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Duke leans against the edge of the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Austin blows out a deep breath. Dad shoves his hands into his jeans pockets and forces a smile.
“I don’t want you to give up on your dreams to go running across the country to be with a man,” my dad says. “Your mother did it for me.” Dad’s eyes fall to the floor as he sighs. “She could have done so much more. She wanted to help people, and I took that away from her. I don’t want the same to happen to you.”
“Dad, c’mon,” Austin says. “Mom didn’t give anything up. She had us. Kat’s not doing the same thing. She’ll find a job in Philly after the baby is born.”
Austin is the one who consoles, the glue that holds all of us together. Duke breaks everything but will put it back together better than new when he’s done having a tantrum. Dad beats himself up for not being around enough, even though we all know he loves us fiercely. Theo and Travis are still the babies, even though they’re all grown up. And I’m the one they all place on a pedestal. The girl who can now live her life, on her terms, and with the man she loves.
“Austin is right,” I say. “I’ll get another internship after the baby is born. The one I had sucked anyway. I was never allowed to do anything other than order lunches and make coffee. Mr. Hopper treated me like crap and made me cry all the time. It was awful.”
“He did what?” My dad’s nostrils flare from my confession.
I raise my hand. “Dad, chill. It’s okay. I don’t work there anymore.”
“Hopper made you cry?”
“Yeah, for the short time I worked for him.”
Duke balls his hands into fists at his sides. Even Austin has an angry snarl going on.
“Guys, calm down, okay? He’s an asshole, and I don’t work for him anymore.”
“I’ll have his job,” Dad snaps.
“I’ll kill him,” Duke growls.
“That asshole will pay,” Austin mutters.
“We got your back, Kit-Kat,” Theo says.
“Yeah, what he says,” Travis says, pointing at his twin.
“I’m gonna miss you guys.” I throw out my arms and they hug me. “Don’t kill anyone for me.”
“I can’t make any promises,” Duke says.
“That’s what you said when I told you Dean is the father of the baby, and look at the mess you made.”
“It’s just a suspension,” Duke counters.
“Twenty games,” Dad yells. “You’ll be lucky if you still have a career after it’s over.”
“Dad, I’ll be fine.” Duke gives him a wicked look. “Now that I don’t have to travel or train, I can go bother Kit-Kat in Philly.”
“Oh, no you don’t, Denny. You’re not going to harass Dean and me after what you did.”
“Why? Is your little boyfriend afraid I’ll kick his ass again?”
“First off, he’s not little. And second, you’re an asshole for going after him. You took Dean by surprise when you told him I’m pregnant. That wasn’t even a fair fight.”
Duke rolls his shoulders. “I would’ve kicked his ass either way.”
“You better apologize to him,” I yell. “Because you owe him one! You owe me one, you stupid jerk.”
Duke’s head lowers in shame. “I’m sorry, Kat. I wanted to hurt him not you.”
“Well, you hurt me in the process. I need him, Denny. He’s the father of my child. I love him. So, don’t touch him ever again.”
“It was my job,” Duke says in defense.
