Page 23 of Home Run

“The beginning of the week, it’s why I was getting sick.”

“The beginning of the week? And you’re only telling me now?”

“I wanted to tell you in person.”

“You arrived yesterday afternoon.”

“I know.” My eyes screwed shut, it would be easier to say it if I couldn’t see the daggers she was shooting my way. “But I wanted to be a little nearer a decision before I did.”

“A little nearer? What does that mean?”

“I haven’t been able to figure out what to do.”

“What to do?”

Oh my god. This was going to take all day if she kept repeating everything I said.

“Well, I guess what I’m trying to say is…I’ve been weighing up my options, and right now I’m leaning toward seeing it through.”

“I see.” Her hands flew up and pressed against the side of her head. “Oh my god, Millie.Oh my god. How could you be so stupid? We’d talked about protection. We’d talked about boys. Why were you not more careful? What about school? What about your life? You’re twenty-one. And who’s the father? Someone from Columbia too?”

I swallowed hard, trying to keep up with the barrage of questions she’d fired at me. I thought she might be too mad to ask about the father, but may as well rip the Band-Aid off. “Actually, he’s a friend…of Radley’s boyfriend.”

She frowned, her shoulders relaxed a little. “Radley’s boyfriend? Lux, the baseball player?”

I nodded. “Yup.”

“And this friend of his?—”

“His name is Tanner.”

“Tanner.Tanner.Why do I know that name?” she mused, before her narrowed eyes flew open. “Theshortstop?”

I had to think for a second if shortstop was Tanner’s position. I couldn’t be sure. I nodded anyway.

“A baseball player. Abaseballplayer?”

“Yes. He plays baseball.”

My mom stared at me while her brain got to work.

I’d been in this situation before, I’d also witnessed my brothers in this situation, especially Josh, who liked to sneak a lot of girls into the house not so sneakily, only to be balled out by my mom in the morning. I knew enough to keep my mouth shut for as long as this went on for.

“I can’t have this conversation right now. I need to go to the store,” she said eventually and left through the front door in such a hurry she didn’t close it behind her. The screech of the car as it reversed down the driveway and onto the road did the rest of the talking for her.

If you can believe it, I thought that would go way worse.

I slumped down on the couch, only the nudging of Brinkley’s nose on my hand stopped me dissolving into a fit of sobs. It was over, I’d done the hardest part for now. I was tempted to go and find Radley, but I figured I should probably wait for my mom to return, even though I had no idea how long she’d be. Instead, I trudged upstairs to my room to change into my bathing suit. I might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but the baking heat from the early afternoon sun was calling me outside.

My bedroom seemed so different than it had this morning; the neutral tones were the same, and so were the queen bed, the soft sheer drapes blocking the sun from shining directly in while providing a shred of privacy, but it wasdifferent.Childish almost.

Was it the room of a mother? Where would the crib go? By the pinboard with all the medals and banners I’d won at school, or the giant stuffed teddy I’d had since I was a kid?

Actually, that could stay.

My belly was still flat enough that it was impossible to imagine what it would look like a month from now, three months, six, nine. Even pushing it out as far as I could didn’t help. I’d always joked to Radley that she was the one with the great tits, whereas I barely needed to wear support beyond a sports bra. But as I stripped off and studied my naked body in my bathroom mirror, I knew it would all change soon.

My body, my room, mylife.

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