July - News
On the shore of Inkopolis Bay is a small bar that doesn’t get much patronage. It’s quiet, cheap, and if you’re lucky you’ll be the only people there.
For these reasons, Pearl’s chosen it to be the place where she tells Deep Cut and the Squid Sisters the good news.
Before everyone else arrives, Pearl and Marina claim a table that’s in the corner, away from any potential prying eyes or ears. The two of them order drinks (an old fashioned for Pearl, and a soda for Marina) while they wait. It’s early in the afternoon, the perfect time to invite everyone for dinner.
“You made sure they wouldn’t say anything, right?” asks Marina.
“Said I’d sue the shit outta them.”
“Pearl.”
“Alright, I made them promise not to tell anyone. Not even the news.”
“Callie’s gonna explode…”
“I think she already has.”
Pearl nudges Marina and nudges her phone over for her to see. There are already twenty texts from Callie in the gang’s groupchat, asking desperately what the news could possibly be. Pearl simply told her to be patient.
Marina sighs and leans contentedly against Pearl.
“I’m not used to being so tired this early.”
“It’s cause I’m pulling you to bed at a normal time for once, Rina.”
“I know, and baby says I need sleep, but still.”
The door opens then, and Marina waves at the rest of the Now or Never Seven. Callie hugs her as tight as she can the moment Marina is out of her seat.
“Hi!!! It’s been so long since we’ve seen you both, I was worried you died!!”
“No you weren’t,” Marie chimes in while she takes her seat.
“You’re no fun.”
Shiver and Frye, meanwhile, give Pearl a handshake and fist bump respectively, while Big Man waits patiently to hug the both of them.
“We had to drive a whole hour to get here, y’know,” Shiver complains halfheartedly.
Pearl shrugs. “Yeah, sorry about that. Nobody’s ever here so it’s the perfect place.”
Pearl gestures to the seats around the table and tells them they can order whatever they’d like since she’ll be paying once the waiter comes over. (Shiver tries to call her bluff by ordering the most extravagant meal she can, and she’s stunned when Pearl’s only response is “are you sure you can eat all that?”)
The group continues talking for a few minutes, eating dinner together. Pearl takes note of Callie practically vibrating in her seat and sets down her fork.
“Uh- we have good news. Really good news, we had to wait a few months to tell you though.”
Everyone at the table perks up slightly. Pearl is beaming by the time she gets everyone’s attention, simply because she never thought she’d get to say what she’s about to tell them. It almost gets stuck in her throat, but she forces the words out anyway despite everything in her wanting to burst into joyful tears.
“Marina’s pregnant. The doctor says she’s due in December.”
Almost before she can finish her sentence, Callie is out of her seat and pulling them both into another tight hug.
“REENAAAAA! You shoulda TOLD me!! We could have gone shopping together, I could’ve brought you gifts or we could’ve gotten you new clothes or-“
“We just did tell you,” Marina says the second she can get a word in, laughing, but she wraps her tentacles around Callie anyway (she was already side-hugging Pearl).
Marie gently tugs her cousin away with a small comment about giving Marina space, but still gives an approving glance.
“Proud of ya,” she says simply. Marina simply nods in return while Shiver and Frye shuffle over.
Shiver is hiding behind her fan, slightly, while she reminds Marina that they’re planning a wedding.
Pearl scoffs and jokingly punches Shiver’s arm, “You only told us last week.”
“I know. I’m saying to make sure you show up.”
“We will if we can,” Marina mutters.
“Give them a break, Shivs. We’ll get a bunch of pictures for you if you can’t! It’s on the fifteenth of December, write it down- Big Man, you’re gonna be a Big Uncle!”
Frye turns around to hug Big Man, laughing all the while. Shiver politely waits for the other two to get distracted before she lowers her fan and softly congratulates Pearl and Marina and jokes that they should have remembered the wedding. Pearl laughs along while Marina simply smiles.
The group eventually finish their meals, and Pearl gives whatever staff are around a bigger tip to make sure they don’t tell anyone. Part of her wonders if any of them will leak it anyway, but all she has to do is say “that’s only a rumor” and hopefully everyone will hush.
“We’re hoping that we have a girl, but we’ll be happy either way,” mumbles Marina once everyone has quieted down.
“What are you gonna name her?” asks Marie.
“I’m not sure yet. Probably something Octarian. And then Pearl wants to pick her middle name.”
Pearl’s attention is snatched away by Shiver poking her shoulder with her fan.
“Do your parents know, Pearl?”
“We told my dads first, actually.”
And that makes Shiver gasp, leaning away and stage whispering to Frye with a faux venomous glare towards Pearl.
“Did you hear that, Frye? We’re not even the first people to know!”
“Makes sense.”
“Frye!!”
Big Man simply chuckles, hiding his smile behind his fin while his fiancées tussle with one another.
Marina smiles softly at them.
“You really love those two, huh, Taro?”
“Very much. I can’t wait to marry them.”
“Are ya nervous?” Pearl asks, remembering when she could hardly speak at her own wedding thanks to how much she was shaking.
Big Man sighs and leans on the table.
“I think I’ll be fine. We’ll take many pictures for you. Oh- is it alright if I tell Big Mom and Big Dad?”
“Of course. I think they’d love to hear, just make sure it stays in the family, alright? Reena and I don’t want any extra attention.”
“I’ll make sure of it.”
“Thank you.”
Pearl glances at the bartender, chuckling at their mildly shellshocked expression. She supposes it’s not every day you’re among the first people to learn about a celebrity having children.
“You alright over there, kid?” she asks, and that poor kid, they can only nod with the biggest smile she’s ever seen. She can tell they’re resisting the urge to pull out their phone and tell everyone they know. For now, she simply gives them a wink and pulls a permanent marker from her pocket, just in case.
Somehow, their smile gets even bigger, and they have to force themselves to continue working. Their excitement is contagious- the entire group is buzzing now, almost too excited to finish their dinners.
Despite the excitement, however, the Now or Never Seven eventually do clean their plates and empty their glasses, and they have one more group hug before the Squid Sisters and Deep Cut leave.
Pearl and Marina stay behind, because Pearl still needs to pay and Marina wants a few minutes to wind down before going out to the car. The bartender pulls out a napkin to get the girls’ autographs.
“Remember,” Pearl tells them with an unusually dark and threatening tone, “you didn’t hear anything. Capiche?”
“Y-Yes ma’am.”
“Good.”
She smiles warmly as she signs the napkin and hands it to Marina to sign as well. The bartender shoves it in their pocket and thanks the two of them for coming.
Outside, the sun has long since set, and Marina nearly falls asleep on the way home. Pearl smiles fondly at her and gently pulls her from the passenger seat to carry her inside. Marina has always been slightly too tall to carry, what with her tentacles and legs being too long not to drag across the sidewalk, but Pearl has never minded.
That being said, Pearl realizes she should probably get back into her workout routine- the extra weight from the baby has made Marina just a bit heavier than usual, and the little inkling’s shoulders ache by the time she places Marina in their shared bed.
On instinct, Pearl climbs into the bed as well to cuddle up next to Marina, turning on her phone and lowering the brightness.