Chapter Twenty-Five
Then
Jasper
My dad turns off the highway onto a dirt road. I instantly recognize it but ask him anyway. “Where are we going?”
When Avery and I woke up this morning, my dad and Helen had breakfast already on the table.
The four of us spoke about our plans now that Avery is pregnant.
This is not something my dad wished for me at only nineteen years old, but he was extremely supportive.
He and Helen offered us whatever we needed, as I assumed they would.
My dad shifts in his seat, switching hands on the steering wheel. “I figured we could go to the beach house.”
They both recognized that Avery and I aren’t the typical young couple who accidentally fell pregnant. We’re in love. We both have stable futures, and just like I reassured Avery last night, we won’t struggle the same way other people might.
“My beach house?”
“Yeah.” He nods.
“Awesome.” I smile, peering out the window toward the coast. “I have so many renovation ideas I’d love to talk to you about,” I rush out, excited about the possibility of Avery living here with me. “I haven’t mentioned any of them to Avery yet. I probably should get her approval first.”
The car slows to a stop in front of the weathered beach house. Anyone else might see a pile of wood, worn down from the years of abuse from the wind and salt, but I see so much potential. I see memories to be made and my future.
My dad turns to me. The wrinkles around his eyes look more pronounced this morning. “Let’s go in.”
“Okay.” I follow him around to the driver’s side.
We both ascend the few steps onto the rotted wood porch. He opens the door to the empty living space. My camping equipment, blankets, and bed have been folded in the corner of the room since I stayed here.
“I love this place,” he murmurs as we walk in.
“I know, me too,” I agree, closing the door behind us. “I’m so excited to get started.”
He walks around, looking at the old house. “Flooring is still in great condition.”
I nod. “Yeah. The electrical system is still in good condition as well. Plumbing came up in the inspection, so I know that will be something we’ll have to look into.”
“Oh yeah, I remember seeing that on the inspection report,” he says. His answer is dismissive, as if his thoughts are elsewhere.
I circle the room with my hands in my pockets, still unsure why my dad wanted to bring me out here this morning. “Are you alright?”
“Of course.” He runs his fingertips along the dusty counter.
“You’re acting a little strange,” I say. “Is it everything going on with Avery?”
“Well, yes and no.” He sighs. “How are you feeling?”
I shrug my shoulders. “I’m nervous and a little scared, obviously, but like I said at breakfast and I can do this.”
“Okay, I guess I just wanted to speak with you away from Helen and Avery because I’m worried you really don’t understand the gravity of what’s about to happen.”
I rub the back of my neck, slightly annoyed but also with a level of understanding for where my dad is coming from. “I get it, Dad, trust me.”
“Sit down.” He gestures to the old wicker chairs by the wall.
I blow out an audible breath, not purposely trying to have him hear me but also not caring if he does. “Sure.”
He follows me over, taking the chair to my side. “When your mother and I had you, we were already married, had been together for years, and were much older.”
“I understand that,” I say. “It’s not like we planned this.”
My dad shakes his head. “You didn’t, which makes this situation trickier,” he says. “Being a father is one thing, but being a partner is very different. Avery will need you more than you realize for the next eight months.” He pauses. “Let alone for the next eighteen years.”
His words carry weight, and even though I feel the impact of how my life will change, I don’t fully understand to what extent.
My dad takes my silence as the okay to continue. “She’s lost both of her parents. You, me, and Helen.” His voice is empathetic, a tone I don’t hear often from him. “We’re all she’s got.”
I lean against the back of the chair, wiping my hands up and down my pants. “I know.” Taking a more serious approach this time, I nod in agreement. “I love her, and I will do anything I can for her.”
My dad pats my knee. “I know you will, Jasper. And I know how much you love her. I’ve never seen you like this with any girl.” He smiles. “I knew she was special right from the start.”
But then his expression suddenly hardens. “For the sake of Avery and the new baby, please continue to monitor your mental health.”
I clear my throat, not expecting our joyous moment to take a turn. “Look, I got it. I’m doing fine.”
“You won’t be living with me, and this will be something you’ll have to manage on your own, including the baby,” he points out. “She needs to be assured that you won’t leave her to handle things by herself.”
I stand. “That won’t happen. She means too much to me.”
My dad rests his chin in the palm of his hand. His eyes glossed over and focused on the ground, looking deep in thought. Did he hear me?
“Dad?”
A subtle pull at the corner of his mouth. “I remember when me and your mom found out we were having you.” The quirk turns into a full smile. “I was scared out of my damn mind.” He chuckles. “Your mom wasn’t, though. She was calm and reminded me that it would all be okay—we’d figure it out.”
He doesn’t tell stories of my mother often, but when he does, I feel much closer to her. “I wish I’d have known her better.”
“You were so young when she died,” he adds.
I bend, returning to the chair next to his. I take his hand in mind. “I promise I will do whatever I can to support Avery and be the best dad I can be for this baby.”
He smiles. “I know you will.”
“How could I not when I had an incredible dad like you?”
He scoffs at my compliment. “Now you’re just trying to flatter me.”
I laugh, but I sense there’s still more he wants to talk about.
“You know I’m not good at these types of things.” He rubs his chin.
“At communicating?” I sneer.
He chuckles. “Yeah. So, I guess I’m also trying to say that you need to commit to her.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, puzzled. We got matching tattoos. That’s a pretty big commitment.
His eyes dart around the room quickly, then meet mine. “She needs to know she’ll be taken care of.”
“Dad, she has an insane amount of money with her inheritance.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t mean money.” Leaning forward, he meets me in the eye. “I mean from you.”
Suddenly, it hits me. I know what my dad is implying. “Like getting married?”
“Yes.”
I arch a brow, more than a little shocked, as he’s suggesting this. “Really? From the man who won’t marry the woman he’s sleeping with,” I quip.
“Fair enough. But Helen and I aren’t having a baby together,” he counters.
Honestly, I haven’t even thought about getting married. But sure, I’d marry Avery. Why not? It’s not like it’s going to change anything.
“It’s not the nineteen fifties anymore, but if you think I should, I will.”
My dad’s palms meet the air between us. “Only if you want to. I’m not trying to pressure you. I just want to have a real discussion with you about everything.”
I shrug my shoulders. “I will be with her forever, so why not get married.”
“Alight.” He smiles with pride. “I’m proud of you, Son.”
I smile back. Warmth fills my heart, but it’s now joined by a new emotion—protectiveness. She’ll never be alone again.