-Friday, August 31, 5:34 pm/Rose & Kanaya's car-
Casey: 23 months old
Katrina: 15 months old
Rose: 4 weeks, 5 days along
"Kanaya," Rose quietly said as she looked out the window, "I don't want to tell my mom."
"Why not?" Kanaya turned onto Fir Drive and began to slow down, preparing to turn into Mr. Egbert's driveway. "Rose, I'm positively sure your mother will be ecstatic. You're going to give her a grandchild, and it's not the same situation as John and Vriska. We're married and have stable jobs, and a place to live."
"I know, it's just…" The blonde let out a long sigh. "I'm still not sure about this. I mean, we weren't planning to have children any time soon, and now it's actually happening…"
"It will work out." Kanaya pulled the SUV into Mr. Egbert's driveway and killed the engine. "Your mother told me John's dad has made a casserole for dinner."
"Just what I wanted," replied Rose in a sarcastic tone. She got out of the car with an irritated sigh and went up to the front door of Mr. Egbert's house with her wife.
The two knocked and waited at the front door for a few moments before John's dad answered. "Come on in," said the middle-aged man, stepping aside for the two girls to enter. "Rose, your mom's helping set up in the kitchen."
"Alright." Rose sighed and continued to walk into the kitchen to greet her mother.
When her daughter entered the kitchen, Roxy immediately set down whatever she was doing and went to go hug her. "Rosie!" she exclaimed, much to Rose's dismay. "I'm so happy the two of you could come!"
"Yeah, well, I felt like we had to." Rose rolled her eyes and pushed herself out of the hug. "What time are John and Vriska getting here?"
"Should be any minute!"
Rose glanced at Kanaya, already exhausted. She was about to make another comment, but then the doorbell rang.
"I've got it!" called Kanaya as she went to answer the door.
She opened the door and let John, Vriska, and Casey inside. "I hope it's alright we brought Casey," said Vriska as she walked past Kanaya and into the kitchen. "We couldn't find anyone to watch her."
"It's perfectly fine," Mr. Egbert told his daughter-in-law, taking the toddler from her arms. "I just love getting to see my favorite granddaughter!"
Casey giggled when her grandpa kissed her on the cheek. "Gapa!" she exclaimed before throwing her arms around the older man's neck.
"Okay, let's eat!" Roxy set down the final bowl of food on the table and sat down, waiting for everyone else to join her.
Mr. Egbert put Casey in her booster seat next to Vriska before sitting down next to his fiancée. "This looks delicious," he told the older blonde woman before putting a spoonful of coleslaw on his plate.
John finished putting food on his plate and sat back. "So...how's the bakery coming?" he awkwardly asked his dad, trying to avoid eye contact for really no reason.
"Oh, it's coming along great," he replied, setting down his fork to explain. "I have decided to buy the empty shop I mentioned a few weeks ago, and I actually put in an offer for it earlier today."
"That's...great." John cracked a smile. As much as he resented his father sometimes, he couldn't help but feel proud he was doing something he loved.
"Rose, you're not eating," commented Roxy. She herself set down her eating utensils and sighed. "Is something wrong?"
Rose stopped. Would now be a good time to tell her mom? She still hadn't gotten used to the idea of having a baby, but then again, they were all sitting down and having a nice dinner…
"Mom," she nervously began, "there's something Kanaya and I would like to tell you."
Kanaya quickly looked at Rose, a shocked expression on her face. "Rose?!"
"Yes?" Ms. Lalonde asked, cocking her head.
"Um, Mom…" Rose nervously looked down at the floor. "Kanaya, and I, we're—"
Vriska's phone rang, interrupting Rose's announcement. "Sorry!" she apologized, embarrassed. "I really have to take this, though. Hello?"
Everyone awkwardly watched her talk, not making a sound. "What?...Oh my god...Yeah, sure, I'll be there as soon as I can." She hung up and immediately stood up.
"What is it?" asked Kanaya, beginning to stand up after her friend.
"It's Isaac." Vriska gathered up her things and kissed John on the cheek. "I'll be right back, I promise. It's an emergency."
"What happened?" asked Mr. Egbert curiously. "Who's Isaac?"
"Karkat and Terezi's son. He hasn't been doing well." Vriska began to walk out of the dining area, but stopped. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Just pretend like I haven't even left."
"I'll join you." Kanaya followed the cerulean blood out the door and the two got in the car, preparing themselves for whatever drama was to come.
-6:17 pm/Karkat & Terezi's house-
The two were met with sounds of hysterical sobbing coming from upstairs.
"Karkat?" Vriska called, stepping further inside before getting her arm grabbed by Kanaya.
"Vriska, hush. Obviously something's not right; it'd be best not to disturb them."
A familiar yellowblood ran down the stairs to greet the trolls. "Karkat and Terezi are upstairs, obviously," she told them, "and it's not good."
"What happened?" asked Kanaya as she and Vriska followed Augeth up the stairs.
"Isaac, he...he started to hatch, but...didn't fully make it."
Augeth knocked on the door of Karkat and Terezi's bedroom and waited for an okay before opening the door. There lay Terezi on the bed, sobbing and cradling Isaac while Karkat comforted her. He was the only one who looked up when the three trolls entered, and quietly whispered something to his wife before leaving her side to talk to Vriska and Kanaya.
"What happened?" Vriska asked him before being pushed out into the hallway.
Karkat sighed and looked up at Vriska and Kanaya. "Isaac...didn't make it," he sadly announced. "He started to hatch, and was a little too eager, and…" His voice trailed off, unable to think of the right words to say.
"That's awful." Kanaya gave her friend a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"Well, there's nothing you can do about it." The mutant blood sighed in frustration and looked back up at the other trolls. "We're still trying to figure out what we're going to do, but in the meantime, I think I need to go back to Terezi. She's really upset over all this."
"I would be, too." Vriska sighed and looked away, remembering Larissa. "Well, I guess we won't bother you anymore. We just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
"Thanks, I guess." Karkat sighed again. "Sorry you came all the way over here just to stay for five minutes, but there's not really anything else for you to do."
Kanaya nodded. "I hope everything will be okay."
"Yeah, me too. Thanks for stopping by."
-8:21 pm/John and Vriska's car-
"So what was that all about?" John asked as he turned the car onto the main road. "What about Isaac?"
Vriska sighed and looked up at her husband. "Isaac died while trying to hatch, John. Terezi and Karkat are really upset over it."
"Wow, oh my god." John stared out into the distance and continued to drive.
The car was silent for a few minutes, aside from Casey's breathing in the back seat (she was asleep). Finally Vriska said something.
"John, I feel awful."
"About what."
"About...Larissa," she confessed. "I wish I had never tried to get rid of her. If I hadn't tried to do that, maybe she wouldn't have been born early and we would have had two daughters!"
"Vriska…" John sighed. "It was meant to happen. I...miss her too, I guess, and it would have been great if she had made it. But we can't afford another baby, and it was for the best."
"But John!" Vriska sniffed. "Do...do you think she hates me?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if the afterlife or 'heaven' or whatever exists, do you think she's there and despising my existence?!"
"Vriska, calm down." The brunet placed his hand on Vriska's knee. "If she is in heaven, I'm sure she doesn't hate you. She's probably watching over us, and...heck, maybe my mom's taking care of her!"
Vriska softly laughed. "I'd like to think that."
"Well, c'mon." John smiled and turned the car into their driveway. "We need to put Casey to bed."
"Yeah, I'm getting tired too." Vriska grabbed her purse and got out of the car. "What about a glass of wine?"
"Sounds perfect."