Blended Family

Pippa

I excused myself to my bedroom and pulled up Steven's number.  I tried to talk to him only when absolutely necessary, and this was one of those times.  I'd found a condom in his pocket while I was doing his laundry earlier.  Joey had already called him about it, but who knew if that explanation was accurate.  I'd like to think my son wasn't a liar and cheater, but, then again, he had Steven for a father.

He picked up.

"Hi," I greeted him shortly.  "Has Elliott talked to you at all today?"

"About what?" he asked me.

I sighed.  "I found a condom in his jeans pocket.  Joey was there and she called him up about it.  Apparently he said he had it just in case, but she thinks he might be cheating."

"Pip, I bought him those condoms," Steven told me.

"What?!" I almost shouted, exasperated.  He sighed.

"I want to have an open line of communication with my son," he explained.  "He's a teenager.  He's curious and he's gonna have sex eventually.  I just don't want him getting anyone pregnant."

"You bought our son condoms," I clarified.  "Are you crazy?"

"Did you call me just to criticize my parenting skills?" he asked me.  "Because you do that enough."

"I just can't believe you'd actually buy them for him," I shook my head, pacing.  "Steven, you need to talk to him.  He is way too young to be having sex."

"Is he?" Steven asked.  "I was sixteen when I lost my virginity."

"The prom queen," I remembered.  "How could I forget?  Steven, Joey is only fourteen.  She's definitely not ready.  Lin would flip his shit."

"If they're being safe it shouldn't be a big deal," he reasoned.

"Steven, she's fourteen!" I reiterated.  "You need to sit down with your son today and talk to him.  Make sure he's not thinking about pressuring her into doing anything."

"If you want to dictate all the parenting, why do I even have him?" Steven asked, obviously annoyed.  I tried not to step on his feet, but sometimes he was just clueless.  When I found out he was letting Elliott ride the subway alone when he was eleven, I lost it.

"Oh, get over yourself," I spat.  "Talk to him.  Goodbye."

I pressed end, wishing I could slam the phone down on the hook like I used to as a kid when I was upset.  I settled for throwing the phone down on the bed, then collapsing.  A few minutes later, Lin came in.  I scrubbed my hands over my face, frustrated, and felt him lay next to me.  His hand rubbed at my belly.

"Was that Steven?" he asked, and I nodded.  Lin just waited patiently for me to be ready.  After a minute I huffed, releasing my hands to my sides. 

"He bought Elliott condoms," I told Lin.  I was relieved to see that his brow furrowed, thinking it was weird.

"Wow," he said simply.

"I told him he needs to talk to Elliott," I went on.  "Tell him he's not ready for sex and that Joey certainly isn't."

"Think he will?" Lin asked.

"In some way," I said, sighing.  Lin traced random patterns on my exposed belly button as he thought.  "What?"

He looked up and met my eyes.  "I could talk to him.  If you think that might help."

I studied his face for a moment.  "Really?"

He nodded.  "Man to man," he said.  "Maybe he wants to talk to someone other than his dad?"