29 Dec '74: Spilled Secrets: Thatcher's Flat - Kyra, Eliza

[Phoebe Bones]

29 December 1974

It was three days until her wedding and her dress wasn’t fitting. She’d bought it back in August when she’d gone shopping with Kyra and Amelia, lucky enough to find it on the trip they’d taken to some bridal shops. But she hadn’t put it on since then, having left it with her best friend for safekeeping. “I can’t get this stupid thing on,” she said with frustration, walking into the living room of Liz and Kyra’s flat, zipper half done. The unexpected weight gain had been a concern of hers for a few weeks now, but she’d been sure it was just a few extra pounds that wouldn’t mean much.

Of course, that had been before she’d taken a pregnancy test and found out the truth.

Was the baby bump visible in this dress? She’d been so bloated and uncomfortable the past few weeks, and now that she knew the truth it was hard not to feel like everyone was seeing the symptoms that she was. So far no one besides Edgar knew the truth, her first doctor’s appointment wasn’t until a couple of days after their wedding. But it didn’t stop the tears from welling up in her eyes - hormones raging - as she looked to her best friend. “I have to find a different dress, this is awful.”

[Kyra Thatcher]

"I think everything's set," Kyra contemplated, surveying her sister over her glass of red. "Just need to make sure no one gets too sloshed on New Year's Eve, can't have any of us hungover for the wedding. Leave it to Eddie to ensure never forgetting his anniversary by making it land on a holiday." She chuckled and put her feet up on the coffee table, content to while away one of her best friend's last unmarried nights together with her and Liz in the Thatcher girls' apartment. She sporadically sang along to the radio, grooving, and shot a look towards the bedrooms. Phoebe was trying on her wedding dress, making sure everything was good, but what was taking her so long?

Well, this is hardly ideal. Kyra looked up at the bride-to-be's tearful entry and explanation to her unasked question, exchanging a quick look with her sister before setting down her glass and getting to her feet. While the wedding was fast approaching and it'd been a busy time, especially this last week with the holidays, Phoebe had been handling the stress of it all quite well, in Kyra's uninformed opinion. Nerves building up before such a monumental event was natural, right? Even if it seemed like everyone had long known the two would marry, it was still a big deal. "Hold on Pheebs," she said, chipper as she could be when her best friend was crying in her wedding dress. "I remember that zipper being hard to reach, let me give it a go." She didn't think that they'd be able to find another dress before the wedding, and surely there wasn't a need to? But as Kyra came up behind her, gingerly holding the fragile fabric together and trying the zipper herself...Worried blue eyes found her sister's and she nodded her over, keeping as much panic from her voice as she could as she said, "Just need more hands, I think." It was a tight fit, and if they couldn't make this work, maybe Liz would have a creative solution. With her work in fashion, she knew the ins and outs of making clothes work much better than Kyra could ever hope to...

[Eliza Thatcher]

Liz nodded to her sister's words, drinking heavily from her glass of wine, and bobbing her head to the music. "You know." she said, kicking her feet up and lounging back in their comfiest chair. "It is a pretty good idea in theory. But he's never going to keep everyone from getting totally wasted. And neither will you, so don't stress about it honey." Eliza knew that for better or worse, the wedding would be had and the younger Thatcher had done everything she could to make it perfect for her best friend. Nothing ever turned out exactly as planned and that was no one's fault, especially not Kiki's. Well, if anyone it would be the grooms, this was all his brilliant idea.

Phoebe came out then and Eliza seized up. The younger girl had been in her room, trying on her wedding dress for a final time before the big day, now she was standing before them in tears. sh*t. Taking another long sip from her glass she came over at Kyra's beckoning. She slipped around her adoptive sister to join her actual sister and was forced to take yet another drink. This was definitely not good. Without even touching it she could tell the zip would never get up, the dress was too small. Liz bit her lip, hanging her drink to the bride. "Here, drink this, it'll help keep  you calm. But be careful not to get it on the dress. Now, suck in and stand tall." she ordered and went to work on tugging and pulling at the zip of the dress anyway, even though she knew it would never work. Kyra was right there with her, both desperate for this not to be true, for this dress to fit perfectly, as it had when Pheb's has purchased it. She exchanged a look with her sister after several minutes of trying in vain and shook her head, letting her hands, which were red and sore now, fall to her sides uselessly.

How could this have happened? She had watched Kyra and Pheb's grow their whole lives. They were both extremely lucky to have naturally small frames, particularly Pheb's, who was downright petite. Liz placed a hand on her head, thinking fast - oh how could this be happening! This was a disaster, and it was happening right here in her living room with the radio playing merrily in the background. She needed to fix this. For Pheb's and for Kyra, they had both put so much love and energy into this day. "It's fine. It's fine." she said finally, coming back around to stand before Pheobe. The older woman wiped the bride-to be's tears away, placed a hand on each of her arms and smiled confidently. "It's fine love, really, this is no big deal. I'll call in a favor, this thing will fit like a glove by the end of the day tomorrow, promise. Now, drink, drink, you'll feel better."

[Phoebe Bones]

Phoebe would be forever grateful for Liz and Kyra, the two girls were her sisters - even if they weren’t her sisters by blood. Edgar had the twins, along with his younger siblings, and while she loved them all dearly, Liz and Kyra had been part of her life first. From their primary school days she’d latched on to them both. Liz was the older sister she had always dreamed of having, always aspiring to be like the older woman. To be confident and strong, to not take sh*t from anyone when it came to living life the way you wanted to. Kyra has taught her to be carefree, to sing loudly to the music and dance to her own beat. She’d always been jealous of both Edgar and Kyra for having siblings, but family wasn’t just made through the bonds of blood. And in a few days, she’d officially be a part of the Bones family.

Just, perhaps not in this dress.

Kyra was quick on her feet to come and help, her chipper tone causing Phoebe to panic more. Especially once Liz was up. She was barely adjusted to the fact that she’d be a mother in less than a year - those thoughts on hold until after the wedding. She had figured she could get through all this without any issues because of the pregnancy and yet here they were. She felt like she was going to be sick, but she wasn’t about to throw up while she was wearing this dress. Kyra didn’t seem to be having any luck, mentioning that she needed more hands. Okay, stay calm. Just stay calm. She wiped at more tears as Liz came over to help, taking the wine handed to her with a nod. She wanted nothing more than to down the rest of the glass and forget about her problems, but as her lips touched the side she hesitated. Would one glass of wine hurt the baby? She didn’t know, and she hadn’t thought to ask anyone. Not that she could, not until after the wedding.

Taking a deep breath, she sucked in her stomach as told. Liz would fix this, it was just another pair of hands needed. Everything would be fine. Everything was just fine. Right? It didn’t seem like Liz and Kyra were making any progress with the dress, and that wasn’t helping any with the tears leaking from her eyes. You can find another dress. You have no choice. But how could she get married in another dress, when this dress was the dress. She looked up to Liz as the woman came back around, nodding her head. Liz would fix this, and she would be fine. “Thank you,” she whispered, reaching out to hug Liz for a moment. They could fix this, Liz seemed confident in that. Taking a step back, she looked to the wine in her hand before shaking her head. “No, I… I don’t know if I should,” she said, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her nerves. How upset would Edgar be if she let the news slip? She half expected that Fabian and Gideon already knew, because sometimes there was keeping anything from them. They were too smart, always seeing through things. And if she didn’t drink wine the entire night, they were bound to think that something more than an ill-fitting dress was up.

She took a step back, looking between her two friends before she spoke up, “I promised Edgar I wouldn’t say anything, but I’m… I’m pregnant. And I’m trying to be happy about it, I really am, but I’m scared.”

[Kyra Thatcher]

"All right, all right," Kyra remarked with a grin, helping herself to more wine as if it would make the wedding day's inevitable hangover better. "I just want it to be perfect for her. She deserves it. But there's no day-of drama that we can't handle, just in case." Kyra clinked her glass to her sister's, glad that they were both standing with the bride. After this last summer's will-they-won't-they of the longtime couple, Kyra just wanted this wedding to be the celebration that Phoebe had dreamed of. And Edgar too, sure, but as always the little brunette's happiness was her priority. And while they'd had half a year to plan the day, and she'd come around to the reality of her best friend committing to spend her life with the neighbor boy, she couldn't help but feel that this was such the end of an era. While Phoebe hadn't been single since they were teenagers, to be fair, things were bound to change now, weren't they?...It's what she wants. She won't love you any less, remember that. 

But the reality of the perfect wedding day threatened to be no more as Phoebe returned. And it wasn't just that the dress wasn't fitting, no matter how hard Kyra and then Liz tried. Phoebe was nearly distraught. What else is going on? She stayed on the periphery as Liz used every trick in the book, nerves mounting as still the dress would not zip, and she caught the nervy looks from the other Thatcher. We have to be able to do something! Thankfully Liz was coming to the rescue, and Kyra did her best to mimic the woman's confident smile as she came around to face the pair of them. "See? It'll be fine, all fine. Let's get you back in what you came over in, eh? Much more comfy." But before Kyra could press the issue, the fact that there was more to this story than Pheebs had initially let on to was painfully evident. The bride-to-be was still so down, and wasn't drinking, and...

Kyra felt her face fall from a smile to the uncertainty she truly felt as Phoebe struggled to speak. Get it out, babe, we're here. But when she could tell her truth? That she - that she was pregnant and scared? "Oh my Gaia," she breathed in shock, not knowing how the other had held it together so long when she'd been hiding something so monumental, not able to even imagine the depths of emotions that her dearest friend had to be feeling. "Pheebs, Pheebs, come here." It was only a moment before she was holding both women tightly, doing what she could to wrap her mind around the situation and wishing it was as easy as getting her arms around them. She'd hardly managed when she began to speak, but... "It's okay to be afraid, this is no little thing. But we've got you, okay? Whatever needs doing, whenever you need us, however we can help - we're there."

[Eliza Thatcher]

Toasting with her little sis, Liz gave a saucy smile. "Oh trust me, there is nothing I wouldn't fix for Pheebs. It will be perfect." She assured Kyra in excellent time, for just then a problem walked right into their living room. And sweet Circe was it an issue. Well then, she hadn't expected to need to be fixing things today, she had thought that would come on the wedding day when things were hectic and prone to disasters. Regardless, she was on her feet to help in no time, and then to soothe the bride-to-be nerves when her help turned out to be useless.

Exchanging glances with her sister at Pheboes words, Liz was shocked at the admission from the younger woman when she was finally able to get the words out. The reason the dress wouldn't fit and why she wouldn't take the glass of wine and down it in one go.... She was standing so close that the worry on the dark-haired girl's face seemed to seep into her own and she found herself frowning, a jump in her heart. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. At least not for Pheebs. See, Eliza Thatcher was not one to judge anyone's life choices but she always wanted the best for her younger siblings. Perhaps if the other girl had been more excited she would have been too but Liz could feel her stress like a physical thing and quite honestly she wasn't sure what to think.

 

Kyra was no such mute, luckily, and swooped in to comfort their crying friend. Liz joined in on the hug, closing her eyes and hanging on tightly. In her mind's eye she could see them both as little girls and her the older cooler sister always joining in on the fun and the parties and teaching them the best ways to do things. Mostly like how to get in trouble, and how to get out of trouble but it was fun none the less. Now they were all adults and Pheebs was getting married and she was also....pregnant. It was too much. But she needed to put that aside, her Pheeb's. Opening her eyes she stepped back, wiping away a tear she hadn't felt falling. "Kyra's right. Whatever you need love, we are both here for you. It's a scary thing and I'm sure it's normal what you're feelings but you're kick-ass Pheb, you totally have this." She said with an encouraging smile, taking the soon to be Mrs. Bones' hand in her own and trading glances with her KiKi. She bit her lip and looked to Pheobe then, a question in her eyes and on her lips. "How does Edgar feel about, about the baby?"

[Phoebe Bones]

Phoebe had such trust in Eliza, and if her friend said she could pull some strings to alter the dress, Phoebe had to believe that. Because her being upset about the dress was only a small reason that she was currently breaking down in front of Eliza and Kyra. When she had taken the pregnancy test only days ago, she panicked when two lines showed up. But Edgar had talked her down and had reassured her that they could do this. They could become parents and raise kids and it was all she had ever really wanted with him. To marry him, to have a family with him. But she had wanted to finish school first before any kids came into the picture, and now she’d have to spend her last months of school pregnant. Her nausea came and went in waves, and most of the time she wasn’t able to push past it and spent time in the bathroom, vomiting up whatever she’d eaten that day.

So telling her friends? Even though they’d promised to keep it a secret? She needed them to know, to reassure her that everything was going to be just fine. Both of them looked shocked at the news, which was understandable, Phoebe had also been shocked by the news. But after the initial surprise wore off, Kyra was pulling her in for a hug, and Eliza joined them, and the tears started to fall even more as she wrapped her arms around them both. She had known they would be there for her, but their words of encouragement that it was okay to be scared about this, that this was something she could handle. Phoebe pulled away from them both, wiping her eyes as she let out a small laugh at Eliza’s question. “You know him, he’s ecstatic about it. We always planned to have kids, you know? Just not so soon. I mean, I don’t know if we are ready right now. But I’m pregnant and so we just have to be ready,” she answered, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. “I need out of the dress, I feel like I’m suffocating. I’ll just go change, and then I need you both to reassure me that I’m going to get through this okay.”

[Kyra Thatcher]

She held onto the other women as if they were each other's life rafts, bobbing together as rough waves rocked around them. She could feel the tension emanating from Pheebs and her own empathetic sister, and Kyra was at a loss. While her tongue usually worked faster than her mind, not bothering waiting to find the "right" turns of phrase as long as she got her point across, however ineloquently - she was properly tongue-tied, and furious at herself for it. Surely there was something that could be said to alleviate Phoebe's fears, to bring her comfort, to assure her that all would be well. But whatever it was, it didn't come to Kyra as they embraced, and her friend's situation settled heavily upon the trio's backs as its reality was shared. And maybe all that was needed, all that could be truthfully accepted, was this: they would continue to lift each other up, the bond of sisterhood stronger than the trying times ahead, and whatever happened, they would bear witness to each other's journeys with compassion, and without judgment.

That doesn't apply to Ed, does it?

The three parted, just, eyes wet and faces red. She nodded to Liz's words, wishing that this had happened a few months down the line. Because Phoebe and Ed would be fantastic parents, it was no secret that they planned on having a family. But the laugh that left Phoebe at her sister's question didn't hit quite right, and while Kyra was glad to hear that the husband-to-be was excited, it didn't settle her own heart or mind. Did he know just how much Pheebs was struggling, as she did her best to compose herself in front of even them? At Phoebe's words, Kyra quickly moved behind her to unzip what progress they'd made with her dress. "You've been through a lot of hard days, love," she said quietly, holding the dress up as they made for the door, "and you've stepped into the sun with your best foot forward after each of them. You can do anything you set yourself to. You can."

Returning to the living room while Phoebe changed, she downed her wine and gave herself another generous pour. "I'm going to kill him this time. Seriously, I am," Kyra hissed through her teeth for only her sister to hear, eyes to the heavens as she tried to stay the tears lingering in her eyes from feeling her friend in such a state. Of all the similar threats she'd made in the past, she'd never meant one more than she did tonight. "After everything he's done that she's forgiven him for, they're about to walk down the aisle and he's spoiled this for her." "This" - the anticipation, the wedding, the announcement of their first baby...it was all-encompassing, it was so much of what Phoebe had been looking forward to in this new life, and where was he as she struggled? The rational part of the blonde knew she'd be eating her words before long, and that her heartbreak for her friend was nothing compared to the complexity of Phoebe's feelings. That once the stress of the wedding was through, once everyone knew about the baby, once Phoebe was feeling more confident and happier about the whole thing, that she'd be thrilled for the couple herself. A baby that would hopefully inherit its mother's heart, mind, and looks, above Ed's - well, that was just what the world needed. But what Phoebe deserved was to feel joy as she approached the wedding of her dreams, and Kyra didn't know how to get her - to get all of them in the know - there in the limited time they had, not when the news was so raw.