Hedgehog Hodgepodge: A Story of Espionage, Confusion, and an Evil Plan Gone Haywire
Chapter 11: A Surprise for Everyone
In the early evening, Aurora walked into the house completely worn out from the day. Wanting nothing more than to see her beau and go to bed early, she was surprised to find her parents anxiously awaiting her arrival in the living room.
“Hello, Sweetiepie!” said Amy, opening her arms to greet her daughter. “How was your day?”
Aurora dropped her bag next to the door and stepped into her mother’s soothing embrace. “It was good… and interesting,” she replied tiredly. “How are you feeling?”
“Better than I’ve felt in awhile. I almost feel like myself again!” Amy took a moment to flash a knowing smile at Sonic, who winked back at her. She turned back to Aurora. “One of my colleagues at the museum was kind enough to bring us dinner, so we’ve invited Shadow to join us.”
Aurora brightened. Maybe her parents were getting used to the idea of her dating Shadow after all. They had already given their blessing, but she knew her dad still had mixed emotions about the relationship.
There was a flash of green light outside the window, followed by a knock on the door. Aurora rushed over to open it. She had to remind herself to exhibit control and not to leap into Shadow’s arms when she saw him standing there.
“Hello, Light,” he growled softly, a playful grin on his face. Aurora bit her lip as an electrifying sensation tingled up her spine. The amorous look he gave her and the deep tone of his voice were nothing short of… seductive. She thought of the near-incident on the road earlier, and his mouth covering hers with a passionate kiss. Suddenly her cheeks went red.
“Tiny, you can invite him in if you’d like,” Sonic teased. “Or not…” he finished quietly. Amy elbowed him in the ribs.
“What?!” he whispered, feigning innocence.
“Be nice!” Amy hissed. But she couldn’t help stifling a giggle.
The spell was momentarily broken and Aurora moved to open the door wider. Shadow walked in, giving her a soft brush on the cheek. He was carrying a paper shopping bag. Reaching inside, he pulled something out and offered it to Amy.
“For the hostess,” he said.
Amy looked at the vintage bottle of wine and managed a warm smile. “Thank you, Shadow,” she said. Placing it on the sideboard, she hoped he wouldn’t suggest they open it that evening. Sonic crossed his arms in annoyance. All hail Mr. Magnanimous, he thought, rolling his eyes.
“Why don’t we go ahead and have dinner,” Amy suggested. Shadow moved to hold a chair out for Aurora.
“Thank you,” she said softly with a look that made Shadow’s heart leap. He waited until Amy was seated before taking the chair next to Aurora. Amy had set a beautiful table despite the fact that she hadn’t been feeling well.
When they were all seated, Shadow turned to Aurora. “I have something for you, too,” he said, producing a small gift box.
“For what?” Aurora laughed, gently taking the package and looking at the card. She began to read out loud. “‘To Light - I’m sorry for breaking your communicator this morning, although I’m not sorry for shoving my tongue…’” Aurora’s voice trailed off. She hadn’t noticed Shadow making small movements telling her to stop. She didn’t dare look up at her parents. Clearing her throat, she skipped down to the bottom of the card. “‘I hope this little gift will be a good replacement.’”
Hastily stuffing the card back in the envelope, she opened the top of the box to see her brand new bright green communicator.
“Shadow!” she exclaimed. “I love it!” Aurora pulled it out and admired its sleek design, smiling as she noticed Tails’ trademark stamped onto the back. She opened the two side pieces to reveal a virtual screen with the words “Hello, Aurora!” scrawled in script.
“Thank you, Shadow,” she said, jumping up to give him a hug. She noticed Sonic and Amy looking at each other apprehensively. “Are you alright?” she asked them. Surely it was okay for Shadow to give her a gift this nice.
“Of course!” Amy said. “It’s just that your father and I have a gift for you too.”
“Wow!” Aurora laughed, sitting down again. “What’s the occasion?”
Instead of answering, Sonic walked to the kitchen and returned with a gift bag. Setting it on the table, he walked back to Amy and put his arm around her. Aurora dug into the bag filled with tissue paper and pulled out a shirt. “Oh! Very nice!” she exclaimed.
“Read it,” Amy said, nervously reaching over to grasp Sonic’s hand.
Aurora unfolded the shirt and smoothed the front so she could see all the letters.
“‘I’m the Big Sister.’” She looked up at Sonic and Amy in confusion. “What does that mean? Usually kids wear these shirts when their parents are having-” Aurora stopped and stared wide-eyed at her beaming parents. “You mean…”
“Yes, Tiny,” said Sonic, looking somewhere between excited and terrified. “You’ll have a new little brother or sister before too long.”
Aurora sat in stunned silence. She never would have expected this in a million years. Her emotions were in a tangle!
Amy broke the silence. “Believe me, your dad and I were just as surprised as you are! That’s the reason I’ve been so sick lately.”
Shadow sat blinking, just as surprised as Aurora. Then he shuddered to himself. The thought of Sonic and Amy going at it weirded him out. But he knew it was necessary to support Aurora and her family right now.
Shadow swallowed the bile that was threatening to leave his stomach and offered his hand to Sonic. “Congratulations, Sonic. I hope the little one will be, ah, good.” What was he saying? He didn’t know anything about babies. And the fact that Aurora would have a brother or sister 20 years her junior was just odd.
“Thanks,” Sonic said, shaking Shadow’s hand and giving him a strange look.
“This is definitely going to take some getting used to,” Aurora said, dazed.
Always the comic, Sonic attempted to insert some humor into the situation. “Well, at least we’ll always have a ready and willing babysitter, right, Tiny?”
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