“Congratulations,” I hear Ken’s grumbly voice coming somewhere from beyond hugsville.
“Thank you,” I feebly call out to him, unable to turn my head in his direction.
“Thanks Dad,” Tyler says, being the first to break away and turn towards him.
“So, when are you getting married?” Ken asks with a look of concern on his face.
Say whaaa?
“Ken, that doesn’t matter right now,” Maureen admonishes him. He shrugs and adopts a casual stance with his hands in his pockets.
“Maybe not now, but eventually it’s going to.”
Maureen brings her fingers to the bridge of her nose.
“Ken, I can’t believe you…”
“What?” Ken gives another casual shrug as Tyler rolls his eyes towards the ceiling and shakes his head. He looks back down at me and mouths here we go.
“Ken, you ruin every occasion,” Maureen bites out bitterly at him.
“Bullshit,” he counters defensively, tilting his chin up, welcoming her to challenge him. “Like when?”
“Hell, just this last trip to Chicago, all you did was bitch and moan the whole time and acted like you didn’t want to be there, and you’re doing it right now! You can’t even take a moment to be happy about having a grandchild with me!”
“I’m happy!” He defends, holding his hands up in exasperation before lowering them, and his voice, as he addresses Tyler and me. “I’m happy for the both of you, really. I just want to make sure my son is going to step up and be there for his kid,” he explains looking between the three of us.
“He has been,” I gently interject, trying to reassure him. “He’s been there for me every day.”
“But how long will that last? He needs to make it official so we can all see his commitment.”
Whoa. While I love the idea of being more than friends with Tyler, I don’t want to run off and marry him tomorrow. I mean, stacking one major life change on top of another would just be a disaster cocktail with heavy notes of eventual resentment.
“He doesn’t need to make it official to show his commitment,” Maureen argues, “Our son has plenty of integrity!”
“She’s right,” I say cautiously gesturing towards Maureen while Tyler scrubs his hands over his face.
“We need to take that part slow Dad,” he protests, trying to keep his voice level. Clearly his dad has put him under a hot spotlight he doesn’t care for. Again, I agree. While I’m kind of butt-crazy for Tyler, we’re still getting to know each other. Besides, even if he is committed to our child, which is the important thing, he doesn’t do romantic relationships, and I sure as hell don’t want him to be in one with me out of some sense of obligation.
“I think slow went out the window when she got pregnant,” his dad confidently fires back.
“Ken! They are doing what’s right for them! Lay off!”
“Mom, calm down,” Tyler looks at his mom, holding a hand out at her. “You’re just feeding him.”
Maureen shakes her head in resigned disbelief at her husband, ignoring Tyler’s words.
“Leave it to you to take a wonderful moment and poke holes in it.”
“And leave it to you to be blissfully ignorant and not look at the big picture - he doesn’t marry her, this falls apart,” he waves a hand between Tyler and me, “and then we hardly ever even see this grandchild! Same thing happened to what’s-his-face’s son who got his girlfriend pregnant, remember?” he prods her, waving a hand around to emphasize his point. “They broke up, she moved away with the kid, and now they don’t even know their grandchild. Tyler needs to make sure that doesn’t happen here!”
“That’s one lousy time we’ve heard of that happening, Ken! You’re acting like such an old-fashioned Neanderthal!”
“And you’re being an ignorant space cadet that’s refusing to look at anything but the rainbow!”
Tyler takes a deep breath and shakes his head while letting it out before grabbing hold of my hand and leading me away from the fray, in the direction of the front door.
“What are we doing?” I ask quietly.
“We’re getting out of here and leaving them to it,” he murmurs, while grabbing my coat off the hook and handing it to me.
“Ty, honey, where are you going?” Maureen pads after us, a look of deflated disappointment on her face that makes me want to reach out and hug her. Ken is only a few steps behind her as he ambles up with an equally shocked expression at our abrupt departure.
Tyler pins the both of them with a hard, don’t push me stare.
“Our child is not going to be in this hostile environment. Starting right now.” And with that, he yanks open the front door and pulls me through it.
“Thank you so much for dinner,” I try to say sincerely over my shoulder, meeting both of their eyes. I know I didn’t do anything wrong but I feel so bad for them and for Tyler, and how this evening had to end. And how I didn’t even get to finish my cheesecake…
“Wait, Tyler!” My mother’s pleading voice reaches me as Annie and I make it halfway down the front steps. I sigh and glance up at her, standing underneath the porch light as my dad lingers in the doorway.
“Would you mind starting the car?” I ask Annie as I dig my keys out of my jacket pocket and hand them to her. “I’ll be there in just a minute.” She gives me a nod and a sigh as she takes the keys and continues down the steps to the car. I turn and face my mom, ready to hear her out and get it over with.
She holds her hands out like she’s desperately trying to explain.
“Your father and I -,”
“Are just pulling the same shit I had to sit through growing up,” I say, cutting her off, which makes her head jerk back slightly. I almost feel bad, but this is long overdue. I turn my attention to my dad who takes a few steps forward. “And I’m not marrying her just because I got her pregnant,” I tell him with a hard conviction. “She deserves better than that.”
“So you’re going to let her and your child get away?” he challenges, gesturing towards the car.
“If we get married before we’ve even had a chance to see if we’re compatible, it will be even more detrimental.”
“Oh? And how do you know that, smart guy? Because you’ve been in so many relationships?”
“No, but I’ve witnessed years of this train wreck of one,” I snap, waving my hand at them, and making a pained gasp escape from my mom. This time I do feel a little bad for being so brash so I soften my tone. “You’re right, I haven’t been in any relationships, but think about it. With you guys as my prime example growing up… try to think for a minute how that didn’t make relationships look all that appealing to me.” I hear the engine turn over in the driveway, the sound encompassing the stunned silence caused by the revelation I just dropped on them. My dad looks at his feet and my mom presses her lips together. I take the opportunity to wrap up my rant. “But… miraculously, I’ve met someone that makes me want to do it anyway. I’m going to keep getting to know Annie because she’s incredible. I’m going to keep being there for her and our baby, and I’m going to let things progress naturally. And you,” I pin them both with a stern look as if I’m the parent here, “are going to find a way to finally work this out and treat each other like human beings or we will not be bringing the baby around.” With a mild look of panic on both their faces, they look to each other and then at me. “You put me through it, but I don’t have to subject my own kid to it.”
I stand there for another moment as we all regard each other in silence. “Figure it out,” I demand, before turning to descend the rest of the steps.
When I slide into the driver’s seat, I look over at Annie whose face is full of worry and resignation.
“It’ll be okay,” I say gently as I sit back in my seat with my face turned her way, trying to reassure her. “I’m sorry about all that, but it won’t always be that way.”
She gives me a hopeful look and then reaches over to put a hand on my shoulder, the
give-and-take aspect of our dynamic showing itself again. I take a moment to mentally document how right and natural it feels, once again marveling at what a relationship could and should be like. She gives my shoulder a squeeze that I return with a wink before putting the car in reverse and pulling out onto the road.
18
Four days later, I’m awakened by a video chat request. I grab my phone from the bedside table and squint at my alarm clock to see that it’s just after eight in the morning. I look back down at my phone and see that it’s Mayzie. I groggily but frantically swipe the screen to accept the video chat, still trying to blink awake.
She never calls me this early, let alone video chat. I’m not a morning person and she knows better, which tells me something’s up.
“Hey,” Oh my God, I sound like Gollum. “Hey,” I try again after clearing my throat. “What’s going on?” Mayzie’s face on my screen is missing her mischievous smile. She doesn’t look troubled, but she definitely has something to tell me.
“I have something to tell you,” she starts in. Told ya. “Eli went to jail last night,” she states, jumping right into it.
“Eli?” I feel my forehead scrunch trying to place this name.
“Jack’s agent. Former agent,” Mayzie corrects herself looking up at the ceiling of whatever hotel room she’s in. Jacks agent. Fuck.
“Mayzie, what the hell happened?” I ask, pulling myself up to sit straighter in bed.
“It’s a long story,” she says, trying to sound calm and placating. “Things escalated with him over the past few weeks and I promise to fill you in on all the details later. The important thing to know is that it’s over and I’m okay.” She says it all like that’s going to appease me right now.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I ask in exasperation. “Mayzie! He went to jail which means he did something to you!” I can’t believe this. I’m squirming around in my bed, half forgetting to hold my phone straight so she can see me. I finally realize I need to get up and walk or pace or something, so I head into the kitchen to start coffee, taking Mayzie with me.
“It was planned, Annie.” She’s still trying to get me on her level of calm.
“What do you mean, planned?” I demand as I pop a K-cup into the Keurig and pull a mug out of a cabinet. I have to stay busy when I’m stressed and mother fucker!
“I mean it was planned so that we could catch him. We’ve been working with a detective here in New York that Mike set us up with.” Mike is the husband of Jack’s sister, Sarah. He’s a big shot lawyer so I’m not surprised he has those kinds of connections.
“So you and this detective set up some kind of a trap? Like a sting?” I fire questions as I pull the creamer out of the fridge.
“Yeah,” she confirms with a sigh. I pour creamer in my coffee and put the bottle back in my fridge, closing the door with a slam.
“Mayzie, why? You could have been hurt!” She has the decency to look somewhat remorseful for a second before responding.
“But I wasn’t. I learned some self-defense moves from my bodyguard beforehand, and there was a team of cops listening nearby. If anything, it was just really scary and uncomfortable.”
“And Jack was on board with this?” I ask incredulously.
I continue to grill the little shit that has sent my nerves, hormones, you name it, into chaotic overdrive. Ten minutes pass, and I need a stiff-ass drink. Except I can’t because I’m with child, and besides, it’s not even nine in the morning.
“Annie,” Mayzie’s voice is coaxing me to calm down. “I only have a couple more minutes, please listen.” I take a deep breath and let it out before giving her a wave, motioning her to bring it on.
“This is what made it stop. If we didn’t do this, he’d still be yanking all of our chains. This way, the guys can break their contract. He’s going to jail and we can be done with it. It’s over. Okay?” Her face is pleading.
“Dammit, don’t look at me like that.”
“Annie…,” she’s tilting her head but her expression is unwaveringly serious.
I let out the world’s heaviest sigh. “Tell me you at least landed a punch or something.”
The corners of her mouth pull up rather smugly. “Knee to the junk.”
“Oooh, feisty pants! Okay, I’m proud of you. Just don’t pull anything like this again, Mayzie Leann or you’ll have me to deal with,” I say sternly, pointing at myself.
Her eyes widen. “Oooh, I’m so scuuured!”
It’s been four days since my parents made asses of themselves at dinner. I’m at the gym, preparing to work out the last remaining bits of frustration over the ordeal. I’m bent down with my palms against a wall as I stretch out my back and hamstrings when someone appears beside me, mimicking the same position, only with his face turned towards me, sporting a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I ask my dad.
“Bought a day pass. Thought we could work out and shoot the shit,” he says, way too cheerfully. I haven’t talked to my parents since we left their house, except for an occasional text from my mom asking how Annie is doing, which I’ve always responded to, briefly but politely.
“Okay…” I say incredulously as I snatch up my water bottle from the floor and step onto a treadmill. My dad follows suit and hops onto the one next to me, fumbling with the controls as I start with a slow jog. Once his belt starts moving, he jerks and loses his balance for a second before quickly recovering.
“Listen, I’m sorry that your mom and I made your childhood so rough. I had no idea it had an impact on your love life, or lack thereof.” I briefly acknowledge him before turning my face forward again and he takes that as his cue to continue. “I don’t think there’s ever been a time where she and I didn’t fight, but I didn’t realize it was coloring your perceptions of relationships so much that it would follow you into adulthood.” His words are coming out in puffs as he tries to match my pace.
“Dad, try a slower setting. And why the hell wouldn’t it? This is the kind of thing that should be on a parents mind while they are shouting at each other in front of their kid.”
“You’re right, you’re right,” he agrees, his hands up in appeasement before returning them to the support bar in front of him. “I’m not the best dad. I made a lot of mistakes with you and that was one of them; a big one. We should have been thinking and we should have taken it off stage. I’m sorry.”
I blow out a breath and take in a couple more, evening it out before I respond.
“Thanks, I guess. Is that all you wanted to talk about?”
“No. I also wanted to explain some things, starting with making you understand that I love your mother. There’s never been a moment I haven’t.”
“Fooled me.”
“Just because we fight a lot-,”
“Non-stop.”
“Non-stop,” he holds his hands out in agreement, “doesn’t mean there’s no love there. On the contrary,” he smiles and quirks his eyebrows, “you’d be amazed what it can do for you in the bedroom.”
I shut off my treadmill and turn to him.
“Dad. What the fuck?”
“What?” he asks defensively as I take a slug off my water bottle and head over to the free weights with him trailing me. “We’re both grown men here…”
“Doesn’t mean I want to hear about yours and mom’s bedroom activities Dad! Jeez!”
“Your mom and I have always had a different relationship than most couples,” he yammers on as he acts as my spotter while my hands grip the barbell that I’m benching half my weight on. “While most see constant fighting as unhealthy, for her and I… it’s just always been a dynamic that’s worked for us. We always thought couples that ignore each other and don’t communicate were worse off.”
I shake my head incredulously as I push the weight up again, letting him babble on.
“I mean, what’s that saying? I’d rather fight with you than be happy with someone else or some
shit like that?”
“How the hell should I know?” I answer, as he helps me rack the weight so I can sit up and stretch a shoulder across my chest. I’m taking in everything he’s saying and not offering much feedback as I quietly try to understand it…
“I like your girl, Ty. Annie seems… exceptional,” he huffs and puffs, achieving his eleventh crunch to my twenty-third.
“She is,” I breathe out, not breaking my pace.
“Listen,” he wheezes, “I’m sorry… for being…”
“An overbearing ass?” I suggest, sitting up and resting my arms on my knees.
“Fine, I came off… a little abrasive I guess.” He gives up and lays back, catching his breath.
“A little?” I ask, incredulously. “You had no tact at all. Do the words time and place mean anything to you?”
“I know that now; hindsight and all that. I should’ve taken you aside and not put you and your girlfriend on the spot like that. I should’ve just focused on being happy in that moment.” He sits up and mirrors my position, leveling his eyes with mine before taking a resigned breath. “I just don’t want to see you be one of those weekend fathers, or miss out on watching my grandchild grow up because you and their mother couldn’t work things out or something.” He finishes with a shrug.
“I’m trying to build something with Annie,” I assure him. “And it’s not even because of the baby. I just,” I look around shaking my head looking for the right words that would convey how I feel. It’s still a surreal concept to fathom. “I haven’t met anyone like her before; someone that I think about whenever she’s not around, who I want to see every day. She and I respect each other, and even if we don’t end up together, we’re going to be a family.” I marvel at the words coming out of my mouth. Absolutely no hint of question in them.
He gives me a triumphant smile and says, “I’ve got nothing to worry about then,” with a playful shrug.
Picture Us (Turn it Up Book 3) Page 14
