Page 112 of The Surprise
Oh.
“It was basically like you told her what path to take.”
Shoot. “It would be like someone offering to help me with my college classes—assuming that I would want to go to college and that I’d need help.”
Steve points at me. “Exactly. You’re still taking community college classes online because your mom insists, but your heart’s not in it. That’s fine. But if someone last summer had suggested that you let them help you succeed. . .at something you didn’t even want? It would feel like they were both insulting you and telling you what to do.”
“It would’ve made me really angry.”
“If you cared a great deal about them, you might have just been upset.”
“Do you think she wants to. . .” I can’t even bring myself to say it.
“I have no idea what she’s considering,” Steve says. “If she just found out, my guess is that it’s all so overwhelming, she doesn’t know what she’s considering either. Keep in mind that she’s living with her aunt, her parents aren’t the greatest, her job taking people out fishing is probably about to end as the weather turns, and she’s already struggling just to earn enough for photography classes.”
“So if you were me, you would tell her that no matter what, you’d support her?”
Steve shrugs. “If that’s true. If it’s not true, you shouldn’t say it.”
“Thanks for talking to me,” I say. “And for the advice. I think it was pretty good.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m surprised,” I say. “I thought you’d be like my mom and warn me off.”
Steve sits down on a bale of hay. “Our decisions in life define us, but a large factor in that is the people who stand beside us. Some people will support you when things are hard. Others will abandon you. This baby isn’t your problem, and it wasn’t your fault that she has this big decision to make. But if you care about someone like it sounds like you care about Beth, I’m not going to tell you that anything you do to help her is wrong. Just make sure that whatever you decide, you won’t resent her for it later. That wouldn’t be good for either of you.”
I think about what he said all night. And then I think about it the next day. By the time Beth’s off work and willing to meet with me, I’ve made up my mind.
The corner booth at Brownings isn’t exactly the nicest place to talk, but it’s a public place, and she’s not right around the corner from Steve’s anymore, so she can’t exactly just pop over to the grove.
“You wanted to see me?” She hasn’t even sat down yet. I guess she’s not really down for small talk. She glances at my empty table and then back at my face.
“I’ve been thinking.” I point at the chair. I’d walk around and pull it out for her, but I already know how hard-core she’d roll her eyes.
She sighs heavily, but she does, thankfully, sit. “What?”
“Have you told the father yet?”
Her lips are a flat line. “He denies it’s even possible.”
I frown. “He—what?”
“He says that it can’t be his, and I’m either faking being pregnant to get him to come see me, or that I’m doing this to get money.”
I can’t help tightening my hands into fists. “What’s his name?”
She rolls her eyes. “Ethan, why do you think I hadn’t told you that?”
“I hate that guy.”
“If he’d been excited and wanted to come date me, would you like him?”
That sets my teeth on edge. “No.”
“Well.”
I can’t help my exhale. “Look, this is what I decided, okay?”
