I had to blink my damn eyes to keep from doing the same. “Thanks, man.”
He sank into the chair across from me at the table. “How far along is she?”
“Not very. Six weeks, maybe. She has an appointment with a doc in a few days.”
Oscar shook his head, whistled low through his teeth. “Do your parents know?”
“Mom’s happy. She wasn’t thrilled about Kacey and me either, but I think this news helped her accept we’re for real.”
“What about your dad?”
I shrugged. “Different spin on his usual bullshit. I bought a new business in a shit market and now I’ve got a kid on the way to support. A responsibility my poor career choices are going to fuck up and I won’t be able to support my family.” I shook my head. “Holy shit, my family.”
Oscar laughed. “Shit just got real.”
“It keeps getting realer by the minute.”
“You can’t worry what your dad thinks. He might come around, he might not. He might need to hold his grandkid in his arms for a kick in the ass.”
“Maybe.”
“Oh my Christ, the look on your face,” Oscar said, shaking his head. “Pitiful. Damn, man, I’ve never seen you like this. You are so incredibly, amazingly, one hundred percent whipped.”
“I saw how whipped you are over Dena and I got jealous.”
Oscar tossed back his head, laughing. He clinked his beer bottle to mine. “Welcome to the club.”
I came back to my place thinking that the smile on my face must be permanent. I turned the key in the lock, and the smile widened knowing that Kacey was inside.
She sat on the couch, her back to me, though I saw her cell phone sitting limp in her hand.
“Hey, babe,” I said, moving to sit beside her. “You okay?”
“Not really,” she said, her voice thick with tears.
“Hey.” Gently, I turned her to face me, brushed the hair from her eyes. “What is it?”
“I want to see my parents.”
“Okay,” I said slowly.
“I wasn’t going to talk to them ever again. I was done. But now that we’re going to have a baby, I feel like it’s one more chance to try. To have me in their life. And you. And their grandchild.”
She leaned into me, and I wrapped my arm around her. “You sure?” I asked.
“No. Part of me thinks it’s the worst idea in the world. But the other half can’t imaginenottelling them. Going years and years with them never knowing they’re grandparents?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t seem right.”
They probably wouldn’t give a shit about that either.
She sniffed and sat up, her luminous eyes full of hope and fear in equal parts. “Your mom was so wonderful about it. She treated me like I was her own daughter, and I want that from my own mom and dad. I have to do this. The final time. If they still don’t want me with a grandchild on the way, then that’s it.” She exhaled heavily, wilting. “Am I insane risking this again?”
I didn’t know how to answer. She wasn’t insane, but the last thing I wanted was for her to be hurt. I wanted to protect her from another rejection by her asshole of a father.
But she’s trying,I thought, holding her tight.She’s stepping up one more time, laying her chips on the table. Just like she did with me after Jonah.
I wiped her tears with the back of my fingers. “It’s fucking brave. If they still turn their backs, then it’s their loss and fuck them forever.”
Kacey sniffled and laughed a little. “Promise you won’t punch my dad out if he turns out to be a dick.”
