A Father's Work Is Never Done Pt. 1

A new story I recently started. This one is going to be fun! Let me know what you think!

A Father's Work Is Never Done

By

Brimmingbelly04 

Very Loosely Inspired By Punishment

By

PreggosAreBeautiful of Deviantart

***

On already tired legs, Wyatt headed for the bedroom. His former bedroom… He carried two empty buckets in each hand, the metal containers clanging against each other with each slow and heavy step he took. 

It was only seven in the morning, but already, the forty year old had been up for hours. There were now more chores to do than ever, and only Wyatt capable of performing the vast majority. He was all for a hard day's work, but just about everything falling on him was really getting to be a lot to deal with. 

Wyatt needed for things to change and soon, and not just for his own sake… He knew they would, but how, remained the question.

Since rising well before the sun, the forty year old homesteader had gotten the fire in the hearth going full force again, made himself a quick breakfast,  including some strong coffee, fed the animals, gathered the eggs, killed, plucked and started to roast another chicken, and been down to the creek twice to collect water. Already, Wyatt had accomplished a lot, but there was much more to do. 

Tired as he already was, it would be many, many hours before he had a chance to rest. The way things were now, Wyatt's day was really only just getting started, which he couldn't help but consider very, very daunting. 

Every day, he did his best to not let himself feel downtrodden, but doing so was becoming more and more difficult. Wyatt had never been a particularly religious man, even less so following the passing of his wife, but he believed in God.

But if God existed, why had He let this happen?  

Whenever he frequently had all those thoughts and questions, Wyatt would take a moment, just as he was doing right then, to remind himself that while he was suffering for whatever reason, he wasn't the one suffering the most. That unfortunate honor belonged to his eighteen year old son, Eugene. 

The homesteader stopped in front of the closed bedroom door and sighed. Selfishly, he couldn't help but still miss his bed, even though he hadn't slept in it in a month and a half. Yes, the bed he slept in now was stuffed with the same hay as his own, but his bed was bigger and deeper. Big enough for Wyatt and his late wife to have comfortably shared, but not quite big enough for their only child, following “the incident,” as Dr. Anderson had coined the inexplicable event Eugene had experienced a month and a half prior.

Wyatt had had such high hopes for his son… He wanted Eugene to go on to be happy and successful, and live a long, promising and productive life. Now, all those hopes and wants seemed to have been dashed. All but the one of Eugene going on to be productive. 

In that regard, the eighteen year old had inadvertently gone on to make his father “proud.” No one Wyatt had ever met or heard of, was as “productive” as Eugene had unintentionally proved himself of being, in many more ways than one… 

Even though he was doing the absolute best he could given their very unusual circumstances, as a (formerly?) proud father, Wyatt wanted to be more sympathetic of his son despite his unavoidable disappointment and numerous as they were justifiable concerns, but try as he might (which he did,) he just couldn't bring himself to be. Again, if God existed, where was he in all this?

Things weren't getting scary, they had been for some time by then. Every morning, at whatever ungodly hour he roused, the first thing the forty year old did was pray that the day before had just been a nightmare and going forward, things would go back to normal. 

Unfortunately, “normal” was a thing of the past. Maybe someday, things would get to a point reminiscent of it, but if Wyatt and Eugene were lucky enough for that to happen, it wouldn't be for at least another several years at best, during which, they'd all but certainly experience further trials and tribulations. 

Following the quiet release of another sigh, Wyatt opened his former door, entered the bedroom, and gently set the buckets down on the floor next to the bed he still missed so much. Hands freed, after righting himself with a grunt he did his best to stifle, he walked to the closest window, pulled back its curtain his late wife had made, and let the early morning sunlight start to ward off the darkness. 

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!” The forty year old declared in a sing-song tone as he moved over to the next window. “Benny crowed over an hour ago… Time to get up and at ‘em!” He said as loudly and encouragingly as he could as he turned back to face the bed. 

From its foot, his foot, Wyatt wasn't able to see Eugene’s still boyishly handsome face. He let out another sigh when the younger man failed to respond to his loud and cheerful wakeup call. 

As he walked back around to the right side of the bed his eighteen year old son now dominated, the homesteader watched as the patchwork quilt his wife had meticulously sewn out of scraps (but important, meaningful ones, including such pieces as her own wedding dress) rose and fell with their son's heavy, still slumbering breath. 

If Mary could just see Eugene now… Wyatt silently said to himself. What would she think? He wondered. 

If his wife, Eugene's mother, was still alive, the odds were good that what'd happened in her absence, wouldn't have. The repeated, unfortunate realization made Wyatt sad all over again. Mary had passed away from the fever almost six years prior, but he still missed her just as much as he had his first day without her. 

No, actually now, he missed her more. More than ever…

Wyatt sighed again. As he did, he briefly considered letting Eugene sleep a little longer. If He even existed, God knew the young man needed the additional rest, not that he was presently capable of doing much to benefit the homestead Wyatt planned to pass onto him one day, but still… 

He wished he could've, but there was still so much to be done, including a house call from Dr. Anderson to finally try and figure out what needed to be done. There was only so much time in the day, early as it still was. Eugene could (and most certainly would) go back to sleep once he’d completed what had come to be his “chores” and been seen by the doctor. 

Wyatt looked at his still sleeping only child and shook his head. He often still couldn't believe what'd become of him. He couldn't fathom how or why Eugene had been turned into this, this truly insanely sized vessel of fertility and production. Had his son not been his son, but rather one of the animals they kept, such as a cow, Wyatt would've been happy and proud, but Eugene wasn't livestock. 

Were they being punished? If so, for what? Hadn't they already suffered enough following the death of Wyatt's wife and Eugene's mother?

Apparently not. 

Once again, forty year old Wyatt felt scared and unsure. He also felt extra tired as he watched Eugene sleep, the quilt not covering all of the bed like it usually did on account of being forced to cover the great rolling hills that were Eugene's comically large breasts and massive pregnant belly. 

***

Some nine months ago, things had been good. The previous harvest had been their best yet, finally affording Wyatt the opportunity to double the size of the barn to accommodate their growing herd of cattle, their two oxen, and all the chickens. All the chickens… 

All of a sudden, there were so many of them. More than they needed or could easily handle, so Wyatt decided to task Eugene with going into town to sell them. 

It was the first time he had his son make the twenty mile round trip journey by himself, but it was time. Eugene was eighteen now and he needed to prove himself, not that Wyatt didn't trust him. The homesteader had every faith in his son, so he helped him load the chickens into crates, and then into the back of the wagon one of the oxen would pull to town and back. 

The trip could’ve been done in one day. Wyatt had done so himself many times in the past, but the homestead was in need of a good deal of supplies, so before Eugene headed off, he gave him a list and the money to procure the goods. He also gave the eighteen year old enough money to stay at the inn in town for the night. The time had come for Eugene to prove himself, but Wyatt wasn’t opposed to him having his first solo night out on the town while doing so. He wanted Eugene to have a little fun. He deserved it. 

But as it turned out, he had a little too much fun…

The town was small, but offered many things the homestead did not and sometimes seemed to be located on a different world entirely. The town was frequented by travelers heading west to start their new lives, so there were always new people to meet, new stories and news to hear, and good times to be had. 

Eugene had been to town with Wyatt many times. He’d seen and experienced all of the above himself. Wyatt fully expected his son to take some advantage of his absence, but he knew Eugene had a good head on his shoulders and wouldn’t do anything stupid. At least that had been the hope…

But hopes don’t always come to fruition. Wyatt knew that all too well. The hope had been he and his wife would live long, happy lives together. The hope had been she’d bear him at least another two children, ultimately making work on the homestead easier for everyone. None of that had happened…

No more children came after Eugene, and Wyatt’s wife got sick and died, leaving father and son all alone out in the middle of the prairie. 

Until Eugene returned from town…

His first solo trip had been successful. He sold all the chickens at a good price and procured all the supplies Wyatt had requested. But Eugene came back different. He was quiet and just told his father he’d “had a good time.” Wyatt could’ve pressed but he didn’t. He knew his son had probably used his night at the inn to have what he presumed was his “first time.” He’d done something similar back at his age, when his own father had trusted him to travel into the city back east for the first time by himself. 

Wyatt assumed Eugene was probably embarrassed. Years prior, they’d had the “birds and the bees” talk, so those bases had been covered. Wyatt had expressed his belief that it would be best if his son waited till he was married to be with a woman, but if he chose to be with one beforehand, then there were certain things to be careful of to avoid an unwanted pregnancy. Needless to say, the conversation had been awkward, which was likely another reason why Eugene didn’t want to share what exactly had happened in town. Father and son were close, but not that close. 

At least they hadn’t been… Now though, things were different. Very, very different.

“The talk” Wyatt had with Eugene would've gone a lot differently and definitely been even more awkward had the homesteader known his son was a homosexual, and the risk he therefore faced was getting pregnant himself. Wyatt didn't learn of Eugene's “preference” till a few weeks after he'd gone into town. 

The eighteen year old had been sick ever since, usually in the morning. Several times, usually while they were in the barn, Eugene would have to stop whatever he was doing to hurl. He was slow and lethargic, lacking his usual energy and wasn't able to keep down his breakfast, but come lunchtime, he was usually good again. 

But the sickness continued. It got to the point that Wyatt took Eugene into town to be seen by Dr. Anderson. After the doctor had examined the young man, he brought his father into the room and told him to sit down. 

“Eugene is pregnant,” Anderson announced. 

The room remained absolutely silent for the next minute. The news hit Wyatt like a hay bale. He didn't react, just sat there, staring at his worn, dirty boots.  Eventually, Dr. Anderson cleared his throat and continued. 

In summary, he had no concerns. Not yet, anyway… Wyatt was young, healthy and fit, and therefore shouldn't have any issues adjusting to the pregnancy once the morning sickness passed. Eventually, adjustments would have to be made to his duties, but it would be several months before they needed to worry about that. 

At least that's how things should've gone. Everyone would find out sooner than expected that they would end up going a lot differently than Dr. Anderson initially expected. 

The ride back to the homestead started off in silence. Father and son didn't speak to one another till they were almost halfway home, when Wyatt finally said something. 

“Why didn't you tell me?” He asked. 

“I didn't realize I was…” Eugene began to reply. 

“I'm not talking about the baby, I'm talking about you being… a homosexual.”

“I didn't know how,” the young man said quietly. 

“I assume it happened while you were in town?” 

He nodded. 

“Is the other father someone we know?” Wyatt asked. 

Eugene shook his head. “He was just passing through. I don't even remember his name,” he sheepishly admitted. 

Wyatt sighed. He was so disappointed. 

He was also very surprised, but more disappointed. Eugene deserved to know this but he saw no sense in making him feel any worse. 

“We’ll get through this,” he said, forcing a smile onto his ruggedly handsome face as he reached over and patted Eugene on the leg. 

How they were going to do so, he didn’t yet know. Neither man knew how to take care of a baby… Wyatt knew some about pregnancy from when Mary had been expecting Eugene, but not much… Speaking of Mary, again, had she been there, she would’ve known what to do. About the pregnancy, the baby it would eventually result in, and how to best “handle” their only son being a homosexual. 

***

Following Dr. Anderson's unexpected announcement, things at home remained quiet and awkward between father and son. They didn't fight or argue, but there was a notable tension in the air. 

Everything Wyatt had expected for him and Eugene's futures was suddenly different. He'd expected to be blessed with grandchildren one day, but from his son's wife, not directly from him, without a man, husband, partner, whatever to help. 

Wyatt quickly realized many of those duties would fall on him. He would have to help Eugene raise the baby, not as a grandfather, but as its father. 

At least in a few years, they'd have some additional help. That was pretty much the only plus this situation had to offer. The negatives were far greater, and neither Wyatt or Eugene knew even half of them yet…

Within a month of finding out Eugene was pregnant, the eighteen year old started to show. As soon as he did, his belly grew very big, very fast. Wyatt had only witnessed a handful of pregnancies, but Eugene's seemed to be progressing at an unusually rapid rate. 

Initially, the junior homesteader was all belly. Thanks to all the manual labor he'd grown up doing, Eugene was quite fit and muscular, which helped him cope as his belly grew and grew, but being only eighteen meant he'd yet to fully develop, so fit as he was, he soon began to struggle to perform his chores. 

The adjustments Dr. Anderson had talked about had to be made sooner than anticipated. Whenever he could, Wyatt assigned Eugene more stationary tasks such as canning or mending their clothes. Eugene's mother had taught him to sew, but in their lessons, she'd failed to teach him how to make or alter pieces meant to be worn by a pregnant man. 

Adequate coverage soon became an issue. Even after letting his trousers out as much as he could, and crudely constructing shirts to temporarily accommodate his ever-growing middle, Eugene was showing more and more skin, specifically that which was stretching and straining to cover his belly, by the day. 

Once he started to show, Eugene stopped going into town, but eventually, news of his pregnancy got out. Wyatt was asked about it often during his increased visits to re-up on supplies. As a growing boy, Eugene’s appetite had always been quite voracious, but as a growing, heavily pregnant teen, he was practically insatiable.

Now that the homestead was more developed, with less and less help from Eugene, Wyatt was really starting to work himself to the bone, but he didn’t complain. Not to his son, or to anyone he spoke with in town, all of whom always had many questions. He tried not to divulge too much family business, but in such a small and rural community, even if no one had personally seen Eugene in months, his taboo pregnancy had become the talk of the town, as it wasn’t all too often young men became pregnant in these parts. 

Aside from Wyatt’s visits to town, father and son became increasingly socially isolated. Previously on the weekends, they would socialize with their closest neighbors, the Pritchett’s, but ever since news of Eugene’s pregnancy had made the rounds, the Pritchett’s hadn’t come calling. Increasingly, Wyatt wondered what people would say if they’d actually seen Eugene. Eventually, he found out…

The last time he'd been in town, he stopped in to see the doctor. 

“I'd like for you to come out and see Eugene,” he requested. 

“Is everything alright?” Dr. Anderson asked. 

“I'm not sure,” Wyatt shook his head. “He's gotten really big, really quickly.”

“Males tend to carry more outward than females.”

“He's already bigger than Mary was right before she had him.” 

Dr. Anderson frowned. “Eugene is only five or so months along…”

“Right,” Wyatt nodded. “So will you come?”

Anderson shook his head. “I can see Eugene, but he'd have to come to me. Sally Wilkerson is due any time now, so I need to stay in town.”

Sally Wilkerson… The name made Wyatt cringe internally. Sally was a nice girl, from a well-to-do family. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her. In fact, she was perfect. The mention of her made Wyatt cringe because till relatively recently, Sally was the girl he'd always imagined Eugene ending up with. 

At least Wyatt now understood why things had never worked out between Sally and his son despite his frequent mentions of her…

Formerly Sally Prescott, had ended up with Robert Wilkerson, another one of Eugene's former classmates. Their courtship had been brief and evidently, unsupervised on at least one occasion because all of a sudden, word spread that they were getting married. According to Dr. Anderson, the reason why, was due anytime now. 

Robert and Sally's brief romance, shotgun wedding, and her quickly growing baby bump, had all been the talk of the town till news broke of Eugene's pregnancy.  Once it did, much to her own relief, Sally's story became much less scandalous.

While it was unfortunately unlikely, if Eugene somehow managed to redeem himself socially as a single, homosexual father, then his child (or as Wyatt now worried/feared: children) would have a friend close to their age. 

“We'll wait till you're done with the Wilkersons,” Wyatt replied. “But promise me you'll come out as soon as you can after Sally's had the baby,” he requested. “I'll send you home with as many eggs as you can carry and even a few chickens too,” he added for good measure. 

“While I appreciate the offer…” Dr. Anderson started before shaking his head and sighing. “Really, Wyatt… If Eugene’s as really as big as you say he is, I think I should see him as soon as possible.”

“Another day or two won't hurt, right?” The homesteader hopefully asked, even though he somehow already knew the answer he was going to receive. 

“Yes, they could,” Anderson responded, just as Wyatt had anticipated he would. 

“Fine,” he sighed. “I'll bring him by tomorrow.”

***

It went without saying that Eugene was less than happy to be told he'd have to go into town. He fought his father tooth and nail, going so far as to uncharacteristically beg and plead to wait till Dr. Anderson was able to make a house call. 

The eighteen year old insisted that he and the baby were fine, and there was nothing to worry about. He went so far as to almost shout at his father that he'd been wrong to even go talk to the doctor without his permission, which to his credit, almost worked, but based on Dr. Anderson's reaction (coupled with his own, growing concern,) Wyatt disagreed and won the battle, though he did make a few concessions. 

Before Eugene could try and protest any more, he offered to put the cover back on the wagon so that once they got close to town, he could ride in the back in relative privacy. Wyatt also said they could make their way to town very early, starting before the sun was up, so they'd arrive at Dr. Anderson's before most of the town was up and about.

Eugene briefly tried to keep fighting back, but quickly realized there was no point. He went to bed (very) hungry since he refused to sit down and eat with his father. He also went to bed very anxious, worried about what the next day would bring because even though he hadn't expressed his concerns to the only person he'd spoken with in months, the eighteen year old did have some, mainly the fact he was most likely carrying more than one baby, and he wasn't at all keen on having any of them confirmed. 

Sometime during the night, it started to rain. By the time father and son woke, it was no longer raining, it was pouring, which delayed their departure by hours. By the time they left the homestead, the sun had risen and their journey was slowed thanks to all the mud the heavy downpour had left in its wake.

The trip to town was slowed further by Eugene needing multiple stops to relieve himself. He was going to the bathroom more frequently now, but all the jostling and bouncing the wagon was doing definitely didn't help. Every time he got out of and back into the wagon, it took the eighteen year old a little longer on his less steady and increasingly swollen feet. 

Eugene's feet stopped growing back when he was twelve. His boots, one of the nicest things he owned, had been specially made for him, his sixteenth birthday present from his father. Eugene took great pride in and care of them, so the fact that already, his feet were getting too swollen to be able to wear them, made him want to cry. 

Tempting and easy as it would've been to do so thanks to all the hormones coursing through his body, the eighteen year old managed to hold back the tears for the time being. He was thankful for that because if and when he started crying now, it was embarrassingly difficult to stop. 

When they were about a mile outside town, the time came for Eugene to move to the back of the wagon. He first attempted to get there from the front, but quickly realized that wouldn't work, forcing him to get entirely out of the wagon again. 

After lumbering around to the back and looking at the even steeper but more spacious climb he was going to have to make, he genuinely didn't think he'd be able to make it. Eugene only ended up being able to thanks to the awkward aid his father once again provided, thankfully, still without complaint. 

Young and naive as he still was, but then, Eugene had come to consider his father nothing short of a saint. They never talked about it, but his father was always helping him now, and would continue to for the foreseeable future. 

Only once he was in the back of the wagon, further “hidden” from view by a pile of old tarps his father had smartly thought to bring along, did the eighteen year old allow himself to quietly shed some tears as they resumed their journey to find out from Dr. Anderson what was (further) “wrong” with him, because obviously, something was…

Eugene couldn't help but feel even more pathetic than he had as of late as they entered town. To say he knew his father was disappointed in him was an understatement. Right when he should've been proving his worth and “manliness,” he'd gone and done something so stupid and unmanly, he still wasn't able to fathom all the consequences. 

And now, soon, anyway, he was going to have to tell his father his beloved boots didn't fit. Not only was he going to have to ask him to buy him a new pair since he had no money of his own, Eugene was also going to have to ask his father to buy him some fabric so he could TRY and make himself some new pieces that MIGHT better accommodate and cover him…

Eugene continued silently sobbing till the wagon finally rolled into town. It was afternoon by then and following the morning stuck inside, it sounded to him like everyone was out and about now. 

As the wagon rattled onto the cobblestones lining the street Dr. Anderson's home/office was located on, the eighteen year old hidden in the back of the wagon fought hard not to groan in discomfort. When the wagon came to a lurching stop, Eugene couldn't help but let out a loud sigh of relief. 

Physically, he was slightly relieved to no longer be bouncing about, but mentally, he was anything but. While everyone in town somehow knew he was pregnant, no one had seen him looking so. Eugene knew that was about to change, and he wasn't looking forward to it. 

He'd wanted so desperately to stay hidden back at the homestead till after he gave birth, but he knew his father was concerned. The truth was, he was too… Eugene knew next to nothing about pregnancy, but somehow even he knew that he was getting too big, too quickly. 

Was he carrying more than one, or was his unintentionally conceived offspring just big.? No, not big, huge…

Eugene and his father would find out if their concerns were warranted soon, but first he had to make his big, public reveal, which he very much wasn't looking forward to. Like father, like son, the eighteen year old wasn't much for religion, but quickly, he closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer that somehow, he'd make it out of the wagon, into Dr. Anderson's, and then out of town, all without being seen.

Almost as soon as Eugene finished making his request, he knew it wouldn't be heeded. 

“Afternoon, Mr. Boyd,” a familiar, young but masculine voice greeted his father from unfortunately, very close by. 

“Afternoon, Robert,” Wyatt replied as he set the brake and then hopped down from the wagon and went to tie the oxen to the posts in front of Dr. Anderson's. “Afternoon, Sally.”

“Good afternoon, Mr. Boyd,” Sally replied, her voice all prim and demure. 

“What brings you, the oxen and the wagon to the doc's today?” Robert asked as he slapped the wagon's wood frame, making Eugene startle inside it. 

“Oh, um… I…” Wyatt briefly faltered. 

He didn't like to lie, but even though he and Eugene hadn't discussed it, hell, they hardly discussed anything, anymore, he knew his son wouldn't appreciate it if he put his business out there, even though everyone already seemed to know it, or at least thought they did. 

Wyatt had learned over the last few months that unlike he'd assumed, as it turned out, a father's work was never done… No matter how old their child/children got, and no matter “how responsible” they were supposed to be, at least in he and Eugene's case, his help, presence, whatever, was going to be needed for the foreseeable future. 

“I'd ask the same, but the answer looks fairly obvious!” Wyatt continued with a chuckle. “Is today the big day, Sally?” He asked her. 

Robert answered for his wife. “Doc says it could be, but not just yet. Might happen tonight.”

“Well that's exciting news, isn't it?” Wyatt smiled and nodded. “Please accept Eugene and I's early congratulations.”

“How is Eugene?” Sally asked as she placed her hand atop her belly, right in front of her engorged breasts. “Not that I've been out and about much as of late, but I feel like I haven't seen him in ages!”

How is Eugene..? Wyatt repeated in his head as he smiled at Sally while trying his best not to stare at her. Well for starters, his belly's already just about TWICE as big as yours, which is why we're here right now, and he's hiding out in the back of the wagon!

“He's good!” He finally verbally responded. “He…”

“From what I've heard, he's not too far behind me…”

“Just a few months,” Wyatt confirmed with another smile and nod. 

“So what brings you to Anderson’s today, Mr. Boyd?” Robert tried again. 

“Robert!” Sally scolded as she took her hand from atop her belly and slapped her husband's closest, bulging pectoral. 

“Oh, I'm just… I, uh need to…” Wyatt faltered again, trying to come up with something, anything but the reason he was there. “Ingrown!” He suddenly said, practically shouting. “I have an ingrown toenail!” 

“Ouch!” Robert winced. 

Sally laughed and shook her head. Wyatt and Robert both looked at her. 

“Men are such whimps!” She laughed some more. “I'm sure an ingrown toenail does hurt,” she conceded. “But think about what carrying and birthing a baby feels like!” She huffed as she placed her dainty hands on her belly, framing it, while making them look all the more dainty. “I don't think a man could handle it!”

Sally laughed and shook her head again as she looked out beyond her bloated breasts at her largest maternal mound. As she gazed at it lovingly, eagerly anticipating the arrival of her and Robert's first child, all of a sudden, she stopped laughing and quickly looked up at Wyatt as she realized what she'd just said. 

“Oh my, Mr. Boyd! I'm so sorry!” She quickly apologized. “I… Eugene… He…” she faltered. “I'm sure he's doing just fine and will continue to do so!” She nodded, offering him her best smile, which despite her best efforts, failed to convey her “assurance.” 

Still laying hidden in the back of the wagon, Eugene had of course heard the entire conversation. He was a mix of horrified, anxious, embarrassed, and now, offended by what he'd heard. As a result, before he could realize what he was doing or stop himself, he let out a loud, indignant huff. 

“What was that?” Robert asked with a frown. 

“What was what?!” Wyatt asked with an anxious laugh. “I didn't hear anything!”

“I heard it too,” Sally nodded up at her young husband as she took her hand from her full middle and moved it to her back. “It sounded like a huff,” she nodded some more. “An offended one!” 

“And it sounded like it came from the wagon…” Robert said as he left his wife's side and headed around back to investigate. 

Eugene heard his footsteps approaching. He squeezed his eyes shut and exhaled through his nose. 

He and his father had been SO CLOSE to getting away with their charade, and then he'd had to go and ruin it! He was furious with himself… All he could do was hope his father would somehow be able to stop Robert before he discovered him.

To his credit, Wyatt tried but Robert moved faster than he could react, and had already climbed up onto the back of the wagon, pulled its curtain back and peered inside before he could stop him. 

“Stars alive!” Robert declared as he stared wide eyed at the younger Boyd. “Eugene's back here and he's…” he trailed off as his gaze froze on his prone belly, which was easily, at least twice as big as his wife's. 

“Eugene's been back there this whole time?!” Sally exclaimed, half in shock, half in embarrassment as her right hand left her back and returned to her belly. “What's he…”

“Sally, darlin’...” Robert cut his wife off, still staring at his former classmate's comparatively enormous baby bump. 

“What is it, Robert?”

“‘Member when I said I thought you were gettin’ a little too big?” He asked with a cautious laugh.

His young wife scoffed. “I'll never forget, but if you're lucky, maybe someday I'll forgive you!”

“Well, I take it back,” Robert said, still staring at Eugene as he attempted to tug his shirt down over the lowest portion of his swell. 

“Alright, come on…” Wyatt sighed and shook his head as he rounded the wagon. “Help me get him out, will ya?” He requested of Robert. 

A minute or so later, Eugene was back on his feet, still adjusting his shirt as he now stood behind the wagon. As he did, Sally waddled around and saw him for the first time in months. 

“Oh, Eugene!” Was all she initially said as she too started staring at him.

After a few moments, she looked down at herself and then back at him again. Sally opened her mouth to say something, but just ended up swallowing and silently shaking her head, too shocked by their size difference to speak. 

For his part, Eugene refused to make eye contact with anyone, his father included. Naturally, he'd seen Sally's baby bump, the one that was due to blow any second now, and yet his own was so much bigger… 

Any doubt as to whether or not he was expecting multiples went right out the window. The question became: how many?

Finally, after an extended period of very awkward silence, Wyatt cleared his throat and gently placed his hand between his son's tense shoulder blades. 

“Alright now, we need to get going,” he said as he carefully pushed him forward. “It was good to see y'all,” he nodded at Sally and Robert. “Best of luck,” he concluded as he finally got Eugene moving. 

“Yeah, you too…” Robert replied quietly as he and Sally watched the Boyd's head into Dr. Anderson's, the younger at an undeniable waddle.