My mother pushes away from my chest, and she holds up one hand to my cheek. “There is my boy.” Her voice cracks, and she tries to fight away the tears, but one escapes. “I need to use the bathroom.” She ignores my eyes as she walks down the hallway toward the bathroom.
“Is she going to be okay?” I point with my thumb over my shoulder toward the bathroom my mother just went into.
“She will.” My father comes in and grabs me around my neck and squeezes, pulling me to him. I can feel his body tight with worry.
I look back at my uncle Matthew, who just looks at me. “You didn’t think you would call an urgent meeting and me not be here,” he says, shaking his head, coming in when my father steps aside. He slaps my shoulder, walking into the condo at the same time my mother comes out of the bathroom. My father waits for my mother before they walk to the living room. I can hear my father whisper to her, and she just holds her head down as they walk toward the living room.
Closing the door, I give myself a couple of minutes before going into the living room. My father is sitting next to my mother with his arm around her, as she tries to pretend nothing is wrong. Matthew sits on the other side of her, giving her his strength.
“I guess you’re wondering why I asked you to come,” I start, and I have to sit down because my knees are knocking together. I sit on one of the single chairs that face the couch. My mouth is so dry that it’s hard to swallow, and I really wish I would have gotten a bottle of water. “There is no easy way to say this, so here it goes.” I look down at my feet and slump forward, putting my hands in the middle of my legs. Looking them all in the eyes, I take a deep breath and say the words that will change my life forever. “I’m going to be a father.” My eyes fly over all three of them to see their reaction.
My parents just look at me dumbfounded, both of them blinking their eyes. “I’m sorry.” My uncle Matthew is the first to say something. “Did you just say you are going to be a father?” His eyebrows pull together, and he leans in to make sure he can hear what I’m saying.
“I didn’t even know you were dating anyone,” my father says, and the knot in my stomach rises to my throat when I have to tell them the next part.
“I’m not dating her,” I admit, and my uncle Matthew throws his arms in the air and huffs out.
“Oh my God, she’s married?” my uncle Matthew says, shaking his head back and forth. “What is it with the Hortons that they have to steal all these women away from their families?”
“One.” My father puts up his hand, looking at my uncle Matthew. “Who are all these women? It’s two women.” My parents dated in secret many, many years ago and eloped without anyone knowing. Matthew and my dad weren’t exactly best friends, and to this day, he never lets my father live it down. My father also gives zero fucks about it since he’s married to the love of his life. I look at my mother, who has tears just streaming down her face, and she doesn’t even try to wipe them away. Her hand goes to her mouth as she starts to sob quietly.
“I’m not married,” I tell them, and Matthew and my dad both whip their heads back to stare at me. “We are not married,” I repeat again, holding up my hand.
“When are you getting married?” my uncle asks me.
“I don’t think I am,” I tell them. “I mean, as of right now, we are not getting married.”
“But she’s having your baby?” my father questions, leaning back on the couch.
“She is,” I confirm and swallow. “But,” I say, trying to come up with the words.
My uncle holds up his hand, and I can see it’s shaking. “Let’s all calm down here for a minute,” he says, and I look at my mother, who looks over at him. He isn’t the one who calms down for anything.
“Michael,” my mother says my name softly. “Why isn’t she here?” She reaches over and grabs a tissue from the middle of the glass table.
“Well, because she doesn’t live here,” I answer honestly.
“But you two will be moving in together, right?” my uncle Matthew asks or maybe tells. I’m not sure.
“What aren’t you saying, Michael?” my mother finally says, and I look at her.
I look down at the floor, and I know I have to just rip it off like a Band-Aid. When I look back up, all three sets of eyes are on me. “The first day I got here, I went to this restaurant,” I start, and my father puts his head back and looks at the ceiling. “We spent the night together.”