Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91213 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Simone left a little while ago, snagging Lucas’s car keys and saying she was going to head to the mall for some shopping. Not sure how a girl trying to get her own apartment and a job has money to shop, but I didn’t say anything. Simone’s a bit of a mystery still to me, and I think there’s some tremendous discord between her and Van, but Lucas seems oblivious to it so I don’t give it much thought. Not my place anyway.
“We don’t have to do this right now,” I suggest, and I’m a little hopeful he’ll agree with me.
Lucas’s gaze comes back to me and he grins. “Let’s just get it over with. Me first, then you.”
I take a deep breath, drawing through my nose and then letting it out slowly through my mouth. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
We look at each other for just a moment more, perhaps trying to convey confidence and strength to the other, and then Lucas reaches down and dials his mother’s number. When she answers, he puts her on speakerphone.
“Hi, sweet boy,” his mother says in a lilting voice.
“Not a boy, Mom,” Lucas says dramatically, and then grins at me.
“Always you are,” she returns sweetly, and then says, “You and Max were wonderful tonight. Did Simone go to the game?”
“Yeah, she did,” Lucas says as his jaw tightens with resolve. “But listen…I need to talk to you about something important. Is Dad around he can get on the phone?”
“He’s not,” she says, and I can hear the worry in her voice. “He’s on call tonight at the hospital. Should I dial him in on this?”
Lucas shakes his head although his mother can’t see this. “No. It’s nothing bad, at least I don’t think so. You can fill him in later.”
“Okay,” she says with no hesitation, trusting her son implicitly, which I find to be very endearing and also very weird because it’s beyond my imagination. “What’s up?”
Lucas takes a deep breath and lets it out. I give him a nod of encouragement, reaching my hand over to take his. “Okay…not sure how to lay this out to you, but bear with me.”
“Whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll get through it the way we always do, supporting each other,” she assures him, and damn it, my eyes actually start to prickle over the unconditional acceptance and love she’s showing. It’s almost unreal, and part of me can’t even understand it, while the other part feels like my heart is going to swell and burst out of my chest.
“So, I’m seeing someone,” Lucas begins.
“Oh honey…that’s fabulous. I can’t wait—”
“Mom…let me get it all out,” Lucas interrupts her.
“Okay. I’m sorry. Go on,” she says with a laugh.
“Her name is Stephanie and she’s here on speakerphone with me.” He’s begun with the end of the story and not the beginning.
“Hi, Stephanie,” his mother gushes. “I’m thrilled to talk to you.”
“Hi, Mrs. Fournier,” I reply as I watch Lucas roll his eyes. “Nice to meet you.”
“Please, call me Marilyn.”
“Mom…Stephanie…please,” Lucas growls. “Let’s get this on the table before you become besties.”
His mom falls silent but I can’t help chuckling.
“Okay,” Lucas starts again, and then pauses to make sure he’s not interrupted. I incline my head toward the phone, prodding him to get it done. “Okay, we’re seeing each other now, but it didn’t start out that way. It actually started out as sort of a brief encounter and unfortunately—or fortunately as the case may be now—our method of birth control didn’t, um…hold up very well.”
I drop my eyes from Lucas before I burst out laughing over his awkward attempt to explain a shredded condom, even though I know it’s highly inappropriate to be laughing at this point.
“She’s pregnant,” Marilyn breathes, and I hear neither anger nor joy in those words. Just wonder, perhaps a bit of bit of censure, but mostly an underlying tone of acceptance.
“Yes,” Lucas says softly, and his hand squeezes mine. “She’s pregnant. We didn’t want to tell you until she had her first doctor’s visit and we were sure things were okay with the baby.”
“Oh wow…a baby,” Marilyn murmurs, now with more wonder and a definite hint of joyful surprise. “A baby. As in I’m-going-to-be-a-grandma baby?”
“A baby,” Lucas says in an emotional sort of whisper, and I can tell he’s deeply touched by his mother’s response so far.
His mom is silent for a moment, but when she talks again, we can hear clearly that she’s crying. “Oh, Lucas…a baby. I can’t even…just…I wasn’t ready for this, but actually, wait…I am ready for this. You’re clearly ready for this so I’m ready for this. And you’ll make a wonderful father, and we can’t wait to meet Stephanie, and I need to call your dad. We’ll need to book a trip to Raleigh to all sit down and talk about it, and Stephanie…I can help you plan, involving whoever else you want, of course. I’m not going to butt in or be a busybody, but I’m here if you need it and just…Oh my God…a baby!”