“Do you want ice in that?” Theo asks, letting go of my hand.
“It’s fine if you don’t have it.” He kisses the side of my head again as he walks past.
“Sit down,” Samantha invites. “Take a load off.”
I move to the stool, feeling like I’m walking down death row. I sit and watch the three of them busily unpacking. “So, Collins,” Samantha pulls out a ready-made fruit platter, “tell us about yourself.”
“Mom,” Theo says with a warning tone.
“What?” She turns her head toward him, then throws up her hands. “I’m nervous, okay? And I’m trying to get to know her.”
“It’s okay,” I soothe Theo’s uneasiness. “What do you want to know?”
“What do you do for work?” I wonder if she can see how nervous I am, so I start lightly.
“I’m a paramedic.”
“No way,” Blake says. “That’s amazing. I’m a fireman.” I look at him, surprised. “We work hand in hand with the paramedic crew.” He opens the fridge to put away the milk. “I always say you guys have the hardest job. It’s one thing to put out the fire; it’s another thing to make sure someone doesn’t die.”
“Blake,” Samantha snaps, “could you be more morbid?” She places the fruit tray in front of me.
“It’s okay, we can get some pretty hard calls.”
“Theo, get Collins a plate,” Samantha orders him. “She is going to have some fruit.”
“Does she want fruit?” Theo asks, looking at me. I dip my chin and hide my smile. Like I would say no to his mother. If she told me to eat the whole tray, I would shovel it down and pay the consequences of throwing up after.
“I can have some fruit.” My mouth waters for the yellow pineapple. It looks juicy and sweet, and I wait for her to hand me a fork to grab a piece. The minute I put it in my mouth, the sweetness hits my tongue.
“See? She’s starving, and you’re just dillydallying around, expecting the food fairies to come and feed her.” She cocks her hip. “Seriously?”
“Mom.” I can’t help but laugh at the expression on his face. “She ate not an hour ago.” I don’t know why he’s looking at me. Does he think I’m going to go against anything his mother says?
“So how did you two meet?” Samantha asks, extending her hand on the counter beside her.
“I was at the side of the road one night after my shift”—I put the fork down—“and I got a flat tire.” I look at Theo and then down, my hair falling to the side. I tuck it behind my ear. “He pulled over to help me.” I leave out that it was the only night we had with each other until I ran into him. That can be a secret between the two of us, at least for now.
“He fucking better have,” Blake gives him the stink eye.
“Well, I did,” Theo says, sitting next to me, “and I’m happy I did.” He looks into my eyes. “Why don’t we go and sit in the living room? There’s something we need to tell you.”
The minute he says those words, Blake and Samantha exchange a glance. Theo holds out his hand to me, and I take it. “Theo,” I whisper as we walk back to the living room. I think he can see my fear.
He holds my face in his hands. “It’s going to be okay.” He kisses me softly, right in front of his parents.
“Oh boy,” Samantha says, “this looks serious.” She puts her hands on her knees. “Is it serious?”
“Why don’t you give them a second to sit down, and then they will tell us what they need to tell us?” Blake leans back on the couch, relaxed, and puts one hand over the back of it. I bet everything I have, which isn’t much, that he is not guessing the words that are about to come.
“We wanted to come up this weekend,” Theo starts, “first, so you could meet Collins and see how amazing she is.” He picks up my hand and kisses it. “Then the second reason is to tell both of you?—”
“That you’re getting married,” Samantha bursts out, holding her hands in front of her in a gleeful position. “Are you getting married?”
“We are not,” Theo states, and I take a deep breath in, “but we are having a baby.” He says it as if he just said, I don’t want chicken for dinner, I think I’ll have the steak.
A gasp fills the room, and I have no choice but to avoid their faces. “I know this might be a shock to you.” Theo puts his arm around my shoulder. “It was a shock to both of us.”
“How long have you guys been together?” Blake asks, and all I can do is look at my nails.
