawer in his bedside table.

"What're you doing?" She managed to mumble out at the same time that something small plopped onto her stomach and Chester said something about his great-grandmother and a ceremony. It took a moment for her boyfriend's words to sink in, thanks to the groginess, but as soon as they did she bolted upright and demanded, "What?!"

Archer looked down in her lap, where the small thing had tumbled when she sat up, and she saw a little white velvet covered box. The box was worn around the edges, clearly handled regularly, and some of the velvet was scuffed. Against her will, Archer felt her eyes well up with tears as she reached a trembling hand for the little box. It creaked slightly when she opened it, and the two rings inside clinked together lightly as her hand continued to shake. One of the rings was a simple gold band, scuffs and scratches from years of wear sprinkled lightly on its surface. The other, was more delicate band with a single round cut amethyst inlaid into the band. It sparkled just a little from the light on Chester's bedside table, and Archer just stared at it as a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

After a moment, she wiped the tears off her cheeks, looked up at Chester and informed him with a smirk and a giggle, "My mom was scoping out churches back home before the babies were even born. I like your mom's idea way better." After he smiled and laughed, she socked him in the upper arm and demanded, "That was really the best you could manage for a proposal?" The she stuck her tongue out at him and pounced him, peppering kisses all over his face.