Page 110 of Conception
“And you guys are gonna get a kick out of this. She actually did write. Just…she wrote to the company and not to me specifically. Well, she thought she was. She just didn’t know how to address it to the correct Knox Wellington.”
“Jesus Christ,” Dad mutters.
“Amelia was the one who sent the letter to Wellington. Not some crazy woman trying to get Dad’s money.”
“I knew you didn’t have some harpy out there,” Mom teases Dad.
“Course not, woman. I only have eyes for you. You’re more than a handful. All my strength and energy go to you.”
And as I wait, I hear my parents kissing. I clear my throat. “Um, guys, can you do that later? This is a long-distance call, and it’s not on my phone.”
“Oh, does that mean—”
I cut her off. “Yeah, Mom. Amelia just had my baby. I’m staying at her place for the foreseeable future.”
“Tell us everything, Knox,” Mom insists, so I do.
Well, most of it. I’m not going to tell them that it appears Amelia’s in her own personal tug-of-war game. Definitely not telling them I’m not sure I’ll come out on the right side of it.
Mom, naturally, is beside herself that “the poor girl” went through the pregnancy by herself, only slightly settling down when I tell her she was surrounded by her friends here. Mom also insists she come to Crystal Cove immediately to help out. It takes Dad and me about five minutes to talk her out of it. I can hear her pouting over the phone.
“Mom, this is between Amelia and me. She’s already overwhelmed as it is. I’m not adding you to the mix. You’ll come to Crystal Cove when I say you can.”
“But—”
“No. That’s final. You will not interfere. I’m not asking, Mom.”
“All right, Knox. If you insist,” she says, her voice laced with defeat. “You sound so much like your father. It’s rather irritating.”
I laugh. “Thank you. On both counts.”
“Son, I have to ask you something,” my dad says, “and you’re probably not going to like it.” The skeptical tone in his voice tells me I’m definitely not going to like this.
“Yeah, Dad?” I ask, unable to hide my impatience. The longer I’m away from Sunny and Amelia, the more I worry Amelia’s going to change her mind and Sunny will kick me out of the door.
Or, rather,tryto kick me out the door. Not gonna fucking happen.
“Is she trying to trap you? Perhaps when she discovered who you are, she saw dollar signs. Are you positively certain the child is yours?”
Mom’s gasp echoes before I’ve barely processed his words. “Knox Nathaniel Wellington! How could you?”
Strangely, I’m not upset with my dad. It’s a fair question.
“Katherine, I’m just looking out for our boy.”
“Hmmph.”
I should respond before Dad’s foot goes any farther into his mouth and he ends up sleeping in the pool house tonight.
Mom sighs with relief when I laugh. “Calm down, you two. Don’t fight on my account.”
“Knox, he didn’t mean it,” Mom answers.
“Don’t presume to speak for me, woman!”
“Did you just call me woman?!” she shrieks.
“You heard me. And you like it!” he insists with force.
