Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 77717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77717 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“I know, Mom. I know.” Great, and now I’m crying. Noah flips his hand over, lacing our fingers. “But it happened and now … and now…”
“Now we’re dealing with it the best we can,” Noah says.
I wipe my eyes, glad I decided to forego any eye makeup today. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
“We’re not mad,” Dad tells me. “We’re disappointed.” Ouch. That’s even worse. “I didn’t expect this from you. Him on the other hand…”
“Mom, Dad, please!” Tears fall freely from my face. Katie gives me a sympathetic smile. Colin is staring daggers, and Jenny’s eyes are on the table. Wes looks a bit entertained, and I know Katie told her fiancé beforehand what’s going on. “I know this is the last thing any of us wanted, but it happened, and I need your support. I’m really scared.”
Mom’s face softens and she gets up, coming around the table to hug me. “I’m here for you, honey. I always am.”
I press my head against her shoulder to muffle a sob. Mom pats my back, holding me for a minute. I didn’t realize how much I needed my own mom until I discovered I’m going to become one.
“Shhh,” Mom soothes. “It’s okay, Lauren. We’ll figure this out.” I nod and sniffle. Mom takes my hands in hers. “It’ll be okay in the end.” She kisses my forehead then takes the ultrasound pictures off the table.
“When are you due?”
“December third.”
She looks back at the ultrasound for a full minute, processing everything, then smiles. “I’ll have a grandchild in time for the holidays!” She turns to my dad, who is as still as a statue. “We’re going to be grandparents, Riley!”
Dad blinks, then takes the ultrasound images. “I assumed your brother or sister would be the first to provide some grandkids,” he starts, still staring at the pictures. “This is incredibly unexpected, Lauren.”
“Trust me, I know,” I sigh. Should I apologize?
“But every child is a blessing.”
I sink back in my chair, relieved. I can tell my parents are less than thrilled, but they’re not going to yell at me. Not now, at least, when everyone else is around.
“How are you feeling?” Mom asks. “And when did you find out? How long have you kept this from me?”
“I’m really tired, but other than that, totally fine. And I just found out a few days ago. I wanted to tell everyone at the same time, ya know. To get it over with.”
Her eyes go to Noah, who barely uttered a word since we got here. “And you two have been dating in secret for a while?”
“Uh, well, not that long,” I say. Or at all.
Mom’s still looking at Noah. He’s always been polite to her, never causing a scene at any sort of family get together he’s tagged along with Colin to, but she still didn’t like them being friends. Noah was the wild child, dragging Colin into trouble right along with him.
“Well,” Mom finally says. “It could be worse.”
“Mom!” I say and feel embarrassed.
“What?” She shakes her head. “So you’re eight weeks already?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you picked out names?”
I turn to meet eyes with Noah. That hasn’t even come up. “Not yet.”
“What about called insurance or asked about leave at work?”
My blood pressure rises. “Not yet either.”
“You can’t wait on these things, Lauren,” Dad says and I’m suddenly feeling like a bad mother already and totally overwhelmed.
“It’s been a shock,” Noah says. “And we’re still wrapping our heads around this, but we will get everything figured out.”
“Are you going to be involved?” Mom asks, point blank.
“I am,” Noah says, deep voice steady. “I care a lot about Lauren. I have for years, actually.”
I turn to him and our eyes meet. Something unspoken is said between us, and it’s genuine. My heart does a little flutter thing and I feel some sort of connection to Noah.
“I’m sorry to spring this on you all,” I say, thinking I need some sort of closure. “But it is what it is, and there’s no going back. Noah and I are going to do the best we can to make this work, and I really need your support.”
“Treat her and my future granddaughter right,” Dad says, tone threatening. “And you won’t give me a reason to castrate you in the shed behind the house.”
Noah swallows. “I think I can do that. And if Lauren wants another kid someday, I’ll need my balls.”
I kick him under the table. Just agree and shut the hell up, please?
“Dad, you don’t know it’s a girl,” I say.
“Yes I do,” he says. “Intuition.”
My stomach grumbles in warning, telling me I need to eat or risk feeling sick. I reach out and start filling my plate. No one speaks, but some of the tension leaves the air.
Thank fucking goodness.
Noah serves himself and we both start eating. The others take our cue and do the same. Then Mom starts a string of questions asking about cravings and saying she’s helping me decorate the nursery. I can’t bring myself to look at Jenny. Just as I start sharing in Mom’s excitement, I accidentally turn my head and see just how crushed she looks. I don’t want her to be mad at me, but at the same time, I can’t blame her. Though nothing was done on purpose or to beat her to the punch. She should be having this conversation with my mother. She should be giving them their first grandchild.