"Oh, Lauren, there's no tension in the air." Her mom tries to wave it off.
Lauren’s not buying it.
Something in her mom’s voice triggers a memory from way back, a conversation I wasn’t meant to hear. Suddenly, everything snaps into place.
Maybe I always knew her parents had played me and sent me away, but I wasn't willing to admit it.
Or maybe it didn't matter because I thought there was no chance of us getting back together. But her mom’s dismissive tone suddenly makes it matter a whole heck of a lot more.
"Gavin, what's going on?" Lauren asks.
The advantage of not having my sight is I can’t see the dirty looks Florence is undoubtedly giving me because she knows she can’t say anything without giving herself away.
"Either you explain, or I will, but we're getting this out in the open today. I refuse to go into surgery with this still hanging over my head," I tell Florence. Beside me, Lauren's body stiffens.
I may not be able to see Florence, but I know her well enough to guess how she’s looking at me.
"Your father and I did what we thought was right. You’re our only child, and we had no idea you were pregnant then."
"Would it have made a difference?" I ask.
Her silence gives me my answer. Even if they’d known, it wouldn't have made a difference. They probably would have done the same thing.
"Mom, what did you do?"
"We were very proud when you made friends with Gavin, but we never expected things to go the way they did when you started dating. We certainly never expected you to start planning a future together. We thought it would end at high school, and you’d go your separate ways, but the more time you spent together, the more serious you became. So we did what any parent would do to ensure you had the future you deserved."
I sit there and shake my head.
"Your father gave Gavin the information about joining the military. He suggested that it was the best choice since Gavin had no family and no way to pay for college."
“I trusted your parents, and I believed him. I didn’t know I could get a scholarship with my grades. I had choices. I could’ve applied for the scholarships or gone on to a local community college. I never dreamed your parents were trying to get rid of me."
Lauren yanks her hand from mine, and I feel the tension rolling off her. I have no idea how she's going to react. "What do you mean? Try to get rid of you?"
"I believed your dad when he said the Army was my best option. When I talked to the recruiter, it seemed a great way to take care of you. After going through boot camp, I planned to ask you to marry me. The Army would’ve provided housing and insurance and helped you with school. I only had to do four years, and they'd pay for your school and mine. Then we could do anything we wanted."
"When he came to your dad with this plan, we knew we couldn't let him change the path you were on. You had your dreams, and we didn't need someone to pay for school because we had you covered. Plus, the military life was not one we wanted for you. He would’ve been gone more than he was home, and you deserved someone so much better. You deserved a better life than that."
"But that wasn't for you to decide, was it?” Lauren demands.
"After I signed up for the Army, I came to your house to tell you. I had a ring in my pocket, though it wasn't anything fancy. But I had a plan for our lives mapped out. The recruiter said since it was the two of us, we might be stationed in Italy or Hawaii for my tour, both places I knew you desperately wanted to see. But you weren't home when I got there, and your mom and dad greeted me."
"What did they say?"
"Your dad mentioned you wouldn't be able to move and live near me until I got my first duty station. That wouldn’t be until I finished boot camp and you finished school, a good six months after I joined. He said you'd have to start school down here for the first semester, and it wouldn't be fair for you to transfer in the middle of the year. So the first year, we'd be apart. You'd be in school meeting new people, and who knew where life would take you? He said I should wait to propose until we knew we could survive the first year apart."
"Mom?" Lauren asks in disbelief.
"We may have suggested the possibility of you meeting someone else at school and how few long-distance relationships worked out."
"That night, I went home, and all I could think about was you meeting someone at school. We grew up in a small town, and I knew you’d meet all sorts of interesting people in a new school. I couldn't sit there and wait for the Dear John letter. Somehow, I got it into my head that you’d meet someone better. I loved you more than life, but I wanted you to be happy. I wanted you to have every experience possible. It wasn't until years later that I realized I never gave us a chance. I was manipulated by someone I trusted to walk away and join the military."
"When I found out I was pregnant, I sent you so many letters."
"I swear I didn't get any of them. I talked with Noah after you told me what happened, and I realized they wouldn't have delivered them while I was in boot camp. You don't get mail unless it's a reward, and only in the final few weeks. If I had a letter from you, I would’ve read it. I'd have killed for one, even if it was cussing me out for what I did to you."
"Your father and I also..."