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He reached out and cupped her shoulder and she felt his fierce love through his touch. "You're never giving him up, are you?" he asked, as his stare bored into hers. "You might be fooling your mother, but I think I know you better than that."
She smiled a small, determined smile through tears as she shook her head. "We're not giving him up. Never in a million, zillion years."
He wiped her tears away with his thumb and then took her into a ferocious hug. "You're a good girl, Ava. You always have been. You're strong and resilient. I've always been proud of you—every second of your life, from the moment you were born—and nothing has changed that. But I'm prouder of you now than ever." He settled back in his seat and started the car, then looked at her once more. "This has been a lot to take in. I'll always wish I'd handled it better. It's just that…all my dreams for you had to change overnight. I had to set them aside, and that's very hard for a parent to do. Can you understand that?"
"I think so," Ava sniffled as she placed a protective hand over her burgeoning middle. "But I've got new dreams now, Dad."
"Yeah," he said, nodding and blinking quickly. "They're good dreams, honey. All it'll take is one look at your little boy and you'll wonder what you ever did without him. Trust me on that."
And with that, her tears overflowed in earnest.
****
A couple of days later, shit with her mother had gone from bad to worse.
"Can I borrow your car?"
After Ava practically whispered the question, Hannah blanched white before dropping her french fry back to her plate. The diner was empty this afternoon and it gave Ava the opportunity she needed to let her friend in on her plan of leaving and going to Ethan. Her brother had gotten out; she was getting out, too.
"Borrow my car?" Hannah asked in a sinking tone that gave Ava the answer she needed. And truthfully, she'd never thought it was a fair question to pose to her friend anyway.
"Never mind," she replied quickly, shrugging her shoulders, knowing she shouldn't have even asked—that was just how crazy her brain was firing.
Hannah watched her thoughtfully. "You're not talking about an hour or two, are you? For how long? I don't mind, but I don't think my dad will like it. He won't care about the car, Ava. He'll just be worried about you. I'd have to tell him why you needed it."
"Never mind," Ava said again, her heart feeling heavy. "Please don't tell your dad anything. It was a stupid idea and unfair to ask. I'll take the bus."
"Where are you going?" Hannah asked frantically, as if she somehow knew Ava was about to leave for good. "I guess to be with Ethan?"
"Yeah."
"Did something new happen with your mom? You know I'd let you take my car, but I don't know how my dad is going to feel about it. Knowing him, he'd insist on talking to you about it and—"
"No, I get it, it's okay." Ava answered, feeling her face crumple. "I just can't take living at home anymore. My mother—it's like she's gone crazy, Hannah. I don't understand how or why she would act like this."
Always thoughtful, Hannah frowned. "So, when you leave—you're thinking of staying gone? Where are you going to live? You know Ethan can't let you stay in his dorm for any extended length of time."
Ava blew out a breath and mumbled, "I know he won't be able to let me stay for long. But that's my initial plan. At least until we get caught and I get kicked out." She glanced up from her plate. "I didn't say I had this all mapped out. All I know is that I seriously can't take my mother anymore."
"But you have less than three months left. You'll be eighteen and then—"
"And then what?" Ava broke in. "What difference will more time make? I still won't have my diploma. I still won't have a place to live when I get down there, and we still won't have any money."
"Maybe—maybe you could come live at my house."
"That's sweet, Hannah, it really is. But I practically live at your house anyway. My life isn't working. Something's gotta give. I've got to get away from Redwood Falls, away from my mom altogether."
"When are you going to tell your parents? After the fact?"
"Yeah," Ava answered. "And I'm not telling Ethan either because he'll only try to talk me out of coming—he'll want me to wait."
"Can I talk you out of going?" Hannah asked with a resigned expression that said she already knew the answer.
Ava shook her head.
"How are you going to even eat? Ethan has a meal plan. But what about you?" Hannah asked worriedly.
"I don't know. I guess I'll get a job."
Hannah gave her a look that said she wasn't thinking straight. "Ava. I know your situation is difficult. But you need to think this through before you make any rash decisions. You're seventeen and visibly pregnant. Who's going to hire you?"
"I don't know. But I've got to do something. My mom wouldn't go to the ultrasound with me, not that I wanted her to. She announced that it was 'too stressful' and made my dad take me."
"How'd that go?" Hannah asked, already knowing the sex of the baby but not knowing any more details of the appointment yet.
At what should have been an innocuous question, Ava teared up once again. "It actually went well. My dad ended up staying in the waiting room, but we had such a good talk afterwards. We made peace and it helped so much. At least he loves me."
Tears came to Hannah's eyes. "That's something, right?" she asked in a soft, commiserating tone.
Ava nodded her head. "Yeah. But he can't get through to her and I know it's affecting their marriage. Ty told me as much already. Sometimes I hear them arguing. Sometimes all I hear is him, trying to get her to talk about it. But she closes up and refuses to speak. Swear to God, it's like an alien life form has invaded her body. I never, ever, would have expected her to turn on me like this—hell, turn on all of us. She's the reason Ty left." There was no way Ava was going to put Josh into the equation. That would only upset Hannah, so she continued along the same vein. "Mom's still blaming Ty for not 'knowing' Ethan better, for allowing him to 'seduce me."
Hannah closed her eyes for a moment in obvious sympathy. "I'm sorry. That's so completely ridiculous."
"Yeah, thanks. She never even bothered to ask if it was a boy or a girl." Ava fiddled with her napkin
for a moment, tears welling over before looking up again. "Can you imagine? My dad was thrilled when I told him. It was like knowing the baby's sex suddenly made it real and he could see the past few months more clearly. Afterwards, it was the first thing Ty asked me. And you. And your mom. And Ethan, of course. Can you imagine being pregnant and your mom not caring about the sex of the baby?"
Hannah shook her head. "I'm sorry," she said again, obviously at a loss for words.
But it was okay; Ava didn't expect her friend to have all the answers. She took a deep breath and focused on her plan. "I'm going to take the bus."
"Let me talk to my dad—"
Ava interrupted. "No. It was unfair to ask that of you. Besides, I'm technically a minor and lending me a car would, you know, make your parents, I don't know, culpable or something?"
"Yeah. It's probably best to keep them out of it. Do you have enough money?"
Ava nodded her head. "I think so."
Her friend looked more than concerned. "I can get you more."
"No, I don't want to take your money—"
"Ava. Don't be ridiculous. My parents don't even know how much cash I have saved. It's birthday money and stuff like that. When are you leaving? I know I have at least five hundred."
Ava gasped at the amount, began shaking her head, but Hannah reached over, her fingernails biting into Ava's arm. "No excuses. You're taking it. And it's not a loan. I don't want to ever see that money again. I'll be happy when you're finally happy and that's all that matters."
Ava's eyes welled up as she grasped Hannah's hand. "I love you. You know that, right?"
Hannah's face crumpled as she nodded. "I know. I love you, too."
****
If Ava had had any doubts about leaving, they were laid to rest with the fight she overheard her parents having later that evening.
Her father again told her mom that she was being unreasonable. He didn't understand how she could turn against her daughter and grandchild. He told her that she was the reason their son had fled so far north. Her mom, in return, had told Ava's dad he had no backbone. She accused him of loving his children more than he loved her, of choosing them over her.
