“Babe? Do you know how to tie a tie?” Nick called towards his wife in a nearby room. He frowned when he didn’t receive a response. With the untied tie around his neck, he navigated through the home, hoping to find her swiftly. “Babe?” he questioned. When he heard a toilet flush in response, he totally disregarded it. “I’ll be out to tie your tie in a second, babe, I have to brush my teeth.” Shrugging it off, Nick walked to the den and sat down, going through the miscellaneous emails on his phone just to pass time. When Bethany’s hand suddenly snaked onto Nick’s two tie strands, Nick jumped. Bethany laughed, “I always liked it when you wear ties. Makes you look handsome.” Nick, oblivious to the comment, twisted his head to attempt kiss the soft skin of her hands, but Bethany squealed at the sudden doorbell noise permeating the room, “They’re here! Let’s have a Christmas party!” Nick shook his head at his wife turned hostess, and then stood up to walk with her, hand on her waist, as she greeted her family. Her mom, her father, her only other older sister Faith, her husband, Nick’s parents and siblings and significant others filled the room. The once silent house turned into a clutter of smashed words looming overhead. Nick and Bethany together greeted everyone like the normal hostesses should, and soon everyone was seated at the table, watching Bethany fill the table with food that she had spent tedious hours making. Everyone fell into their own conversations, even Nick and Bethany, until Bethany’s mother hushed the entire crowd to ask one life changing question, “Nicholas, you and Bethany have been married for three years now, and I’m just wondering if I’ll have any grandchildren soon?” “Mom!” Bethany shrieked in horror that her mom would even ask such a question. Nick, beginning to laugh, looked at Bethany’s mom and was going to say some bullshit answer about ‘when God plans it’, but Bethany looked at him and asked, “Why are you laughing?” Nick swallowed and looked back at her surprisingly, “Because it was a funny question?” he said. Bethany looked at her mom, swallowed her pride, and then gave Nick a sickeningly sweet smile and a hand over her stomach, “Well it’s not gonna be funny anymore, because I’m pregnant.”