Chapter 23
MADDISON
“ M om, Dad, this is Jace.” I pull back from the tight, lingering hug I pulled them together with, and smile so big it hurts my cheeks.
“Hello, Jason.” Mother wrinkles her nose as she looks him up and down.
“Actually, ma’am, it’s just Jace. Pleased to meet you.” He holds out his hand and when she drapes her fur coat over it instead of shaking it, he looks at me and fakes a grin.
“Mr MacKenzie.” He extends his hand to my father, who takes it and shakes it firmly. “Come on in, make yourself at home. Can I get you something…coffee, iced tea, liquor?” I appreciate Jace’s efforts to be polite while my mom steps into the living area and looks around it, judgingly.
“This is a nice place you have here,” my father comments as he moves to stand beside her.
“Thank you, sir, my father built the place himself.” Jace brushes his hand along my back as he joins them too.
“I made lemon drizzle, it’s not as good as Stella’s but it passes the bunkhouse boys.” I laugh nervously as I pick up the plate from the coffee table to show them.
“You made that?” My mother scoffs and when I see Jace’s face start to look angry, I shake my head and plead him with my eyes to keep his calm.
“Yes, I’ve gotten much better than I was when I first arrived, haven’t I, Jace?” I look to him for support and, of course, he doesn’t let me down.
“You sure have, darlin’.” His hand wraps around my hip and when Mother notices, her drawn-on eyebrows leap a little higher on her forehead.
I don’t miss the way she digs her elbow into my father's side to prompt him.
“Jace doesn’t just run that ranch, do you know he’s a volunteer firefighter for the town? The cities so far away that?—”
“I’ll cut straight to the chase, sweetheart.” Dad clears his throat. “We erm…we–”
“We demand you come home.” Mother decides he isn’t cutting to the chase fast enough.
“Well, I’m sorry, that isn’t going to happen.” I keep my tone soft and non-confrontational. I don’t want to argue with my parents, I want a relationship with them. I want our child to have a relationship with them too.
“Maddison, you're obviously ill. You need to speak to Bridget.” Mom lowers her voice as if sparing me from shame.
“I don’t need to see your therapist, Mother, I’m happy. The happiest I’ve been for… well, as long as I can remember.”
“This isn’t happiness.” Her head shakes as she looks Jace up and down in that same condescending way, and I’m surprised by how silent he remains. “This is…It’s just…lust.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment, ma’am.” Jace winks at her and I don’t know if her cheeks heat from rage or embarrassment.
“Maddison, you are coming home with us, righ–”
“I’m in love!” I may have just blurted the words out from nowhere, but I have no desire to take them back. Seeing my parents again has hit me with a reminder of how trapped I used to be and with Jace standing beside me, I no longer feel afraid. “I’m in love, we’re engaged and I’m… I’m pregnant.” I pull the pin on the grenade and watch my mother's shock turn to horror.
“Roger, I think I need to sit down.” She stumbles dramatically on her feet and while both Jace and my father rush to her aid, I stand strong and determined.
“Pregnant! How on earth can you be pregnant?” My father barks while loosening the scarf Mother is wearing around her neck so she can get more air.
“Well, it’s quite simple, Mr Mack–”
“I’m sixteen weeks along, and our baby is the size of an avocado,” I interrupt what I’m sure would have been a sarcastic remark, to give them Jace’s fact of the week.
“Our baby…you mean, he’s the father?” Mom looks up at Jace in horror and when he steps back to stand beside me, he smiles at her.
“That I am, ma’am,” he tells her proudly, making sure he draws attention to my neat little bump when he touches it.
“How could you do this? Why are you throwing your life away?” She raises her arms in frustration, all while my father remains silent, surprisingly calm, and looks very disappointed.
“Your father was setting you up for life. Adam was–”
“I don’t want to talk about Adam. Adam’s in my past but you don’t have to be. I invited you here so you could see how happy I am. This place, Jace, the baby - it’s all a new start for me. One that I chose for myself. You must have known that I never loved Adam.”
I watch my father take in everything I’ve said, while my mother makes a miraculous recovery and stands back on her feet.
“Roger, we’re leaving. I refuse to listen to this.” She marches toward the coat stand and waits for my father to follow after her, and lift her coat from the hook.
“Don’t leave.” I rush across the room. “Please don’t leave without hearing me out, I want you to get to know Jace. I have a picture of the baby if you’d like to see it.” I try my best to convince them both but Mother refuses to look at me, and when I turn my attention to my father, he offers me a half-hearted smile as he shakes his head.
“Please, Dad,” I beg. When I feel Jace move to stand behind me, I can sense the tension coming from his body.
“Darlin’, you shouldn’t have to beg anyone to be in your life. This is a free country and these people are free to go.” His voice is low and calm, and when his arms wrap around my middle, I grip both his wrists for strength.
“You’ve brainwashed her. We should call the police,” Mother hisses at him before charging out the door and leaving my father standing in front of us.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Keep yourself well.” He nods at Jace before he leaves and as I watch them drive away I try so hard not to cry. Crying’s all I ever seem to do these days, but I figure at least this time it's for good reason.
“Hey.” Jace spins me around in his arms and kisses the top of my head when I eventually break, and I let my tears soak through the smart shirt he put on in an attempt to impress them.
“I should have known what to expect, why did I get my hopes up?” I pull away and attempt to wipe my cheeks, though the tears just keep on coming.
“Because you're a good person, and you assume everyone is as kind as you.”
“They hate me.” I shake my head and sob some more.
“They don’t hate you at all, they’re your parents. They love you, and I guess they feel like they're losing you. I’d be an asshole about that too.” He smiles and tries to make light of all that’s just happened but I can tell from the tension on his hands that he’s angry.
“Jace, I just begged them to be in their grandchild's life and they left,” I point out.
“They’re in shock. I thought the plan was to ease the baby thing into the conversation. I even wondered if you were gonna tell them, at all,” he laughs at me, and when I eventually smile, his thumb slides over my lips.
“That's more like it, Princess.” He stares at me with those handsome, brown eyes that soothe me just as well as his arms do. “They’ll come around, just give them time,” he promises. “Now, let's get outta these smart-assed clothes, put on some sweats, and give that lemon drizzle a try.”