He kisses my forehead. “You’re welcome. You haven’t told them yet, have you?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“How are you feeling about it?”
I shrug. “Nervous and ready to get it over with.” The weight of that is starting to feel heavy.
“It’ll be fine,” Noah reassures me. “They’re your parents, they love you, and they’ll probably give you a big hug by the end of it.”
“I know.”
Unfortunately, his cab arrives and it’s time for him to go.
“I’ll call you when I get home,” he says.
“Okay. Safe travels. Send me a picture of Leo, too.”
“I will,” he promises.
I hug him and kiss him goodbye. I watch as he gets into the cab, wave, and watch the car disappear down the road. Rubbing my arms, I turn to go inside to find Mom and Dad in the kitchen cleaning up the day’s mess. I start helping them where I can.
“That was nice of Noah to surprise everyone like that,” Mom says.
“Yeah,” I agree.
“It’s really good to see the two of you together again. It’s like old times. I think it was good for Ashley and Carol to see, too. How can they be upset after seeing how happy he was, how happy you both were?”
She has a point. I think that’s the main reason why Ashley finally loosened up with me. His mom, however, behaved as usual. “If only that would transfer over to Carol.”
“Oh, she’s coming around,” Mom reassures me. I’m glad she can tell because I can’t. “It’s a hard thing to watch your child go through something difficult. You’ll be back on her good side by Christmas, I promise.”
“And be glad you have William on your side. I wouldn’t put it past him to sing your praises every day until Carol is sick of him,” Dad adds.
“I hope you guys are right.”
We fall into silence until I can’t take it anymore. The words are about to pop out of my mouth. If only they would actually come. “I, ah...when I...I was home for a month before I told you I was home,” I finally say.
Mom stops what she’s doing and turns to me. “What?”
“I was holed up in my house for a month before I let you know I was here.”
Mom looks to Dad who has now stopped as well. “Why?” she asks.
“I had a miscarriage,” I whisper.
Dad is at my side before I can blink. He tucks me into his side. “Start from the beginning.”
They listen as I tell them everything. From how Vance was after my injury to finding out I was pregnant and telling him, to losing the baby. Dad holds me close and his strength helps me through telling them. Mom cries with me while Dad reassures me that everything will be just fine, now and in the future.
I believe him, too.
And even if something comes along to mess up my new plan, I’m positive Noah will help me through it.
“HOW DID IT go with your parents?” I ask Meredith.
“We all cried, but it went well.”
“I told you it would be okay. You should start listening to me more often.”