But five thirty rolled around, and I knew it was time.
“Okay,” I said to her as the show ended, “I’m going to do it.”
“Want me to be here?”
“No. That’s okay. Would you mind letting me have the living room?”
“Not at all. Yell when you’re done.”
“Okay. You’re the best, Harper.”
She stood up. “Don’t I know it.” She gave me a little smile. “Good luck.”
I watched as she disappeared back into her bedroom.
I took a deep breath, pulled out my phone, and stared at it for a second.
A million things ran through my mind. A million different scenarios played out, from worst case to best case. I had no clue which of them was real or likely, but I couldn’t help but imagine them all.
I dialed my home phone number and let it ring.
My mom answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Avery, honey, how are you?”
“I’m fine. Actually, can you get Dad on the line too?”
“Uh, sure, honey. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s good. I just want to tell you guys something.” I had a hard knot in my stomach, but I was just powering through.
“Okay. Hold on a second.”
I heard her put the receiver down and some muffled talking in the background. Dad picked up the phone in the other room. “Hi, Avery,” he said. “Is everything okay?”
“I’m back,” Mom said.
“Everything is good. I just have some news.”
“You didn’t fail out of school, did you?” Dad asked, joking.
“No. Not that,” I said. “Please, try not to freak out.”
“Just tell us,” Mom said. “Now I’m worried.”
“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Mom, Dad, I’m pregnant.”
There was a pause on the other end.
“Are you joking?” Dad asked finally.
“No, I’m not joking. I didn’t mean for this to happen, but it happened.”
“You’re pregnant?” Mom asked softly.
“Who did this to you?” Dad asked, sounding angry. “Who is this asshole?”
“He’s not important,” I said. “It’s not his fault.”
“Of course it’s his fault,” Dad said. “That piece of shit got my baby girl pregnant.”
“I can’t believe this,” Mom said. “What the hell were you thinking, Avery?”
I frowned. I knew she would react this way, but I didn’t think she’d start out with blaming me so quickly.
“It just happened,” I said.
“Things don’t just happen,” Mom answered. “This is a sinful thing, Avery, a horrible, sinful thing. You’re not married! I can’t believe you’d be so stupid.”
“Maggie,” Dad said.
“No. Avery needs to hear this. God gave us rules, Avery, rules we have to follow. This is one big rule you just decided to break, all because, what? Some boy looked at you?”
I listened silently, not sure what to say. What could I say? In my mom’s mind, what I did was a horrible sin. In her world view, getting pregnant before being married meant I was some kind of terrible sinner or whore. Maybe she wasn’t going to call me a whore, but I could hear it in her voice, in the anger.
“Maybe now isn’t the time to lecture her,” Dad said.
“Avery, dear, I am so deeply disappointed in you.”
“I’m sorry,” I said softly.
“Of course you’re sorry. You’re a sinner now, Avery. You’ve sinned against God and you’ve disappointed your family. I hope He can forgive you, because I don’t know if I can.”
“Maggie,” Dad said more forcefully. “This isn’t the moment for this.”
“I can’t talk to you anymore, Avery.” I heard Mom’s line go dead.
There was silence between Dad and me for a second before he sighed. “I’m sorry about her, Avery,” he said. “This is just very difficult for us to swallow.”
“I know, Dad,” I said. “I know. I expected her to react that way.”
“It’s going to be hard for her. We’ll pray for you, Avery.”
“Okay,” I said, choking back tears. “Thanks.”
“I’ll talk to you later.” He hung up the phone.
I stared down at my hands before tossing my cell aside and leaning back into the couch.
I had expected something like that, but not so harsh. My mother was a religious woman and believed in all that stuff very seriously, but I was still her daughter. I’d never heard her sound so angry and disappointed before, and that hurt far more than I could have guessed.