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I pouted and stepped out of the car as he did. He got my luggage out of the trunk and brought them up to the porch. I knocked on the door, my anxiety coming back. A minute later, Katie opened the door.
“Zoe, Howard. I didn’t know you’d be together.”
“I just came back from my grandma’s place and stopped by Howard’s apartment, and he gave me a ride back.”
“Oh? His apartment, the place even I haven’t been to yet?”
She sent him a pointed look, and Howard just chuckled. She stepped aside to let us in, and Howard took my stuff inside, leaving them in the living room.
“Your dad is already in the kitchen, Zoe. You can go in and see him. He hasn’t said it, but I know he’s been worried about you.”
“I hope you saved some dinner for us, Mom.”
“I waited for you,” she said, smacking his arms. “Ben is a little impatient, so hurry up.”
Dad was sitting on the dining table, face sour. The table was set, but he wasn’t eating, and the smell was amazing, so that was probably why. When I walked into the kitchen he looked up and smiled.
“Zoe. Did you just get back?”
“Yeah.” To the house, that is. I was in town yesterday.
He stood up, arms held open, and I went to give him a hug. The smile got replaced by the sour look when Howard walked into the kitchen behind me with his mother.
“Howard,” he said, voice flat and unimpressed. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“He drove me home, Dad,” I said quickly before he got the wrong idea. “I came from Grandma’s. She said hi.”
He snorted in disbelief, and I couldn’t blame him there. He already knew she didn’t like him, that was why he never went to visit.
“Sit down, both of you. I assume we can eat now?”
He arched an eyebrow at Katie, who just laughed.
“Everyone, please, eat.”
Howard and I shared a glance. Without words, we both decided not to say anything while we were eating. Even with Howard there, Dad seemed to enjoy his dinner, and it relieved me a little that he was relaxed. By the time we were all done, I wondered if this would go okay.
Come to think of it, wasn’t this how all the other big announcements were made? With us sitting down to dinner, though Howard had been absent for the marriage admission.
If I told Dad we’d eloped and got married, what would his reaction be like? I was maybe a bit vindictive, but my thoughts were half hysterical by that point.
Katie stood up to remove the dishes, and I followed.
“No, no, Zoe, you sit down,” she said insistently. “I have this.”
“Okay,” I murmured, sitting back down.
It took her two whole trips to take everything to the sink. Howard patted my hand.
“Don’t worry,” he said, leaning in close to whisper. “Mom’s always like that, so don’t let it bother you.”
I arched an eyebrow at him. He’d told me he’d helped out at home starting middle school. Did he have to fight with his mom over chores?
I turned back to Dad, and his good mood seemed to have disappeared once more. He had his eyes narrowed on the small space between Howard and me, and where his hand touched me.
“Dad,” I said, pulling his attention to me. “Howard and I came here because there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Oh? What is it?”
I took in a deep breath to calm my nerves, and blurted the truth out.
“Dad, I’m pregnant. Howard is the dad, and we’re in love with each other.”
Howard squeezed my arm, as if he was surprised I’d just come out with it, but I was surprised, too. Though my voice remained steady, on the inside, I was starting to wonder if I shouldn’t have eaten less. Maybe this was the rumored morning sickness? I’d heard it wasn’t just restricted to morning
s.
Even Katie must have been surprised. I heard a loud crush from the sink, but I didn’t look over to see if anything was broken, or if she was even okay.
“Excuse me?” Dad said, expression thunderous.
I winced. “You heard me, Dad. I’m in love with Howard. We’re going to have a baby, and nothing, not even you, is going to tear us apart.”
“When the hell did this happen! Zoe, I told you a long time ago to stay away from him, and Howard, you were supposed to stay the hell away from my daughter!”
Dad was yelling. Unless he was on the field, he didn’t yell often, and the only time I remembered him yelling at me was when I was a kid and I ran into the road without noticing the car coming down it. Back then, he had been scared, and relieved. Today, though, he was very obviously angry.
Katie had come back, and she grabbed his arm, patting his shoulder, trying to soothe him. Dad didn’t even seem to notice she was there, glaring at us.
“With all due respect, sir,” Howard said, and I was impressed when he could keep his voice level. “I don’t know when you and my mother started dating, but Zoe and I were together before you even told us about it. This was long before you gave me the condition to sign on with the team as long as I stayed away from Zoe.”
Katie frowned and looked up at Dad. “Ben, is that true? I was happy when you told me he would be drafted, but I didn’t know you’d try something like that.”
“What else was I supposed to do?” He said, growing defensive. “Katie, we’re married now. They are step siblings. Does this not bother you at all?”
She didn’t say anything, but I could tell from her expression that she was more shocked than bothered by it. Dad seemed to read the same thing, because he cursed under his breath and turned to the two of us. He opened his mouth, but didn’t say anything.
It would be difficult now, if he told us to break up. We weren’t just hooking up now, we were going to have a baby together. There was no way I could hide that, and Dad wasn’t heartless enough to tell me to get an abortion.
“Dad,” I said pleadingly. “Can you really not accept this? There’s nothing wrong with it. No one will say anything, and even if they do, it shouldn’t matter.”
