by Tia Siren
“Are you going to keep coming to family dinners?” I asked stupidly. I could just imagine it, him and I. Our new baby. My family. I swallowed hard, loving the domesticity of the dream but also feeling unnerved by it. We may have both said we loved each other, but where did that leave us? What kind of relationship were we trying to build here? And would it all come crashing down once the baby was born?
I didn't even want to think about it.
As though sensing my distress, Michael looped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “You and I both know that your parents are going to love and support you no matter what you do,” he said quietly, kissing my temple. “And they're going to love this baby as well. I'm sure your mom will be thrilled to find out she's going to be a grandmother soon.”
“Except that she's never going to get to see the baby,” I said bitterly, looking away from him. I didn't dare dream that he was suggesting we change the terms of the contract.
Only it seemed like that was exactly what he was suggesting.
“I want this baby to be part of a loving family, growing up,” Michael said slowly, picking at the sheets and carefully keeping his eyes turned away from mine. “That's important to me, seeing as I didn't get that, growing up in my family.” He paused. “Going to these family dinners with your parents, I can see exactly how warm and caring your family is. Your parents have welcomed me there, not even really knowing who I am or what the situation is like between the two of us.”
“Oh, they know,” I said, grinning ruefully.
Michael blinked over at me. “You told them you love me? Or do they know about the contract? Because that would be a breach of the NDA, and although I allowed that where Erica was concerned, I'm starting to wonder whether—” Michael broke off, visibly checking himself, and I had to laugh again.
“Of course I didn't tell them about any of that,” I said. “Why do you think I'm freaking out about telling my mom that I'm pregnant? I don't know how to explain it to her. She's always imagined me married first, maybe living in a nice apartment somewhere, settled, and then having kids. This is going to totally shake her dreams.”
Michael frowned. “Then what do you mean, that they already know what the situation is between the two of us?”
“I mean I probably don't have to tell them that I love you, not in words,” I said, and it was my turn to look away, as a hot blush spread across my face. “They’re my parents, Michael. They've never seen me interact with a guy the way I interact with you. And they have to know that you're important to me. I haven't even managed to get Erica to come to one of these family dinners with me.”
When I looked back at Michael, he was giving me a considering look. Finally, he nodded. “That makes sense,” he said slowly. He sighed. “I can't take our baby away from a family like that. We'll have to consider some sort of joint custody arrangement. Or something.”
I frowned. “Joint custody,” I said slowly.
“For the moment, I'd still like you to move in with me,” Michael said. “And I'm not going to kick you out the moment you give birth.”
“So we'd be raising the child together?” I asked slowly.
Michael shrugged, still not meeting my eyes. We were going to have a lot to talk about, but I realized that neither of us was ready for this conversation right now. This was the first time that either of us had found ourselves in love with someone like this.
The thought brought a smile to my face.
“All right,” I said. “I'll tell my parents.” I took a deep breath and called them, snuggling into Michael's side in the meantime. “Hey Mom,” I said when she had picked up the phone.
“Hey,” Mom said, sounding happy to hear from me. “We missed you at dinner last week.”
“I missed you too,” I told her, feeling guilty about having missed it. “I'm feeling better now, though.”
It was true. Although the cause of my illness the previous weekend remained, the morning sickness had abated slightly, to the point where I felt like I would be able to eat that day. What's more, I felt infinitely better now that Michael and I had at least somewhat sorted things out between us.
As though reading my thoughts, Michael reached over and caught my free hand, twining his fingers into mine. I had to smile at him.
“I've got some pretty big news,” I told her.
“Will it wait for dinner on Sunday, or do you want to come over tonight instead?” Mom asked. “I'm making chicken parmesan.”
I frowned, considering that. But I didn't feel the warning signs of nausea from my stomach. Instead, I felt deliciously hungry, just thinking about it. “Tonight would be good,” I told her. “Is it all right if Michael comes?”
“Of course it is!” Mom said. “I have to ask though, is something going on between the two of you? I'm not trying to be nosy, but last weekend, he stopped by on Sunday even though you had canceled it. I just want to make sure that you're communicating with him. If your father and I have taught you anything, I hope it's that the secret to a healthy, loving, long-term relationship is communication.”
I felt my cheeks burn, and I glanced over at Michael, just hoping that the volume on my phone wasn't up loud enough that he could hear the lecture I was receiving. But from the way the corners of his lips twitched into a grin, I could tell he had probably heard every word. At least he looked amused, rather than terrified by the thought of a “healthy, loving, long-term relationship.”
“He was at work on Sunday,” I lied. “I didn't manage to reach him on the phone before he headed over there.”
“Oh, all right then,” Mom said, sounding relieved. “He really is a nice young man. I couldn't have chosen better for you myself.”
“Mom,” I said warningly. Next thing I knew, she was going to be pulling out wedding clippings and trying to get me to set a date.
Fortunately, for now, she just laughed. “All right, all right. We'll see you tonight.”
“See you tonight,” I said, hanging up the phone. I looked over at Michael. “Sorry, I should have asked you first. You're all right with going over there for dinner, aren't you? My mom would never forgive me if I told her over the phone that I was pregnant; she thinks phone calls are too impersonal. I couldn't even get away with telling her my graduation date over the phone!”
Michael laughed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “You know, I like that you're so close to them, and you see them all the time. Whether the news is big or small. And yes, I'd love to go there for dinner tonight. Was it chicken parm that your mother said she was making?”
My face heated again since his knowing that meant he had overheard everything else Mom had said. But again, he seemed amused by it.
Then, Michael sighed. “I guess if you're going to tell your parents, I should tell mine as well,” he said. “But I will have to tell mine over the phone: my mother is at a spa in Switzerland, and I'm not entirely sure where my father is, but I think it's somewhere in Asia. Japan, maybe.”
“I'm sure they'll be excited to hear the news anyway,” I said.
“Relieved, maybe,” Michael said. “They'll be glad to hear that I finally have an heir. Nothing more.” He paused, staring down at his hands. “I hate to say it, but the first time that you meet them could be at our wedding.” Then, he clapped a hand over his mouth. “Not that we're planning a wedding. Not that we're engaged or anything. Sorry, I just mean that if we were going to start a serious relationship, they're just not around all that much. They probably won't even fly home for the birth of their grandchild.”
I laughed, kissing him on the cheek. “You're cute when you're flustered,” I said. Inside, I was warm with the casual way he had suggested we might one day get married. This thing was serious, then. Of course, it was serious, though; we had said we loved one another. I shook my head, pushing my thoughts away. There was a lot more to be figured out between us, but for now, we would start with telling our parents about our own impending parenthood.
Mi
chael called his mother and listened to the phone ring for almost half a minute before she answered. “Hi Mother,” he said. He changed the phone over to speaker so that I could listen as well.
“Michael, this is a surprise,” the woman said. I vaguely remembered Michael having mentioned once that her name was Brenda. Her tone was frosty, and the way that she said it implied that she either really wasn't a fan of surprises or else expected there was some underlying reason her son had called her, and it wasn't to chat.
“I just wanted to tell you about the woman I'm seeing, Paige,” Michael said, glancing over at me with a pained expression on his face. “And I was wondering when you'd be in town again so you could meet her.”
“I'm not sure,” Brenda said breezily. “I'll have Lucie call you.”
“Lucie?” Michael asked, sounding confused.
“My personal organizer,” Brenda said shortly. “You know that.”
“Right,” Michael agreed, even though I could tell that he didn't know that. “Well, the other news that I wanted to tell you was that Paige is expecting a baby. You're going to have a grandchild.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment, and then the woman sniffed as though she didn't care for that news. “Make sure the baby is yours,” she suggested. “It wouldn't do for you to be raising another man's child as your own.”
“I'm sure it's mine,” Michael said frostily, his hand finding mine again. I could tell that he needed the point of contact as much as I did, and I could only imagine how upset he must be, hearing his mother's first reaction be something that callous.
“Well, make sure,” Brenda insisted. “This girl, Paige, if I haven't met her, I assume that means she doesn't run in the same circles as we do. She's probably using you for your money.”
“She and I love each other,” Michael said, an edge to his voice.
Brenda laughed. “All right,” she said indulgently. “But a child? I understand if neither of you wants to consider abortion, but you should put it up for adoption once it's born. Don't ruin your life.”
“Ruin my life?” Michael asked incredulously. Then, his eyes narrowed. “Is that what you think I've done to you?”
“Well, I'm just saying things haven't been easy for us,” Brenda said, but her tone was far from soothing. “And once I got pregnant with you, your father started to look elsewhere for female companionship. The body is never the same afterward. Dating is never the same, either. Children totally kill your vibe.”
Michael was silent for a long moment, seemingly at a loss for words. I could think of a couple things I wanted to say to the woman, but I held my tongue, knowing that no matter what I said, it wouldn't change the way Michael had been brought up. I could start to see exactly how foreign the concept of love was for him, and I felt sorry for him. I wanted to pull him into my arms and kiss him.
But Michael's face remained impassive, and finally, he just gave a slight shake to his head. “Well, I'll let you get back to the spa, Mother,” he said. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you, darling,” Brenda said. There was a click as she hung up the phone, and then the line was quiet.
“Well, now you see what my family is like,” Michael said bitterly.
I scooted closer to him and put my arms around him. “All the more reason for you to be there when I tell my parents the good news,” I told him. “They'll actually treat it like the good news it's meant to be.”
Michael smiled a little at that.
True to my predictions, my parents were thrilled that evening when we told them. I waited until after the dinner dishes had been cleared away and we had moved into the living room for coffee and wine. That was as good a time as any to explain why I still wasn't drinking alcohol.
“I'm pregnant,” I blurted out. I automatically reached for Michael's hands, glad for his warm, solid presence next to me on the couch.
Both of my parents stared at us in shock. Then, Mom got to her feet, coming over to the couch and pulling me up into a big hug. “That's wonderful news, sweetie!” she said. “Isn't it, Pat?”
“Wonderful news,” Dad agreed, beaming from ear to ear as he shook hands with Michael.
“I know it's a little early, and it wasn't exactly planned like this,” Michael was babbling, undoubtedly feeling awkward about the fact that as far as they knew, we had just started dating and now I was already pregnant before we had gotten engaged or anything else.
But Dad waved away his babbled explanations. “As a matter of fact, Paige was born just nine months after the two of us started dating,” he said, winking at Mom, who blushed and ducked her head.
I laughed, not having known that little tidbit about my own life story. Of course, I knew that I was born not long after my parents had met, and I knew that they had rushed to get married before Mom's pregnancy started to show, but I didn't realize it was that quick.
Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.
I watched as Michael joked with Dad about all the things that would change in our lives, once the baby was born. He expertly fielded questions from Mom about what our plans were, without giving her too much information or committing to more than he and I had already agreed upon, although he did mention again that he wanted me to move in with him.
I smiled, watching him. He fit right in, and I remembered what Mom had said over the phone earlier, about how she wouldn't have been able to find someone better for me. I started to think she was right, and there was hope for us in the future. Even though we didn't know what that future would hold for us just yet, I had a very strong feeling that it wasn't going to be the impersonal one that had been outlined in that initial contract.
“You look happy,” Mom whispered to me as Michael went into the hall to call for the limo.
“I am happy,” I told her honestly, and I smiled broadly as she pulled me into a hug.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Michael
It only took a few minutes before the limo came around the block and pulled up in front of Paige’s parent’s house, and I turned to Paige.
“Are you ready?” I asked making sure I wasn’t whisking her away while she was in the middle of talking.
“Yes.” She smiled at me. I loved how beautiful her smile was.
We walked outside, her parents following us. But I didn’t mind. I knew they wanted to see their daughter off.
“You’ll take good care of her, I assume,” her dad said to me, holding out his hand. His eyes were kind and inviting. I didn’t feel intimidated by him. It was nice to have that in my life, for once.
I took it in my own, gripped his hand firmly, and pumped twice. “Of course, sir. I’ll take care of both of them.”
“Congratulations,” he said.
“Thank you.” I smiled down at him. I hadn’t really noticed it before, but I towered over her dad quite a bit. And I wondered what that meant for our child. Would he or she be tall or short?
The fact that her family was so supportive made me feel better about the world. It didn’t seem so cold and calculated like my own parents made it seem. Her family seemed genuinely happy for us. After all, she wasn’t a child anymore. She was an adult and capable of making her own decisions.
Her mom reached out for a hug and I wrapped my arms around her small frame. She was the sweetest woman I knew.
“Oh, Michael.” She said in my ear. “I knew from the moment I met you that you’d be perfect for our little girl. Just make sure she takes her prenatal vitamins, so the baby doesn’t come out with two heads.”
I laughed. “I will. You have nothing to worry about.”
She smiled at me and wrapped me up in another hug. It felt good. I had never had a real hug from my mom. At least not one I could remember. If she did hug me, it had been for her own selfish reasons. Because she wanted to look like a good mother and not because she cared about me. But Paige’s mom was wonderful.
“Make sure you call me if you have any questions. I can’t let you go through this pr
egnancy feeling like you need to research everything. In fact, just make sure you call me before you even look anything up on the internet,” she said to Paige.
Paige laughed. “Of course, mom. You know I’ll do that.”
Her mom looked at me. “And Michael, if she doesn’t call me, and she’s freaking out about something, I expect you to call me or at least make her call me.”
I nodded my head. “I can do that. You have nothing to worry about,” I reassured her.
Paige hugged her dad and then mom goodbye, and we walked to the limo.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” she said when we climbed into the limo. I laughed and climbed in behind her. The driver closed the door for us. I sat next to her, and she scooted her body close to me, resting her head on my shoulder.
“How are you feeling?” I asked her. I had asked her probably twenty times already, but it was my growing concern for her well-being. For their well-being.
“I’m okay. A little nauseous.” She paused and then asked me, “How are you feeling? You know, about everything?”
I put an arm around her and squeezed. “I’m feeling really good about it all. I’m happy that your parents are so accepting and happy for us. My family isn’t, but I’m not really concerned.”
She sat up and looked at me. “You’re not?”
I shook my head. “No, why should I be when I never had a good relationship with them. They were never there for me for anything major in my life. Why would they be there for me now?”
She gave me a small smile and then laid her head back on my shoulder. The limo started to move forward, and I wrapped my arm around her again.
I could tell she was still a little bothered by what I said. I mean it had to have seemed strange to her that I didn’t really care what my parents thought or said. But she also had no idea what it was like growing up in a family dynamic where everything you do is wrong, and your parents could care less about you. I knew I needed to try to make her feel better.