Absolutely Unforgivable(98)

The mother bent over to hear her daughter speak and then turned her head to look at us as the little girl pointed. “Britney! Don’t point. That’s rude. They are probably here to see their family. Let them be.”

We grabbed our luggage and made our way outside where my father was waiting for us. We jumped in the car and drove home. He told us that my mother had been cooking all day and would have dinner ready for us by the time we got there. My sisters were already at the house; they both had arrived there earlier that morning.

When we got there my father opened the trunk and started pulling all of my luggage out. I walked back there to give him a hug and he looked down at what I was wearing and just shook his head.

“Daddy! We didn’t have time to change after taping the Ellen show.”

Billy helped my father. When we went into the house my mother and sisters showered us with hugs and kisses. Billy and my father went to put the luggage in my old bedroom. My mother took me by the hand and twirled me around. “Let me look at you.”

My sisters started to ask about the Ellen show but my mother broke in. “Well, well.” They stopped what they were saying and turned to look at her. She put her hand on my stomach and asked, “So how far along are we?”

I couldn’t believe it. How did she know? And why was that always the first question everyone asked me when they found out?

“I’m your mother, Stacy. Did you really think you could hide something like this from me with a frilly little dress?”

“No, Mother. It’s not like that. We didn’t have time to change after the Ellen show. We had to run to catch our flight. This is what I wore for the Christmas special.” My sisters stood off to the side in stunned silence.

As Billy and my father returned from dropping off our luggage my mother leaned in and said, “Let’s put this conversation on hold for a bit. Let your father get to know Billy first.”

My sisters and I nodded in agreement and then went off to the kitchen to set the table for dinner.

My normally boisterous sisters were very quiet over dinner and my father knew something was wrong, but he seemed too distracted by Billy to worry about my sisters for now.

“So, son, you’re in a band, huh?”

“Yes, sir. But I also have money in trust from an inheritance from when my parents died. I also own quite a bit of real estate. So if you are worried about me being able to support your daughter, you don’t need to. I’ll take good care of her.”

My father grunted. I knew that wasn’t good. “There is more to a relationship than being able to afford it.”

I looked up at Billy. I was scared. I didn’t know what he was going to say to my father but he gave me his adorable smile and I knew it was going to be okay. “With all due respect, sir, I know that. I love your daughter very much and I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life showing her just how much.”

My father didn’t grunt that time. That was a good sign.

Then my younger sister Stefani spoke up. “So let’s just ask what everyone wants to know.” I looked up at her, panicked she was going to spill the beans about the baby. But what she said was probably even worse. “Billy is drop-dead gorgeous. How are you going to handle all of those groupies that want to get with him?”

My mother gasped. “Stefani! That’s not appropriate dinner conversation.”

Surprisingly, my father defended Stefani. “Now, now. That’s not a bad question. Billy’s clearly not without his charms. Stacy needs to really think about what she’s getting herself into here.”

I rested my head on my hands, utterly shocked at where this conversation had gone. I took a deep breath and spoke up. “Daddy, I love you. I get that you are worried about me. I appreciate that and I get that it’s your job to terrorize my boyfriends. But Billy isn’t just some guy. I love him. We are going to be married and he’s going to be the father of my children.”

My father sighed. I could tell he hated to hear what I said but he also knew I was right. “Let’s get you married before we start planning any little ones.”

“I’m not a child anymore, Daddy. I’m an adult now I’m going to be a mother.”

“This is a ridiculous conversation to even be having. I’m sure when the time comes, Stacy, you are going to be a great mother. But that’s not even the point I’m trying to make here.”

“No, Daddy. I’m going to be a mother now, well, in a few months. Billy and I are having a baby and next week the whole world is going to know about it.”