In Real Life (Nemi)

Really don't care

Most of our friends & family smiled at our news, looking at our parents to see their reactions before they showed any kind of excitement. My mom was at a loss for words as she stared at me. Eddie stood behind her, one hand on her arm, seeming like he was trying to let her know he was there for the support. Nick's mom & dad were not at a loss for words.

"Is this a joke?" Denise almost yelled, but she was Italian, so even when she was trying to be quiet, sometimes she was loud.

Nick hopped off the stage, keeping his arm, protectively around my waist. "No, mom. It's not a joke. We're keeping this all quiet until after the baby is born, so I hope you all can keep our secret." Nick let out a little chuckle, as he looked around at everyone.

"Well, I hope you two plan on getting married." Denise was sounding like she was trying not to burst into a fit of laughter. Like she couldn't believe this wasn't a joke. "Your dad will marry you... like next week. You will go get a marriage license tomorrow & you can do a confidential license, so no one will know about it."

I looked at Nick's face when his mom made this suggestion & he looked uncomfortable. I saw him swallow, then look down at the floor. "Mom, we're not getting married next week. We haven't even discussed anything like that. Can ya just be happy for us & not try to dictate our lives? Please?" Nick looked at his mom like he was a scared little boy. "You always say babies are a blessing."

"They are." Denise whispered, stepping closer to Nick. "But they need a stable home with consistency & love."

"This baby will have that, mom." Nick said, then sighed. "Can we just celebrate this blessing & worry about all the other crap later, because right now, I really don't care about all that other crap. All I care about is that our family is here to support us & love us as we deal with this. It will make this whole situation a little less scary for us, if we have all of you in our corner, cheering us on."

There was a collective sense of relaxation among our friends & family after Nick was done speaking. Denise sighed & hugged her son, then came over to hug me. Everyone relaxed & we all hung out for a while, talking, before Nick & I went home to his place.

Later, I joined Nick in his bed, after I finished getting ready, for bed, in the bathroom. He was playing on his phone & smiled when I kissed his cheek, before lying down next to him. I snuggled my body against his, enjoying the warmth I felt from his skin. Nick moved his arm so I could lay on his chest. I felt Nick kiss my head & I couldn't help but to smile. I bit my lip, trying to decide if I should bring up what Nick's mom had mentioned. I took a deep breath & threw caution to the wind.

"What did you think about what your mom said about getting married?" I traced a heart on his chest, over & over.

Nick didn't say anything right away. He put his phone on the table beside his bed, then moved his body so he was lying flatter on the bed. After several moments, I finally looked up at him, since he wasn't replying. He stared up at the ceiling, his fingers, gently, caressing my shoulder. He took a deep breath & let it out. "I don't think we should get married just because you're pregnant."

"You're right. It's not a good reason to get married. But I would be marrying you because I'm in love with you." I replied in a quiet voice, turning onto my back more, my head now on Nick's shoulder.

"So you would marry me? Right now? When we're not even 23?" Nick asked.

I laughed. "I'll be 23 in a month & you'll be 23 in two months. So yes, I would marry you. I love you, but I understand your hesitation. We're so young. Your parents were younger than that when they got married & your grandparents, too. Just because we're 23 doesn't mean it can't work." I lifted my chin to look up at his profile. "I would be happy if we were married when the baby was born, but I don't want you to do something you don't want to do." I held my breath for a moment, waiting to hear his response.