“I remember the day our baby girl was born,” Thomas sighs. “She was such a happy baby.”
“Except when she spent most of the night crying,” Margaret says with a chuckle. Then she looks at me and shakes her head. “Fathers and daughters. It’s a special kind of relationship.”
“Especially awful, in my experience,” I mutter. Margaret and Thomas exchange a glance and I immediately regret killing the mood. “Sorry, that kinda slipped out.”
“You can talk about it if you like, honey,” Margaret says. “We’re happy to lend a shoulder and an ear.”
Thomas leans towards me and puts his hand on my shoulder. “We’ve raised two children, you know. We’re good at the meaningful chats. Like therapists without the degrees… or the hourly rate.”
“Point is, if you don’t want to talk about it, dear, you don’t have to,” Margaret finishes gently. “But if you want to, you can.”
I sigh. The two of them are looking at me, open and expectant and patient. Their kindness radiates from them like warmth I can feel and smell. God, I need that.
“Well… I told my parents yesterday that I’m pregnant,” I admit. “They didn’t take it well.”
“Oh, honey.” Margaret looks devastated for me.
Thomas frowns. “Why did they take it badly?”
Suddenly, I remember that Anton and I pretended to be a married couple for the entirety of our stay at their manor, and I turn pale as a ghost.
I could spin the story. Make it seem like they didn’t approve of me marrying Anton and have been distant ever since. But I don’t really want to lie to Margaret and Thomas. Not when they’ve been so sweet to me.
I take a deep breath. “First, I have a confession to make. Anton and I are not actually married.”
“Oh?”
“We probably should have corrected your assumption, but—”
“Sometimes, it’s nice to imagine what it might be like,” Margaret interjects. She doesn’t seem upset in the slightest.
“Exactly,” I say with a nod. “I guess it felt good, and I didn’t want to correct you.”
“Neither did he,” Thomas points out with a knowing look and a waggle of the eyebrows.
“The truth is, we only met three months ago. I got pregnant right away.”
I look at the old couple, wondering if I’ve lost them. They’re sweet, but I know from experience that not everyone is tolerant of certain life choices, especially the older generations.
“Our daughter is almost forty-three years old,” Margaret says. “She got married three years ago to the man she’d been with for fifteen years. Their three children were the bridal party.”
I smile. “That’s adorable.”
Margaret nods. “And our son? He has a child with a woman he’s no longer with. They never married. And that child is every bit as adorable to us. Everyone is entitled to their own decisions, Jessa. Whether or not they’re mistakes is their cross to bear. It’s certainly no business of mine.”
I wonder if Margaret can possibly know how good her words feel to soothe my anxiety. “Unfortunately, my parents don’t see it that way.”
“They’ll come around,” Margaret tells me confidently. “One look at their grandchild and they’ll fall in love.”
I sigh. “Somehow, I doubt it.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Thomas says. “I didn’t think I’d love my grandkids more than my kids. But it turns out, I do.”
“Thomas!” Margaret scolds. “We love all our family equally.”
He turns to me again, holds a hand in front of his mouth, and pretend-whispers, “She’s a rotten liar.”
Laughing, Margaret turns to me. “You’re a smart, capable young woman, Jessa. Do you know what you want?”