Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68074 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Tammy, wait,” Macy called.
I turned around, tears flooding my eyes.
Macy came forward and wrapped me in a hug. “We’re on your side.”
I let myself be held, draping my arms around Macy’s waist. Emily chose that moment to grab a fistful of my hair and tug. I squealed in horror, dropping my cousin like a hot potato. We worked together to detach the tiny but powerful fingers and came out of the fiasco laughing. We climbed up the stairs to join the party again.
We found the boys outside with the kids, Jason and Mike chasing Daisy and Nicky around the table while Dillon stacked logs in the fire pit. I couldn’t help myself—Mike looked so happy playing with my cousin’s children. I touched my belly, feeling the life force of our tiny infant deep within.
Macy saw me and leaned close to whisper, “I’m sure he’ll be there for you.”
I nodded. She was right. It was time to tell him. I played hostess for the rest of the night, making sure everyone was having a good time. It was an easy job. We were almost family. We finished up most of the burgers and all of the hot dogs, leaving Mike and me with few leftovers for tomorrow. I directed all of the dirty dishes to the kitchen, promising to have them washed and returned to their owners tomorrow. I was glad we had bought a bottle of wine because Macy decided she wanted a glass. Lindsey and Jason were sharing a six-pack they had brought, and Dillon wasn’t drinking that night. I made a pitcher of lemonade for me and the kids, and between the five of us, we finished it off.
We said good night to our friends, standing in the driveway like proper homeowners. Mike began to clean up around the kitchen, but I stopped him.
“I’ll do the dishes tomorrow,” I said.
He shrugged.
“I have something to tell you.” I held my breath.
He came out of the kitchen, walking with me to the living room. We had moved the recliner to create a better traffic flow while our friends were here. Mike dragged it back into place and sat down, pulling me onto his lap.
I drew in a deep breath. This was the revelation I had been dreading for weeks. Our future hung in the balance; the lives of three people depended on my ability to deliver the news. I still couldn’t think of a way to say it without frightening him. There was no gentle way to tell someone that their entire life was about to change. I would just have to follow Lindsey’s advice and “rip the Band-Aid off.”
Mike looked up at me expectantly. He had been waiting for me to let him in ever since that conversation days ago where we had both indicated we had something to hide. He made no move to pester me, just waited for me to come to it in my own time. I savored that last instant of ignorant bliss before breaking my silence.
“I’m pregnant,” I said. It was out in the open now, and I watched his face fall, just as I knew it would.
“What? How long have you known?” He seemed angry, and I shifted in my seat, not rising from his lap, but not bending toward him either.
“Two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” He stood up, setting me on my feet and taking a step back. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was afraid that you would react like this,” I said.
“Like a person who’s been kept in the dark about the most important thing in their life?” he demanded.
“You kept an important secret too,” I lashed out, feeling tears building.
“It’s not the same!” he yelled. “This involves me. You should have told me as soon as you knew.”
“I…” I knew he was right. I had been insensitive and cowardly.
“I need some time to think,” he muttered, turning to walk from the room.
I watched him go, feeling a stab wound open in my heart. I could hear the bedroom door close at the end of the hall and knew I would be sleeping on my own tonight. I fell down into the recliner, sobbing with grief. His reaction had been even worse than I had imagined. Mike hated me, and it was all my fault. Somewhere dimly, a maternal instinct warned me that overpowering emotions were bad for the baby, but I couldn’t help it. I had ruined our chances of a life together and had no one to blame but myself.
25
MIKE
Iwoke up to the idea that it might have all been a dream. The cookout had been great, and I really enjoyed hanging out with Tammy’s friends. Then after, when she told me she was pregnant, my whole world came to a halt. I remembered the exchange and knocked my head against the pillow in frustration.