Okay, clearly, she’s drunk or something.
They both hugged Scott and then me.
Melody said, “Oh, Jessie, sweetheart, welcome to the family!”
Shocked—there is no other word for what is happening. She must be in a state of shock. I know I am.
I smiled and nodded. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Reynolds.”
“Pesh! Good heavens, don’t call me that. I always felt so funny having you call me that. It’s Melody or…or…” Her eyes filled up with tears again. “Mom. You can call me Mom, if you want, sweetheart.”
I felt my stomach drop, and now, it was my turn to have tears in my eyes. I didn’t know what to say. I’d always dreamed of having a mother figure in my life. I’d longed for it really, and now, with the baby…
“Uh…Mom, Dad, that’s not the only news we have for you,” Scott said. “You might want to sit down for this one.”
They both looked at Scott and then me. “Okay,” they said at the same time.
“Well…”
Scott reached over and grabbed me. He pulled me to him and sat me down on his lap. I felt so strange, sitting there on his lap, but at the same time, I felt all the tension just melt away with his hands touching my body.
“Jessie is pregnant. We think she’s a little over two months and—” Scott didn’t even get to finish.
Melody jumped up, screaming, and Scott, Senior stood up. They both threw themselves into each other’s arms.
My mouth dropped open, and I looked at Scott. “What in the hell happened to your parents? These are not your parents,” I whispered.
“Um…I, um…I don’t…” Scott shook his head as if he was trying to clear his thoughts.
After about two minutes of Melody and Scott, Senior hugging and dancing around, they reached for me and pulled me off of Scott’s lap. They each took a turn hugging me, and then Melody wrapped her arm in mine as we started to walk back into the house.
“Oh Lord, we have a wedding to plan and a birth to plan. Oh! Scout’s honor, I promise not to be one of those overbearing mother-in-laws who tries to plan everything…but we need to get cracking.”
I turned and looked at Scott. H
e was standing there, shocked.
He turned to his dad, and I heard him ask, “How much have you and Mom had to drink today, Dad?”
His father laughed and pulled Scott in for another hug.
The next thing I knew, I was sitting in front of a computer, laughing my ass off and sipping sweet tea, as I began to plan my wedding…with Scott and my future in-laws.
Either I was dreaming, or the pregnancy hormones were affecting Melody and Scott, Senior. Whatever it was, I didn’t want it to stop.
I’d never in my life felt so much love.
“Skip, don’t worry. I’ll take care of it when I get back to Austin. Just let me enjoy my vacation, please. Yep. I know it’s back to work on January fourth. Yes, I know our work doesn’t take a vacation. January fourth, we are heading to Columbia at oh five hundred. I’ll make sure everything is ready to go.”
I heard the buzzer for Scott’s gate go off.
“Listen, Skip, I’ve got to run. If anything comes up, I’m just a few hours away from Austin, and I can get things up within a matter of hours.”
The gate buzzed again.
“Have to run. Stop stressing. Fuck, in our line of work, how have you not had a heart attack yet? Talk to ya later.”
I walked up to the intercom and pushed a button. “Talk to me.”