AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That car in the driveway. Plus her purse is on the table.” Mom points over to where it sits and I can’t help the grin.
She’s better at noticing things than a detective who’s been on the job for twenty years.
“I think she’s a little nervous to come out. Hearing you two in here seemed to scare the daylights out of her.” I take a seat at the kitchen island on a stool.
“Well, most of us are harmless. I am anyway, I can’t really speak for your mom.” Dad grumbles as she swats his hand with a spoon.
“Hello.” We all hear from the door.
“There she is! I hope you are hungry. I fixed a little bit of everything. There’s coffee too. Let me grab you a cup.” My mom is all smiles, flitting around as if she is the one that should be nervous.
My girl looks a little shell shocked watching my mom gush all over her. I just sit there sipping my coffee, smiling as I watch.
I told her there really wasn’t anything to worry about with my parents. They are the best people you could ever meet.
***
Becky
Breakfast is amazing with Brian’s parents. They are such sweet people. I’m completely worried about them hearing the rumors about me while here this weekend.
I’m actually surprised Brian hasn’t said anything about them since meeting me. Maybe he hasn’t heard them yet although that is highly unlikely.
“What time do you have to be at work?” Brian asks me as we are finishing up breakfast.
“In about an hour.” I answer, looking at the clock on the wall. “I only have to be there for the lunch hour.”
“I can pick up Max for practice later. Don’t forget that we have dinner tonight to celebrate with the team for the start of a new season.” Brian says, carrying his plate to the sink.
“Oh I can’t wait to meet all of your players, son. Kids are so much fun.” His mom smiles at him.
My heart trips at the thought that they will be there tonight as well as Karen and her cronies. I have to get this out in the open with them.
“I need to tell you all something.” Three pairs of eyes turn my way expectantly.
“Is something the matter dear?” Mr. Lewis asks.
“I’m afraid that you all might hear some things tonight. Things about me that may alter the way you think of me. And I want to just tell you all about myself now and save myself the heart ache later.” I gulp down, lifting my eyes to look at them one by one.
“Babe..” Brian starts towards me but I hold my hands up to stop him.
“Just let me get it all out first. Okay?” I ask, looking at him pleadingly until he shakes his head.
“Go ahead sweetheart, we are all listening but just so you know, nothing will alter the way we think of you. Our son obviously has strong feelings for you and that is good enough for us.” Mrs. Lewis smiles gently at me waiting for me to continue.
“My family has never been looked at kindly in this town. My mom. Ugh. My mom!” I shake my head at the thought of her. “She was a really bad drunk when I was growing up. Most nights she never even came home from the bar. Usually because she found some man to take her home for a night or two. In a small town like this, you can’t hide that kind of thing.” I take a deep breath, sitting back down in my chair at the table.
“The kids always picked on me. Especially about my clothes. Martha, from the diner, started noticing me one day just hanging out at the park by myself. She started coming there every day after school and would share her lunch with me. I know now that she always packed extra just for me on purpose. Eventually she started getting me to meet her at the diner. Harry, her husband, would help me with my homework. The two of them would even buy my clothes.” I smile as the memories of those two flood my brain.
“They sound like amazing people. We can’t wait to meet them.” Mr. Lewis says, patting his wife's hand who seems to have tears in her eyes.
“They are amazing. I don’t know where I’d be now if it weren’t for them.” I swallow hard. “By the last year of highschool, I figured I would never be accepted. Then one day a boy at school started noticing me. Going out of his way to talk to me. We started seeing each other outside of school but never with his friends. I didn’t think much about it then. I should have.
By the time I figured out it was all just a huge joke, I was pregnant with Max. He didn’t want anyone to know about him and I, so he started the rumors about me sleeping around until everyone believed it.” I stop, taking a sip of my water.
Looking up into Brian’s eyes I see sympathy and anger as well. Knowing the anger is not directed at me makes my heart swell. I’m falling in love with him. I think to myself as I wipe the tears from my eyes that I hadn’t realized had begun to fall.
“The night Max was born, this boy showed up at the hospital with his dad demanding a rapid DNA test. It was back within hours and only an hour after that I was handed papers that showed he had signed away his rights to our son as well as a non-disclosure agreement. I was warned to never let it be known who he was or I could lose my baby. So I stayed quiet. Never telling a soul.” I look back up, tears falling once again.
