Love Conquers All

by Lorana Hoopes

  Afterwards, she wiped off the stick and placed it on a few pieces of toilet paper. Then she washed her hands and sat back down on the toilet seat to wait the three minutes the test needed.

  Conflicting emotions washed over her as she waited. On one hand, she found herself hoping it would be negative. She could put the night out of her mind and start fresh. Another part of her, smaller but not non-existent, wanted it to be positive. The desire to have a baby had been creeping in on her, and maybe if a child was involved, Azarius would be less secretive and settle down. But then there was her father, who would not only be upset she was pregnant out of wedlock but would have an issue with Azarius’s skin color.

  A peek at her watch revealed only a minute had passed, but Lanie couldn’t take the suspense any longer. She sat up a little straighter and let her eyes wander over to the stick.

  Chapter 9

  Azarius lay on his bed nursing his wounded ego. When Lanie had asked for a week to think about their relationship, he had agreed because he didn’t believe she would need that long. He knew she was interested in him, and he had believed his apology would smooth over any reservations she still held, but it was now Friday, and he still hadn’t heard her decision. Though he sent her a text each night to let her know he was thinking about her, he had been careful not to ask the one question that was constantly on his mind.

  The doorbell rang, but Azarius made no move to get it. Not only was Greg downstairs, but Azarius didn’t care who was at the door. He wasn’t expecting anyone, nor did he care to see anybody, but as the voices carried upstairs, his mood changed.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Greg said.

  “It’s important, Greg, and I won’t take no for an answer,” Lanie replied.

  Azarius sat up and regarded his appearance. Baggy sweats covered his legs, and his oversized t-shirt sported a small stain in the middle of his chest, but there was little time to change. He whipped off the t-shirt and grabbed a clean one from his drawer, pulling it over his head as the sound of footsteps on the stairs reached his ears.

  A knock sounded at the door, and he opened it, glad his hair was short and therefore always decent, though when he went out, he spent more time on it. Lanie stood on the other side with a tight smile on her face.

  “Hi, Azarius,” she sighed. “Do you have a minute?”

  Curiosity piqued, he gestured her inside, closing the door after her. “It’s good to see you,” he said as she sat on the edge of his bed. His small room held no other place to sit, only a dresser and a stand for the television.

  “Thanks,” she said, biting her lip. Her shoulders rose and fell in a sigh. “I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to come out with it.” She reached into her pocket and pulled something out, holding it out to him.

  As soon as he recognized the white stick, his heart dropped. No wonder confusion clouded her face. He took the piece of plastic and stared at the display. Two blue lines filled the two windows. Pregnant! Had it been anyone else, he would have asked if it were his. After all, he and Lanie had never had the “let’s be exclusive” discussion, but Lanie was different, and he knew she had been with no one else.

  “It was one time,” he said as he sank down on the bed next to her.

  “It only takes once, Azarius,” she said with an eye roll.

  “I know. I just didn’t expect it is all. What do you want to do?”

  “Do?” Frustration dripped from her words. “There’s no option here, Azarius. I don’t believe in abortion, so I guess I’m having a baby.”

  “Then I guess I’m having one too,” he said, though the words scared him to death. Azarius wanted children; he loved his nieces and nephews and believed he would make a good father, but he hadn’t expected to be one so soon. Living with Greg had been enough of an adjustment. Could he live with a woman again?

  “Azarius, you don’t have to do that,” Lanie said. “I didn’t tell you expecting you to be heavily involved, but I thought you should know.”

  As she had yet to look at him, Azarius grabbed Lanie’s face and turned it to face his. “I promise to be there for you. I take my responsibilities seriously.”

  “But you hate having a roommate. What if you hate living with me? I’m not the neatest person,” she stammered. “I throw my clothes on the floor and don’t get me started on dishes.”

  His hands moved to her shoulders. “I know I said I liked living alone, but Greg has kind of grown on me, and you’ll be the same. We can make it work, Lanie. I came to Star Lake, remember?”

  “I know, but that was before this. You haven’t met my father. Not only will he not be pleased about the baby, but,” - she paused and dropped her eyes - “he’s kind of racist.”

  Azarius squeezed her shoulders. He had lived through racism before. “Look, he’s from a different generation. You aren’t racist and that’s all that matters. I’m not having a baby with your father.”

  A small laugh escaped Lanie’s tight lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Azarius hated that their union, which he remembered fondly, was now causing her pain.

  “How are we going to make this work?” she said. Liquid pools resided in her eyes, creating a glossy look.

  “One day at a time,” he said and pulled her into his arms. The sweet smell of her hair eased his nerves, and he ran his hand in a caressing gesture up and down her arm.

  “Thank you, Azarius,” she said, looking up at him. “I don’t think I could have done this if you had said you didn’t want the baby.”

  “I told you that night I don’t run from commitments and I would be there for you no matter what.”

  Her hand found his cheek, and as her glistening, hazel eyes stared into his, he leaned down and placed his lips upon hers. It had only been a few weeks, but he had missed the feeling of her soft lips, and as unplanned as it was, he was glad the baby had brought her back to him.

  Hours later when Lanie had left, Azarius ventured downstairs. Greg was parked on the couch in his usual position in front of the television. He glanced up as Azarius entered the living room.

  With a deft movement, Greg lowered the volume and sat up straighter. “So, what happened?”

  Azarius sat on the opposite end of the couch. “It was heavy. She’s pregnant.”

  Greg let out a low whistle. “What are you going to do?”

  With a shrug and a sigh, Azarius answered, “I’m going to be a father. I gotta tell you though I am excited and scared to death at the same time.”

  “I think that’s natural,” Greg said. “You going to move there or is she coming back here?” His eyes widened, and he leaned forward. “Am I going to need to find a new place to live?”

  “Not yet. For now, she is deciding to stay in Star Lake, and I have to stay here for work. It’s not a perfect situation, but we’ll trade weekends.”

  “Well, I know it’s not the way you planned it, but at least it means she’s giving you another chance.”

  Azarius nodded, thanking God for that. Though he wasn’t as religious as Lanie, he did believe in God, but he wondered if that difference would cause problems for them later on. Now that she was gone, the doubt crept in, and he began to wonder about a lot of things. Could he really do this? What if he were an awful father? He hadn’t had one growing up for most of his formative years. It had just been his mother and him for his first ten years until his mother died and he was adopted. His adopted father had been okay while he was around, but Azarius had no idea what kind of father he would be. For the first time in a long time, he found himself praying.

  Chapter 10

  Lanie bit the inside of her cheek as she paced the floor. Azarius was supposed to be driving in to meet her parents for the first time, and they were planning to tell them about the baby, although Lanie thought going in for a root canal sounded more appealing.

  She checked her watch for the hundredth time and sighed. Her heartburn had been on overdrive this morning, and she had barely slept. Conversations of
how this might go played over and over in her head, but none felt right.

  The crunch of tires on gravel grabbed her attention, and she smiled as Azarius’s turbo Mustang pulled into her drive. Then she snorted as she thought of strapping a car seat in his tiny backseat. Would Azarius give up his mustang? And what if he drove like a crazy man with the baby in the backseat?

  Lanie shook her head, forcing the questions from her mind. They had months to plan all that out. Today she needed to focus on her parents and what she was going to say to them. A baby had not been her plan, but she had been delighted that Azarius was willing to help raise the baby, and she enjoyed the feel of his arms again.

  His muscular frame stepped out of the car. The air had warmed again, and the bright colors of spring stood out against his dark skin. She opened the door before he reached it and raced into his arms. The masculine, woodsy smell of him washed over her, calming some of her overworked nerves.

  “It’s good to see you too,” he said with a chuckle.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t sleep well thinking about talking to my father, but having you here makes it a little better.”

  His large hand smoothed her hair. “No matter what happens with your father today, it will be okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Though his words sounded perfect, Lanie still had doubts. She wanted to believe he’d be there forever, but there was still so much she didn’t know about his past, and he hadn’t opened up about everything.

  After a brief tour of her small house, they set out for her parents’ place. Though a few miles away, they decided to walk so Lanie could show him the main part of town.

  “How long has your family run the ice cream parlor?” he asked when they passed it.

  “As long as I can remember,” she laughed. “My father’s grandfather started it and my father has always wanted me to take it over. I don’t know that it’s in my blood though.”

  The door to The Diner opened as they approached, and Lanie sighed. Paula was hurrying their direction with a large smile on her face and an eagerness for gossip.

  “Lanie, I see your friend has returned. Did he forget something again?” Her eyes dropped to their clasped hands. “Or is there more to the story?”

  “Paula, this is my,” Lanie paused. What did she call him? Her boyfriend? Her friend? They still hadn’t finalized that discussion.

  “Boyfriend,” Azarius said, reaching out his right hand to shake Paula’s. “I believe we’ve partially met, though I don’t remember catching your name.”

  “I’m Paula Monroe. Delighted to officially meet you, Azarius. Will we be seeing more of you then?”

  “I’m sure you will,” he said. “Now if you’ll pardon us, we have an appointment we must keep.”

  Paula’s head snapped back in slight surprise, but as Azarius’s tone had been nothing but respectful, she could say nothing. “Of course. Well, till next time then.”

  “You handled her so well,” Lanie said, surprise threading her voice.

  Azarius chuckled. “I met a lot of people like her in the Army. I learned very quickly how to be polite but distant.”

  “You’ll have to teach me that skill,” Lanie said with a smile.

  “I’ll be happy to teach you that and a lot more.” Azarius squeezed her hand and returned the smile.

  Her parents’ house loomed in front of them before she was ready. As her heartbeat accelerated, sweat broke out on her palms and Azarius looked down at her.

  “Sorry,” she smiled up at him. “I just have a bad feeling this isn’t going to go well.”

  Lanie led the way up the stairs and squared her shoulders before ringing the bell.

  The door opened to reveal a smiling Elaine, but her smile faltered when she noticed Azarius. “I see you’ve brought a friend. Hello, I’m Elaine.” She stuck out her hand and Azarius shook it in return.

  “Nice to meet you ma’am. I’m Azarius.”

  “Hi Mom, Is Dad here too?”

  Elaine’s eyebrows rose on her head, but she nodded and stepped back, opening the door wider. “Yes, he is. Come on inside.”

  Lanie flashed a tight smile at Azarius before stepping into the entrance. The feeling of doom descended on her shoulders as they entered the family room where her father sat.

  “Bob,” her mother said, grabbing his attention. “Lanie’s here with a friend.”

  Her father looked up and turned off the television.

  “Hi, Dad,” Lanie said. “Can we have a few minutes of your time?”

  Her mother and father exchanged concerned glances, but Elaine pointed to the couch. Lanie took a deep breath and sat on the edge. Azarius followed suit and sat next to her. He folded his hands into his lap as if unsure where else to put them.

  Lanie cleared her throat. “Dad, this is my boyfriend, Azarius.” She glanced to him, and he nodded, encouraging her to continue.

  “Boyfriend?” Bob said, leaning forward in his chair. Lanie did not miss the disapproval in his voice. “That’s a bit quick, don’t you think?”

  Lanie forced herself to take another deep breath before continuing. “We began hanging out several months ago when Denny and I separated, Dad, but we just started dating.”

  Bob’s eyes narrowed as his arms crossed. “What does hanging out involve these days?”

  “Not what you think, Dad.” Lanie shook her head, trying to prepare herself for the worst. She dropped her eyes to her lap, unable to meet her father’s eyes as she revealed the next part. “But we did have one night where we let things go too far.”

  Nothing but stony silence from her parents. Azarius squeezed her hand in silent encouragement. Lanie shot him a grateful smile and then looked back at her parents.

  “Mom, Dad, I’m pregnant.”

  Silence fell like a blanket of snow. Elaine’s eyes were wide saucers; her hand covered her mouth. Bob’s eyes were daggers of ice, and the set of his jaw created a stony exterior. After a long moment, his eyes switched to Azarius.

  “What are your plans regarding this baby?”

  Azarius shifted in his seat. “I plan to be there, Sir. I don’t run from commitments. I already told Lanie that I want to be in the baby’s life.”

  “In the baby’s life?” Bob roared, leaning forward. “What does that mean? You’ll do weekend visits? Send the child a card on holidays? Or do you plan to step up, be a man, and marry my daughter?”

  “Marry?” The word came out strangled and slightly squeaky from Azarius’s mouth, not a surprise to Lanie. If the man didn’t like having a roommate, why would he want a wife? “We haven’t really discussed that, Sir.”

  “Well, then it’s probably high time you did,” Bob said.

  “Dad, we’re adults. You can’t force us to marry,” Lanie said, trying to control the anger building up inside her.

  “No, I can’t force you to marry, but I can strongly recommend it. Children need both of their parents in their life, and occasional visits will not be enough. It’s important for children to have a strong man in their life.”

  “It’s also important they have two loving parents in their life, even if they don’t live together. We told you as a courtesy, not so you could lay demands on us. Azarius and I will figure it out.” Lanie bolted up from the couch and turned back to Azarius, her hand outstretched. “Let’s go, Azarius.”

  His deep brown eyes regarded her before glancing to her parents and then back. He stood, though his posture displayed his continued uncertainty.

  “Lanie,” Elaine began.

  “No, Mom,” Lanie said, cutting her off. “I hope you guys will be a part of the baby’s life, but you will have to be accepting of whatever we decide to do. I know two parents are important for a child, but not if they fight all the time or hate each other. I’m not saying that will happen, but if you force us into a marriage we aren’t ready for, then it might.”

  “If you aren’t ready for marriage, you shouldn’t have been sleeping together,” Bob said in a soft voice.

&
nbsp; Lanie knew he was right, but her indignation wanted the last word. “We made a mistake Dad. I know you can’t understand that living in the perfection you do, but we did, and we are trying to make it right the best way we know how.” Lanie grabbed Azarius’s hand and pulled him out of the room and out of the house. She didn’t stop until the outside breeze smacked her in the face.

  “Lanie, stop,” Azarius said, halting his feet and forcing her to stop as well.

  She turned to him, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over her lids.

  “Maybe your dad is right,” he continued. “I grew up without a father, and it affected me. It probably is part of the reason I like living alone, but I don’t want my baby... our baby to grow up like that, so… maybe we should think about getting married.”

  A sad combination of a snort and a laugh tumbled out of Lanie’s mouth. “That’s a heck of a proposal, Azarius. Just like I always dreamed.”

  His brows furrowed together and he dropped her hand to place both arms around her. “I know it’s not, Lanie, and one day I’ll make it up to you. I messed up, but I don’t want to keep messing up.”

  Lanie blinked as she tried to process his words. “What are you saying, Azarius?”

  “I’m saying let’s get married. Let’s elope and show your father we’re serious.”

  “Elope?” Confusion clouded Lanie’s mind, and she struggled to clear a path. “But what about our friends? Our family?”

  “We can have another ceremony later and invite everyone. Let me at least look into it. Lanie, we’re having a baby together. I want you as my wife.”

  Lanie wanted to say yes, but the pervading feeling that he was suggesting marriage solely because of the baby wouldn’t leave her. She already had one failed marriage; she didn’t want another. The memory of the night Denny moved out popped into her brain. She had spent hours online researching divorce, shocked by what she had found. The statistics on first marriages lasting was only about fifty percent and that number dropped to thirty three percent for second marriages. Lanie had no idea how long second marriages that occurred only because of an impending child lasted, but she feared the statistic was not a good one.