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She was brave, really brave. Elizabeth supported us, but I was honestly unsure how she was going to feel about the bomb that was about to be dropped on her. I circled my thumb around Maddie’s shoulder. A little gesture to let her know she wasn't alone.
“I don’t know exactly how to say this, so I’m going to just be blunt.” Her shoulders rose and fell. “I actually just took a pregnancy test before you got here.”
Elizabeth’s eyeballs looked like they were about to pop out of her head, but she didn’t look mad. “Oh my God.”
Maddie nodded, exchanging a quick glance with me before returning her attention to Elizabeth. “Yeah… yeah.”
“You’re pregnant?!”
She nodded. “Please don’t hate me, I—”
Elizabeth did something I never thought she’d do. She leapt from her chair, sitting next to Maddie on the couch, pulling her in for a hug. “Oh, my freaking God!” She sat back, her eyes still wide. “Wait. Dad, are you the father, or is someone else?”
I rolled my eyes. “I am.”
“Okay,” she snickered, “as weird as it sounds, I'm super relieved because I know she and Antonio were… you know what? Not important.”
Maddie shook her head. “We haven't been together since the night before he and I went to Grand Cayman.”
“Elizabeth,” I interjected, using the name I only called her when it was serious, “Are you sure you're okay with this because we understand if you need more time.”
She offered a teary smile. “Yeah. I'm good with this. And Vinny didn't force me to be okay with it. He just talked a little sense into me. He put things into perspective in a way I couldn't see before. I miss the closeness of my family, and by family, I mean you two being in my life. Not my mother.”
“We were discussing having a family dinner tonight at our house. Are you guys available to come over?”
“I know Vinny has to go out for about an hour, but after that, we can come over around 6:30?”
“Sounds good,” Maddie beamed before groaning. “Great, now we have to call my parents and invite the fam. I haven’t spoken to them since—” her voice trailed off.
17
FAMILY
MADDIE
James and I returned to the house with bags of groceries. Lucas had run out for a while to grab a few things and pick up his girlfriend while James and I prepared dinner. My family had agreed to come, and Isaac texted me to let me know my parents were beyond weirded out but were willing to listen.
My family wasn't perfect, but they were always supportive of most of our decisions. My father was a firm believer that once we turned eighteen, we were all adults, even if he insisted on paying some of our bills. I’d always had whatever freedom I wanted within reason. I knew my parents were probably more disappointed that they hadn't heard from me than they were about my actual relationship.
I was scrubbing small, round potatoes at the sink when James stepped behind me, snaking his arms around me. Lacing his fingers together over my stomach, he pressed his lips to the back of my neck. I paused for a moment, smiling as my skin prickled with goosebumps at his touch.
“Are you nervous about tonight?”
“Not really. You've been friends with my parents long enough to know they're pretty supportive of everything.”
“Yeah,” he stepped to the side, dumping salt into his palm, and sprinkling it over the sliced eggplant, “that's true, but I hope they don’t flip a switch when we tell them you’re pregnant.”
Oh crap. I turned off the water and dried my hands on the hand towel. “If it goes bad tonight, can we just wait until we make the official announcement to people outside the family at Christmas?”
“Baby girl,” he put his hands on my hips, “I’m good at diffusing most situations but we can’t continue to be untruthful with our families if we’re going to ask them to support our relationship.”
He was right. He was always right. I nodded. “I know.”
“So,” he kissed my forehead, then rested his against mine, “tonight we start fresh. Get it all out in the open.”
“All of it?” I snickered.
“Well, maybe we can leave out how I ate your pussy in the very room we’re preparing food.”
