Falling for the Babysitter

Will it be a boy or a girl? What will we name him or her? All these thoughts race through my head at once until I feel like I might pass out. Now to tell my mom …

She’s waiting outside the bathroom door, pacing. She picks at her eyebrows, something she has always done when she’s nervous. She barely has any left and has to draw them on. She sees me and her eyes open wide. “Well?” she says.

I hold up the sticks and burst into happy tears. “I’m going to have a baby!”

She starts to cry too. “Oh my god,” she says. But instead of cussing or saying something that might break my heart, she smiles and says. “I’m going to be a grandma.”

We hug, both of us melting into tears. “What do you think Deacon’s going to say?” she says when we come apart.

I wipe away the mascara rolling down my cheeks. “He’s going to be really happy, Mom. I promise. You have nothing to worry about.”

She smiles, her eyes red and watering. “I trust you. I know you’re a smart girl and wouldn’t rush into anything unless you were absolutely sure you knew what you were doing.”

“Thanks Mom,” I say and hug her again.

Now to tell Deacon.

know that. But I’m still afraid. This will drive a wedge so far between him and Sam that I don’t know if that relationship will ever recover. I don’t want to be the one responsible for ruining

has to know. And soon. This isn’t

bell. Sam answers. He rolls his eyes when he sees me, but stands aside to let me

on?” I ask, a tinge of fear ringing through me. Someone has obviously packed their belongings to move and I doubt it’s

stairs. He looks mad at first until he sees me. His face relaxes

here?” he asks in a way that lets me knows he’s

to talk to you.” I wave my hands around, pointing at all the boxes. “What is

a place of

If he has a place of his own that means we can finally spend as much time together as we want, make as much noise as we want while having sex. Hell, we can walk

all your fault,”

is this my fault? I don’t even know what’s going

a gym bag on

until she came into the picture,”

“We wouldn’t have started fighting had you minded your own business. What I do with my life has nothing to do with

care about what happens to