“A night out?” Cane asked, stepping up beside us.
“Yes, Mr. Cane. A night out. She may not be free, but she’s still young and wild, right, K.J.?”
I laughed nervously. Poor Frankie. I still hadn’t told her about the baby—not that I didn’t want to. I just didn’t want to tell too many people when things could end up awry. Every person I tell is someone I have to un-tell if things go wrong, and I can’t imagine how hard that would be for me.
“Guys, how about we try some of the appetizers Miss Cane made?” Mom suggested, but she made a face that said “go tell your best friend why you can’t and shouldn’t go out.”
“Please, eat as much as you’d like,” Miss Cane urged. “I think I may have made too much food,” she laughed.
“No such thing, Mom,” Lora said. “Whatever is left over, I’m sure I’ll pig out on it once I light up a joint.”
Miss Cane shooed her playfully and started serving food to everyone.
“Frankie, I need to talk to you.” I grabbed her hand and led her out of the kitchen. On my way out, I peered back at Cane, who nodded at me.
When we were in the den and out of earshot, Frankie asked, “What is it? What’s going on?”
“Um…I don’t think I should go out tonight.”
She frowned a bit. “Why not? I haven’t seen you in forever!”
“Yeah, I know but…I just found out something, and it means I have to take it easy for a while.”
“Something like what? Are you sick?”
“No…it’s just that…I’m pregnant,” I said, as more of a question than a statement, and Frankie’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head.
“Holy shit!” she gasped. “What? But I thought you couldn’t have—”
“We all thought so, but I am. I’ve been sick, and so tired, but I go to the doctor often, and the baby is still there. I keep thinking I’ll wake up one day, and it’ll all be a dream, but it’s not. It’s really, really happening.”
“Shit, K! That is so amazing!” Frankie wrapped me up in her arms again, and I laughed over her shoulder. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner?” She pulled back, gripping my shoulders and looking at me with an even deeper frown than before.
“I didn’t want to jinx myself by telling the whole world, you know? Plus I’m still really high risk. There’s a chance things could go wrong.”
“And you didn’t think to tell me?” a deep voice interjected, and I gasped, looking to my right. Dad was walking around the corner with a grimace.
“Dad, I—”
“You’re pregnant, Kandy? Is that what I just heard?”
Frankie took a step back as Dad got closer. I stayed in place, and a defeated sigh pushed through my lips as I said, “Yes, Dad. I’m pregnant.”
“What the hell?” he barked, and footsteps sounded right after.
Cane was down the hallway, standing behind Dad. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded.
“You got her pregnant again?” Dad snapped, swinging around and pointing a finger in Cane’s face.
“Derek!” Mom popped up around the corner, grabbing Dad’s arm. “Stop it!”
“Did you know?” Dad shouted in Mom’s face.
“Yes, I knew,” she snapped, voice firm.
“And you didn’t tell me? What kind of wife keeps a secret like that from her own husband?”
“The kind of wife who knows her husband would throw a damn tantrum over the news!” she retorted.
“It’s not her fault, Dad!” I yelled. “I told her not to tell you. I wanted to tell you myself when the time was right.”
“Oh yeah? When? When the baby is born?”
“I was going to tell you,” I assured him. “I—I was just trying to make sure everything was really going to happen. I knew you wouldn’t react well to it.”
“Damn right I’m not going to react well to it!” Dad shook his head and scoffed, looking between me and Cane. “You’re both reckless and stupid, and if she suffers another loss because you couldn’t keep your dick—”
“DEREK!” Mom hollered. “Outside. Now!” She pointed at the door, and Dad glared hard at Cane before putting his focus on her. I’d never seen Mom get so angry with Dad, ever—especially not when it came to defending me.
When Dad realized how dead serious she was, he grunted and turned away, rushing past Lora and Miss Cane, who were standing in the hallway, and out the door. Mom went after him and the door slammed closed.
The whole house was quiet. To say I was embarrassed was an understatement.
I lowered my head, squeezing my eyes shut. “He always does this. Lets his temper get the best of him. He’s a fucking asshole.”
“He’s upset, Kandy. You knew he’d react this way,” Cane murmured.
“I don’t care. He needs to grow the hell up already.”
Cane sighed, wrapping his arms around me and kissing the top of my head.