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CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
ADLEY
Pulling into our driveway,I sit for a moment, taking a breath and preparing for what I may find inside. If history repeats itself, I’m going to find him drowning his sorrows, and even though I know not telling him was wrong of me, I also know him reverting back to his old habits is not the answer.
But, at least he’s home and not at the bar.
My dad never came home. He would work, drink, make up issues and then stay out for days at a time. Cheating, drinking, gambling. He would just come home to fight, then leave again.
I should have told him about the baby. His words told me a lot. Our passion only gets stronger each day. And the baby is going to be the glue that helps us stick. I should have seen this. I should have listened to my sister, but the past is a lot to get over when that’s all you knew for so long.
Entering the house, I find it quiet, so I walk into the kitchen and see him on the back deck through the slider. Glancing around thecounter, I don’t see anything out of the ordinary, and I hate that I’m looking for a sign of something gone wrong.
Stepping onto the deck I say quietly, “Hey Bill.”
After a moment of silence, I walk closer and finally he replies, “I heard about Jackson.”
Is that what this is about?
I walk closer and sit in the empty chair next to him. “I was just with Francesca. She told me, too.”
“He’s taking my sister and nephew away from me.” He speaks evenly, staring out into the yard, an eery silent settling around us.
“Billy, he’s not taking them away. He got the job of a lifetime. Jackson said you were the one who helped him decide.” I speak softly, hoping to not set him off as I tiptoe across eggshells, and, just like when I was a kid, my anxiety spikes fearing I’ll say the wrong thing.
He scoffs. “What else am I going to say to him?”
“You did the right thing by supporting him, but you need to tell them you’re happy-”
“What about me?” he interrupts. “When am I going to be happy?”
My body trembles and I feel my nerves splintering as I respond, “You’re not happy here?”
“Adley, you know that’s not what I’m saying. You know I don’t like change, that I don’t want people leaving.”
“Billy, that’s all part of life. People change, people grow, people move. We can’t be stagnant. We can’t just stay who we are. If we did that you would be-”
He still doesn’t look at me. “I would be what?”
“Just saying if you didn’t change, we wouldn’t be here now.”
“Do you really think I have changed?”
“Yes, I’ve told you this. You’ve-”
“So why didn’t you tell me?” He turns to me and the hurt in his voice alone is enough to make me weep. I know exactly what he’s asking.
“Billy, I’m-”
“Why didn’t you tellme, Adley? I should have been the first to know. I should have been there taking that test with you. It shouldhave been me!” He hits his chest with his fist and his voice breaks with the last word.
Tears roll down my cheeks and I shake my head back and forth. “I didn’t know. I got sick, and I thought it was the flu and my sister showed up and-”
“And yet, you still haven’t told me.” His voice is monotone as he sits back in the chair. “Is it true?”
I watch him, wondering how he’s going to react, replaying every chance I had to tell him in the past, regretting every escaped moment. “It’s true. I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”
His face takes on every emotion you can imagine. In a matter of seconds, it goes from sadness to surprise to elation to fear to panic to planning. I can see the wheels turning and I know what the next words out of his mouth are going to be.
