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Chapter 10 - Telling My Parents

By the time I got home, I was barely holding it together. My face was still damp from the tears I'd cried walking away from Justin. I could still hear his voice ringing in my ears—sharp, cruel, angry. And I hated that it had gotten to me. I hated that his words had cut so deep.

The house was quiet when I stepped inside, and for a moment, I thought maybe I could just go straight to my room, hide under the covers, and pretend the world didn't exist. But then I heard my mom's voice.

"Mia? Is that you?"

I froze in the hallway, my heart pounding. I hadn't planned on telling them everything today, not after the mess with Justin. I didn't have the energy to go through it all again. But when I turned the corner and saw my mom standing in the kitchen, her concerned eyes meeting mine, I knew I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Mia, honey," she said, her face softening when she saw the tears in my eyes. "What's wrong?"

Dad came in from the living room, his face full of worry as he looked between the two of us. "Mia?"

I took a deep breath, feeling the lump rise in my throat again. "It's Justin," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

"What happened?" my mom asked, moving toward me. "Did something happen with the test?"

I nodded, feeling the tears welling up again. "He's the father," I whispered. "I told him today, and... it didn't go well."

My mom's face tightened, and Dad clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing. They didn't need me to explain what had happened—they could see it written all over my face.

"Come here," Mom said gently, pulling me into a hug. I collapsed into her arms, the weight of everything crashing down on me all over again. I felt like a mess—raw, vulnerable, broken—and being held by her was the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely.

Dad stood beside us, his hand resting on my shoulder. "What did he say?" he asked, his voice low but laced with anger. He already knew it wasn't good.

"He freaked out," I said, my voice muffled against my mom's shoulder. "He was angry... he said he wasn't ready, that he didn't ask for this. He basically told me he couldn't handle it. And then he just... left."

I pulled away from my mom slightly, wiping my eyes. "It's like he doesn't even care," I continued, my voice shaking. "Like I'm ruining his life just by existing. I just... I thought maybe, maybe he'd at least try to be there. But all he did was yell and say how unfair this is for him."

My dad's face was hard, his fists clenched at his sides. I could see the fury building in his eyes. "That little—" he cut himself off, clearly trying to rein in his anger. "Mia, you don't deserve that. You don't deserve any of that from him."

My mom rubbed my back soothingly, though her face was just as tight with anger as my dad's. "He had no right to treat you like that," she said softly but firmly. "He may be scared, but that's no excuse for hurting you. This is just as much your reality as it is his, and he should be stepping up, not tearing you down."

I nodded, biting my lip as more tears threatened to spill over. "I didn't expect him to have all the answers. I didn't even expect him to be happy about it. But... I didn't expect him to be so cruel. I thought he'd at least care enough to talk through it with me, to try and figure something out together."

Dad shook his head, pacing back and forth. "Some guys just can't handle responsibility, Mia. Doesn't make it right, but he's showing you who he is. And if he's going to be this way from the start, then maybe you're better off without him in the picture."

My mom shot my dad a look, like she didn't quite agree with the "better off" part, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned back to me, her eyes full of that warmth and love only a mom could give.

"Look, honey," she said gently, "we'll figure this out. Whether Justin's in the picture or not, you're not alone in this. Your dad and I are here for you, every step of the way."

Dad nodded, his face softening as he stood next to Mom. "We've got you, Mia. You don't need him to define what kind of parent you're going to be. You're stronger than you think."

I let their words sink in, the warmth of their support washing over me. I didn't realize how badly I needed to hear that until this moment—how badly I needed to be reminded that I wasn't alone, that no matter how things turned out with Justin, I had people who cared about me, who had my back.

But still, the thought of Justin's reaction lingered in my mind like a dark cloud. I couldn't shake the hurt. "I just don't get it," I said quietly. "I don't get how he could just... react like that. Like none of this matters."

My dad's face hardened again. "He's a kid, Mia. And he's scared, I'm sure. But that doesn't give him the right to lash out at you. He's acting like a selfish little boy because that's exactly what he is."

My mom frowned but nodded. "Your dad's right, sweetie. Justin's showing his true colors right now. But whether or not he comes around, that's on him. What matters is you and this baby. And we'll be here for both of you, no matter what happens."

I sniffled, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me. Their support meant everything, but it didn't erase the hurt. It didn't stop Justin's words from echoing in my head, reminding me how much he didn't want this, how much he didn't want me.

"I don't want to need him," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I want to be strong enough to do this on my own, but... I don't know if I can."

Mom pulled me into another hug, stroking my hair as she held me close. "You don't have to be strong all the time, Mia. It's okay to be scared. It's okay to feel hurt. But I promise you, you're going to get through this. We're going to get through this."

I hugged her tightly, my tears flowing freely now. It felt like everything was crumbling, like my life was spinning out of control. But as my mom held me and my dad stood beside us, I knew I wasn't facing this alone. I had them. And for now, that was enough.

4o