nate. (decker)

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

Research was a task that Kiara had always demanded she’d get to do on her own. After finishing grading her student’s paper’s that quiet Saturday, she was spending hours getting some of her research done for her paper on Entorhinal tau pathology and memory, something she found to be the best distraction against thinking about the little human growing inside of her and the horrible nausea. Her husband was a saint, always knowing she needed complete alone time and silence in her makeshift office upstairs for perfect concentration. He’d delivered it for her the past two hours. Now a doorbell rang, interrupting the blessed silence and peace. Kiara looked up and waited until she heard what must have been Nate open the door for the unexpected guests.

There was chatting but she couldn’t make out what it was with the door closed so Kiara finally sighed and got up to open it. She made her way downstairs, nausea settling in her stomach again as she took each step. “Nate?” She called weakly. “Who is it?” Turning the corner of the stairs, she finally caught sight of the foyer and the people coming in from the doorway. Her heart almost stopped and her face paled as eyes widened.

“M-Mr and Mrs Decker?” Kiara quickly covered herself up more with the light sweater hanging over her sleeveless blouse. Though she wasn’t showing in the pregnancy yet, Kiara still wanted to cover up every inch of her now that they were here. She wanted to disappear completely at the sight of the two people she could never stand. Her arms crossed in front of her, keeping her sweater over her and hugging herself against the coldness that she knew would be radiating off off of them in just a moment.

With narrowed eyes, Edward and Pamela Decker huddled close together as soon as they entered the apartment. Nate closed the door and stood behind the both of them them and watched the back of their heads and over to his wife when she came into the room. The couple’s eyes wandered around their living room in different directions. It was almost as if they were judging the area, trying to find some flaw to make a comment about. Nate cautiously walked around his father and walked over to Kiara. “Well, make yourselves comfortable. Would you guys like anything to drink?” Nate offered just as he walked passed his father. The two adults shook their heads no. Pamela forced a smile when her eyes landed onto her daughter in law. She took a step toward the couple couple and extended her arms out for a hug. “Hello, dear. How’re you?” She asked Kiara as she adjusted the sweater to cover up the bit of skin showing from Kiara’s shoulder. 

“So…” Nate began. “What brings the both of you here?”

“Well, we wanted to pay you both a visit!” Pamela answered as she turned over to the couch and walked over to it.

“Especially since you don’t visit your family anymore, Nathaniel. What is it? You don’t like us anymore?” Edward dryly comment as he also walked over to the couch to sit in it with his wife. Pamela flashed a glance to Nate to assure he was simply kidding

With widened eyes, Nate stared at his parents, a little uncomfortable. “Oh.. Sorry ‘bout that.. The both of us have been busy after our-” 

“Kiara, how’re you with everything? You’re treating Nathaniel alright, right?” Edward interrupted Nate as he looked over at the brunette. 

[natehaa]

> @kiarawd​ !!

The resonant sound of the door bell echoed throughout the apartment. It was unexpected, actually. Nobody was expected to come over; no mail packages to be delivered, no landlord to inspect the apartment, and no friends for a social gathering. The chime of the door bell confused (and slightly alarmed) Nate when he heard it from the bedroom and interrupted his lounging time. He looked over at the halfway closed bedroom door for a second. Should he get up to answer the door or should he ignore it and pretend his wasn’t home? He didn’t have time to dwell on the thought as the door bell was triggered again. It was a cue for him to get up and answer the door. 

It was probably best for Nate to get up from the bed and answer the door. He spent three hours watching a show about a fast running man on Hulu. At least he would have an opportunity to get up, stretch his legs, and grab himself a snack. He slid one leg off the edge of the bed and the other followed, along with his body. With the remote in his hand, he aimed it at the television, paused the show, and placed the remote back onto the bed. He lifted himself off from the bed and took a step so he could answer the door.  His lounge shorts slightly sagged around his waist while he begun to walk toward the door, but his grey Yosemite t-shirt hid the fact that they were just a little too big on him. His sock-covered feet dragged along floor lazily. 

Just as Nate got to the door, he hovered his fingers over the top lock but didn’t grasp it. He leaned his head toward the peephole so he could look outside of his door. When Nate realized who was at the door, he felt his heart stop for a second before it begun to subtly race. Quickly he backed his head away so he could unlock and open the door. 

“Mom. Pop!” Nate greeted once the door opened. A joyous smile appeared on his face. “What’re you both doing here?? Come in, come in.” He opened the door more wide and stepped out of the way so his parents could walk in.

“Your mother and I wanted to pay you and your wife a visit.” Nate’s father spoke as he followed his wife inside.

“Where is she is, dear?” Nate’s mother asked. Nate closed the door behind him and glanced around the apartment. 

[natehaa]

  kiarawd‌:

Kiara thought about his answer for a silent moment before a bit of a smile managed to play at her lips as they made it to the car. Now that they were alone in their little familiar space and out of that building with the doctors and strangers, she felt a little more tranquil. It was good news since she hoped when they were actually at home maybe everything would be alright. Maybe she would look around and see a place littered with children’s toys and echoing with their son or daughter’s laugh. 

Once they were both sitting and Nate started the car, she spoke up again, her peaceful bubble bursting all too quickly at an arising thought. “Speaking of family…”

She couldn’t help her parents, brothers and in-laws from popping into her mind. As nice as it might have been to pretend that it was just the two three of them, their life was far more complicated. “What are we suppose to tell them all?” Her voice was quiet and uncertain which was unlike Kiara. She looked over at Nate, hoping he was a bit more confident than she was in their reactions. Unfortunately, she was sure that at least her family - who she had only just fought with already - would hate this.

Nate opened the car door and sat inside of the driver’s seat. He fastened his seatbelt and waited for his wife to do the same before he inserted the car key into the ignition and turned it on. While he still felt shocked yet content on the fact that they were going to have a baby, his wife completely dropped a bombshell on him which made him realize things would become more serious and tense from forces outside of their little circle. Just as he turned the key in the ignition, Nate froze for a second with eyes fixated on his hand that was lightly held onto the key. He clenched his lips together as the realization of the two of them telling their families about the baby marinated into his head. After a brief moment Nate looked over at Kiara, “Did you want to get something to eat?” he forced a lighthearted question with a tiny forced smile to help relieve the spiraling tension at his wife’s statement. He brought his attention to the rear-view mirror and begun to back out of the parking slot. Next thing, the two of them were now off the property. 

After a right turn to drive onto a side street, Nate drove down the quiet street for a couple seconds until he fell behind a short line of about three cars that were queued at a red light to turn left. As he flipped on the left turn signal, he kept a firm grasp on the stirring wheel. Although just about two minutes had passed by so far, Nate kept quiet the entire time. He wondered how the both of their families would react to the news that Kiara was pregnant. It would most possibly be a negative and tense reaction, almost similar to the news when they announced their engagement.  

Nate noticed that the cars across the street begun to drive which indicated their stay in the queue to last a little while. He glanced over at Kiara for a moment then back at the road in front of him. “I feel like the outcome would be the same but on different levels.” Nate started as he broke silence. “If we tell them right away, we could get their reactions over and done with. If we wait to tell them, I have a feeling that their reactions would be a little worse than the former, you know?”

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

Kiara tried to listen to her husband, eagerly wondering what he was thinking. But just then the receptionist interrupted and she reluctantly looked over at the woman behind the desk. “Uh, yes…” She nodded and cleared her throat. “Yes,” she repeated, this time a little more clearly.

‘How is Wednesday for you two? Or Saturday?’ Kiara glanced over at Nate and then back at the woman. “Saturday. When my husband and I don’t have work would be best, please.” The woman nodded. ‘Of course. You’re all set, Mr. and Mrs. Decker… have a nice day. And congratulations.’

“You too… thank you,” Kiara murmured, glad to leave the doctor’s office as they walked away and out. She looked back at Nate, glad to still feel his fingers comfortingly intertwined with hers. “Do you mean it?” 

Her tone of voice was the one she often had when searching eagerly for answers. As a professor and researcher, she wanted - no, needed - to know everything. She wanted to be prepared for the possibility Nate was just keeping truths to make her feel better. And maybe Kiara was just trying to find exactly what she didn’t want to hear so she stop fearing it.

Once the appointment was scheduled, Nate gently asked the receptionist for a little reminder card. "Of course!” The receptionist agreed with a smile as she took a pen and a little card and wrote down the appointment date on it. “Here you go, Mr. Decker.” She handed Nate the card. “Thank you. Have a good day.” Nate greeted farewell and walked out of the office with his wife. 

As the couple walked through the sliding glass doors of the office, the sunlight exposed the couple quickly. The sun seemed brighter than usual today. Maybe it was due to the fact that there were no clouds around or it was a reflection of the wonderful news they just received. Hand-in-hand, the couple walked through the parking lot toward their car.

Nate quickly snapped his head over to his wife when she asked her question. He subtly narrowed his eyes over at Kiara for a moment before he brought his focus back to the direction of their vehicle. 

“Of course I mean it.” Nate replied rather casually. “It’s actually a little bit overwhelming, but exciting. We’re going to be a family now.” 

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

Kiara mustered up a smile towards the doctor as she said her parting words - ones that were certainly suppose to make her feel better. But the mere thought of having to go through a whole ton of baby books and baby talks and deal with the dozens of congratulations was making her nauseous with nerves… or maybe that was just the baby. 

“Thank you,” was all she could manage to say before they were welcomed to leave. She followed Nate out the door but not before lingering with a glance towards the bed. She wondered how many times she was going to have to lie in one of those to get checked up… Inhaling sharply and trying to maintain a calm semblance, she took Nate’s hand for some comfort.

“ — I didn’t even ask…” She murmured, the two walking out. Kiara trying to ignore looking anyone in the eye. And she tried even harder to tune out whatever was playing on news in the waiting room TV… some law about babies. “How are you feeling about this too? I mean… It’s big. Not just for me. This is all happening so fast and I know we didn’t think we were exactly ready right now but… you’re going to be a dad.”

She wondered if maybe saying it enough would make it feel real. Nate was going to be a father… to her child. Kiara was going to be a mother. Parenthood. There was a baby on the way. You need to completely accept this, Kiara, she thought to herself. You need to prepare.

Although it seemed immediate that Kiara grabbed onto Nate’s hand after she walked out of the room, Nate didn’t think anything of it. The two of them were married and little forms of affection were normal between them. Once the two of them walked back to the waiting room, they stood in front of the reception desk and waited for their turn after the elderly man in front of them was done being helped. Nate couldn’t help but to glance up at the television which quickly grabbed his attention. The television displayed the local news broadcasting on his home state’s law in regards to abortions. It was rather disappointing that his home town was absolutely minded, but he also wasn’t surprised. He sighed to himself as he glanced away from the television.  Thankfully, his wife spoke to him which helped keep his attention away from the news. 

He leaned his ear closer toward his wife as she begun to speak her curiosity on how he felt about the pregnancy. It was obviously shocking and overwhelming, but Nate felt more excited about their entire thing. He was going to be a father, a real man now. He begun to reply to Kiara with the same tone she had, “I’m still surprised that it happened so fast, but I’m actually... excited about the baby. You know, I–” Nate paused just as the elderly man in front of them walked away from the receptionist. 

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Decker~ I see that the doctor wants you both to visit us next week?” The receptionist smiled at the two of them. 

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

Kiara hung on to each and every word that came out of her husband’s mouth He spoke words of comfort, words of love and words of encouragement. She didn’t know what she would have done without him. She tried to imagine having to go through this situation on her own and suddenly her heart hurt incredibly with all the sympathy she suddenly had for the single mothers in the world that didn’t have the kind of man who would do anything for the people he loved at their side.

Not only did Nate’s words and his smile give her some peace, but also the idea that if they were suppose to have a child… this child would come into the world with someone who would be the best father they could ever want. Kiara sniffed and nodded, mustering a smile and then letting her tension ebb away with his lips against her’s. “If I have you… I can do this. We can do this. I’ll try.” She smiled at him. In a sweet silhouette of Kiara leaning her forehead gently against his, she relaxed. There was a knock on the door and the doctor tentatively peaked in. Kiara pulled away and smiled sheepishly over. “Doctor, when should we come back?”

Dr. Andrews smiled brightly and quickly explained she would have the nurses contact them to schedule an appointment a week from today. She came in to quickly explain what was normal and reassure them they could call if they had any concerns. Kiara could barely listen and was hoping Nate at least paid more attention than her. She almost didn’t notice when the doctor was done speaking.

As the doctor entered the room, Nate perked his head up with a little smile on his face. He nearly sat upright in his seat with his hands held together in his lap as if he were back in grade school. He couldn’t help himself, but he begun to zone out into his thoughts about the family he and his wife were about to start. It was exciting.. terrifying.. overwhelming.. There were so many emotions, feelings, and sensations that ran through his veins, but Nate knew that he and his wife were able to do it. He always knew that he was meant to become a husband.. a father.. a man living the American Dream. 

“...But don’t worry, we’ll go over everything in more detail. I’m sure you’re excited, Mr. Decker.” The doctor chimed into Nate’s thoughts which caused him to snap back into reality. Without really an understanding of what the doctor talked about, Nate widened his smile and shook his head to give off the impression he payed attention. Dr. Andrews flashed a smile back at Nate before she bid her parting remark, “Whenever you both are ready, you’re free to head out.” Dr. Andrews held onto her clipboard as she extended her hand out to shake. “Thank you, Doctor.” Nate greeted with a gentle handshake, then walked out the door.

“It’s okay to be overwhelmed. It’s a lot to take in, but just know that you have all of the support and resources you could possibly want. I’ll see you next week, alright?” The doctor greeted Kiara before she moved toward the desk to organize her clipboard. 

Nate stood outside of the door and waited for his wife to come out from the room. He smiled to himself softly as he thought about the fact that his wife was actually pregnant. 

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

Kiara tried for a moment to consider what it was Nate was thinking. He’d make it clear that it was a possibly he looked forward to in the past but did he mean so early? Was her reaction disappointing him? Her heart beat quickly as her mind went haywire with all the reasons Nate would have to get angry with her. It was ludicrous to believe her husband would be anything but kind and supportive - it was just who he was as a man. But she was so emotional, her mind begun to conjure up all the different ways Nate would be disappointed.

Which is why she felt her blood go cold with a million possibilities his trailed off question could go. The first place was abortion and her face went pale. “No,” she breathed out. “No. No, no if you’re thinking if I would… no.” She began to tear up again, looking down at her still unswollen belly. “No… we’re a happily married adult couple with a- a house and income and… no matter how unprepared and afraid I am, I would never… get rid of this child. I love them.”

The last sentence, the admittance, came out of her mouth before she could even think of it. It surprised her and caused her to let out a choked sob. Kiara nodded to herself and looked to Nate. It was true. It felt so true. She wouldn’t let anyone hurt this child now that it was here. “If this is… If this is gonna happen, I’ll try. I’ll try for us… For our- our family.”

Honestly, Nate was a little bit relieved that Kiara wouldn’t get an abortion. Of course Nate supported the act of abortion, but for some reason this seemed to be different. This was going to be his child.. his wife’s child.. their child.. Although this baby wasn’t planned, it was still theirs to be brought into their lives. However, if his wife decided to change her mind and get an abortion Nate wouldn’t stop her. Frankly, he’d just become a little bit upset. 

Gently Nate grabbed onto both of Kiara’s hands and gently squeezed them into his own. “Listen.” Nate started as he looked into his wife’s tear-filled eyes. “We can do this. Remember, we’re badasses. We have a happy, loving relationship and bring a baby into our relationship would reflect on that. Together, we will get through it. I promise.”  Nate reassured his wife with a warm smile before he leaned in to give Kiara a comforting kiss. He released one of Kiara’s hands so he could gently caress her cheek with the back of his hand. 

After a few moments, Nate moved his lips away and sat back in his seat. “Whatever you want to do, I’ll support you.”   

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

Kiara leaned against her husband for support, almost burying the side of her face into the crook of his neck. She was silent for the count of three heartbeats, inhaling deeply as she tried to compose herself. “I’m terrified, Nate,” she admitted in a low voice, partially shaking her head. “I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know if I’m ready to be a mother… or even if I was sure I wanted to be.”

She sniffed and pulled away, looking over to Nate. Quickly, she tried to backtrack before she came off sounding the way she didn’t want to. “No, I- I know you’d make an amazing father… I know- I know you’d like to be one day. I want to be ready for that. I was still preparing myself, dreaming about what it would be like but now it’s…” Kiara looked away, placing a hand over her stomach once more as the thought settled. She was growing a baby.Their baby.

“It’s all too fast. I’m not ready yet…” She gulped and shook her head. “And our house- myjob, I’m… I don’t know how we can possibly be ready for a child to come into our lives. Not right now…”

Kiara looked desperately over at her husband, hands falling in her lap and shivering. “Is that bad? Is that-…”

Starting a family was something Nate had briefly thought about in the past, something he and Kiara could achieve one day. The pregnancy came so fast– it wasn’t even planned! They both were in complete shock over the news. While his wife was obviously in a mix of emotions, Nate was speechless. Despite the initial shock, he actually felt that he was ready to become a father. After all, he had got that promotion at the front desk which included a five dollar raise and forty hours of work per week, which he could easily provide for his family. Their marriage was full of love and understanding which would be healthy for the baby. 

Despite the both of their families and their behaviors, Nate knew that he wanted to raise their child to be open minded and full of love. After all, he and Kiara were an interracial couple which set the example of the phrase, Love is Love no matter who the person is. Their child would grow up with loving and open minded parents, which was something Nate’s parents lacked for the most part. Just the whole idea of Nate being the parent he wished he sort of had made Nate more exited to become a parent himself. 

While Nate was content with the idea of a baby coming into their lives, Nate could tell his wife most likely had a different stance. It wasn’t just the tears, but what she told him. The doubt she had. Kiara wasn’t wrong.. In fact, her stance is completely valid. Nate sort of wished that his wife saw things more positively as he did. As he rested his head against hers and gently grabbed onto her hand, “No, that makes sense. I mean, we barely just got back from our honeymoon.” Nate sighed as he fell back into the chair. 

He glanced down at their hands for a moment before he looked into his wife’s colored hues. A pause went by. His facial features gently dropped. “It’s not bad Kiara.. What you’re saying makes sense.” Another pause went by. “Are you thinking...?”   

[dailygrantgustin]

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

Instinctively, Kiara felt her hand come up below her abdomen, then drop to her lap. No, no, no, no. The breath that had hitched and trapped itself in her lungs began to come out in a shaky exhale. “Are you sure? I-I mean, are you completely certain? Did you double check? What- what if it’s just a false positive?”

Kiara could imagine it now… A gorgeous child, one with their father’s kindness and charm and maybe some of their mother’s fire and wit. It sounded like a dream. But it wasn’t a dream she was sure she really wanted to come true. She didn’t want to bring a baby into this world - their world - when it was still so messy and uncertain. Their families weren’t even stable enough to handle a child trying to bring them together. It wouldn’t work. And God, was she terrified.

She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready to be a mother.

‘We ran the tests twice more to be completely certain, Mrs. Watson-Decker,’ Dr. Stevens assured her. ‘You have just entered your fourth week in the first trimester. It’s very common and natural that that some women begin to experience these symptoms now-’

“I’m-” Kiara interrupted. I’m what? I’m sorry, I’m not ready? I’m sorry, could you please tell me it’s not true? Can you make it not true? She couldn’t tell her any of that. “Could I have a- a moment with my husband, please?”

‘Of course,’ the doctor said with a smile and incline of her head. ‘Take all the time you need.’ She came out of the room and shut the door, allowing Kiara to slouch against the growing tension in her back and shoulders. It was now, alone with Nate, that she finally felt safe for a moment. They had to figure this out.

“… Nate…” Kiara’s voice cracked. Then suddenly she wasn’t so sure that she could continue speaking without completely bursting into tears. Her stomach heaved and a painful lump began to form in her throat. I can’t do this, I can’t do this, I can’t do this. Kiara hid her face in her hand, choking on sobs that she was trying so hard to withhold. Nevertheless, she felt the tears begin to wet at her fingers.

This was actuality. This was reality! There was no other way to describe how Nate felt other than being shocked. Not that being shocked was a negative thing, it was that Nate didn’t expect the news he and his wife were given. The pregnancy seemed to come out of nowhere so quickly although looking back, their honeymoon wasn’t that long ago. Which made sense, really. Nate and Kiara really enjoyed each other in every way during the trip. 

Despite the initial shock, Nate’s excitement would grow as each week had passed until the due date was reached. He always imagined himself being a ‘cool’ father, one who would be caring and understanding yet also fun and relaxed.. Which was completely different than his own parents. The idea of starting a family with Kiara was something Nate wanted to achieve, but he wasn’t expecting it to be so soon. 

While Kiara and the doctor conversed with each other, Nate moved his arm away from the woman’s shoulders. Instead, he reached his hand over to Kiara’s hand to hold. As he glanced down at her hand, he couldn’t help but to look at her stomach. Of course she wasn’t showing, but the fact that their child was there simply blew Nate’s mind. He was actually able to see the growth of their child. 

After the doctor granted his wife’s request and left the room, Nate released a heavy sigh and hunched his body forward just a little bit. “Wow.” He commented, still in shock. He sat in silence for a moment as he tried to gather his thoughts until he heard the emotional tone of his wife’s voice.  Concerned, he looked over at Kiara “How do you feel about this? That was a lot to take in despite it being so straightforward.” 

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

Kiara wasn’t completely surprised to hear her husband’s childhood story. He’d told many of them before, and she still remember how at the beginning she was so baffled a family could be so backward. Then again, was her’s much different? Her own might have had more modern habits, but their thinking was still leaning on old-fashioned more often than not and they certainly treated Nate a lot more outwardly aggressive. She wondered sometimes how the two of them had turned out so different from their ridiculous families.

Kiara frowned at Nate as he tried to reassure her. A sigh left her lips and she opened her mouth to respond when they heard the door open and the doctor walk in. Dr. Andrews was reading from a packet of information when she looked up at the two, smiling in a way that made Kiara wonder what was going on. Usually they’d get absent, polite smiles but there was definitely something behind this one…. Oh God. Had there been something in the test she’d left for the nurses in the bathroom? Was there something wrong with her weight curve or temperature that the PA had taken? 

‘Good news, Mr. and Mrs. Decker. The lab results came in just fine. You’re in good health.’ Kiara’s brows furrowed, despite the fact this should have been good news. But she was not a fan of mysteries. ‘You told the nurse your cycle is… a few days late, yes?’ “Well, yeah. But this happens sometimes, I’ve never been the most consistent. What does this-” She trailed off. Wait… The doctor seemed to read the expression on Kiara’s face and smiled. ‘This is not food poisoning or a virus.’ She paused, nodding with a softly growing smile. ‘Congratulations. You are about 4 weeks pregnant, Mrs. Decker.’

To Nate, Dr. Andrews seemed to be in an extraordinarily good mood. He suspected that the two of them were the doctor’s last patients of the day and afterward she would enjoy a wonderfully planned night out. Maybe she was simply in a good mood and with the good news she had for the two of them put her in an even more good mood. Just seeing the doctor enter the room with a bright smile made Nate feel comfortable. At least she wasn’t gloomy or serious like most doctors. As Dr. Andrews shared the good news on his wife’s good health, Nate looked over at Kiara with a warm smile as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “See? You’re alright.” Nate softly assured Kiara as he placed a gentle kiss onto the top of her head. 

As Dr. Andrews continued, Nate looked over a little bit confused. He wondered why the nurse brought that subject up and how it a relevant to Kiara’s good health. Though, the doctor answered Nate’s internal curiosity with the news. “Congratulations. You are about 4 weeks pregnant, Mrs. Decker.” 

After the sentence left Dr. Andrews’ lips, Nate literally dropped his jaw. Seriously? Kiara is pregnant?! It all made sense now.. The loss of appetite, the morning sickness.. Nate suspected it was some virus from their honeymoon or possibly from one of her students but this... was shocking to Nate. It wasn’t anything more than shock to Nate. It was a complete and utter surprise. His face turned pale and his shoulder stiffened. As he cleared his throat, “’Scuse me?” He asked the doctor for reassurance. “–I mean.. That’s great news! I mean, it makes sense after all!”

[natehaa]

kiarawd‌:

> @natehaa !!

It’s been a day now after Kiara’s outburst to her family at her brothers’ dinner… and she hasn’t been in a good emotional or physical place since then. Today Professor Decker had been forced to call in sick from work when she threw up into the toilet bowl that morning and just felt so incredibly fatigued, nothing motivated her enough to leave the bed again. ‘It’s gotta be the takeout from lunch yesturday,’ she insisted, only half believing it herself. 

Instead, she finally agreed to go to the doctor with Nate. She was exhausted and sad. Even though she knew it was best to determine what she had and get the meds she needed to get over the virus or bacteria, all Kiara wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep the day away to forget how she’d yelled at her family.

“… I’m starting to think this was a waste of time,” she spoke up, sighing. The two of them were alone in the check up room waiting for the doctor. “I mean— The doctor is probably busy as hell with her other patients… and all I need is probably an Advil or something… Can’t we just say we changed our minds and go?” 

For only two days out of the week, Nate worked the early morning shift from six in the morning to two in the afternoon. Those were the two days that he dreaded the most at his job; mostly because he had to wake up at four in the morning. Unlike most work shifts, Nate asked his manager if he could leave work a couple of hours early so he could take Kiara to the doctor’s office. He felt that she shouldn’t go to the doctor’s office alone despite it most likely being food poisoning. 

As the two of them waited for the doctor in the small room, Nate glanced around at the posters that were hung on the wall. ‘Do you know what flies? Amazing eyes! Get your eye exam today!’ At the sight at some of the posters, Nate raised an eyebrow. ‘I want you to get your annual physical!’ Nate glanced up at the ceiling, which had no purpose but anything to look away from those silly posters. “You know, I didn’t go to the my first doctor’s appointment until I was eight. My parents didn’t believe in going to the doctors for a while. Oh, don’t get me started when the doctor wanted to give me vaccines.” Nate commented out loud to relieve the silence in the room. 

As Kiara suggested the two of them leave, Nate looked over at his wife. He shifted his body to face his wife, he reached his hand over to hers and gently grabbed onto it. “We’re not leaving until we figure out why you’re sick. Ain’t it better to know why you’re sick than to not know? Besides, it’s the doctor’s job to diagnosis and treat you.” Nate spoke softly. “It’s gonna be alright. It’s not like we’re going to be here for long.”

[natehaa]

kiaradecker‌:

Kiara felt her shoulders release some tension as Nate whispered. He, of course, he exactly what she wanted and was willing to offer it despite her reluctance. A hero. She was almost convinced when she heard her father speak from the other side of the table. ‘What is it you can say to my daughter you can’t say to us all? We are her family.’

There was quiet. Tense quiet.

Kiara glared at her father and straightened up. “Don’t talk to him like that.”

‘He is my son-in-law,’ her father began, narrowing his eyes. ‘I-’

Kiara put her hand down on the table - loud only enough to interrupt him with the surprise. She didn’t want to scare the kids any more than she had to to get through to her father. “No, dad. You haven’t earned the right to that title. You’ve never treated him like your son-in-law. You’ve never the man who loves and takes care of me. None of you-” She looked between her brothers and parents, avoiding Anaya and the gaze of the two kids hoping that they’d understand that she did not mean them. 

“He’s family now. He’s my family, which means he should be yours. I feel horrible everytime I have to bring him to one of these things because I know he doesn’t feel welcomed. It was a mistake. A selfish mistake. I know he feels unwanted which is something my husband should never feel. So I’m done doing this.” She pushed from the table and stood up. “Maybe the two of us would feel more comfortable speaking up if we felt welcomed. But if Nate doesn’t feel welcome… then I don’t either.”

Kiara put a hand on her husband’s arm to gesture for them to leave. Only a few steps were taken away from the table before she turned to look at the stunned, quiet household. “Happy birthday,” she said more calmly - but the words were stiff and her expression was no less angry. “And… thank you for your kindness, Anaya. And you two, always,” she said, mustering up a genuine smile to her two beloved nephews. A last glare was sent to her parents and brothers. 

Than Kiara tried to leave towards the door.

Confrontation was something Nate absolutely despised, especially whenever he was faced with Kiara’s family. Although he could tolerate customer confrontation in the hospitality business, there was no way he could even face it with his wife’s family. He felt intimidated and out numbered to even speak in front of her family without being judged by them. It sucked that her family didn’t welcome him into their lives, but he still saw them as family and would never disrespect them for Kiara’s sake at least. Nate nearly jumped in his seat when he heard his father-in-law’s intimidating, low voice from the other side of the table. Nate stared around the table as everyone looked (well, glared) at the both of them (mostly Nate). With widened eyes and a frozen posture, Nate tried to muster something appropriate to share with his in-laws. As he was a bit shaken up by his father-in-law, it was to his surprise that Kiara’s retaliation shocked him a little more.

Nate did not expect Kiara to contend against her father. While Nate fell back into the chair as if he were a child being scolded, he couldn’t help but to internally appreciate how Kiara’ quickly came to his rescue to defend him. He had an alternating look of awe and worry while Kiara and her father argued. In between the two vacillating one another, Nate would slightly straighten himself up to speak, but would submit back into the chair when he got interrupted. In a way, Nate felt that this was a necessary conversation to have with her family but he also felt it was executed at the wrong time. He couldn’t help but to dread on how her family would dislike him even more once the night was over. 

As Kiara finished her gesture and begun to walk out of the kitchen, Nate felt everyone’s eyes draw onto him. The tension was absolutely horrible and Nate just wanted to go home. “Well... I–uh...” Nate forced out a breathy sigh as he calmly and slowly backed his seat out from under the table so he could stand up. “Happy birthday... It was a pleasure to stop by... Kiara and I will look forward to the next... family gathering.. hmm?” Nate staggered gently as he calmly yet quickly dismissed himself from the dining room.   

It didn’t take Nate long to catch up with his wife at the door. “Hey, you alright?” Nate gently asked the woman while he kept a safe distance behind her. “You know I really appreciate what you did for me.. But, he’s your father..”

[natehaa]

kiaradecker‌:

Nate’s hand took her’s and it was all that mattered in terms of reactions. She smiled at him as he claimed he’s do anything to help her at work. She knew it was the truth which just made it all the more heart wrenching sometimes. She didn’t deserve her husband.

Kiara was grateful her family was so easily distracted and energetic once they got to talking about something. The kids were now chiming into the conversation about Disney World and the adults were having fun with the prospect of poor Damien and Anaya trying to reel the adventurous, rowdy boys with any sort of vacation. Kiara was still debating what to do with her churning stomach when her husband leaned in to whisper to her.

She let out a soft, quiet laugh and smiled. “Definitely,” Kiara responded quietly. “And I might just actually let you sneak some things from my plate. I think I’m getting sick.”

Kiara’s mother looked over at the couple and then at her daughter’s plate. ‘Kiara, aren’t you hungry? I know I included your favorite here,’ she teased. 

Kiara looked over, smiling more sheepishly now. “Uh, yeah, mom, it looks as amazing as always. I’ve just been feeling weird all morning, I guess.” A sheepish laugh. “I think I might be catching a bug from one of my students. Y’know how they are. I thought it’d stopped but I guess not.” 

The woman started eyeing her daughter suspiciously. Her father, clueless as always, looked over and tutted disapprovingly. ‘Your mother worked hard on this meal and you’re going to eat it, Kiki. Don’t make me scold my own adult daughter,’ he joked.

Kiara mustered up a laugh and then hesitantly forked some of the chicken from her plate.

As Kiara whispered back to Nate, he leaned his ear a little more close to Kiara’s lips so he could hear her speak (and so her family wouldn’t hear what they were talking about). Nate glanced around the table to make sure nobody watched them as he wouldn’t want the family to gain an even more negative impression on him. He returned his eyes back to his lap once he noticed how the family chatted with each other and begun to eat the food. Nate pretty much tuned out all of the chattering and the laughter and focused on whatever Kiara told him.   

Although he and Kiara barely arrived at the family dinner, he was about to suggest that the two of them could head back to the apartment with maybe a plate of leftover food. However, he begun to slightly worry as Kiara told him that she felt like she was getting sick. Nate glanced at her, then did a double take. He looked at Kiara with a slight furrow in his eyebrows for a moment as he didn’t even realize that Kiara started to feel sick. “Wait, sick? What do you–” Nate begun to express his gentle worry for his wife but was then interrupted by Kiara’s mother.

With his head held slightly low, Nate peered over to Kiara’s parents as they begun to tease their daughter for not eating. For some reason, Nate was subtly irritated that her parents had to basically call Kiara out for not eating as if she were still a child. Sure, Nate’s family would do the exact same thing if he were in his wife’s shoes, but Nate couldn’t help but to ever so slightly become irritated. It wasn’t like they even asked Kiara why she wasn’t eating or anything and she certainly wasn’t a child anymore. As much as Nate wanted to tell her parents that Kiara didn’t feel well, he figured that it would be best to keep his mouth shut as the entire mood of the dinner could change (and her family might him for Kiara’s health).

Just as Kiara begun to eat her meal, Nate leaned into the woman’s ear to speak. “Hey, if you want we could head out. Maybe– I dunno, grab a plate or two of leftovers so we don’t have to cook for the next day? ” 

[natehaa]

kiaradecker‌:

Kiara was endlessly proud of her husband. Whatever Nate did, even if he failed in some way, he worked so hard and he did it all with only the very best of intentions. Kiara had always admired that. And so she smiled him and couldn’t help but swell with pride and adoration as she shared his accomplishments with those that still had yet to learn just how amazing her husband was. She could tell he got a bit nervous. But Kiara rarely shied away from things. She rarely overthought how she behaved or reacted - it was one of their differences. Nate’s caution and modesty kept her grounded.

“I’m sure you’re going to get it, Nate,” she said, placing her hand over his briefly. Her smile bright. Then she turned to look at the rest of her family. “No one works harder than he does. I swear, sometimes I feel like the university should start paying him too for how much he helps me at my own job at times. It’s crazy how many assignments I’ve had to grade recently.” Kiara sighed dramatically. Anaya smiled over to them but she was the only one. Kiara’s mother had but a grimace. “Anyway, I feel like in no time we’ll have savings for another vacation.”

Damien cleared his throat, interrupting the smile Kiara was sending Nate to pour his sister some wine. ‘Sounds great,’ he said. Kiara glanced over at him. The smell of the food was getting a bit overpowering - especially the pasta. Even though it was her favorite dish, something about it made her a bit nauseous. Fighting away the weird feeling in her stomach and mustering a smile towards her brother seemed to do the job at preventing her family from getting worried.

But she was really not too eager to fill up her plate anymore as they passed around the dishes. ‘The kids are insisting we get them to Disney Land.’ Damon laughed. ‘You know how expensive that shit is lately?’ Kiara’s mom started scolding her son for cursing. Apologies and laughs surrounded her but Kiara was now looking at her food and debating excusing herself to the bathroom… but that would leave Nate alone. She sure as hell didn’t want to put him through that. The chatty bunch didn’t seem to realize how silent and uncomfortable Kiara was getting.

With Kiara’s pure intentions of mentioning Nate’s potential promotion, he just knew that her family wouldn’t react as positive as he and Kiara hoped. Nate simply knew that Kiara was simply proud of him and the dedication, hard work, and passion he placed into their marriage. He looked over to his wife with a warm smile– mostly to avoid her family’s scowling expressions as they immensely made Nate’s stomach turn. Gently under the table Nate held onto Kiara’s hand as a subtle sign of appreciation for her care. As he softly cleared his throat, “Kiara is the hardest working woman I’ve ever met. Sometimes I just want to grade all of those papers so she could get a little vacation.” Although Nate’s little Alabama accent wasn’t nearly as strong as when he first met Kiara, just that little tangent he made pretty much brought it back for a moment.

Nate pretty much listened to Damon speak just to be nice. It was a good thing he did as he agreed with the male about the expensive prices. He remembered the little debate he and Kiara had last year about going to Disneyland or saving for Spain. “You know, I agree. I guess that’s how they bill the electric bills there or somethin’.” Nate spoke with his soft Alabama accent. 

As the food begun to circle toward Kiara, he couldn’t help but to stare at the food with delight. Sure, his relationship with Kiara’s family wasn’t the greatest but the food that they made definitely made up for that. He knew that he could distract himself from the unamused stares and the forced hospitality with a full plate of delicious food. Once Nate helped himself with a decent portion of food, he passed it along to the next person and glanced over at Kiara who didn’t begun to eat her own plate. 

Nate leaned in toward her ear and playfully whispered, “If you can’t finish it, I’ll happily finish it for you.” He moved back just a bit with a soft chuckle as he unfolded one of the napkins and placed it onto his lap. “Things could be better, but I think things could be worse. Don’t you?” He continued to whisper. 

[natehaa]

kiaradecker‌:

“Oh, we’re doing great, thank you,” Anaya replied cordially, still smiling. She listened with genuine interest about the trip. “Oh God, I hope so. And yes, absolutely! Kiara just sent me a couple Snapchats.” She was hovering with curiosity when Damien made his way to the foyer. He pursed his lips at the sight of Nate speaking to his wife. “Dinner’s ready,” he said with forced politeness and then immediately turned to return to the kitchen. 

Kiara appeared to smile and enthusiastically rush to take Nate’s arm, practically skipped over to him. Seeing her family in the kitchen without any of the tension and only affection was something she’d missed and enjoyed greatly. She knew it wouldn’t last with the presence of her beloved husband so she’d made the most of it. Now her excitement slowly ebbed away at the thought of going to the dinner table with him. But it was her genuine love for Nate that knew she wanted nothing more than to walk hand in hand with him there. She should show her family that their relationship would not falter in any way, no matter how many weird stares or passive aggressive comments she got.

Anaya smiled to the two and made her way to the dining room, leaving the couple alone for a minute. Kiara leaned up and put a hand on her husband’s cheek. A soft kiss was pressed against his lips before she pulled away. “Just a few minutes, okay?” Then the two headed over to the dining room across the kitchen. Immediately, Kiara could feel the tension in the air when they entered the room together. Her parents and her two brothers spared Nate only the tiniest glances - no friendliness in their eyes. Anaya had mercifully saved Nate the seat next to her son and Kiara would be next to him and her mother. “So, how are you… two settling at home after Spain?” Damon asked, gaze flickered to Nate but mostly settling with a smile to his sister. “We miss it,” Kiara replied first, gazing over at Nate and then back at her brother. “-but we love home. Everything’s been great… We’re pretty sure Nate’s actually getting promoted.”

That awkward tension came onto Nate like a smack in the face once Damien relayed the message of dinner being ready to both himself and Anaya. The passive-aggressive behavior that Nate encountered with Kiara’s family was extremely unsettling to him, but he tried his best to not let it affect him so much, especially for Kiara’s sake. Not only does the entire feud situation overwhelm Nate, he knew that it overwhelmed his wife at times and he didn’t want to make the situation worse. To add onto the situation, Nate realized that he didn’t speak to either Damien or Dominic. It wasn’t a malicious choice by Nate as he simply felt it were appropriate to not mingle in an environment where he wasn’t welcomed unless approached. Smart one, Nate.

No matter how knotted and messy Nate would become within his thoughts, by the most gentle of touches by Kiara would unravel Nate in seconds. Nate pretty much relaxed his entire body the moment Kiara grabbed onto his arm, placed a gentle kiss onto his lips, and assured the duration of their stay. He displayed a soft smile over to Kiara as he tried to display a confident, “We’ll get through it. It’s going to go well.” as he followed her into the dining room. Immediately, Nate felt the few stares at him laser through his body and the atmosphere of the entire room became awkward and strange. While it unsettled Nate greatly, he tried his best to smile softly over at Kiara’s family members. 

Once he settled down into his seat, he cautiously looked over at Damien when he spoke to Kiara. When Kiara begun to speak, Nate quickly looked over at his wife, mostly to comfort himself. As she mentioned Nate’s promotion, he practically froze within his seat. He had no idea how to even respond to that statement. Should he be confident? No– he might seem too cocky. Maybe he should brush it off. No– he might seem like he doesn’t try hard enough to support his family. With a forced smile, Nate glanced around at the members around the tabled and sounded ‘Mhm’ before he quickly commented, “We’ll see tomorrow morning if I’ll get offered the position of being a supervisor at the front desk or not.” 

[natehaa]

kiaradecker‌:

“Hi auntie Kia! Hi uncle Nate!” Trey cried out, giggling at the touch. Liam grinned and shifted sheepishly in his stance. Kiara laughed, glancing at Nate before the two boys. “Ahh, my two favorite nephews! How’re you? Hmm?” Kiara cooed affectionately, hugging Liam first and then going to pepper kisses on little Trey’s forehead. “Hey, aunt Kia. Hi, uncle Nate-” Liam began to before his little brother interrupted. “It’s my daddy and uncle Dominic’s birthday and I helped mommy with the icing It was so sticky but I got to eat some from the spoon. Do you wanna see the cake?!” Anaya chuckled and put a hand on her boy’s shoulder. “They’ll see it really soon, sweetie. But after the food, okay? Why don’t you help your grandpa and grandma set the table?” As soon as he ran off she went in to hug Kiara and then Nate. “It’s good to see you both.” 

“It’s so great to see you too, Anaya. You look amazing.” Kiara greeted kindly before catching sight of her brothers. She excused herself politely and walked over to hug them and wish them happy birthday by the kitchen. Meanwhile, Anaya hung about with Nate. She was sympathetic when it came to him. She had always known her husband, Damien Watson, and her in-laws hated him but saw nothing there to dislike, even after hearing about his family. It wasn’t like he was like them and Anaya had always admired Kiara as her sister-in-law just as Kiara admired her. “How have you and Kiara been?” She asked Nate, smiling. “I hear you two had a blast in Spain? I’m so jealous… Damien and I can hardly go anywhere right now with the kids being so young.” Nearby the table was being set up and food brought out. No one else seemed to be paying Nate much attention at the moment, although Kiara glanced back after greeting her father.

While Kiara excused herself from the two, Nate smiled softly over to her as he watched her walk over to her brothers. His smile slowly faded the closer she got to her siblings. Nate wanted to be optimistic since tonight was a special night with the family, but it was difficult being in an environment where he wasn’t really welcomed. The woman next to him, Anaya was typically cordial toward him which he appreciated. Nate found Anaya to be a friendly woman who he enjoyed small talk with. With his arms crossed against his chest, Nate looked over at Anaya “We’ve been great, actually. Thank you for asking!” Nate replied to Anaya with a gentle smile.“How’re you and Damien doing? Hopefully you and the kids are doing alright?” Nate asked as he glanced over to Damien for a second. 

“Oh, Spain. It was beautiful. I can say that the both of us had an amazing time.” Nate spoke in awe. “I’m sure you guys could go sometime soon.. Or maybe you and Damien could go together.” Nate suggested as he lifted his shoulders for a moment before he dropped them. Once Nate noticed Kiara glancing back over to him, he perked his head up toward her to see if she wanted him to go over to her. “If you want, Kiara or I could show you some pictures from the trip.”