Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 258(@200wpm)___ 207(@250wpm)___ 172(@300wpm)
I run my fingers down his arm to stop him. “Dad, this didn’t happen because you were a bad parent.”
“Maybe if I were around more,” he whispers. “I should have spent more time with you.”
“The baby has nothing to do with your parenting,” I assure him. “I wasn’t thinking. I don’t think Dean was either. We love each other, Dad. I never expected our friendship to turn into a relationship, but I’m glad it did. Dean will take care of me.”
“I know he will. Dean’s a good kid.”
“Did I ever tell you that you’re the reason we met?”
He laughs. “No. What did I have to do with that?”
“Dean has posters of you on his walls at his house in Florida. He was obsessed with you as a kid. He still loves you. You’re the reason he wanted to be a hockey player.”
I never told my dad about Dean’s fanboy ways because I thought it would embarrass Dean, but I want my dad to know more about the father of my child.
“At least I know he has good taste,” my dad says with a smile.
“Will you come to the hospital when I have the baby?”
“Of course, I will.” His smile is so wide it reaches his blue irises. “I wouldn’t miss the birth of my first grandchild.” A beat passes before he releases his hold on me. “You ready to go back inside? Your brothers want to say their goodbyes.”
My heart aches at the thought of leaving them behind. This is only temporary. We’ve gone through this plenty of times. I’m used to not seeing them. The only difference is that I’m usually the one left behind. This is a good thing. My life can begin when I get to Philly. No more waiting around for people. I’ll have Dean and our baby and hopefully a new internship after I deliver.
I head inside the house with my dad. Austin and Duke are in the living room arguing over which of them will be the godfather of the baby. Theo and Travis are clicking buttons on the gaming remotes in their hands, yelling at each other about getting a wand to advance to the next level. What a bunch of weirdos?
Dad clears his throat to gain their attention.
I shake my head at my older brothers. “Are you guys fighting over who will be the baby’s godfather?”
“Yeah,” Duke growls. “I think it should be me. I’m the oldest and…” His voice trails off when he looks at my dad.
And I raised you, he wanted to say, but so did Austin. They each had a hand in my upbringing. I know they think this is their fault. I hate that they feel responsible for me getting pregnant.
“Look, guys,” I say. “Can you not fight over this? I’m tired, I don’t feel good, and stress isn’t good for the baby.”
Austin rushes over to my side, his eyes pointed down at my stomach. “Are you okay? Did something happen? You know, I’ve been reading a lot of books, so I can help you with the baby. So, I’ll know what to do.”
“Austin, you already know what to do,” I say with a tiny smile. “You helped raised me.” Turning to face all of them, I say, “All of you did a good job with me. This isn’t your fault. I did something without thinking, and now, I have to deal with the consequences. But I’m not upset about it, okay? I don’t look at this baby as a bad thing. If anything, it’s what I needed to force me to move back to Philly. I wanted to be with Dean anyway. We’re just starting sooner than either of us had expected.”
Duke leans against the edge of the couch, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Austin blows out a deep breath. Dad shoves his hands into his jeans pockets and forces a smile.
“I don’t want you to give up on your dreams to go running across the country to be with a man,” my dad says. “Your mother did it for me.” Dad’s eyes fall to the floor as he sighs. “She could have done so much more. She wanted to help people, and I took that away from her. I don’t want the same to happen to you.”
“Dad, c’mon,” Austin says. “Mom didn’t give anything up. She had us. Kat’s not doing the same thing. She’ll find a job in Philly after the baby is born.”
Austin is the one who consoles, the glue that holds all of us together. Duke breaks everything but will put it back together better than new when he’s done having a tantrum. Dad beats himself up for not being around enough, even though we all know he loves us fiercely. Theo and Travis are still the babies, even though they’re all grown up. And I’m the one they all place on a pedestal. The girl who can now live her life, on her terms, and with the man she loves.