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22
Oakley
Levi passes me orange juice in a wine glass with a sexy grin. “I know the occasion calls for wine, but we need to take care of the little babe.”
I smile at him and clink my glass against his. It's a balmy evening, and we're sitting outside on the terrace. Levi bought some steaks he wanted to grill, and I had a potato bake in the oven. "This is nice… so domesticated," I tease him.
“This is perfect.” Levi leans over and kisses me. Now that we don’t have to sneak around anymore he’s taken to kissing me every chance he can, reaffirming his feelings for me.
"I just wish my parents could see how happy we are..." I trail off, gazing at the fence between our properties. Since I came home from my doctor appointment, Levi has been acting strange. Like he's hiding something. I don't want to push him on it. I know he'll tell me when he's ready.
I spent the morning dozing on the terrace reading What to Expect When You're Expecting. Levi gave it to me last night saying it had most of the answers to my questions and he was right. I’ve learned so much about my body and the baby, and I couldn’t wait to learn even more.
“Do you think people will ever stop judging us?” I ask, hating the insecurity in my voice.
Levi takes my hands in his and looks at me tenderly. “The people who matter will, those that don’t matter I don’t give a fuck about. I don’t need to explain my love for you to anybody.”
“I love that you’re so confident. It’s sexy. Does that come with age or is it just your personality?”
Levi laughs, the sound sending tingles over my skin. “Babe, not giving a fuck probably comes with age, however making it sound sexy – that’s just part of my charm.”
He gives me a panty-melting look, and I wonder if we have time for a hot make-out session before dinner.
“Don’t even think about it, Oakley…” Levi laughs. “I’m trying t …”
The doorbell rings, stopping him mid-sentence. Levi flashes me a mysterious look before he goes to answer it. I hear my parents' voices and brace myself for a confrontation. I wasn't up to a fight today.
“I brought some wine. I know you like a good red with your steaks,” my dad says, sounding cheerful, even though it was slightly forced.
“I’ll just put the salad in the kitchen,” my mother jabbered nervously.
What the hell is going on? I sit up a little straighter in my chair not sure what to do.
Levi and my parents join me on the terrace. “Oakley, your parents came for dinner.”
My eyes widen, and I can feel my jaw drop even as my mother's arms enfold me. "How are you, honey? I've missed you."
Tears burn behind my eyes, but this time I swallow them down. Having my parents over for dinner is a major step, a good one, and I wasn’t going to ruin it with tears. “I’m happy, Mom. Really happy.”
My mother pulls back and frames my face with her hands. “I can see that, honey. You’re glowing.”
My dad waits his turn, and I stand up and walk into his waiting arms. “I’m sorry, Daddy,” I say, swallowing back the lump of emotion in my throat.
My dad rubs my back, and when he speaks, I can hear the emotion quaking his voice as well. "Nothing to be sorry about. I hope you can forgive me for the way I acted. It was a shock, to say the least."
I smile and give him another hug. “Thank you for coming. I had no idea.”
Levi laughs nervously as he opens the grill. “I wasn’t sure they’d come.”
My dad stiffens momentarily before he heads toward Levi and slaps him on the back in a playful manner. “If I say I’ll show up, you know I show up.”
"I know. Thanks for that." Levi and my dad give each other a brief look. Instead of the anger, I could see between them two weeks ago, there was now an understanding. I wasn't about to ask what it was, but I was grateful they had reached one. They were far from the friendly banter they once shared, but this was better than nothing.
“Here you all are,” Vayda says, stepping on to the porch and joining our little party with a wide smile. She hands me a tiny yellow gift bag. “It’s neutral since we don’t know if that’s going to be a boy or girl yet.”
My heart swells as I open my first baby gift, my eyes darting to Vayda to convey how much this means to me. Inside is a tiny jumper with the words I’ve got the best sister written in glitter on the front. A laugh bubbles out of my throat, and Vayda shrugs as if it's self-explanatory.
My mother joins in the laughter and gives Vayda a hug. “We don’t expect anything less from you.”
