Chapter 17 #2
‘Jason, what the hell is going on here?’ Dad says, raising his voice. He rarely does that, which tells me he’s furious. ‘Lying to people? Making up crazy stories?’
‘I don’t understand. If you knew it wasn’t real, why’d you act like it was back at the restaurant? Saying I should live with Mia in this house? Taking her parents here? Why would you do that if you didn’t believe it was real?’
‘Because for a moment there, we thought it was,’ Dad says.
‘That show you put on was pretty damn convincing. But on the drive over here, your mother and I came to our senses and realized it was all a hoax. Some girl shows up in town and suddenly you’re engaged?
’ He huffs. ‘You really think we’d believe that? ’
‘She’s not just some girl. I met her at Noah’s wedding. I told you about her.’
‘After the wedding, yes, but that was it. You didn’t mention her again until she showed up in town.’
‘Lying to people is not how you were raised,’ Mom says. ‘Why would you do something like this?’
‘It was Mia’s idea. She was afraid her parents would be upset if they found out we weren’t together. They’re old-fashioned. They think you have to be married to have a baby.’
Mom smiles a little. ‘I will say we’re very happy about the baby. I can’t wait to be a grandma!’
Dad looks at her. ‘Martha, we talked about this on the way over. Don’t be getting soft on me because of the baby.’
Mom shuts down her smile and looks back at me. ‘Your father and I think you should call this off now before things get out of hand.’
‘I can’t. I told Mia I’d do this, and now it’s done. And you saw how happy her parents were. They would’ve been devastated if they’d found out she was pregnant and alone.’
‘So how exactly does this end?’ Dad asks, folding his arms over his chest. ‘You planning to actually marry her?’
‘No. It’ll end when she leaves. She’ll tell her parents it didn’t work out and we called off the engagement.
By then her parents will have had time to accept the pregnancy and get excited about it, which will hopefully help them get over the disappointment of us not getting married.
And Mia will probably have a job by then, and an apartment, so they won’t have to worry about her, or they’ll worry less than they would now when things are more uncertain. ’
‘What do you mean when she leaves?’ Mom asks. ‘She’s really not staying here?’
‘You heard what she said at breakfast. She’s moving back to Boston at the end of August.’
Dad’s brows furrow. ‘And you’re okay with this? With your child living on the other side of the country?’
‘No, but what am I going to do? I’m not leaving Haydon Falls. My life is here.’
Dad glances at Mom, then back at me. ‘You and Mia have talked about this? And neither one of you is willing to move?’
‘She can’t. She needs to take care of her parents. Her mom’s in good health, but her dad’s health isn’t very good. You saw how hard it is for him to get around. Mia wants to be close to them to help them out. And I want to be close to you and Mom. It doesn’t work for either of us to move.’
Dad rubs his hand over his jaw and glances at Mom again. ‘I still don’t think this is right. You’re messing with people’s lives here, including your own.’
‘Yeah, well, this wasn’t supposed to happen. We were only going to tell Mia’s parents about the engagement. Nobody else was supposed to know.’
‘You really thought that was possible in a town this size? After that show you put on at the restaurant, everyone in town probably knows by now. How are you going to explain this to people?’
‘I don’t know. I haven’t figured that out yet.’
‘You were going on dates with other girls just a few weeks ago,’ Mom says. ‘And now you’re engaged and having a baby? Just think how that looks.’
‘You always told me not to worry about what other people think.’
‘Yes, but you’re a teacher, Jason. Your students look up to you. What are you going to tell them?’
‘I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it. I haven’t thought about any of this because this wasn’t supposed to happen.’
Dad shakes his head. ‘Maybe next time you’ll think of these things before getting yourself into messes like this.’
‘Are we done here? I need to get back to the apartment in case Mia shows up.’
The door opens and Brody walks in, with Sawyer right behind him. They both have huge grins on their faces.
‘What are you two doing here?’ Dad asks.
‘We came to congratulate the groom,’ Sawyer says, laughing. ‘So Jason, when’s the big day?’
‘Shut up,’ I say, because it’s not funny. My parents are right. This is a fucking mess.
‘Is she really pregnant?’ Brody asks, laughing. ‘Or did you guys make that up too?’
‘Why would we make that up? You saw how upset Mia was when she told me. And we didn’t know you guys were standing there. We weren’t putting on a show.’
‘Boys, this isn’t funny,’ Dad says. ‘Everyone in town is going to be asking us about this, and until we figure out how to handle it, I want you both to keep quiet. Just tell people this is a family matter and leave it at that.’
‘Like that’s going to work,’ Brody says. ‘That’ll just make people come up with their own story, which is always worse than the truth.’
‘How are we going to explain Jason going on dates the whole time his girl’s been knocked up?’ Sawyer asks.
‘You don’t,’ Dad says. ‘You keep your mouth shut. Let them make up stories about us, if that’s what they want to do. It’s not like it hasn’t been done before.’
‘Are you really living here?’ Brody asks me.
‘Just for the summer,’ I tell him.
‘Unless he comes to his senses and tells the truth,’ Dad says.
‘I’m not doing that,’ I say. ‘I told Mia I’d do this and I’m not going back on my word.’
I’m not telling him the other reason I’m doing this, which is to be with Mia. He’d tell me I’m being stupid and setting myself up for heartbreak. I probably am, but I still want to be with her.
‘How’s this going to work?’ Sawyer asks. ‘You sleeping in separate rooms?’
They all stare at me, waiting for an answer. I keep quiet.
‘Guess that’s a no,’ Brody says with a laugh. ‘So what does that mean? Are you guys dating?’
‘We’re not dating. We’re just—I don’t know what we are. Friends who are . . . having a baby.’
‘More like friends with benefits,’ Sawyer says, smiling at Brody.
‘Stop that,’ Mom says. ‘We shouldn’t be talking about this.’
Brody smiles back at Sawyer. ‘At least he can’t get her pregnant.’
‘Not again.’ Sawyer looks at me. ‘How the hell did that happen? Don’t you teach sex ed at school? You should know this shit.’
‘I only taught it for one semester, when the health teacher left and they couldn’t find a new one.’ I glare at Sawyer. ‘And yeah, I know how birth control works, but it’s not always a hundred percent effective.’
Mom gets up. ‘I think we’ve heard enough. Jason, when will you be moving in? I’d like to wash the bedding before you do. I’m sure it’s dusty, having gone unused for months.’
‘Mia’s graduation is next weekend so we’ll probably move in after that. And don’t worry about the bedding. I’m sure it’s fine.’
‘This whole house is dusty,’ Mom says, looking around. ‘I’m going to have to do a thorough cleaning.’
‘Mom, you don’t—’
‘Just let her be,’ Dad says as Mom goes upstairs. ‘Nothing you say is going to change her mind, especially with her future grandchild living here.’
‘Her grandchild won’t even be born until October,’ I say.
‘October?’ Sawyer says. ‘That’s her due date? Shit, I hope she doesn’t have the kid the same weekend as the fall festival. Nick’s got you down to drive the tractor again.’
‘If she’s due that weekend, he’s not going to be here,’ Dad says. ‘He’ll be out in Boston with Mia.’
He’s right. I hadn’t thought about that. I haven’t let myself think beyond the summer. But what happens after that? I can’t miss my baby’s birth. I’ll need to be in Boston. What if Mia has the baby early, or late? I can’t take weeks off from work, but if I don’t, I might miss the birth.
‘She’s still moving away?’ Brody asks.
‘At the end of August,’ I say, feeling my anger rise as I think about how little I’ll see my kid with Mia living in Boston.
I’ve been trying to be okay with it, knowing it’s just how it has to be, but it’s not right.
It’s not what I want. I want to see my child every day, not a few times a year.
And I don’t want him or her growing up in a big city in some tiny apartment.
Mia and I need to talk about this. I’ve been going along with whatever she wants, but this is my baby too and I’m going to have a say in how our kid is raised.