"Don't make promises you can't keep."
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Noah Reed is lost. Fed up with his constant attitude and need for self-destruction, his mother sends him to live out the rest of the year with his father in hop...
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"I'm proud of you, son." Dad pats my shoulder as he says the words, misty-eyed. Moments earlier, I was accepting my high school diploma, which means I'm no longer a student but instead an adult. It's time for me to figure out what I want to do with my life and where to go from here.
Unfortunately, I have no clue what path to take for the rest of my life. I'm just as unprepared as ever, in typical Noah Reed fashion.
However, in this moment I put my worries about the future to the back of my mind. I've gotten this far deciding to just go with the flow, so it can't hurt to keep going with that mindset a little longer.
"Thanks, Dad." I mean the words. Meeting his gaze, I share a knowing look with him, a bonding moment passing between us. My relationship with my father has always been rocky, and even now it's far from perfect. But the difference between the past and the present is the fact that we're trying to make things better.
"Look at you!" Caroline exclaims as she appears at my father's side. Her blue eyes gleam brightly as she beams at me, gesturing to my cap and gown. "All grown up and graduated!"
Caroline wraps her arms around me and pulls me into a surprisingly strong hug, which momentarily takes me off guard, though I'm sure the grin spreading across my lips reveals how I feel in this moment. I have to admit that Caroline has grown on me, and I've finally to terms with the fact that she is going to be my stepmother.
When Caroline pulls away from me, I can tell that something is up. It's unlike her to be shy, yet that is the only word to describe the way she glances up at me in this moment with her lips pursed and her eyes shining unnaturally bright.
"I have to tell you something," she says slowly, casting a glance over to my father before returning her gaze to me. "Please don't get upset."
For a fraction of a second I fear that Caroline is about to tell me that she and my father are splitting up, and for that fraction of a second I genuinely don't want that to happen. I've grown attached to Caroline in ways I never thought I would, and seeing her walk off is the last thing I want to happen.
Not meeting my gaze and wringing her hands anxiously, Caroling begins to ramble. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you today, because you just graduated and today is supposed to be all about you, but I don't think I can keep this secret any longer. I'm just so worried that you'll be upset, and I don't want to make you mad on your big day or—"
"Caroline!" I exclaim, worried. "You're scaring me. What is it?"
Caroline purses her lips as she meets my father's gaze, and he proceeds to offer her an encouraging nod. She takes a deep breath before turning back to me, meeting my eyes as she says, "I want you to know that this wasn't planned, and it's certainly a surprise to me and your father. Nonetheless, it's a wonderful surprise, and I hope you feel the same way." She pauses, lips breaking out into a wide grin. Before I even register that she's speaking again, Caroline blurts, "I'm pregnant!"
