something that extreme.
I believed wrong.
I pounded on the door until my knuckles were bleeding.
Where in the hell was he?
I would have stopped at a payphone to call first, but I didn’t think he would answer. Most people don’t answer their phones if they don’t recognize the number. Too many telemarketers, and for us poor people, bill collectors. If only my stupid phone battery hadn’t died.
I balled up my fist and pounded the outside of my hand against the door one more time before giving up. This was getting ridiculous. And I was getting exhausted.
James finally opened the door just as I was about to head back to my car.
“Audrey? What are you doing here?”
I thought I would burst into tears. I had held it together in the car on the way over, feeling the burn against my eyes. I wouldn’t let myself cry, though. I don’t know why. I think I was so disgusted by my parents’ behavior that I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of showing any kind of pain. Even silently.
“Can I come in?” I asked.
“Of course. What’s going on?” James grabbed my luggage and set it in the foyer.
I stepped inside his home and wrapped my arms around his neck. He returned the embrace, pulling me close and holding me tight as he lightly stroked his fingers up and down my back.
“They officially did it,” I finally said.
“Officially did what?”
“Disowned me,” I replied.
James drew back quickly and looked at me, confused. “They didn’t,” he said.
I nodded.
“Well, technically they didn’t disown me, but they did kick me out,” I explained.
“Come over here and tell me what happened,” James said, pulling me into the kitchen. He went straight to the wine rack.
“Sorry,” he said, holding up a bottle. “I’ll pour you some cider if you like?”
“I’ll get it,” I said, standing up to grab the already opened bottle from the fridge. We both poured our beverages and sat down at the small table. James told me to tell him everything.
I relayed the conversation Dad and I had, as well as the one that followed, explaining how my parents essentially wanted nothing to do with me. I had disgraced the family so much that they didn’t want to even be seen with me. But I wasn’t convinced that Mom wanted me out.
“So your mom wanted you to stay, but her vote got vetoed?” James asked.
I nodded. “Yep. She was crying when I left, basically begging me to stay at least another couple of days until I figured out where I was going to stay permanently. I guess it didn’t occur to her that I’d come here. I’m sure it occurred to my dad, though.”
I realized as soon as I said it that I was kind of putting myself out there, you know, inviting myself to stay with James. How did I even know he would let me stay? Well come on, I was carrying his child.
James looked at me, shocked. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it. Just yesterday, he told me that I was forbidden from ever seeing you again. And now that they know I’m prego, they don’t want anything to do with me. It’s like they’re practically shoving me straight into your arms. No, my dad knew coming here was exactly what I’d do. It’s not like I have anywhere else to go. My sister can’t even put me up in her one-bedroom apartment. She has to sleep on the couch so the baby can have his own room.” I shook my head, still amazed that my parents, my own flesh and blood, could be so cold and calloused.
“Yeah, what’s up with your sister, by the way? How come your parents haven’t disowned her? Isn’t she a single mom?”
My sister was a single mom, but I had never really told James the whole story.
“She is, but her husband left her for someone else. And yes, my parents laid into her big time when he left, like it was her fault or something. ‘If you had kept your man happy…’ my father had said to her. What an insensitive thing to say to someone in that situation. It wasn’t Angela’s fault that Tobias left
I believed wrong.
I pounded on the door until my knuckles were bleeding.
Where in the hell was he?
I would have stopped at a payphone to call first, but I didn’t think he would answer. Most people don’t answer their phones if they don’t recognize the number. Too many telemarketers, and for us poor people, bill collectors. If only my stupid phone battery hadn’t died.
I balled up my fist and pounded the outside of my hand against the door one more time before giving up. This was getting ridiculous. And I was getting exhausted.
James finally opened the door just as I was about to head back to my car.
“Audrey? What are you doing here?”
I thought I would burst into tears. I had held it together in the car on the way over, feeling the burn against my eyes. I wouldn’t let myself cry, though. I don’t know why. I think I was so disgusted by my parents’ behavior that I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of showing any kind of pain. Even silently.
“Can I come in?” I asked.
“Of course. What’s going on?” James grabbed my luggage and set it in the foyer.
I stepped inside his home and wrapped my arms around his neck. He returned the embrace, pulling me close and holding me tight as he lightly stroked his fingers up and down my back.
“They officially did it,” I finally said.
“Officially did what?”
“Disowned me,” I replied.
James drew back quickly and looked at me, confused. “They didn’t,” he said.
I nodded.
“Well, technically they didn’t disown me, but they did kick me out,” I explained.
“Come over here and tell me what happened,” James said, pulling me into the kitchen. He went straight to the wine rack.
“Sorry,” he said, holding up a bottle. “I’ll pour you some cider if you like?”
“I’ll get it,” I said, standing up to grab the already opened bottle from the fridge. We both poured our beverages and sat down at the small table. James told me to tell him everything.
I relayed the conversation Dad and I had, as well as the one that followed, explaining how my parents essentially wanted nothing to do with me. I had disgraced the family so much that they didn’t want to even be seen with me. But I wasn’t convinced that Mom wanted me out.
“So your mom wanted you to stay, but her vote got vetoed?” James asked.
I nodded. “Yep. She was crying when I left, basically begging me to stay at least another couple of days until I figured out where I was going to stay permanently. I guess it didn’t occur to her that I’d come here. I’m sure it occurred to my dad, though.”
I realized as soon as I said it that I was kind of putting myself out there, you know, inviting myself to stay with James. How did I even know he would let me stay? Well come on, I was carrying his child.
James looked at me, shocked. “What do you mean?”
“Think about it. Just yesterday, he told me that I was forbidden from ever seeing you again. And now that they know I’m prego, they don’t want anything to do with me. It’s like they’re practically shoving me straight into your arms. No, my dad knew coming here was exactly what I’d do. It’s not like I have anywhere else to go. My sister can’t even put me up in her one-bedroom apartment. She has to sleep on the couch so the baby can have his own room.” I shook my head, still amazed that my parents, my own flesh and blood, could be so cold and calloused.
“Yeah, what’s up with your sister, by the way? How come your parents haven’t disowned her? Isn’t she a single mom?”
My sister was a single mom, but I had never really told James the whole story.
“She is, but her husband left her for someone else. And yes, my parents laid into her big time when he left, like it was her fault or something. ‘If you had kept your man happy…’ my father had said to her. What an insensitive thing to say to someone in that situation. It wasn’t Angela’s fault that Tobias left
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