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“Hey, Dad,” she says, her mood instantly perking up as she places a kiss on his cheek. “This is my friend, Luke.”
The man places the tray on the counter and pulls off an oven mitt to shake my hand. Although her mother gave her her red hair, Sadie resembles her father far more. Round face, big eyes, button nose, and a bit on the shorter and stouter side.
“Nice to meet you, Luke,” he says with a smile under his thick, brown mustache.
Sadie’s mother turns to appraise Sadie, who is standing with her back to the counter. From this angle, her dress lies against her frame, showcasing the round pooch of her stomach.
“Sadie, honey,” her mother says with a tilt of her head. “You’re putting on a little weight.”
Instantly, Sadie straightens up and turns toward me. There is panic in her eyes, but I don’t know what to do to defuse the tension in the room.
I consider blurting out something to save her from the embarrassment of having to do this right here, right now.
Before I can do anything, Sadie looks straight at her mother as she presses her shoulders back and proudly announces, “That’s because I’m pregnant.”
The kitchen falls dead silent.
Twenty-Three
Sadie
My mother is pacing back and forth in front of me as I sit cross-legged on my old bed. My dad is just standing in the corner, staring at the floor as he chews on the knuckle of one of his fingers.
Luke is somewhere in my house, surrounded by my relatives, who are no doubt berating him with questions.
“You should just move back home,” my mother says after a long deliberation.
“No, Mom,” I reply, hugging a pillow to my chest.
“How are you going to raise this baby alone, Sadie? Who’s going to take care of it while you’re at work?”
It. Ouch.
“Mom, you do realize I’m twenty-five, right? I’m not seventeen.”
“Yes, but…”
“But what?” I reply, feeling irritated. “You had me when you were twenty-six.”
“I was married,” she says, and I tighten my lips to keep from arguing.
“Listen, this isn’t up for debate and there’s nothing you need to do. I can do this.” I sort of wish Luke were in here to hear me say this to her because somehow, I do feel stronger and more confident than I was when I lived here.
I can do this.
“Where will you live, Sadie?” my dad asks. His expression is somber and contemplative, as if he’s just been told his sweet little girl isn’t so sweet and little anymore.
“For now, I’ll live at Luke’s. He’s probably leaving soon for England, and he’s going to let me stay there while he’s gone.”
My mom lets out a huff of frustration. “You need something more stable.”
“There is literally no one more stable than Luke,” I say, but she’s not listening.
“And what about the father?” my dad asks.
“He’s just a guy I hung out with once. He knows about the baby, but he’s not really interested in raising him or her.”
“He’ll pay child support then,” my mom states as if she’s personally getting it from him like some ruthless debt collector.
