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“Well, if you feel uncomfortable at any point, you just let me know,” he said.
“How? A code word?” I asked, chuckling.
“Bananas,” he said, seeming serious. “As in, this ish is bananas.”
“Gwen Stefani, fantastic,” I said, nodding and smiling. “Didn’t think you were the type.”
“Hush, you,” he said and climbed out of the car. He came over to my side and opened my door for me, and I waited until he held out his hand. It was something I had to get used to, since no one had ever done that for me before. But Tyler was nothing if not gentlemanly, and he would get visibly upset if I didn’t wait for him to come do his duty of opening the door for me. He said it made him feel like he was treating me like a princess. Because I deserved that.
I wasn’t as sold on my worth in that regard, but it flattered me that he was.
Before we even got up the steps, the door opened, and my mother stood at the doorframe. As mad as I was at my brother and father, my mother had escaped most of it, even though it was her big mouth that started it all. Had she just respected my privacy, I could have told Nick when I felt like I was ready.
“Becca,” she said and held out her arms. Reluctantly, I stood there, not moving. As hard as it was, I needed them to know I wasn’t just going to hug them, forgive them, and move on. She rallied well, though, moving one arm to the doorknob and the other to sweep toward the house, inviting us in.
The smell of tacos filled the air, and I suddenly realized just how hungry I was. Dad came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishcloth and taking off an apron. Behind him, I could see the pans on the stove.
“Tacos?” I asked, in spite of myself.
“If you’d like some, absolutely,” Mom said. “You know we always make more than we can eat.”
We followed her into the dining room and took seats there. Dad came out of the kitchen first and took a seat across from us, then Mom followed with glasses and two bottles, one wine and the other sparkling grape juice. She poured them out and gave me the juice.
“Before anyone says anything, I need to say this,” Dad said, clearing his throat. “I apologize for how I acted on my birthday. I apologize for getting upset and for letting Nick get away with what he did, too. I should have been able to see what was going on, and instead, I let my emotions get the better of me.”
“Thank you, Dad,” I said, “that means a lot to me. But there is more I need to talk to you both about.”
I spent a few minutes explaining my point of view, about how they needed to allow me to have my space and not meddle so much. About how I was an adult, and my mistakes were my own to make. How their role as parents was not to prevent those mistakes, but to be there for me after I made them.
A tearful conversation later, and the tacos were in front of us and the tears behind.
“You know,” Mom said as she took a bite of her taco salad, “I just think you should know that after all the time we had to think, that we just want you to be happy. And if you and Tyler are happy, and he treats you well, then we should fully support your relationship. We both wish you would have waited on having a baby until later, but at least you are an adult with a good head on your shoulders.”
“And you aren’t as young as your mother was when we had Nick,” Dad interjected. “That shook me. When your mother pointed that out, it dawned on me. I thought, ‘my God, what am I doing?’ I never would have let her parents talk to her that way. It made me understand where both of you were coming from a lot better.”
We thanked them for their support and finished off the tacos before saying our goodbyes. Tyler had to head into the bar, and it was looking like it might be a long night. As much as I knew he needed to be there, though, I didn’t want to be away from him. As we got into the car, I turned to him and put my hand on his.
“Can I come with you to the bar?” I asked. “I know, it’s loud and dumb and people are drinking and being stupid because tonight is karaoke night, but I just don’t want to be far away from you tonight. I can go and nurse some Shirley Temples and sodas.”
