“Hush now, Courtney! Steeeve!”
I rolled my eyes as Reed began laughing.
“Is that Reed I hear?” my mother asked.
“Yes. I had to put your ass on speakerphone, so you don’t break my eardrum.”
“What in the hell, woman? Why are you screaming about Marie?” my father said.
I looked at Reed and whispered, “She put me on speakerphone!”
“Steve, it’s Courtney,” my mother said in an excited voice.
“How was the wedding, princess? Did that little fucker do you right?” my father said. My mother must have hit him. “What? He stole my baby girl, my second-born. He is a little fucker.”
“Dad, I have it on speakerphone, and the little fucker is sitting right here.”
Reed sat up and said, “Hello, Mr. Will, sir.”
My father cleared his voice and said, “You’ll know how I feel some day, son, when some little fucker—oh, I mean, when another man takes your daughter’s heart.”
I laughed as Reed’s expression turned to one of horror.
“Um…yes, sir, I’m sure I will.”
“He’s a polite boy. Keeps calling me sir. I like that.”
I shook my head and said, “Daddy, please.”
“Steve! Oh my God, Steve!” my mother started again with the yelling.
“Ten Hail Marys and twelve Our Fathers, woman. Settle the hell down.”
I covered the phone. “Catholic, remember?” I whispered as Reed’s look of terror turned to one of pure confusion. “My father has always said that. No one really knows why, but just go with it.”
“She’s pregnant!” my mom finally spit out.
Then, came the silence. Reed began sliding back down in the bed, and I started to join him. We pulled the covers over us, thinking it would protect us in some way.
Then, I heard my father choke back a sob. “Court? Baby girl…you’re…you’re…”
I instantly felt the tears building. “Daddy…I’m gonna have a baby.”
The sound of my father crying over the phone instantly made me cry. Reed immediately pulled me into his arms and began running his fingers through my hair.
“I found out yesterday when I was going to send Mom a picture of the test, and…” I couldn’t talk. I buried my face into Reed and cried.
Reed whispered, “Please tell me those are happy tears.”
I shot my head up and looked into his tear-filled eyes. “Yes,” I whispered back.
“Um…please remember your mother and father are listening to everyt
hing right now. I really don’t want to hate this boy before I even meet him,” my father said as he cleared his throat a few times.
Reed and I both laughed. I took the phone off speaker and talked to my father and then my mother for a few minutes. By the time I got off the phone, I was emotionally exhausted. I snuggled into Reed’s side as he lightly brushed his fingers up and down my side.
As I began to drift off into sleep, I kept seeing a figure standing in a corner, but it was dark, and I couldn’t make it out. I strained to see who it was, but finally, exhaustion took over.