threw up her hands and stomped out of the room.
As it turned out, she wasn’t given any other option than to wait. Carmen called a few weeks later to report Gabe was spending Thanksgiving with a classmate, and they were going to Europe for Christmas as a family.
In addition, Cara and John had some very big news to share with her.
As discussed, they held a small wedding ceremony in September with the local justice of the peace at the courthouse. Kate had never seen her mother so radiant, and she’d been pretty radiant since John came into their lives. Immediately following the ceremony, they signed adoption papers, making the three legally, officially a family, and then Kate stayed at Maya’s house while John and Cara took a short honeymoon. Afterward, Kate, Cara, and John resumed their habits of the previous three months, except John was there late nights and early mornings too. They’d somehow found time together outside of what Kate saw however, which she learned when they called her to the living room for a family meeting.
Cara began the conversation, and she was worried about something. “Here’s the thing,” she announced. “You’re going to have a little brother or sister running around soon.”
Kate clutched her excitedly. “Really?” Then she realized her mother and John had only been married a month. “When you say pretty soon , when do you mean, exactly? Don’t people typically wait to announce these things until after the first trimester?”
“Yes, that’s right. They do. And we are through the first trimester…” Her mother glanced at John.
“Cara is due in March, Kate,” he stated. “We’ve known about this for a while but we waited to tell you because we wanted to involve ourselves, you in particular, so this transition wouldn’t be a shock for you.”
She counted the months in her head and thought back to the party at Carmen and Michael’s house, wondering if that was the start of all of this and thinking it probably was. “That night at the Blake party…” she began, but then closed her eyes and extended her palms. “Wait. Forget I said that. It’s none of my business, and I don’t really want to know.”
John stifled a laugh. Her mother settled her arm on Kate’s shoulders. “This really is the last way I would want to announce this to you. But the night of the Blake party did set everything in motion. And I’m breaking all the parenting rules here by saying, do as I say not as I do , but this is exactly what we both are telling you now.”
John took over, and while Kate avoided eye contact with him, she listened to what he had to say. “Unlike the rules of society at large, which many people seem to take or leave as they find convenient, my family’s rules concerning love and marriage are iron clad. We can’t explain that completely right now but perhaps you’ve already discussed this a little with Gabe?”
Kate blushed and held her tongue, unwilling to share anything she’d discussed with Gabe. But she remembered his comment about grabbing her wrist and being glued to her side for the rest of her life, and she felt she might burst with all the questions she couldn’t voice.
John nodded, as if she had answered him. “With any luck, you’ll understand completely in a few years.” Kate grit her teeth, angry that everyone, including Gabe, had some timeline for informing her which spanned years. All the evasions had become annoying.
Cara noticed. “I’m sure this is frustrating for you, honey, but it’s all being done to protect you. Our point, other than to let you know I’m pregnant, is to tell you not to assume by what you’ve seen this summer it’s okay to become physically involved with someone you’re not committed to.”
Kate stared at her, unable to withhold her skepticism. “Do as you say, not as you—and every couple present apparently—did that night of the Blake party? Is this what you’re saying?”
John answered again. “I just told
As it turned out, she wasn’t given any other option than to wait. Carmen called a few weeks later to report Gabe was spending Thanksgiving with a classmate, and they were going to Europe for Christmas as a family.
In addition, Cara and John had some very big news to share with her.
As discussed, they held a small wedding ceremony in September with the local justice of the peace at the courthouse. Kate had never seen her mother so radiant, and she’d been pretty radiant since John came into their lives. Immediately following the ceremony, they signed adoption papers, making the three legally, officially a family, and then Kate stayed at Maya’s house while John and Cara took a short honeymoon. Afterward, Kate, Cara, and John resumed their habits of the previous three months, except John was there late nights and early mornings too. They’d somehow found time together outside of what Kate saw however, which she learned when they called her to the living room for a family meeting.
Cara began the conversation, and she was worried about something. “Here’s the thing,” she announced. “You’re going to have a little brother or sister running around soon.”
Kate clutched her excitedly. “Really?” Then she realized her mother and John had only been married a month. “When you say pretty soon , when do you mean, exactly? Don’t people typically wait to announce these things until after the first trimester?”
“Yes, that’s right. They do. And we are through the first trimester…” Her mother glanced at John.
“Cara is due in March, Kate,” he stated. “We’ve known about this for a while but we waited to tell you because we wanted to involve ourselves, you in particular, so this transition wouldn’t be a shock for you.”
She counted the months in her head and thought back to the party at Carmen and Michael’s house, wondering if that was the start of all of this and thinking it probably was. “That night at the Blake party…” she began, but then closed her eyes and extended her palms. “Wait. Forget I said that. It’s none of my business, and I don’t really want to know.”
John stifled a laugh. Her mother settled her arm on Kate’s shoulders. “This really is the last way I would want to announce this to you. But the night of the Blake party did set everything in motion. And I’m breaking all the parenting rules here by saying, do as I say not as I do , but this is exactly what we both are telling you now.”
John took over, and while Kate avoided eye contact with him, she listened to what he had to say. “Unlike the rules of society at large, which many people seem to take or leave as they find convenient, my family’s rules concerning love and marriage are iron clad. We can’t explain that completely right now but perhaps you’ve already discussed this a little with Gabe?”
Kate blushed and held her tongue, unwilling to share anything she’d discussed with Gabe. But she remembered his comment about grabbing her wrist and being glued to her side for the rest of her life, and she felt she might burst with all the questions she couldn’t voice.
John nodded, as if she had answered him. “With any luck, you’ll understand completely in a few years.” Kate grit her teeth, angry that everyone, including Gabe, had some timeline for informing her which spanned years. All the evasions had become annoying.
Cara noticed. “I’m sure this is frustrating for you, honey, but it’s all being done to protect you. Our point, other than to let you know I’m pregnant, is to tell you not to assume by what you’ve seen this summer it’s okay to become physically involved with someone you’re not committed to.”
Kate stared at her, unable to withhold her skepticism. “Do as you say, not as you—and every couple present apparently—did that night of the Blake party? Is this what you’re saying?”
John answered again. “I just told
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