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Lorene silently nodded to Mina and looked down at her own stomach. "Only when everyone's around. He's a lot livelier when it's just him and his momma." She smiled again, thinking of another she had once known like that.

The day rolled on rather the same. They simply enjoyed each others company, whether is was catching up or getting to know Mina and vice versa. The boys were already in bed, however Lorene kept Mina to herself for a bit longer. She went to the porch to speak underneath the moonlight.

She took Mina's hands and began to confess to her. "I just want to say, thank you for making Eric happier than I ever could. The way he looks at you, it just wasn't the way he looked at me. I can definitely say you're a lot more woman then I am." She said, teasing her at the end.

Lorene sighed. "Yeah, that's been some story. It's also why I won't tell him something else..." She held Mina's hands tightly, tears began to fall from her eyes. "Mina, this isn't Nina's cousin, it's her half brother. Promise me you won't tell him? I don't want him to feel like he's tied down to me. I don't think my heart could take ruining his life a second time."

Lorene wiped her eyes and reached to hug her. Realizing it wouldn't work the way she wished, she opted for simply hugging Mina from their sides. "I can't thank you enough, maybe someday I could tell everyone. The two of them perhaps when they are older." She patted Mina's belly and began to talk to Nina. "Please take care of your cousin, protect him whenever you're together."

Nina pushed against her hand, Lorene could surely count on her. "I believe Eric said it best when saying the belly has ears. If she understands as much as you say she does, do you think she'll remember this conversation we had?"

"I hope she doesn't keep you or Eric up in the middle of the night." Said Lorene, she took into account what Mina had said about her as a child. Seeing that this would not be further mentioned, she felt she could sleep easy, as easy as her own son would allow her. She rose from her seat and stretched. "That's all I wished to speak about. I'll see you in the morning before you shove off, Mina. Do us all proud and prove our people wrong about you, I don't believe all Duon's are evil people."

"I'm sure you wil. I believe in you." That being said, Lorene went off to her and Derrick's room. The room Eric was in had been his room when he and the guys bought it as the own bachelor pad, him Farely and his brother being the main occupants. He had already fallen asleep waiting for Mina to return.

Next Day...(15)

Eric did his daily morning routine of talking and playing with his daughter. They talked about her birthday and how he would get her whatever she wanted...except if it was something crazy like a pony. He cooed at Nina whenever she became restless, and cuddled against the mother happily. He didn't think Mina minded it at all. He couldn't believe it was nearly half a month now since Nina came into their lives.

"Lucky me, huh?" He chuckled, wondering how often would that be. He'd hope that Nina wasn't a very whiny child. Won't know what you end up with for sure till the mother pops em out though, children were a gamble and that sense. Pressing his head gently against her belly, after sometime he felt a rather protruding bump where her navel would be. It had finally popped out like belly buttons in pregnancy would sometimes do. "Hey, looks like it just needed a bit more time to happen."