“Justice,” I confirm.“And since she knows, I’m going to assume Caelin does too.”
“Yeah.”He crosses his arms over his chest.“Those two are sickening.Can’t even keep a secret for the sake of keeping one.”
“Excuse me, you and Mom are the same way.”
He hitches himself up on the sink.“No, that’s a lie.If it’s for the better or peace with her, I’ll keep it from your mother.With that being said.”He gestures at me.“Does this need to be a secret?”
It would be so easy to let him tell her so I wouldn’t have to see her unguarded reaction, wouldn’t have to hear it.“I wanna be the one to tell her, if that’s okay with you.”
“Harley, this is your news to tell.I’m not here to force you to do anything.You’re an adult.This is your child.”His gaze travels to my flat stomach.“And you need to do what you feel is best.”
“You’re not going to force Bishop and I to get married, are you?”I squint up at him.“That’s so old-fashioned.”
“No.”He laughs.“The two of you can do all the deciding on whatever you wanna do.All I care about is that you’re taken care of.So, anything you need, know I’m here.”
“I know, Dad.I love you.”
“Love you too, kiddo.”
He reaches out, helping me up off the floor.
“Rinse your mouth out, but don’t brush your teeth,” he warns.“That always made your mom puke again.I’ll be back in just a second.”
I have absolutely no idea what he’s doing, but I trust him with everything.Always have.If there’s anyone Justice and I have been able to count on our entire lives, it’s our dad.He appears back in the doorway, holding a little tin out to me.“These are from my own collection, but I’m willing to share them with you.”
Reaching out, I grab the tin, laughing as I read the writing on the top.“Preggie Pops.What the hell?”
He shrugs.“Your mom used them and when she wasn’t pregnant anymore, she didn’t like them.One day I needed some candy and popped one in my mouth.I’ve loved them ever since.”
“You are one in a million.”
“I know.”He leans down, kissing me on the cheek.“These are my little secret, so I’ll hold yours as long as you hold mine.”
Tears pool in my eyes again.My dad, the one who is tough when he needs to be, can be the softest person when it comes to the people he cares about.“Thanks.”
“No biggie.I’m gonna be a cool grandpa, right?”
Hearing him call himself a grandpa is almost too much for me to deal with.Thinking of him getting older always hurts, but to know he’s going to move on to the next portion of his life is enough to make my throat close.I fight past it, as hard as it is.“The coolest,” I whisper.
“Good.”He grins.“C’mon out when ya can.Any of the work in here can wait.”
As he leaves, I open the tin, grabbing a piece of the candy and tentatively putting it on my tongue.
Glancing up in the mirror, I realize I look different and pretty soon others are going to know.Whether I want them to or not.But first, I gotta finish telling my parents.One down and one to go.