Lovers & Enemies

Chapter 18: Mom has a secret, too?

Lovers & Enemies

© 2012 Kaci Lancaster

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Cale had stayed in my room with me and we ended up talking for another hour before he had to go home. I was kind of scared at first when he told me that he had to leave, but I was also kind of glad. Surprising, right? Me too; never thought that I'd be glad for Cale to leave.

So when Cale got into his car, I walked back inside and locked the door. My mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner when I heard her call out my name.

"Alex? Could you come here, please?"

Cautiously but efficiently, I walked into the kitchen. My mom sat at the table with a small card in her hand. The steam from her coffee mug never stopped rising to the air. How hot did she make it?

I sat down in the chair next to her and focused my attention on the small stain on the table that was made five years ago during a sleepover with Leah. My mom cleared her throat, scooting the card toward my hand. She also pushed the house phone toward me. "What's this?"

She sighed. "I want you to make an appointment."

When I looked down at the card, I realized that it had the phone number and address of a women's clinic.

"For what?" I asked, not exactly knowing what she wanted me to do.

"I'm going to go with you to get a sonogram. You need to make sure your...baby...is okay. Your safety and the baby's is the only thing that matters right now."

"You're not mad?"

Another sigh escaped her partially closed lips. She ran her hand over her face. "I was at first, a little. But then I realized that this is what I had wanted to talk to you about. I didn't want you to end up likemymom. She had me at sixteen, and then I had Jess at the very same age."

So this was trend? It was a trend generating through all the generations in my family. Huh, three generations.

"I'm sorry, I let you down," I whispered hoarsely, not trusting my voice.

She shook her head, a couple of tears slipping out of her eyes. "No, angel.I'msorry. I should have let you know about this so long ago. Forgive me?"

I let out a humorless laugh. "Forgive you! Mom, I love you more than anything. You're my mom."

A smile settled on both of our faces as we silently stared at each other. Her smile large and broad, mine small but useful. Now that the cat's out of the bag, if there was anything that either of us wanted to tell each other, now would be the time.

"I love you," She stood up from her chair and hugged me tight. "so much."

My stomach started to churn as I waited for her to ask the question. The one that I didn't want to answer because everyone was so shocked. It's not that I was ashamed, it was just that everyone reacts differently to different things.

"Can I ask something?"

"Sure," I bit back a snappy response.

Her eyes widened as she looked at mine from an angle. I could tell from the intense look on her face that I wasn't going to feel comfortable answering whatever question that she was about to ask. My stomach bumped again and I resisted the urge to pull my shirt down again.

"Who...," She looked down and our entwined hands and then back up at me. "Who's the father?"

My breathing hitched. Why did she have to ask this now? She had just learned that I was pregnant, did she really have to ask all the huge questions in one night? Wait, let me answer that. Of course she would; she's my mom.