AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Like with Mom, I embrace him without him noticing my stomach. He offers to take my coat, but again, I lie and say I’m cold.
“Mom said the trip was amazing.”
“It certainly was,” he answers with a grin. “We sailed out on a yacht. Something we haven’t done in years.”
“Wait, did you buy it?”
“You know your father too well,” Mom teases, placing a glass of red wine in front of me. I stare at the glass, surprised she even served it, but I’m guessing it's something fancy.
“Try the wine. It’s from this new winery, and I’d love to get your opinion on it before I invest,” Dad politely asks.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, perfect timing since drinking the wine is something I can’t do. It’s bad enough I drank when I was pregnant, not that I knew at the time. The guilt, though, still weighs heavily on my mind despite the research I’ve done on alcohol and pregnancy. It’s not something you should do, given everything passes to the baby. When I panicked at the conclusion I’d hurt the baby, a call to Dr. Callahan reassured me it’s fine. However, no more until after birth and breastfeeding.
“Sorry, Dad. I just need to check my phone, I’m waiting for something.”
Beau
You still alive, or has Lex banished you to a dark castle forever?
Me
I’m alive, but maybe not for long. I’ll call you after.
“Is everything all right?”
“Um, yes.”
“Alexa, try the wine your father brought back from Italy. It’s quite something if I say so myself.”
I stare at the glass, knowing all too well there is no way out of it. I won’t drink the wine, so there’s no choice but to tell them the truth right now.
“Uh, Mom, Dad,” I begin with, scratching the back of my neck until my skin stings. “I need to talk to you about something.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re dropping out of college.” My father jumps in. His tone changed as if he was trying to control his anger. “I thought you wanted this.”
“I do want this, and it’s not what you think. I may need to drop out for a bit. I don’t know. I’m not sure what the rules are and—”
“Alexandra, you’re making no sense. Just say whatever it is you need to say.”
With every fiber in my being, I force myself to stand up as my parents watch me in confusion. Slowly, I untie the belt around my coat, then, with shaky hands, remove my coat while my pulse races.
Mom is the first to notice. Her expression quickly morphs to shock as she covers her mouth with her hand.
As for Dad, he continues to look me in the eye. At a slow and agonizing pace, his eyes drop until then stop at my stomach. His face, unlike Mom’s, is completely blank. Like a ticking time bomb in front of me, I wait for it to detonate, preparing for the absolute worse.
“I… I… don’t understand what is happening, Alexandra.”
Dad is never speechless. He either says how it is or keeps his opinion to himself. There is never an in-between.
“What’s there not to understand, Lex?” Mom’s tone is far less patient. “She’s pregnant.”
“But… I don’t understand.”
My eyes fall to the ground as my chest caves, the heaviness too much to bear at this moment. I’ve let them down. All their hopes for me are crushed at this very moment, and that’s by far a heavy burden to carry.
“I’m sorry, Mom and Dad,” I begin with just above a murmur while trying to control my tears. “It was never supposed to happen this way. Please don’t tell me I should have gotten rid of it… please don’t.”
The sob rises inside my chest, expelling like a violent wave crashing against the shore. Mom moves quickly, embracing me tightly. The smell of her perfume brings back nostalgia. A simple scent that reminds me of my entire childhood.
