Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
CALEB
Georgia was silent the whole ride to my house. She’d barely kissed me when I picked her up from work. It had been two days since I found out about the baby and proposed. While we were both happy about our plans, I knew she was scared and anxious to share the news with my dad and Big Momma.
They were probably already at the house, waiting for us to arrive. When I pulled up in the driveway and parked, she looked at me.
“United front.” I said to her, reminding her she wasn’t in this alone. We’d decided, and no one would change that. We had each other and we could get through anything.
“United front,” she repeated and gave me a small smile.
When we got out of the truck, I took her hand in mine, and we walked up to the porch.
It was quiet inside the house.
We found Pop and Big Momma seated in the living room. I wondered how long Big Momma had been here. Neither of them looked happy.
Georgia and I sat together on the sofa. She trembled next to me, so I took her hand in mine to quell her nerves. When she glanced at me, I gave her a reassuring look.
“I proposed and Georgia said yes.”
Most family would have congratulated us. Not them. They just scowled.
Big Momma spoke first. Instead of addressing the both of us, she looked directly at Georgia. “Gigi.”
She waited for Georgia to look at her. It took Georgia nearly a minute before she would meet Big Momma’s hard stare.
“Why are you rushing this?”
Big Momma knew. She knew with a knowledge as old as Eve’s why we were getting married now, but she wanted Georgia to say it.
“I’m pregnant.”
The moment she shared our news, the fight erupted. Pop raised his voice as he stood. “You’re both so young.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I stood too, unable to contain my exasperation with his hypocrisy. “You and mama were younger than me when you married.”
“It was a different time.” Pop threw up his hands in frustration.
I hadn’t always been the easiest kid, but I knew he was proud of me. I knew he loved Georgia like his own daughter, so why was he fighting this so hard. “Why can’t you just be happy for us. We love each other.”
My plea fell on deaf ears.
“What about all the plans you made?” Pop asked.
As I fought with Pop, I could hear Big Momma scolding and trying to talk Georgia out of marriage and a baby.
“You can have other kids when the time is right.” Big Momma chided her.
“Caleb and I love each other. We’re having this baby, and we’re going to be a family.”
My heart swelled with pride when she told her grandmother she would not change her mind.
United front.
I wasn’t going to keep arguing. We’d stay at the motel tonight.
“Georgia, it’s time to go.” I took her hand.
“This is a mistake.” Pop said as the two of them followed us to the door.
I turned to them. “Well, it’s a good thing we’re both adults and don’t need your permission. We welcome you both to be part of our lives, but we won’t change our mind.”
Later that night, at the motel, I held Georgia until she’d cried herself to sleep. It wouldn’t always be like this. They’d come around.