"Come and sit," I tell my grandmother, and she comes over, knowing that something is coming. She sits next to Grandpa as they share a look. "We came over today …" I start to say.
"We?" My grandfather picks up. “There is a we?"
I reach across the table and grab Hazel's hand as she has tears in her eyes. I’m sure she’s a nervous wreck. “There is a we," I tell them, smiling now and feeling so proud. "In more ways than just the two of us."
"I don’t understand," my grandmother says, and then she puts her hands in front of her mouth. “Reed Barnes, is she pregnant?"
I don’t say she might be because we definitely were not careful, like at all. “No." I shake my head. "But she was."
My grandmother starts to cry. “You are such an idiot," Hazel says under her breath.
"Mr. and Mrs. Barnes, what he’s trying to say and failing so miserably at is that Sofia," she starts to say and then stops, and I see she won’t be able to continue.
"Sofia is my daughter," I finally say, and my grandmother's hand comes down from her mouth now, but her mouth does not close.
"What?" my grandfather whispers as he looks at me.
"I found out I was pregnant right before I left," Hazel says. "Pops …"
"He knew, didn’t he?" Grandpa asks. “He knew Reed was the father?"
"He did,” she says, and I can see her lips tremble, so I pull her chair to me. “But I made him promise not to tell you,” she says. “I didn’t want to be a burden."
"Be a burden?" my grandmother says. “You gave us a gift. A child is a gift,” she says, grabbing a tissue. “Why didn’t you tell us?" She looks at me.
"She tried to tell me, and I fucked up," I admit. “I fucked up so bad."
"Pops," my grandfather says, grabbing the handkerchief that he keeps in his shirt pocket. “Every single time he went out to see you,” he says, his voice trembling as he thinks about his friend. “He would come over here and show us all of his pictures,” he says, looking at my grandmother. “All he could say was isn’t she a beauty, Billy." Hazel puts a hand to her mouth now. “He was sharing her with us without us knowing." My grandfather stops talking now as he composes himself. “That sneaky son of a bitch,” he says, laughing. “He was a good man."
"He was," Hazel says. “And he thought the world of you."
"We have another great-granddaughter," my grandfather says to my grandmother, who just nods her head.
"The more, the merrier,” she says. “You did an amazing job, Hazel." She looks at her, and I grab Hazel and bring her forehead to mine.
The back door opens and my father is carrying Sofia in his arms. “See, I told you they were here." She squirms out of his arms.
"Momma," she says, going to Hazel and getting into her lap and hugging her.
Hazel wraps her arms around her. “I missed you." She kisses her head. “What are you wearing?" She looks down at Sofia's outfit.
"These are horse pants,” she says.
"Riding pants," my father says. "Your mother." I hold my hand up like I get it. "Is everything okay here?" my father asks, and I know he came in to have my back.
"Everything is great," my grandfather says. "We were just catching up." He looks over at my father, who nods his head.
"Yeah," I say, smiling with Sofia and Hazel beside me, and a sense of peace comes over me. "Everything is great."
Chapter 30
Hazel
"Don’t touch that," I snap when I see Sofia walking to the little coffee table and picking up what can only be described as a vase or maybe a bowl. Whatever it is, I’m sure it costs more money than I care to think of.
"She can touch anything she wants," Reed says, coming out from the bedroom. “Everything can be replaced." His hair is wet from the shower. It’s been two days since the cat has been out of the bag with everyone. "Hi," he says, coming to me now as I pour myself some coffee. His hands go to my hips, and he bends his head to kiss my neck. “My shower isn’t the same without you."
"Well, did you want to explain to Sofia why we were both in the shower, and you have that"—I point at his dick—"and not a vagina like her?”
"She asked me yesterday when she climbed into bed with us." He shakes his head as I hand him his cup. “She thought it was a sword."
I step closer to him. “It kind of is." I wink at him and tilt my head back so he can kiss me. I didn’t know it could be like this. Before, when we were together, it always happened at night, so no one really knew. Now he holds my hand whenever we walk out of the house, and he hugs me just as much, and don’t get me started with the affection. He wraps one hand around my waist and pulls me to him.