February 18th, 1890- Magdalena's, Diagon Alley

The holidays had gone by in a blur as well as the rest of winter. With spring right around the corner, Maggie had been working almost nonstop it felt like. She'd started making sure she closed the shop up early at least once a week, typically right in the middle, to spend time with Lorcan but it didn't seem to make things any less hectic. The time spent was enjoyable, of course, but now that certain things seemed to be missing she had begun to question whether it had been a good idea or not...

The day had gone off without an issue despite feeling exhaustion set in much quicker than normal and a slightly queasy stomach. It was to be an early close for the night, knowing Lorcan had an earlier shift so would be home in time for dinner and hopefully a relaxing night. But with what she felt she needed to tell him, she'd closed even a little earlier so that she could make a better than normal dinner for the two of them.

With an apron tied around her waist and her blonde curls in a loose braid, she stood at the little stove in the kitchen above the shop. She hummed slightly as she stirred a hearty stew full of big chunks of meat and a variety of vegetables. The fresh loaf of bread was still in the oven, nearly finished. Her thoughts were long lost as she stirred the stew, almost in a robotic and mechanical motion. Anxiously unaware of her surroundings, she didn't hear the door open into their home or even her husband's footsteps as he made his way into the kitchen likely lured there by the delicious smells she'd managed to create.

---

  

---

Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

Lorcan took the stairs up two at a time, gazelle-like. If gazelles could do stairs. He ought to be devoid of energy after work, really - hospital work was ever-taxing - but sometimes Lorcan felt a burst of liveliness afterwards, a sort of overtired awakeness. He felt as though he could probably do this flight of stairs up and down fifty times if he wanted. Which was not something he was going to complain about, if tonight was one of the evenings he could actually spend with Maggie.

Dinner wouldn't hurt first, of course: Lorcan could smell it - the house and the bakery were always full of fresh-food-smells; he was becoming quite an expert at distinguishing them - so he sent his work things flying down the hallway with a flick of his hand, and instead turned towards the kitchen.

"Evening, Cinderella!" he proclaimed, peering at her; as usual, she was still hard at work, when she wasn't working. Without waiting for an answer, he broke into a funny story about something that had happened at work, but Maggie didn't seem conscious of it at all. Lorcan narrowed his eyes when he had paused, and stepped up to her, looking over her shoulder and slinging an arm about her waist. Either she was away with the fairies, or she was very invested in this stew.

"Maggie?" He echoed in her ear, teasingly sing-song. "You in there?"

---

  

---

So lost in thought, Maggie hardly reacted at Lorcan's greeting. The use of Cinderella had been something of a joke in the beginning but had eventually seemed to become a term of endearment. She actually quite enjoyed it and often found herself smiling broadly in response. This time was different though. The word hardly registered in her mind and she barely smiled as a result, likely just a reaction of her subconscious for noticing it. The rest of the words to leave his mouth went mostly unnoticed after but he seemed to notice it.

It wasn't until he was right next to her, arm around her waist, and speaking right into her ear that she seemed to come back to reality with a startled little squeak. She jumped a small bit, turning her head to look at him with wide eyes and the stew all but forgotten in that moment.

"Sorry," she was quick to say, a slight shake of her head, "I just.. There's a lot on my mind." She winced as the words left her mouth, realizing how ominous such a thing could sound.

---

  

---

Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

He had expected his distraction would snap her out of her little daze, but it seemed there was something more the matter with Maggie, something that could not be so easily shaken off. Lorcan tensed a little, feeling a muscle in his jaw already fraught with apprehension. He didn't like when things were the matter with people, when the rainclouds gathered over their heads and they couldn't sever themselves from the gloom. It made them so dreadfully un-fun, and Lorcan had never had patience for that.

He had more patience for Maggie than most, admittedly, so tried a little harder than he might have with anyone else, did not sidle out of the room to amuse himself somewhere else just yet. Instead, he clung onto her with one arm, and lifted his hand to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear with his free hand, looking for some clue in her eyes about what exactly was on her mind. Family issues, he supposed. Or business worries. Lorcan was more of an expert in the former, but was sure he could soothe the latter if he tried hard enough, too. "Well, you'd better get it off your mind then, hadn't you?" He said affectionately, trying to coax her to talk. The sooner she got it off her chest, the sooner he could eat that stew. "Is it a family thing?" Her parents disapproving about something else, no doubt.

---

  

---

Feeling his arm still around her helped to ground Maggie. The familiar scent of him and comfort of his nearness were what she needed in that moment. Though when he asked if it was a family thing, her eyes widened and she couldn't really help the almost deer in lamplight look that she had.

"I guess you could say that," she said hesitantly, almost warily. How would he take the news that she had to give? She could be wrong but.. she wasn't really sure if she was. The signs were all too clear so it only made sense.

"Have you ever put much thought into starting a family of our own?" she asked, the wide blue eyes focused on him to watch for any and all reactions he may have.

---

  

---

Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

She looked worried still, but at her I guess you could say that, Lorcan’s brain instinctively accepted that as something to do with the Backus family at large, and supposed the nicest thing he could do was tune out and let her rant about it. (He had plenty of practice of ranting about one’s family. Did it all the time.)

With the thought of his own extended family in the back of his mind - and the smell of the stew at the forefront - Lorcan was only half paying attention to her next question and enjoying having her slender waist in his grasp. “Uh, yes,” he answered, barely holding back a snicker as he shrugged his shoulders, “I was just thinking the other day that I might get a new owl. Or maybe even get us a puffskein. That’d be fun, right?” He hadn’t had a proper pet since he’d been at school. Of course it would be fun.

---

The following 1 user Likes Lorcan Byrne's post:1 user Likes Lorcan Byrne's post
   Melody Crouch

---

Maggie should have realized after her question that Lorcan wasn't fully there. They'd been together long enough for her to realize when he wasn't exactly paying attention to what was being said. He got that dazed and far off sort of look. His response was enough to confirm that realization.

"Lorcan," she said with a sigh as she reached up to tap his cheek with the wooden spoon before continuing on, "Would you focus just a moment?" She couldn't help the faint smile as she sighed. The last think she wanted in the house was a creature. Especially considering how much they both worked. A pet just sounded like an awful idea. Just like a baby did. Merlin, what were they going to do.

"I think I may be pregnant," she came right out to say. If that didn't capture his attention, she didn't know what would. Well, other than her undressing. But that was exactly why they were in their current predicament.

---

  

---

Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

The spoon tapping his cheek did not fail to make him grin. And managed to make him focus. Mostly. His brain was still lingering on puffskeins when -

I think I may be pregnant. Pregnant? Lorcan’s eyes snapped to her stomach, as if he’d been supposed to notice a difference. (Had he been supposed to notice a difference? Because, well, he hadn’t.) Pregnant, really? She had only said thought, so maybe she was wrong, but... there was a distinct possibility. And it was the natural way of things; it was going to have happened sooner or later. Should he really be this honestly surprised?

“Oh shit,” Lorcan said, dumbfounded nonetheless. He didn’t even know what he meant by that; the exclamation felt like it was hinging on horrified and thrilled at the very same time. “Oh shit,” he repeated with more feeling, finding his face creasing into laughter before he could do anything to stop himself. Knees buckling, he leant forwards and failed to suppress his laughter in the slightest, his shoulders shaking from the sheer ridiculousness of this. This was the biggest knee-slapping joke of the century, he could see it now. He didn't think anyone in the world would be able to hear the news and take it any more seriously than he. “I’m going to be a father? Ha!”

---

  

---

In all the time Maggie had known Lorcan, she thought she'd had a pretty good read on him. She could typically predict how he would act or respond to most things. At least, after they'd both finally admitted to the feelings they had for one another. Once they'd both realized the marriage wasn't just one of convenience and that there was an affection between them, things had become easier. They navigated through the crazy ride that is marriage decently enough.

But she could hardly have expected that reaction from him. Perhaps he'd have been stunned silent. Or maybe he'd have been more cautious and question her on the matter. But laughing hysterically? She wouldn't have ever planned for such a thing.

And instead of making her feel relieved, it left her feeling more frustrated.

"Lorcan!" she said, a little more stern in her voice as the wooden spoon was used to tap the back of his head and far from the sweet and gentle tap she'd used earlier, "Could you please be serious for the moment? This is kind of a big thing." She wasn't at all sure they were ready for such a thing even if they had technically been married a couple of year.

---

  

---

Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

Whacking him on the back of his skull with a spoon shut him up for a minute. Rubbing at the back of his head, Lorcan straightened up and let the last dregs of laughter siphon away.

“I know, I know,” he protested. You know, maybe it wasn’t funny at all. Maybe this was the worst thing. For one: Lorcan’s father was already pretty much proof that Byrnes were not meant to be fathers. For two: Lorcan was Lorcan. For three: Maggie was Maggie, and the bakery was meant to be her dream, not motherhood. For four - oh, he didn’t know.

“That’s - grand,” Lorcan said finally, plastering a smile to his face but looking at her with widened eyes, a little helpless, not sure what she was expecting him to say. What was the appropriate reaction to this news? Was she over the moon or resenting him for how he’d unwittingly blown her dreams to smithereens? Who could say.

Not Lorcan, anyway. “...what are we going to do?”

---

The following 1 user Likes Lorcan Byrne's post:1 user Likes Lorcan Byrne's post
   Jupiter Smith

---

The added oomph to the whack of Maggie's spoon seemed to have brought him back to reality enough for the news to sink in. He looked wary even if he was smiling at her. She could understand that. She wasn't sure how to feel herself. Elated to be a mother? Not really. Being a mother had never really been a dream of hers even if it was the natural way of things. Upset because she was expecting? Not really that either even if it wasn't the best of times. There was little they could do about it now though.

She sighed with a shrug as she moved over to their little kitchen table and sat down. Their dinner was ready to be had but it was the furthest thing from her mind.

"I don't know," she answered, a defeated slump to her shoulders as her hands came to twist in her lap and her blue eyes focusing on them, "It's not like there really is anything we can do. It's not something we can just wish away." Whether it was something she wished she could wish away or not, she wasn't sure. It was uncharted territory and she wasn't really sure how to react to it.

---

The following 1 user Likes Magdalena Byrne's post:1 user Likes Magdalena Byrne's post
   Benevolence Crouch

---

Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

Listen, there were lots of things he had liked about the thought of marriage. But the benefits of marriage had mainly been Maggie, and just generally having someone there at all hours. Just because one liked to cliff-dive every once in a while didn’t mean that he had to like swimming. He’d liked the thought of a whirlwind romance. The problem was that he’d never cared much for what came after.

And what was he supposed to do with a baby? Lorcan had always pictured himself as the fun uncle, the cool uncle, the... Well, never the parent, Merlin.

It was only when he blinked and realised Maggie wasn’t right in front of him that he realised she’d gone to slump at the table. At about that moment, Lorcan realised he’d still just been thinking about himself. But seriously, what were they going to do? This flat above the bakery was comfortable enough, but it wasn’t that roomy. Where were they going to fit the nursery - and the nanny?! And how was Maggie going to work in the bakery when she was pregnant, and then a mother? (How was he going to support them on a mediwizard’s salary if she didn’t?) 

He let his frown linger for a long minute more, trying to think of something to say that wasn’t wishing it away. If there was nothing they could do, well... “Shall we... eat, then?” He suggested, with a defeated shrug.

---

  

---

Everything felt like one big mess and one that she didn't know how to fix or clean up. It was a bit scary when it really came down to it but as she glanced up to Lorcan again, she was appreciative of his presence. They hadn't had it easy by any means. Truthfully, their whole relationship and been one giant disaster one after another it felt like. They'd come out in the end well enough but now it looked as though they'd be wading their way through another.

And as he spoke, well, Maggie laughed. She smiled at him as she nodded in agreement, the laugh still dancing on her lips. "I'm pretty sure the only thing that could come between you and a good meal would be death," she said as she stood back up so that she could bring the dinner to the table.

She stopped next to him first, kissing him softly on the cheek before she moved to bring their meal to the table. All they could do was focus on the then and now. They'd figure things out as they progressed.

---

  

---

Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

He was surprised that she seemed amused, considering how solemn she had seemed a moment ago about this looming ordeal. (The sort of ordeal that was so large and life-changing that Lorcan couldn’t really picture the light at the end of the tunnel, yet.)

But perhaps they could delay the difficult questions for just another day. He didn’t think he was quite ready for those.

(He was not sure he would ever be.)

“Not even death,” Lorcan insisted, grinning himself when she stooped to kiss his cheek as though she was pleased with him, when all he had really done in this conversation was nothing helpful. But hey, par for the course. “But I’m only thinking of you, Maggie,” he countered, waving his spoon at her for emphasis. “Didn’t you know now you’re eating for two?”

---

  

---

Maggie rolled her eyes as she made her way back from the stove with the stew and set it down on the table. "Let's just hope I don't look like that's the case too soon," she said with a slight grimace. It wasn't so much that she didn't want people to find out she was pregnant. She was actually more worried of how her body would change in the end. And, a bit self consciously, she worried that Lorcan would fall out of love with her as a result.

Pushing the thoughts from her head, she focused on the dinner before them. "Let's get to dinner. Tomorrow is a new day," she said with a smile. They'd just take it day by day. If she focused too much on it now, she'd likely exhaust herself with stress.

---

  

---

Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

No, let’s not, Lorcan thought but did not say, because he had just enough of a sprinkling of self-control not to make a disconcerting situation that much worse. He didn’t expect pregnancy would improve her looks, exactly, but... that was hardly the most worrying thing about all this?

If Lorcan had been a more useful human being, he might have started looking ahead to solve some of the problems he (even he!) could already foresee. As it was - it was a lot to take in, okay? - Maggie’s comment about tomorrow felt like the perfect excuse to leave all that off. Might as well pretend everything was fine and dandy until dinner was done.

The problems could wait until tomorrow.

---

  

---