"Casey, you're pregnant."
It took a minute to process those words. As shocking as it was in the moment,it wasn't all that surprising. I mean, there had been a few times that Andrew and I hadn't used protection. My head was swarming with thoughts. The wedding would have to be pushed back. What would Andrew's reaction be? Would it be a boy or a girl? Then a thought crossed my mind that stopped me dead in my tracks. What would my parents say?
"Now obviously you have some options-" The doctor started.
"I'm not interested, thank you. I would never."
The doctor smiled.
"I have the same belief, it's just something I'm required to say."
"Well... thank you." I said, orienting myself.
"You're welcome. You'll have to make a follow-up appointment at the front desk." He said, walking out of the room.
The subway ride home was essentially me thinking so much that I got off a station after I was supposed to. When I realized, I just shrugged it off and walked. Walking always calmed me down. Today, it barely did anything. It's not like I wasn't old enough to be a parent, I mean I was 25. It was the fact that I wasn't married and wasn't a psychologist, two things I had pictured myself being before I even thought about kids. The walk wasn't nearly long enough. When I reached the apartment door, I hesitated for about 5 minutes before opening it.
"Hey!" Andrew said as I walked in. He was polishing his flugelhorn.
"Andrew, I have some news."
He looked concerned.
"Yeah?"
"This may be a good or bad thing to you... But i'm pregnant."
Andrew stared at me and started tearing up, something I had NEVER seen him do. He put his massive hands over his face. My mind raced. There was no doubt in my mind that he was upset. He probably only had his face covered for 15 seconds, but those 15 seconds dragged on longer than Christmas Eve had as a child. When he took his hands off of his face, he was smiling.
"I'm going to be a father." He said, wiping his tears from his face, getting up and kissing me. "I'm ready."
"Even if we have to postpone the wedding?"
"Even if we have to postpone the wedding."
"What will my parents say?"
"Who fucking cares? Casey, this is our life. And what you do is your decision. It's our decision. And you know I would never leave you."
"O-okay"
As reassuring as it was that Andrew backed me up 110%, and despite being an adult, it still terrified me.
"Now go call them up and tell them you're pregnant. I'll... well i'll be in the other room."
I laughed as Andrew walked into the bedroom. I called the house phone. My dad picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hey.. Dad."
"Casey, hey."
"Can I talk to you and mom?"
"Sure. Hold on one minute."
"Hello?" My mom asked, picking the phone up about 30 seconds later.
"Hey mom."
"What do you need?"
"Um... you're going to be grandparents!" I attempted to put a positive spin on a situation that they would definitely perceive to be negative.
Dead silence.
"That's... great." My mom said. I could imagine what she must've looked like at that moment. Her hand was definitely on her face and she was probably questioning if it would be an appropriate time to disown me. Probably like the time Ashley and I managed to set the garage on fire, but that story is irrelevant to the current situation.
"Have you been to a doctor?" My dad asked.
"Yeah."
"Well that's good..."
"Um, yeah! So... yeah."
"Okay. Text me your address and we'll come visit tomorrow morning... does 10 sound good?"
Shit. I had forgotten again.
"Um, yeah! See you tomorrow."
I hung up. Within seconds, Ashley called.
"I heard one half of the conversation. What's up this time?"
"Shouldn't you be in school?"
"In-service."
"I see..."
"What's up though?"
"You're going to be an aunt."
"Oh cool."
I waited a few seconds for her to process that.
"WAIT. HOLD THE PHONE. YOU'RE PREGNANT?!"
"Well I am the only person that could possibly make you an aunt so.. yes."
"Damn Casey! You're just full of surprises this week!"
"Let's hope that streak ends here."
She laughed.
"Glad you find this funny." I said.
"It's not that it's funny, it's that you're one of Paige DeRenzo, who is holier than Virgin Mary herself,'s kids and you got engaged and then found out that you're pregnant in literally under 24 hours, this is too funny."
"That was such a contradictory sentence."
"Oh i'm aware."
"Well i'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye mom."
"Shut up."
