Promise Me

I knew they were all watching me. I wiped my nose on my sleeve as I walked back to my family. My aunts and uncles, my grandparents, Ronan’s family, our friends all watching me. I took out my ultrasound pictures and handed them to my mother first. Stevie glanced over her shoulder at the picture.

“It’s a little boy. I’ve heard his heart beating.” Ryan stepped over to me and hugged me. I was still angry at her for announcing that Ronan was the father at our Sunday dinner but I didn’t shove her away like I wanted to.

“She went alone,” Ryan told them. I scowled at her for telling them that too. My sister needed to learn to keep quiet.

“I feel him moving all the time now. He’s really active. I’ve been calling him Luke but I couldn’t really tell anyone his name without giving away who his father was. I needed to find my courage to tell Ronan first what happened between us but I couldn’t shut somebody up today until one after another heard who that was.”

“I’m sorry,” Ryan apologized.

My mother handed the pictures to Dad and Declan. Delcan glanced at them but couldn’t bring himself to look long. Dad looked at them for a long time. “A grandson.” I could hear the happiness in his voice. At least someone was pleased.

My mom glanced down at him. “Finally, you’re getting that boy you’ve always wanted Tegan.”

He chuckled. Then he glanced up at me. “Skylar, you know that we love you and we love Ronan too.” Declan rose from his seat and walked away. “He loves you both too. He’s just upset right now,” he continued. “I’m not really sure what you were thinking when he was in such bad shape but we can’t go back so I’d like to say that we will support you both through this.”

Mom sat next to him. Stevie beside her.

Adam came from the house. No one noticed that he disappeared. No one knew why until he spoke. “I’d like for somebody to take me to the cabin.”

I wiped my hand across my face. “I will Gramps,” I responded. I really needed to speak with Ronan. I pushed him away terrified by what he was thinking. The implication of my actions crushed him. I saw it in his face and I needed to straighten things out with him.

He tossed the keys in his hands to his grandson Jamie. “Sounds good. I think you and Ronan need to talk.” I grabbed the ultrasound pictures from my dad. He stood and hugged me.

“Pop, what are you thinking?” Stevie asked.

“Ronan is vulnerable right now. I’d just like to be sure that he’s all right. I know what it feels like to try to bury your pain in alcohol. I watched Joey do it to himself too until he finally put it down.”

She nodded. “Don’t you want to go too,” Rhett asked Stevie.

She shook her head no. “I don’t. I told Ronan if he did this again he was on his own. He needs to figure out who he is and what he wants to do with his life. I think Dec and I need to cool off a bit before we talk to him.”

“Stevie,” she said her friend’s name. “Skylar, text me and let me know he’s all right.”

“I will Mom.”

I followed Adam to the car which was smaller so for the six foot five giant of a man to fit in the passenger seat of my little sedan I knew he was cramped and probably uncomfortable. I laid my purse in the back seat. I was looking for a place to lay my ultrasound pictures when he took them from me.

“My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be Sky. What have we got here?” He asked squinting at the picture.

“That’s my son, Gramps,” I told him. “Your great grandson, Luke.” He smiled at me.

“So you and Ro are having a boy. The first one.”

“He’s really upset,” I said. I glanced between the road and Adam Moore.

“He is. His father said some harsh things to him. Declan is forgetting all the dumb things he did as a young man.”

“I just wanted to be with him. I wasn’t thinking of the consequences Gramps.”

“I wasn’t saying you were dumb Skylar. I heard what you were saying about your baby. I could hear how much you want the little man.” I could hear the kindness in Adam’s voice. “We’ve all said and done some stupid things in life including Declan Moore. The important thing is what your Daddy said. We love you and Ronan. We’re here to support you.” He was quiet for a moment then he stated, “You have some feelings for Ronan, I think.”

I nodded.

“You know he cares about you Skylar. You should have told him when you found out you were pregnant. The one person you need to be able to count on right now is him.”

I was so humiliated when I realized that he didn’t remember our night together. I couldn’t see myself going to him and saying guess what, I’m pregnant. So now everything is a mess. I shook my head agreeing with Gramps.

Turning down the lane, we could see that Ronan wasn’t at the cabin yet. “Go to the bar in town,” Adam told me. I didn’t want to think that he would have gone there to drown himself in alcohol but after what happened with the heroin anything was possible. I turned around in the drive and headed to town. His car was in the lot in front of the bar. We parked and as we got out I grabbed my pictures.