What's Enough?

Chapter 117

I walk into the house to find my mother and father sitting on the couch with a teacup in her hand. She looks at me and smiles. I walk into the living room and say, "So you are here; I thought this was just a lie dad conjured up to get me home,"

My mother smiles and shakes his head. "What took you so long?"

"I walked,"

"Walked?" she says, confused. I forgot to tell her about the car.

"She refuses to drive the car I spent thousands on," my father informs her before me.

She turns back to me, "Why?"

"I don't want it. I don't want anything from him." As soon as we got back home from the hospital, I told him that he could have the car; and that I didn't want anything from him anymore. Even though it's cold as shit outside, I'd rather walk in freezing cold than drive something with his name attached to it.

My mother sighs. "So you guys are still feuding, I see."

"She's feuding; I'm over it," he says like a child.

I laugh arrogantly, "Of course you are because you weren't the one who lost something that actually made them happy! You're not the one who's father paid an admissions dean to reject them," I shout. "And for what so I could run your business, go to UCLA?!"

"That's not-"

"Okay, okay!" My mother chimes in, stopping the argument that's feuling.

"Jayda, please take a seat," I take a deep breath and sit across from them on the opposite couch. "We wanted you home because we wanted to discuss something with you,"

"Okay," I say, weary, my palms are getting sweaty, and my heart is pounding. What could they have to tell? Oh my god. What if it's about the house in LA? With Everything going on here, this seems like a good time to move.

"Do you want to tell her, Marcus?" My mother asks him.

"Uhhh," he looks at me and then back to my mother.

She sighs and playfully rolls her eyes, then she looks back at me. "I'm pregnant,"

For some reason, I immediately gag. "I'm sorry, what?" I must have heard here wrong.

"I'm pregnant," she repeats. They both smile brightly... well, not brightly they smile, but it seems kind of forced. "Can you say something? Are you happy?"

"No, no, I'm not happy," There fake smile drops, "You couldn't be here for one child; how do you expect to be here for another one?" I spit. They both looked at me, stunned by my words. "Oh wait, is this like you guy's second chance at having a perfect family?"

My mother shakes her head, "No, no. It's not like that, Jayda."

"Sure it isn't," I stand up from the couch. "I can't believe I gave up STEM for this. You guys could've just texted me or something." I look around the room, partially hoping to find a tape recorder. Part of me still thinks this is a joke. I know it's not, though. I think back to all the signs I missed.

When we were in New York, her dress didn't fit her, even though it fit her fine two days before when she tried it on at the store. Then at the art gallery she didn't drink any champagne. Not to mention when we were in the car that day, and she kept rubbing her stomach. How did I not know?

I turn back to them. "I have to go."

As I hurry towards the door, they call my name, asking me to come back and talk to them. I continue out the door back into the cold. I don't want to talk to them.