An Unexpected Husband by Constance Masters

Shaun.
    “I teach,” he answered. “As it happens, at the same school where Skye works. I can support your daughter and the baby,” he said.
     
    *              *              *
     
    By the fourth day, worrying about her parents, the good people, and their feelings had grown rather old. Her Mom in particular was getting on her nerves. She didn’t even notice that Shaun was looking decidedly unimpressed at the way she spoke to her parents.
    “Mom for God’s sake will you just, leave it.” Maddie had been trying to talk to Skye about a stroller for the baby. Shaun frowned at the hurt look on Maddie’s face.
    “Skye,” he said with a frown. “Can you help me find something up in our room?”
    “Why?” she said grumpily.
    “Because I asked you nicely and I need your help.”
    “No you don’t.” Skye was grumpy and didn’t even care that her Dad was watching their spat.
    “Ok I don’t. I’d like to talk to you about something.”
    “Well why all the cloak and dagger?”
    “I was trying to be discrete, but if you want me to just say it, we need to be alone to talk for a little while,” he said.
    Skye was silenced when Shaun grabbed her hand and towed her up the stairs.
    “What? What’s wrong with you?” she asked grumpily.
    “I was going to ask you that exact thing. Why are you treating your Mom with such disrespect?”
    “She’s getting on my nerves. She’s nagging about stuff I’m not even ready to worry about yet.”
    “Because she wants to take you to buy a stroller for the baby?”
    “It’s not the stroller, well sort of. She keeps going on and on about it like it’s the most important thing ever. Like if I don’t have the correct wheels and it doesn’t lay back to the right level that the world will explode. She’s driving me crazy. Maybe this visit is too long.”
    “You’re being hard on her,” he said.
    Skye sighed. She liked that her Mom and Dad seemed to like Shaun but he should be on her side, he should tell her Mom that they could buy their own stroller and that she should just stop going on about it. “We don’t need her to get a stroller, hence we shouldn’t have to listen to her go on and on. You said you can afford to get whatever the baby needs.”
    “Yes and I can but it’s more than that. You cut her out of more than half of your pregnancy. She feels left out.”
    Skye rolled her eyes dramatically. “It’s my Mom…she’s used to me. If it was your Mom I could understand you worrying.”
    “If it was MY Mom you spoke to like that I wouldn’t be worrying,” he said seriously. “I would have bent you over and spanked your bottom rosy by now.” Skye could tell he wasn’t messing around. He was deadly serious.
    “Ok. I get the point,” she said. “Let my mother take me shopping and smile happily so she feels useful.”
    “I don’t want to overstep with your parents which is why I’m warning you first. But this IS a warning. Knock. It. Off,” he said seriously. “Or else.”
    “Ok, ok. I’ll be nice.” I’ll let her buy me whatever she wants. Be careful what you wish for, she thought. Won’t hurt to mention how hard it’s going to be to manage on one salary when she has to take maternity leave. If he wanted to play bossy she’d hit him right where it would hurt the most, his pride. No one did pity like her Mom when she felt sorry for someone.
    Shaun smiled. “That’s good honey,” he said. “Go shopping with your Mom. Have lunch and talk to her about baby names, let her buy you a damn stroller. It’ll make her feel a little less left out of the loop.”
     
    *              *              *
     
    “Do I have to go?” she whined effectively the next morning. She’d just gotten out of the shower. She ran the tip of her finger up his arm while her other hand held a towel in place.
    “Yes. We’ll be leaving for my Mom’s the day after tomorrow,” he said.
    “Don’t be mad at me please?”