I sigh because he’s right. He knows me inside out. I honestly feel like in these past two weeks, he’s learned more about me than anyone else in my life. I guess he knows that my empathy is going to get in the way. I won’t be able to lie to my dad for long. Maybe he is right. Maybe it’s better just to bite the bullet and be honest.
I take a deep breath. “Let’s say we’re honest with him…and things go wrong. Where do I go? What happens then?”
“You come with me. Your home will always be with me,” Nate growls. “And if he sends you away, then he’s a fool. You deserve to be happy. Don’t let him make you feel any differently. But I don’t think it’ll come to that. He loves you. He’s not going to let the best thing in his life slip away from him, he might be angry, but he’s not a fool. He’ll come back for you.”
I swallow. “I hope you’re right. Just the thought of telling him is making my stomach knot up…and I feel kind of sick…”
“It’s just the nerves, baby. But don’t worry. I’ll be by your side through it all. And if you see him and don’t want to tell him then that’s okay. We can wait. Whatever you decide.”
I wish I didn’t have so many hard decisions to make. I wish I didn’t have to be scared of talking to my dad. But whatever happens, I don’t think this is going to end well, for any of us.
But I guess I won’t know until I act.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Nate
Tara’s been different today. She’s been transformed by her nerves, and it’s made her quiet and withdrawn. For the first time, I feel like she’s a little out of my reach.
I want to be here for her, to pull her into my arms and make her feel safe…but she’s been locked in the bathroom for the past twenty minutes, making that a little difficult.
At first, I thought she was taking a long bath, but I didn’t hear the tap running, so I guess it must be something else. She’s been complaining of nausea all day, which strikes me as strange. If she’s seasick, then why is it only coming on now it’s been two weeks?
I don’t want to disturb her when she’s already being so quiet, but I also don’t want to make her feel like she’s all alone in the world. If she needs to talk to someone, it’s going to be me. I know that I’ve become the most important person in her life right now, the person she can confide in most. I know because I feel the same way about her. Now, we have each other to lean on, and I want to remind her of that.
I head over to the bathroom door and rap on it lightly. I hear Tara’s intake of breath from behind the door like she’s shocked that I’m here.
“Tara are you alright? You’ve been in there for a long time. Do you still feel sick?”
She lets out a long sigh. “Not so much anymore….but I’m trying to find the courage to come out.”
“What are you talking about? Why would you be nervous about coming out of there?” I ask, perplexed. I have no idea what’s going on in her mind right now, but she’s making me feel nervous. I want to make sure she’s alright. What if she’s hurt, or sick? I need her to come out of the bathroom so I can help her.
“I…I just found something out…something we probably should have expected, but it changes things,” she hesitantly, like she expects me to be angry about this.
I still don’t know what she’s talking about. I rattle the door handle to the bathroom, but it’s locked.
“Tara, baby, please just come out here. Whatever is going on, we can talk about it. Face to face.”
I hear her take a deep breath, and then exhale loudly.
“Okay. I’m coming.”
I wait another minute before she unlocks the door and peers around it. I can’t tell what’s running through her mind, but she looks a little shell-shocked.
She swallows. “I just…I wasn’t sure how I was going to tell you this.” She steps out of the bathroom, holding something in her hand.
My breath catches in my throat.
A pregnancy test.
“I…I’m pregnant,” she whispers.
My eyes widen. How did I not see this coming? It’s not like we were being careful. In fact, this is the outcome we were hoping for all along. And yet, hearing her say it out loud just seems crazy.
“You’re pregnant?” I ask hesitantly just in case I heard her wrong or I’m seeing things.
She smiles, but she looks a little anxious as she does. It’s like she’s torn between her joy and anxiety.
“We’re going to have a baby, Nate.”