Page 64 of Protect My Heart
‘Yeah. It’s good. I just need a minute.’ I turn toward the sink, my back to my family as I try to process this. I’m going to be a father. Mia and I are having a baby.
‘Let’s give them some time alone,’ I hear Dad say.
‘We can talk later,’ Mia rushes to say. ‘I don’t want to delay the wedding.’
I hear someone coming down the stairs and then Gina’s voice. ‘I’ve got the rings. Kate said to give them to you.’
‘Shit, that’s right,’ Brody says. ‘I forgot I gave them to her.’
‘What’s everyone doing in the house?’ Gina asks. ‘I thought you guys were waiting in the barn.’
‘We were looking for the rings,’ Nick says.
‘And found out we’re going to be uncles,’ Brody says.
Gina gasps. ‘Lyndsay’s pregnant? Why didn’t she tell me?’
I turn to face my family. ‘Lyndsay’s not pregnant.’
‘I am,’ Mia says.
Gina’s eyes get huge. ‘You and Jason? So this happened when you two—’
‘We don’t need to get into details,’ I say, not wanting to tellmy parents their grandchild is the result of a night of too much drinking. They’ll figure it out.
‘We need to make a decision here,’ Dad says. ‘We’ve got people waiting.’
‘What do you want to do?’ Nick asks me. ‘You need some time?’
‘No. It’s your wedding. We need to get out there. Mia and I will talk later.’
‘I’m sorry,’ Mia whispers.
Mom hugs her again. ‘Honey, you don’t need to be sorry. Everything will work out. It always does.’ She lets Mia go and turns to me and straightens my tie. ‘Go join your brothers.’
My eyes go to Mia’s. She’s looking at me like she’s pleading with me to be okay with this, but I don’t know how I feel. I’m mad that she knew all this time and didn’t tell me until now. And she only did because I thought she was sick. When was she planning to tell me? Maybe she wasn’t going to tell me at all. She could’ve moved to Boston, had the baby, and never told me it was mine.
‘You okay?’ Nick asks as we wait in the barn for the ceremony to start.
‘Not really, but I don’t want to ruin your day.’
‘You’re not ruining it. You’re in shock. I would be too.’
Brody pats me on the back. ‘Congratulations. I always knew you’d be first to have a kid.’
‘It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I’m not even dating Mia. And she’s moving away.’ I pause. ‘Shit. She’s moving away.’ I look at Nick. ‘When the hell am I going to see my kid?’
‘Calm down,’ Dad says, coming in front of me. ‘Like your mother said, everything will work out. It always does.’
Mom comes into the barn. ‘The girls are ready. You boys need to go take your places outside.’
The ceremony is right outside the barn at the top of the hill, overlooking the rows of pink-and-white blooming apple trees. Nick and Lyndsay will say their vows under a wooden arch that Dad made and Mom covered with flowers.
‘Jason.’ Mom stops me before I go outside. ‘This will all work out. I know you might be upset right now, but don’t take it out on Mia. Remember it took both of you to make this baby.’ She smiles at me. ‘I’ll see you out there.’
I follow Nick, Sawyer, and Brody outside. The bright sun feels hot beating onto my dark suit. I’m already starting to sweat, or maybe it’s my nerves making me sweat. I’m going to be a dad. Holy shit. How did this happen?
We didn’t use protection that night, but I assumed Mia was on the pill. She must not have been if she got pregnant. Why didn’t she tell me she wasn’t on birth control? Why didn’t we talk about this? We’re both responsible adults, so how could we be so careless?
