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Brian laughed and wrapped an arm around Tina's waist as she told a friend how she hoped it wasn't twins.
" Brian, you aren't listening to me."
He turned and smiled apologetically at his wife. " I'm sorry." He kissed the tip of her nose. " I was just wondering who Kevin and Karen found to torture today." He said nodding his head in their direction.
Tina turned to Nick, who was standing on her other side. " This is your place, who is she?" When she didn't get an answer she poked him in the side. " Nicky, I asked a question."
" Huh? Oh, I don't know." He replied, turning red as he realized he had just been caught staring.
Brian whistled. " Oh Nicky boy, you got it bad."
" I do not. I just want to meet her… without having her attack me."
The rest of the group laughed. Nick glanced at his friends as they stood talking, from Howie to his steady girlfriend Monica, then at Monica's daughter Lauren.
" Humph. Some people may enjoy being adored and attacked all the time but it gets old." He said with a hint of a smile. " But it does have its up sides, remember that group of girls in Spain last tour?"
Now it was Brian's turn to be red. " It's not my fault they tried to strip me!"
Howie nudged Brian's arm. " Tried? Man, they had you naked as the day you were born! Tried…"
Brian glared at Nick. Nick just shook his head and laughed. " Ah, payback. Isn't it great Frick?"
Brian grinned evilly. " Oh yeah, payback is great. KEVIN!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. " Bring your new friend over here!"
Nick rolled his eyes. " How juvenile Bri. And you're going to be a dad?"
He was interrupted by Kevin introducing Noel. " Guys, this is Noel Sands. She lives next door. Noel, the blond idiot is Nick Carter, he's the neighbor."
Nick tensed up inside, expecting a massive scene that would include Noel throwing herself on him and saying how much she loved him. It didn't happen. Instead she smiled at him and said hi.
" Hi, it's nice to meet you. I would've sooner except I had finals and planning for graduation and a ton of other stuff that probably wouldn't interest you a bit." She laughed and smiled again. " I talk a lot sometimes, so if you get bored just tell me."
" Nah, don't worry about it." He replied. Why was I nervous? She's cool about this whole thing… or maybe she just doesn't know. Who cares? Now I know someone in this damn neighborhood! " Noel, these are my friends, Howie Durough, Monica Jones, her daughter Lauren, and Brian and Tina Litrell. Tina's the reason for the party."
Noel sent a quick glance in what she hoped was the right direction, and said a few hello's. " It's nice to meet you Tina, and congratulations. How far along are you?"
Tina beamed. " About five months. I just found out though. We didn't realize before cause I've been sick and this little girl or guy isn't making me look like an elephant."
Noel smiled at Tina, not realizing that she was returning one. " You must be so happy about this." She laughed a little. " My dad says when my mom was pregnant with me I turned her into a house!"
" Oh I hope that doesn't happen to me! We're just happy to have this little one at all. It was a hard road just to get this far, and it kicked for the first time yesterday!" Tina smiled maternally and brushed her dark blond hair out of her eyes. " It was so wonderful! Would you like to feel? Maybe it'll kick for you."
Noel's face lit up. " That's so nice of you! Sure!" She held her hand out in the direction of Tina's voice and felt as she guided it to the gentle curve of her stomach. Noel stooped close to it. " I don't think it's awake."
She put her ear closer and nearly fell over in surprise when she heard a heartbeat. " I can hear the heartbeat!"
She heard the group of people make the usual assortment of "ooh's" and "ahh's" before she really did fall over.
Immediately hands were grabbing her and helping her to her feet. " Oh my god!"
A chorus of " Are you all right's" came from around her before she felt the familiar smoothness of Tina's hand on her own. " What happened Noel?"
Noel took a deep breath before replying on a shaky voice. " I heard two heartbeats."
" You heard what?" Tina's dark brown eyes searched Noel's green ones and another her brain registered another shock. " Noel, come with me, I want to talk to you privately."
Without waiting for an answer she grabbed Noel and guided her carefully into Nick's house. " Tell me something, how did you hear it?"
Noel looked confused, but answered. " With my ears…"
" What do I look like?"
" Umm…" Noel looked down. " You know what you look like…"
Tina sighed as she realized that she was right. " Don't worry, everyone else is outside in the pool or talking. And I already know. My aunt's blind too you know."
Noel raised her head in the direction of her voice. " How'd you figure it out? Not many people know… I've done pretty good at keeping it a secret."
" It was your eyes. They didn't look at me, they looked through me. My aunt does the same thing." Tina guided Noel to the couch and the two women sat. " You did great though, I don't think anyone even suspects. But what about your friends?"
Noel sighed. " I left my friends back in Hawaii. We moved here a week ago and all I really did was go to afternoon sessions for school. I only met a few people but we were all too busy getting ready for finals… You won't tell anyone will you?"
Tina took Noel's hands in her own. " No, I won't. But if they ask, I'm not going to deny it."
" Thanks. I guess it would be a smart thing to tell the truth if they asked… but I'm not going to give anyone else a chance to figure it out. Thanks Tina, and when you go see your doctor, call me if I was right?" Noel smiles at Tina gratefully.
" Don't worry, I will."
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