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Dad froze behind her.
I froze in front of her.
Mum scoffed. “That reaction was exactly what I was expecting.” The tears gripped her. “Though I’m sure your father will have more to say.” She was trembling. “He’ll divorce me. I’ll have to be a single mother. Fuck, fuck, fuck.” She was getting more worked up, but it wasn’t her admission that had me frozen in place. No, it was because she had accidentally told Dad without knowing.
“It’s not that,” I said. I watched Dad blink, and then I forced Mum to turn around. She went stiff when her eyes landed on Dad.
The Hades that everyone knew, well, he had this cold, calculating look in his eyes, nearly all the time. However, that stern look would disappear when he looked at his family. Like right now, he was in shock. I could see it on his face. I knew my dad, and when he was in shock, he usually fucked up.
Mum stood to her full five-foot something. “So you heard?” She had this hardness in her voice. Dad didn’t say anything. “I’ll sign the papers. You don’t have to be a father again. I know this is the last thing you’d want. So I’ll deal with it on my own.” Mum was headstrong and the type of woman who would do this on her own.
Dad’s eyes were just locked on her. Then he broke from his frozen state. I’d never seen Dad move so fast, till his hands were cupping Mum’s face. He kissed her before giving her a smile that was reserved only for Mum.
“Get the fucking cake out,” Dad said, his words echoing nothing but clear excitement. “We’ve got a reason to celebrate tonight.” His eyes then went back to Mum before he kissed her forehead.
Mum was stunned—and so was I—by Dad’s reaction.
“I love you, Zara. Never question that,” he said as he brought his face to hers. “Always.” He then grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen. I heard Dad shout for everyone’s attention just as I opened the kitchen door, following them out.
Someone turned the music down. I think half the crowd was expecting Dad to kick everyone out and end his suffering at his birthday party.
“Ain’t no soul here that doesn’t know. I hate my fucking birthday,” he shouted, then he shocked everyone by grinning. “Thought this year would be the same till my wife told me I knocked her up!” Dad’s grin was priceless—like he had won the lottery.
He then spun her into his arms and kissed her like there wasn’t a soul in the crowded clubhouse. Though I think they got a reality check when the laughter and cheers boomed through the club.
Just like that, a real party had started. There was no way this wasn’t turning into a bender for nearly everyone here. Because when Dad partied, he partied hard.
* * *
The music was pounding.The Kincaid family had taken over one of the tables, though Mum hadn’t left Dad’s lap the entire night, and Ivy had been extremely quiet.
“Fucking baby in the house. I’ll be moving out to my dorm room,” Kobra said before throwing back his shot.
“You fucking won’t be. You’ll be pulling your weight like the rest of us.” Dad shattered Kobra’s hope of escaping the baby cries quickly and threw his own shot back.
Ivy was refilling the shot glasses. If there was one thing we Kincaids did well, it was drinking. Though, so far, no one had noticed Ivy wasn’t drinking.
“If the other pregnancies are any indication, your mother will need another body for target practice.” Dad ran a hand down Mum’s back. “When she was pregnant with you lot, there wasn’t one vase or photo frame left in the house.”
“Still holding it over my head,” Mum muttered.
“Maybe you deserved it,” Ivy stuck up for Mum. “After all, you got her fat.”
Mum groaned at that.
“Thanks for starting the body issues early, Ivy.” Dad gave her a pointed look.
Ivy just shrugged, snatching the vodka bottle from Kobra, who had decided the amount Ivy was pouring wasn’t enough.
“You all right, Holly?” Dad’s words made me stop scanning the clubhouse.
“Fine.” I smiled.
“She’s looking for her boyfriend,” Kobra mocked me. “Creed has kept a low profile tonight.”
And it was bugging me. I hadn’t seen him since the family dinner. I was hoping to see him tonight, but not once had I laid eyes on him.
“Sent him to pick shit up at the valley.”
