Those Little Things

Chapter 28

Nikki

How is it that Isabel didn't know that she was pregnant before now? Didn't they take a pregancy test before her surgery? Didn't she notice that her stomach was growing? Didn't she feel the baby's kicks at night? What about the morning sickness? How did she not notice any of that? What about her period? How was she so blind to not question any of it?

Zack

"Zack, Allie, Taylor, Leena, Callie, and Kaylee, come to the kitchen!" I hear my dad call. My parents wanted Allie and me home for whatever reason. We all run from our different directions of the house and meet our parents at the table. It's seven thirty in the morning so we all look like major ass.

"What?" Allie demands, groggily.

"Your aunt just had her baby," He tells us.

"We have an aunt?" Leena asks, confused.

"Are you talking about you sister... Um... Aunt... Isabel!" Allie chimes in, a little perkier.

"That's her. She's going home tomorrow and your mother and I have to go help your uncle-to-be, his bandmates, and one of the boys' girlfriend get the baby's room all set up."

"Wait, bandmates?"

"Yeah...?"

"What band?"

"One Direction."

"Holy shit-" My mom clears her throat, interrupting Allie. "I mean... Holy cow! Can I please come?! You know... To help and stuff, of course."

"Hold up, if she goes, then I can't go on my date tonight! Dad, you know how important this is to me!" I inform them.

"Date? What date?"

"With my girlfriend..."

"Your girlfriend? Is she the girl that you were sneaking past our table with last night at Veerswamy?"

"Dammit, how'd you know?"

"Language, young man! And, I am your father, I notice everything. Especially when his son is horrible at keeping cover. By the way, never wear that shirt with those shoes again; it's a major fashion statement."

"So, wait, let me get this straight. You, mom, and Allie are all going to paint the baby's room of an aunt we've never met while I stay here to watch four rugrats and miss my date? A date with my girlfriend that I haven't even had for three hours yet, I might add."

"I'm sorry, pal."

"This is unbelievable!" I storm out of the kitchen and back to my room, slamming the door behind me. About a minute later, I hear a knock.

"Son, please open the door," I hear my dad say.

"It's unlocked," I say back. He opens the door and walks over to join me on my bed.

"Alright, Zack, what's the real issue?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, buddy. You've always been honest with me. What's really bothering you?"

"I'm not telling you until I know only you can hear me." He catches my hint immediately and gets up to close the door.

"There, now, what's wrong?"

"I've never been with a girl before, dad."

"Are you saying that you're gay?" He pauses. "Not that there is anything wrong with that; I will love you the same amount either way!"

"No, it's that I'm ready but I don't know if she is."

"Ah, I see. Well, son, I never had that problem. I was the star football player, getting all the girls, new babe every night-" I cut him off.

"Not helping, dad."

"Right, but by the time I was 17, I had gotten a girl pregnant, got kicked off the football team, lost my scholarship to collage, and was sent on my merry way with nothing by my dad. All of that because I had sex with your mother without using protection."

"Dude, ew, gross! Thank you for the image that is now permanently implanted in my brain!"

"Was it a secret that that's how you came to have a life?"

"No, I took sex-ed. but I didn't need the mental image!"

"I didn't give you major details like how your mother was a wild an-" He clenches his fists, squeezes his eyes shut, and throws his head back.

I shove my fingers in my ears. "La la la la la la la! I don't need this, dad! This isn't helping my little situation!" He pulls my arms down.

 "Son, I may not know what it's like to be in your situation but I do know that this is important to you. What time is your date?"

"Six o'clock."

"I'll be back by five so you can go. Just promise me something."

"What's that, dad?"

"Please use protection; your mother and I didn't. We had you and Allie before we were ready. Can you promise me this?"

"Of course I can, dad. I won't let you down."

 "I'm glad we had this talk, son," He smiles at me and starts to stand up. He walks to the door, ready the leave.

"Hey, dad?" He turns around.

"Yeah, Zack?"

"If you could go back to high school and change something, anything, would you?"

"Honestly, no," He comes back and sits on my bed again. "If I didn't play football, I wouldn't have met my best friends for life. I would've never slept with Kelly who ended up introducing me to your mom. I would've never gotten your mother pregnant. I would've never had you or Allie. I would've never had to make a living and end up becoming the head of my department. I wouldn't have married your mother, bought this house, had your sisters, and I wouldn't be having this conversation with you right now. So, no, I would not change anything about my high school experience. What seemed like my world was ending then makes me realize now that it was only the beginning of a wonderful life." I smile at him. "Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah, dad. Thanks."

"No problem, son." We hug and he leaves. Now that I know I want to be with Melissa, how do I prepare for it?