Unexpected

Life... It takes a different direction for all of us, regardless of what we do to try to steer it in the direction we want. The Kanes had felt the awful sting of what it was like to go a path different than their choosing, but the alternative was definitely not desirable, either. If they had not fled from Riverview, where would they be, now? Jebidiah would still be in prison -- likely for much of his boys' lives if not more -- and Meredith feared what would happen when the investigation of the disappearance of Chandra Hawkins reached her door. One mistake would have caused utter disaster for the whole family...

They were lucky, then, that Tana had been able to prevent it.

Ever since they arrived in Twinbrook, Meredith had wondered what had become of her sister. It had been less than a week since their arrival, but not a phone call or a rumor had passed itself her way. She was becoming worried... All she wanted to know is what had happened to her.



It was lucky for Meredith that she didn't have to wait long.



"Tana-- Oh, Tana... I was getting so scared," Meredith sighed as she squeezed her sister harder than she ever had before. Tana didn't even have to ring the doorbell -- Meredith had pounced on her before she had even reached the door.

"Don't be," Tana chuckled as she hugged back. "There was just some things I had to take care of before getting Howard and the kids ready to go."



"Th-- The park... The bo--" Meredith began, squeezing her sisters shoulders as she looked up at her for reassurance.

Tana couldn't help but smile in return. "Mere, you never had a thing to worry about. I told you I took care of it. Lucky for us, the only two cops in Riverview's dinky forensic department was me and Carl Strummer... And we all know what happened to him. Without us, they'll have to go to a neighboring department or rely on themselves to solve anything, and well... I know how to take care of a crime scene."

Meredith was still scared, but relieved; Tana got another hug, after that.

"Jebidiah's inside, if you want to go see him. I'm sure he'll be glad to see that you guys made it out of Riverview okay."



Glad... Wouldn't be the word I'd use. "Awww, c'mon Tana, aren't you happy to see me?" Jeb joked, but Tana only backed away, putting her hands up as shields.

"Uuugggh, Jeb, don't," Tana said, disgusted... Especially because Meredith was right behind them... And it didn't take long for her jealous radar to pick up her husband's stupidity.



"What is wrong with you, Jeb?" She didn't even have the energy anymore to be mad. "After everything we've been through, why do you have to keep pulling these stunts? I..." She put up her hands. There weren't the words anymore to express how he was hurting her. She'd already said them all.



As he left the room, Tana turned to her sister and shrugged. "You know he pulls practical jokes like that all the time, Mere. You shouldn't worry, there's never been anything between him and I."

"That's not the point," Meredith said with a sigh, putting one hand on her hip. "He doesn't understand what it could do to the kids... And it's just... I need his support right now more than ever, the last thing I need is to be worrying he's off doing something with another woman."

"Why, has something else com--"

"Tana, we're having another baby. I just found out this morning."




"Oh, honey..."

Tana knew Meredith was stressed enough right now to not want to deal with this, but after putting her hand on her shoulder, she tipped her sister's chin up and smiled. "Mere, you should be happy. Tell Jeb... Maybe it'll stop him from acting like an overgrown kid."



Well, Meredith decided to take Tana's advice, but there was still a pang in her heart. Things between her and Jeb still hadn't returned to normal, and now with the move, their lack of wealth, and her increasing paranoia that she was being followed by the ghost of Chandra, the news was tinted with a touch of darkness.

But she tried to remain happy; a baby was supposed to be a good thing. A gift. Right?



Jebidiah hung his head for a moment. "I'm going to need to start working extra... And your painting..."

"We'll manage. It's just going to be a lot of hard work is all." Something neither of the parents have ever liked.



She laughed and rolled her eyes as Jebidiah started to play hide-and-seek with her stomach. "Jeb, I'm pretty sure the baby is much too small to hear you. Probably doesn't even have eardrums, yet."

"Hush, woman! Any baby of mine can sense my awesome presence! A booga booga boo! A booga booga boo!"



The Kanes path had taken the unexpected, and with it, a surprise was waiting for everyone around the corner of every new day. For Meredith, the surprising taste of morning sickness mixed with worry...



... for Travis, confusion why things in their house were floating on their own ...



... for Bradley, that his aunt was so fascinated with stealing his candy once everyone had gone to bed ...



... and for Jebidiah, that there was something -- someone -- unexpected playing on his computer ...



... a sight he refused to believe ...



... that vanished right before his very eyes.

"What the heck was that?"

Jeb... You don't want to know.