AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Then, when I realized later I was pregnant, he broke up with me. He told me it wasn’t his, told everyone who’d listen I’d been cheating on him the entire time we dated. Not only was I dealing with my own parents refusing to accept the fact their unwed teenage daughter was with child, but the father of said baby proclaimed me a whore and refused to step up.
That’s when Fran stepped in. She took a scared, crying young woman during her senior year of high school and gave her a place to stay in the old apartment above the diner. She gave me a job and stability. When my own parents shunned me for even considering keeping a baby out of wedlock, the sweet older woman stepped forward and helped me.
Brody’s completely right.
Blood doesn’t make someone family.
I make my way back to the bleachers where my friends are. The night doesn’t seem nearly as cold as it did before. Maybe that’s because of the extra layer of worry I’m suddenly carrying around me. I don’t understand why Helena and Allen are here. They made their feelings about me and my son very clear, even after I tried to be the bigger person and invite them to Brody’s first birthday. They sent me a letter telling me they’d get a lawyer involved if I contacted them again.
So I didn’t.
Ever.
Nor did I reach out to their son. I tried throughout my pregnancy to offer for him to be involved, but he made his stance perfectly clear. He wanted no part of being a father and was willing to lie to everyone so he didn’t have to man up and help take care of his responsibilities. After graduation, me walking that stage looking like I was about to pop, Rusty went off to a fancy college on a golf scholarship. If he’s ever come back, I wasn’t aware. We never ran into each other, nor have any of my friends so much as breathed his name. I have no idea where he wound up in this world, and I’m okay with that.
“What’s wrong?” Hallie asks as soon as I return to my seat.
“Nothing. Where’d everyone go?” I ask, noting Logan, Blair, and Gage are gone.
“Restroom breaks and snacks,” she informs me.
I nibble on my bottom lip, watching the marching band perform a snippet of their show during the remainder of halftime.
“I got some great pics,” Hallie states, pulling up her phone and showing me the pictures she took. I have to agree. She captured some beautiful photos. Brody and me walking onto the track, smiling at each other, one of him slapping hands with teammates as we walked by, and one of him hugging TD. Even though the photo is from a distance, you can’t miss the look of love written all over my face.
“You did. Thank you,” I tell my friend.
She pulls me into a hug. “You’re welcome.” Sliding back, she meets my gaze. “What’s wrong? Is it Brody and the emotions of senior night?”
I take a deep breath, knowing I can’t lie to her. “I saw Helena and Allen in the stands.”
Her eyes widen and she looks around. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, when I was walking off the track. They’re sitting on the far east side,” I tell her.
“Are they here for Brody? I didn’t think they’d come to any games before,” she says, almost absently.
“They haven’t.”
“I wonder why they’d be here now.”
I shrug in reply, my eyes now focused on the field where both teams are returning and starting to stretch and warm up. My friends return, and even though Blair tries to share her popcorn with me, my stomach is in knots. Throughout the entire rest of the game, I’m unable to relax and just enjoy the moment, simply because my mind is spinning and I keep trying to steal glances toward the opposite end of the bleachers.
Finally, with a final score of thirty-five to seventeen, the game ends with the Panthers on top. I manage to take photos with my phone, including of their team celebration in the middle of the field. The stands start to clear out, so we all slowly make our way down to the ground to wait for Brody. “Do you all have time to hang around for a few minutes? I’d love to get a picture of you all with Brody.”
“Of course,” Hallie replies.
“We’d be honored,” Logan adds, while Gabe and Blair nod.
I pull out my phone, ready to take the photo when the time arrives, and catch movement just off to my left. Standing not too far away from me are Helena and Allen. Helena’s gaze catches mine, and the moment she realizes who I am, her eyes narrow into little slits. My heart starts to gallop in my chest as my mind spins every scenario as to why they’re here and hanging around near the players’ locker room.
I’ve never told Brody about them. He knows his biological father and family wanted nothing to do with my pregnancy, but I’ve never told him their name. I’m sure he could have easily found out in a small town like Pine Village, and if he were to ask me for more details, I’d tell him, but this is not how I wanted to do it.
Are they here to meet him?
I know I need to be prepared if that’s the case. I’d much prefer to do this somewhere other than the football field, surrounded by the entire town. “Excuse me a second,” I say quietly to my friends before walking straight to where Rusty’s parents stand. They’re with Fiona and Harry Zimmerman, friends of theirs for decades, as well as another couple I’ve seen around town for years, but don’t personally know.
“Helena,” I say politely when I approach.
