Closed Ducklings in a Row

[Pia Morales]

Surrogacy was a viable and accessible way for many couples to become parents, and a subject Pia had tended to many times in her years in maternal medicine. She had just simply never imagined in all her experience with surrogacy as a healer that she would find herself walking the same path. At least not until Flavio and Kauri had brought up the suggestion and in all her love for her bother and his husband she was entirely unable to say no. As if she would have wanted to say no regardless to welcoming a new bundle of joy into her family, as if it wasn't a manifestation of the very reason she had chosen her career path, to enable those who would be and were already amazing parents into parents all over again. There had been no other answer than a wholehearted and genuine yes and this was what Pia had told them, yes, of course because there was no better way she could think of to make her brother and his husband the happiest they had ever been.

She arrived to her brother's house that day with Mickey in tow and an unassuming brown box in her hands, knowing already that Flavio and Kauri's dream of becoming parents again would soon be their reality. That eight months their lives would be changed forever in the very best way. Pia almost couldn't contain her excitement for them knowing their journey was only beginning, but in spite of the happy fluttering in her chest tried to reign everything in and attempt to seem like her regular self as she knocked on the door. "Careful of the thorns, honey." Pia warned Mickey softly as he reached to toy with a nearby rose bush. While a small prickle from a thorn was an injury easily fixed it would certainly cause Mickey to fuss until tended to and Pia wanted nothing, not even temporary unhappy tears, to taint what she hoped would be an entirely happy moment of revealing her surprise.​

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

As big a change as it should have been, settling into married life had felt... almost shockingly easy to Kauri. As if things had always been supposed to be this way, they had just been taking a break. But here he was, and life was good. It had been much harder to get used to Miro being away; his stepson had been an enormous part of his life for close to a decade now, and the house was painfully empty for his absence. Maybe that was what had Kauri so clucky. It was certainly part of it. As happy as he would have been for Miro to be his only son his whole life, it hadn't taken all that much conferring to confirm that he and Flavio both wanted more children. After growing up an only child himself, Kauri had always wanted lots and lots of kids of his own.

He was spinning the thought around in his mind as he worked on a new song to perform at parties, strumming and humming and trying to think of a good rhyme for tiger, when he heard someone at the door. "COMING!" Kauri called out, extricating himself from his guitar and piles of notes, and hurried over to the door. He beamed at the sight of his sister in law, face brightening at once. "Pia! Come on in!" He said cheerfully, opening the door wider for her.

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

The afternoon was tranquil, as most afternoons with Kauri in their cottage were. It was their little slice of fantasy and paradise, the smell of flowers wafting in through open windows and sounds of birdsong a background melody as Kauri worked on a song in the living room. Flavio himself was standing in the kitchen, knife in hand as he made sandwiches for afternoon tea with Pia and Mickey, smiling to himself at how peaceful he felt and how thankful he was for the life he and Kauri had built together. Being married had been another step on a life journey he had always hoped would become his reality, but never fully believed would be possible until he met Kauri. Now they were walking along the same path in life as partners, hand in hand and supportive of each other in every aspect of their lives. It had therefore only made sense that they would soon decide to expand their family, a dream that Flavio hadn't realized would soon become their reality as he heard Pia knock on the front door.

Flavio quickly placed his knife in the sink after cutting the last sandwich in half, dusting his hands on the fabric of his apron before untying it and returning it to it's hook on the wall. Just in time to smile and greet Pia as she walked into the house. "Hey." Flavio greeted, moving to give Pia a one armed hug and noting the box she was carrying. "Hey Mickey." He greeted his nephew as well, watching as Mickey quickly made himself at home by reaching into the nearby fruit bowl to retrieve an apple. "I made sandwiches if you're hungry." Flavio added over his shoulder as he returned to the kitchen, moving to place the sandwiches he had made onto a clean plate before walking to place the plate on the dining table. "I hope it wasn't too much of a hassle to get here." He said to Pia, knowing that their cottage in paradise was a little out of the way at times. It was one of the many reasons why Flavio loved their home but admittedly also a hindrance at times when family needed to visit. ​

 

[Pia Morales]

Pia had a feeling she would cry. It would be unsurprising given how happy she was for Flavio and Kauri, and how happy she knew they would be when they opened the box under her arm, the feeling of course only aided by her change in hormones. She just hadn't expected the feeling of impending happy tears would appear in her chest as soon as Kauri opened the door. It was a feeling she tried to hold down as she greeted both Kauri and Flavio with a brief hug, and one she waited another moment for so Mickey could make himself at home. "Oh, it wasn't a problem at all." Pia responded idly as she watched her son reach into the bowl of fruit on the dining table, picking a red apple and sitting down comfortably before he reached to pick up a sandwich. Usually she would be ample to warn Mickey to be polite because they were only visitors, reminding him not to leave too many crumbs or play with his food but she was presently far more focused on the gift she had brought and the happiness it meant for Flavio and Kauri. The box in her arms took president to anything else around her and she decided not to waste any more time keeping the soon to be (again) parents from the news of their new bundle of joy.

"I have a few little surprises for you." Pia announced, moving to place the brown box on the dining table in front of them. "Go ahead, open it." She added softly, smiling wide and continuing to stifle the feeling of happy tears welling in her chest. Inside the box was a small baby beanie with a duckling knitted on the front, as well as a t-shirt with the words 'best big brother' in Miro's size that she hoped would be enough to hint to Kauri and Flavio that there would be a baby in their near future. That they would soon be able to raise a child of their own with all the love and care she was sure they would have once the baby arrived into the world. ​

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

Kauri gave Mickey a cheerful smile in greeting, pleased to see him going for fruit rather than asking for biscuits or something of the like. He took a seat too, giving Flavio a quick kiss on the cheek in thanks as he grabbed a sandwich for himself. He was quickly distracted from lunch though, eyes locking on the gift. "What's the occasion?" Kauri asked, heart leaping in his chest. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but the excitement was all too obvious on Pia's face. He glanced at Flavio for a moment before pulling the box closer, opening it together with his husband.

There were no words to describe the joy that burst in Kauri's chest at the sight of the clothes inside. There was no question what this meant - it was real. He tried to laugh in joy but the sound caught in his throat, coming out as something closer to a sob. He hadn't even realised his hand had reached out but he was clinging so hard to Flavio's arm that it had to be painful. "It - it took?" He asked weakly, never having sounded less like himself. He was going to be a father.

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

In the whirlwind of Pia and Mickey arriving and Flavio preparing for them as guests, he hadn't had enough of a free moment between Pia placing the box on the table and asking them to open it to overthink the situation more thoroughly. Therefore he wasn't wholly expecting the clothing that was inside the box; the meaning they held and the undeniable revelation that Pia was in that moment carrying his next baby, his and Kauri's child. He was about to be a father all over again and bring a baby again into the world but this time he would be far more prepared for it. Their home would welcome a new child with open arms and a warm heart and as Flavio got over his initial surprise he felt himself tear up, reaching into the box and running his fingers over the soft beanie that was the perfect size for a new born. He moved the beanie to one side a moment later, the t shirt underneath causing him to well up further. Miro was indeed about to be the best big brother ever, a fact Flavio couldn't deny with the way Miro got along with each of his cousins and tried to befriend everyone he met. Flavio had always wanted a big family one day, enjoying his childhood immensely in spite of his family's tragedy and always feeling close with his siblings. He had wanted nothing more or less for Miro one day and low and behold, Flavio's dream was becoming a reality right in front of him.

Feeling a tear fall down his face, Flavio moved to wipe it away with his hand, moving his arm that wasn't in Kauri's death grip to wrap it around Kauri's shoulder. He pulled his husband in close for a moment, placing a kiss to the side of Kauri's head in an effort to comfort him. "This is amazing." He said softly moving to wipe another tear from his face as he looked over to Pia. "You'll update us with everything, won't you? Have you been feeling okay?" He asked, a sudden endless list of questions forming in his mind of what this all meant, of what the next few months would look like for the three of them. They had discussed it briefly but not seriously, not in a way that they had expected this all to happen so quickly. ​

 

[Pia Morales]

It was as Kauri and Flavio began to cry that Pia couldn't hold back her tears any longer, her face warming into a wide smile in spite of her crying as she watched them react to their gifts. She had hoped it would be a perfect moment and as it unfolded she realized it entirely was; everyone was crying tears of pure joy and excitement. Except of course Mickey who was eating his apple slowly, looking between Pia and the soon to be parents with a confused expression. He was only young so she didn't blame her son for his confusion, soon walking behind Mickey and placing her hands on his shoulders in an effort to reassure him everything was alright, and their tears were joyful instead of sorrowful.

She moved to pull Mickey into a gentle hug by her side, looking down to him for a moment and then back to Kauri and Flavio, nodding her head to Kauri's question at first and then answering Flavio. "Of course I'll update you, and I'm fine, really." She responded, knowing it was too early on to tell much about the pregnancy other than she was in fact pregnant. She did however, feel the same as she did when she was pregnant with Mickey, the same sense of warmth and happy anticipation amidst the feeling something was a little different; it was what initially caused her to take a test and feel her heart swell at the result. Other than that she was entirely her regular self, only with added happiness over the situation which was of course a good thing. ​

 

[Kauri Morales-Tipene]

A baby. The thought spun around Kauri's mind like a firework spiralling towards its grand conclusion. A baby. Miro felt as good as his by now, but he hadn't in the beginning, and even then he had already been a child by the time Kauri moved in. But a baby - his baby - was coming. He was going to be a father, the thought reaching its peak and exploding with light. He couldn't hold back another delighted laugh, clinging tightly to Flavio. He was more grateful than ever for his husband in that moment - Flavio handling the practical questions meant he could take a moment for himself to just be thrilled and overjoyed and terrified all at once. "How - how far along?" He asked, trying to collect himself and come back to the conversation. "Do you know when you're due?"

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

As Pia answered his questions, Flavio only thought of more to ask while realizing how unprepared he felt for the news, in the way they hadn't thought the surrogacy would happen so quickly. In the sense they had a home to welcome the new baby into, in the sense Miro would surely be happy to have a sibling, and in the sense he and Kauri had decided they were ready to be parents, they were prepared. However the practical aspects of it, of Pia's surrogacy, the birth, and everything leading up to it, the reality was what felt entirely up in the air because they hadn't had time to decide on it all. Time was now ticking, a countdown of a matter of months on the clock and it almost felt like too much time but not close to enough to decide on everything else. "Is there anything we need to do to prepare right now?" Flavio asked, trying to remember to himself the timeline for November's pregnancy with Miro but in his emotional state being unable to recall anything other than how happy he was. "Gosh, and we have to think of names, don't we?" Flavio added, sighing and bringing his hand to his face to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was happily overwhelmed but also regularly overwhelmed by the news, trying to remind himself to breathe and not get too caught up in the future when the present was what was calling his attention most. Flavio sniffled, holding Kauri closer for a moment and rocking him back and forth as he tried to calm himself down, tried to reassure himself that everything would fall into place as time went on and he didn't need to worry.​

 

[Pia Morales]

Pia smiled, feeling her heart swell as she watched Flavio and Kauri process the news they were about to be parents. Seeing happy couples learn the news that their dream of being parents was about to come true was part of the reason she loved her career so much, this feeling only being amplified in that moment over the fact she was able to do this for her bother and his husband, that she would be able to give them a gift that would change their lives forever in the best way. She kept an arm around Mickey as she watched the happy couple, looking down to Mickey again to reassure him everything was alright and then back to Flavio and Kauri as she began to answer their questions. "It's been about a month, so four weeks." She began to explain. "In theory, if this pregnancy is full term the baby should be due in November." She noted Flavio's questions but instead of answering tried to simply reassure him everything would be fine, they didn't need to decide on anything just yet because they had time and what mattered was being happy in the moment. "We have time, all you need to do is be happy for a little while." Pia said softly, hoping this would help diminish her brother's nerves. ​