WHO: Kai Bennett & Vanna Hawthorne WHAT: BFFs go shopping for things for Vanna’s baby and then go for ice cream. WHEN: June 20th - afternoon. WHERE: Around Los Angeles. RATING: Cute and fluffy!
Kai still had the no-maj instinct to go to Google every time he had a question about anything so when Vanna had asked him to come shopping for baby stuff with her, he had jumped at the opportunity and done a Google search almost immediately after sending an owl back to tell her that he would be delighted. According to the All-Knowing Google, the Juvenile Shop in Sherman Oaks was very popular with first-time mothers.
When they arrived, Kai tugged on Vanna’s sleeve, leading her toward the toys. He couldn’t help himself, they all looked so cute. The stuffed animal shelf was sadly devoid of a plush horse but he grabbed up the next best thing, holding it up with a grin. “A unicorn! We’ve got to get this. Puhleeeeeze.” With his free hand, he reached for a soft little blanket with a stuffed bunny head on one corner. “One of these too. My sister has young kids and she said she swears by this Lovie Blankie thing, her daughter won’t go anywhere without it.”
Vanna chuckled at his exuberance. She loved his bright energy, it was such a bright spot in her life. She looked at the little unicorn and nodded with a chuckle, “Yes to the unicorn, no to the bunny.” She chuckled, “I already got one of those kind of blankets with a bear on the corner.”
“I need to find things for the nursery.” She reminded him as she looked to all the cute little odds and ends in the store, “I think I want to go with dark colors, like navy and silver.” She commented, “Maybe throw in some yellow or gold too.”
— When Kai was happy, it showed. He was energetic in a good way, not in the anxious and jittery way, and it was easy to tell the difference. His enthusiasm was all positive at the moment. “Yes!” The exclamation came out louder than he meant it to and he slapped a hand over his mouth, stifling a giggle. “Oops. I’m excited about the unicorn.” He put the Lovie back, held onto the unicorn, and followed Vanna toward the nursery things.
“Any theme? Or just colors? Some people do ocean or jungle themes or whatever.” He wasn’t sure what he would do. Kai had never thought about a nursery before. Not once in his life. He was only twenty-four and had never been in a serious relationship before. -- Vanna wandered them shelves as she thought about his question, "No, I think I just want to do colors because then we can add whatever little details, like the unicorn, and they will still make sense overall." She said as she traced her hand along a crib railing.
It was a gorgeous crib and she could just see her baby sleeping there, a beautiful mahogany color with pretty swirly details carved into the boards. "I did tell you that I'm due the first week of July, right?" She asked as she turned to him, yet her hand didn't leave the crib rail.
--- “That’s a good idea.” It made a lot of sense and it did give the child a better chance at growing with the room instead of being restricted to whatever theme was chosen for them beforehand. “This one is pretty.” Kai stopped at the one Vanna had, looking at the added embellishments. “I think you mentioned it, yeah. It’s soon! I’m so excited for you.” He nodded at the crib. “Think this is the one?”
--
She looked back at the crib for a moment. "I do think so. " she replled with small smile. Thankfully her smart investments said that she could provide for her child in great comfort.
She moved and put the little unicorn beside it. Tipping her head slightly, "Yes, I think this one will do nicely."
-- “I think so too.” Kai could tell how much Vanna liked it. He liked it too, once the unicorn was set beside it. “They must have a whole matching set? Like dresser, changing table, all of that?” He was familiar with everything needed for a baby, mostly because he had become an uncle before even graduating school. Being the youngest of six did that. “Am I uncle or is that weird?” he asked, eyebrows raised. —-
“If you would like to be an uncle, you are more than welcome to.” she said with a smile to him, “What about you, Kai, have you ever considered having children? Adopting?” she asked.
There was a matching dressing table and other furniture to go with the crib. She wanted to find the perfect mobile. She had a vision in her brain, but reality was another story. She could see him as quite a wonderful father figure. ---
“I would like to,” Kai replied with a smile. Her question made him pause, considering the very different things he had been experiencing lately. Kissing a guy, being attracted to a guy, being attracted to drag queens, all while still being attracted to heterosexual women. There was something going on with him and he couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it did mean that there could be adoption in his future. He certainly couldn’t discount it.
“I do want kids. Somehow. However that ends up happening.” He shrugged. “I’m the only wizard in my entire family. Not sure how that happened but it would be nice to continue that thread.”
-- “Well then we must find you a lovely partner to make pretty babies with. You would make adorable babies, or adopt adorable babies, if you prefer.” she chuckled as she looked through some cute little outfits. She didn’t assume much about her friends. It didn’t really matter whom they loved as long as they were happy. It wasn’t like she had had any measure of good judgment when it came to love. Her ex was a monster.
Vanna was happy to be having a child, she just hadn’t thought that it would be as it was. She had thought it would be with a happy man in her life. She hadn’t thought it would be by herself, but it showed her how strong she could be.
---
“I’ve stopped trying to find someone,” Kai admitted. “When it happens, it’ll happen. Until then, I’ll just carry on.” He wasn’t sure what was going on between him and TJ, but whatever it was, he hadn’t been looking for it. It had fallen right into his lap on its own and he decided that seemed to be the best route to take. Let things happen as they would, make decisions as they came. “I would hope my kid wouldn’t have the same curse that I do, constantly called adorable and cute instead of smoking hot or handsome!” he joked.
Picking the unicorn plushie back up, he set it on his shoulder as he followed her to the clothing. “It’s all soooo cute. I feel like I’m getting a million cavities just looking at it.” He laughed. “Do you have plans yet for the birth? I’m being nosy, I know. But like, anyone to come with you?”
--- She took a deep breath when he mentioned the birthing and let it out, “Oh I’m going to a hospital. I’m not brave enough to do that whole birthing at home nonsense.” she admitted, “My mum will be with me and probably my sister.”
She didn’t want her baby’s father anywhere near them. She had a very clear and expressive restraining order for that very reason. He was unstable and far too controlling. She still secretly worried that all the charms and papers in the world wouldn’t keep him out of her life forever. She bit her lower lip as she looked at a little outfit, “I should find a gender neutral going home outfit.”
She hadn’t really wanted to know what she was having.
--- He could hardly blame her for not wanting to give birth outside of the hospital. If he was a woman, he was positive that he would choose the same thing. “I’m glad that you’ll have family with you.” Kai gave her shoulder a quick, gentle squeeze. “I can’t help but worry like a little skinny chicken.”
Kai returned his attention to the outfits. “Anything that doesn’t have the words “girl” or “boy” on it is gender-neutral to me. Personally, I love to wear pink!” He hoped to distract her because he felt like he might have unintentionally touched a nerve. “And hearts, I actually do have a shirt with hearts on it. Green is a good color. Or yellow, yellow’s very cheerful.”
--
He had touched a little bit of a nerve, but it wasn’t malicious or intentional. “Green or yellow or grey might be good.” she replied as she looked through the newborn clothes.
“I have two names picked out, do you want to hear them?” she asked, holding up a grey onesie thing.
--
Kai leafed through the tiny newborn onesies, finding himself amazed that people started out so small. It was hard to imagine himself fitting into one of those back in the mid-90s.
“Oh, yes! I do want to know.” He turned his attention away from the little clothes and waited eagerly for Vanna to tell him what she had chosen.
— “I have decided that it will be Malcolm Alexander if it is a boy and Victoria Grace if it is a girl. I’m sure everyone will decide their nicknames soon enough.” Vanna said with a small smile to him, “Personally, I’m leaning towards Mal and Tori.”
It became so much more real when you named them and became attached to them. Her mother had encouraged her to consider adoption, but Vanna wouldn’t hear of it. Her mother was afraid that she’d never have her bastard of an ex out of her life if they shared a child. The child was going to exist and it was going to be loved. She had already made that decision. If the father proved to be a threat, she would protect her child.
—
“Nicknames do happen very quickly! I forget my full name constantly.” He smiled back at her. “I like those names. Very traditional with lots of potential for cute nicknames.” Kai went back to looking at the onesies. “Do you have any feeling about what gender it is? I see that on no-maj TV sometimes. People getting a gut feeling.”
He lifted up an onesie that had a bear on it and bold lettering that read “Unbearably Handsome”. Kai laughed. “I wish they had this in my size.”
-- She laughed, fully able to see him wearing something like that, "I guess you will just have to get something custom made." She laughed as she watched him.
Her hand smoothed down over the roundness of her belly, "I think I'm having a girl, but I could be surprised. I just want a healthy baby."
--
“In a t-shirt and not a onesie! I like how it says handsome and not cute or adorable. Just go straight to handsome!” He laughed, putting the onesie back on the rack.
“No one ever does the surprise thing anymore. I think it’s nice you’re not finding out. You can see if the instinct is right and it’s a girl.”
—
“I just want to be able to look at my baby and truly meet them for the first time, not go in with any preconceived notions because they’re a boy or a girl.” Vanna replied, pulling out a little green overall combo before putting it back. She wasn’t into dinosaurs.
She secretly plotted to get him a shirt made with that unbearably handsome thing on it for a gift. He’d been such a great friend with all of this. He’d gone shopping and let her talk if she needed to and she appreciated that. “I think I like this one.” She said, holding up a romper with rubber duckies all over it. It was gender neutral but still screamed baby.
—
Kai nodded in understanding. “I get it. It’ll be a nice surprise either way. I know I’m eager to find out when the day comes! It’s the best kind of surprise, isn’t it?” He stopped rambling as soon as Vanna held up her choice for baby’s first outfit. “Awww, rubber duckies! I love it, it’s perfect. Ducks are for everyone.”
-- "It is too adorable to say no." Vanna said with a smile to him, "Thank you for coming with me, by the way. I'm not sure I could have handled my mother's judgment in all this."
It was something that had put a strain between them, because her mother was very conservative in some beliefs, the biggest was that children were for married people. --
“It really is! Baby will be styling on their going home trip.” Kai beamed back at her. “You’re welcome. I don’t mind at all, I think all of this is fun. All the baby stuff. It’s an explosion of cute in here.”
It made him sad to think about all of the judgment she was facing from her family and in all likelihood, from the media too. He didn’t see what the big deal was. For the baby, it would be way better with the father out of the picture. Convention really needed to be tossed to the wind. “What else do you need? Oh, and how do you feel about ice cream after?”
-- She smiled to him and knew that his being around was good for her baby and good for her. It was good to have the support of a friend. Her family would come around after they met the baby, she was sure. It wasn’t the sweet little baby’s fault that it’s father was a piece of crap. “I should put in an order for the furniture to be delivered to the house and I can pay for these things.” she said, holding up a couple little outfits and the sweet little unicorn. Even if it was a boy, who cared? The unicorn was adorable.
“Ice cream would be wonderful, the baby loves ice cream.” she admitted, just as much as she did. “Cookie dough, please.”
--
“Oh, that’s true. It would be a lot easier to have it delivered.” He hadn’t thought of that because he had no experience shopping for furniture outside of IKEA. For that stuff, it was lucky he had magic. He couldn’t imagine what a pain it would be to put together without an easy flick of his wand. “Okay, let’s get the stuff and then get the ice cream. Clearly, kiddo has a good taste of what is the most delicious in life already!” He grinned, gravitating toward the front counter. “Mint chocolate chip is my fave, yum.”
-- Vanna laughed and headed for the counter to make her order and pay for everything. She was told it would be delivered by the end of the week and was advised to fill out a baby registry soon. She couldn't help it she was carrying pretty well on her small frame, but her belly looked ready to pop.
"Thank you, I will keep that in mind." She said to the saleswoman.
She returned to him once she had the small things bagged up to go, "Off we go to ice cream." She chirped, quite accomplished to have gotten her baby furniture taken care of.
Kai waited patiently for Vanna to make her order, occupying himself by going back to the toys section and poking through their selection, making mental notes on all of the things he wanted to get later for birthdays and holidays once the baby arrived.
After she finished, he rejoined her, leading her off down the street to the ice cream place that he knew was nearby, less than a block’s walk away. “Here we are!” He joined the line, glad that he could walk around Hollywood without being recognized. “Cookie dough, and mint chocolate chip,” he said, giving their orders, as soon as it was their turn at the window. --- Vanna hummed as she waited in line with him for ice cream. It was a simple thing, to just be with a friend and know that someone was giving her unconditional support. She rubbed her stomach absently as they waited for their ice cream to be dished up.
Once it was and they were handed their treats, she sat down with him at one of the little bistro type tables, tapping her poor swollen little feet as she ate her ice cream. It hit the spot, “So do you have any new projects on the line?” she asked, glancing at him, “My agent thinks I should get back to work by the end of the summer.” ---
Kai plopped down into a chair opposite her, already making quick work of the ice cream, licking at it as if he hadn’t seen food for weeks. It was his usual way of eating. He had grown up the youngest of six and he had learned to eat quickly or someone just might snatch something that he really wanted to keep eating, undetected by their parents in all of the chaos of the dinner table.
He did pause to answer her. “I hope so. I did half of a pilot and it’s being shopped around. Also, I have an audition lined up that I’m so completely wrong for but I’m doing it for practice anyway. So…” he trailed off, licking ice cream off his fingers. “I guess it is going to come down to luck. I could always find another Charms and Transfigurations Coordinator gig if it comes down to it.” He grinned over at her. “Do you want to go back to work?”
--- “I really do. I want to get back into television though. With the baby, it’s more of a stable location and workable hours. Being on a movie, I could be all over the world and I am having a kid. I don’t know that I’ll go back in the fall, it really just depends on how things go with the baby. If I feel comfortable going back to work, I will. I know my agent thinks it’s important, but I think that is more about their commission than what is necessarily best for my kid.” Vanna admitted, “I miss Enchanter something fierce. I wish there was a way to go back, but I know that isn’t going to happen with Camelot Rising doing so well. Plus…. Well I didn’t exactly leave on the best of terms. I just sort of …. Well…. Quit.” she sighed.
She hadn’t really had much face time with those she had abandoned and she felt bad, genuinely for how it had all gone down. She hadn’t meant to get pregnant and she hadn’t wanted to get so far in that everyone would lose out. It had been for the best, even though it had tarnished her a little in the professional community. The only reason she had done New World Magics was that the corsets had hidden her condition well enough and it had wrapped because she’d started to show too much.
---
“Your agent must not be that great. I just got one and he seems to genuinely care about me and I find it on the whole very helpful. I was flying by the seat of my pants before. No idea what I was doing.” He shrugged, going back to lapping at his ice cream cone, looking thoughtful as he mulled over what Vanna had said. “I’m not in the best position to give advice. I’m new to the business and I’m not a soon-to-be parent but I honestly think the kiddo should come first, especially if you’re in a stable enough position not to need to work for a while. Unless you want to work, then by all means.” He wrinkled his nose, not sure if he was digging himself into a hole or if he was actually giving halfway decent advice.
--
“My agent means well, but I signed with him when I was a single, not-expecting young person with a whole amazing career on the horizon.” Vanna admitted, “This is nothing that he signed up for.”
She motioned to her belly, “Neither did I, but it is what it is.” she added with a shrug.
“I will see what happens. The baby is going to come first. I’ve been very smart with my money from my films and Enchanter, so it isn’t like I ever have to work again if I don’t want to.” she admitted, “But I do miss it.”
--
“But it kinda is, isn’t it?” Kai couldn’t help but come right out and say it. “Most young people are eventually going to have families of their own. It happens. Regularly. He should know how to handle it. Maybe I’m just naive.” He let out a huff. “Life happens. I’m glad that you’re stable, though, but I do understand missing it.” He bit down on the edge of his cone, having already eaten most of the scoop of ice cream that had been plopped down into it. “Mm, life’s little pleasures.”
--
Vanna was taking more time to enjoy her little indulgence. She really had been trying to eat healthy for the baby, but ice cream was a wonderful treat. “One of the best.” she agreed as she enjoyed the ambiance of the place and his company.
“I’m still trying to figure out if I want to do a baby shower or not. Sometimes I think they’re a little…. I don’t know, greedy?” she asked.
She didn’t really understand, probably because she had the money to provide her child with needs.
--
Kai grinned, wiping his face once with the back of his hand before taking another bite of his cone. He enjoyed days like that, taking some time to be with a friend and enjoy a day out, indulging in treats, and doing a little shopping.
“Some people might see it as such, but mostly I think it’s supposed to be a celebration. People usually only do it for the first kid. If you kept having them if you have more kids, then it would be considered greedy!” After another lick at his cone, he went on. “If you want to have one to celebrate but don’t want gifts, you could always say that? Or maybe just ask people to bring you diapers. You can never have enough of those.”
--
“Oh that is a good idea.” she said with a small nod to him, “Perhaps I’ll throw a get together and just request simple things, like diapers. I’m sure that some people won’t listen, but that’s okay, right?” she asked with a smile to him.
She licked her cone and smiled to him, “This was really nice, Kai. I mean it. I really want to thank you for coming with me.”
“I like the idea of it and I think it will be nice for you? For the celebration bit of it because it is something worth celebrating. Just request the essentials. Diapers, baby wipes. Whatever else?” He was nearing the end of his cone and he took another chomp out of the side of it along with some ice cream.
“You’re welcome. I enjoyed it! If you ever need someone to shop with again, you know who to ask.” Kai grinned, gesturing at himself.
— Vanna just smiled to him, “Baby shampoos, ect. Nothing big. I don’t need help with furniture or strollers or anything like that. Toys.” She said, pulling the unicorn out of the bag with a smile. “I just want this baby to be loved and cherished above everything.”
“I know Uncle Kai is going to find the best toys for any bouncing baby.” She chirped.
Kai nodded. “We got a lot of the furniture taken care of today! It’s going to look so cute setup. His smile widened at the sight of the unicorn. “They will be loved! And you are right, Uncle Kai will have the best toys for baby.” He liked the sound of it - being Uncle Kai to Vanna’s baby. Already an uncle, he knew a little about it, though he didn’t get to see his nieces or nephews back in Georgia as often as he would like because of his busy schedule. Anyway, some of his siblings were less than thrilled about their children being around a wizard. This felt like his first proper chance at actually being around as an uncle. “I fully plan on being the cool uncle!!”
--
Vanna laughed and nodded to him, “I am sure that you will be the perfect cool uncle.” she giggled to him as she finished her ice cream.
There was small talk about nursery plans and thoughts on some film projects that had been coming down the pipeline, it was all very friendly and simple. That was important. The rest the world went on around them, neither noticing a few pictures being taken of the very pregnant fallen star. The day had been perfect and no press was going to ruin that for her.