Fragile

The ride back home was silent. My father was fortunately at work. I don’t think I could stand talking to my father at the moment. And I knew the evening wouldn’t be any better when he would get home from work.

“I called John while you were with Dr. Warner,” my mother said, interrupting the silence as we walked into the house. “He’ll be coming back tonight to stay.”

“What about dad?” I asked and rubbed my belly without realizing it.

“He’ll have to deal with it, is all,” she smiled and walked into the kitchen. “So, what would you like for lunch?”

“Mac and cheese,” I answered, following behind her and sitting at the table. “And maybe hot dogs, too, if you don’t mind making chili for it as well. And chicken nuggets, if we’ve got any.”

My mother paused mid-search through the pantry and then pulled out a box of macaroni and cheese that had the noodles shaped like characters from Scooby Doo.

“Are you hungry?” She asked with sarcasm and laughed as she began to fill two small pots with water to boil them.

“Sorry. I’m just starving!”

“I see that.”

I laughed with her and watched as she began to grab a pack of hot dogs from the fridge, along with milk and butter. She was measuring the milk into a cup when the doorbell rang. I jumped up from the table.

“I’ll get it,” I assured my mother and walked over to the door to open it. John was standing there with two small bouquets of flowers. I smiled widely up at him. “Aw, you got those for me?”

“No, they’re an apology gift for your dad,” he joked and leaned down to kiss my cheek. “I’m kidding.” He handed me one bouquet that was holding my favorite flower, carnations.

“Thanks. Is the other one for my dad then?”

“No, not at all,” I breathed in sharply and closed the door behind him. “I think your dad would want to actually hurt me if I gave him flowers.”

“I don’t know, John. My dad has a soft side for yellow roses,” I laughed, speaking of the bouquet of yellow roses he was holding. “Who are they for?”

“Your mom, for just being a pretty awesome mom to you.”

“Don’t you think roses are a little…lovey-dovey?”

“No way!” He exclaimed. “Yellow roses are friendship roses and I didn’t know what type of flowers she liked, so I decided to be safe about it.”

“Uh huh. Well, it’s good you came by now because mom is making lunch!”

“Ooo, what’s for lunch?”

“Mac and cheese, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets,” I listed and felt my tummy rumble.

“Jeez, are you hungry or something?”

“That’s what I said!” My mother walked into the living room and came over to greet John. He handed her the bouquet of yellow roses. “Oh! These are lovely, John. They’re my favorite kind.” John and I both looked at each other and chuckled to ourselves. “Well, lunch is just about done, so you two can over and get yourself a plate.” She held the flowers to her nose quickly to smell them and then walked back towards the kitchen.

John began to walk towards the kitchen as well, but I held him back by grabbing his arm.

“I have something to tell you,” I whispered so my mother couldn’t hear us.

“Oh no, please don’t tell me that your father is in the kitchen right now,” he groaned, looking a little nervous.

“What? No. I was gonna say that I told my mom about—you know.” I looked at him, then down at my belly and back up at him again for him to know what I was talking about.

“Oh,” he started and then suddenly understood what I was talking about. “Oh! You told her? Today?”

“Yeah, when I was getting my exam, which was extremely uncomfortable, by the way.”

“And I really don’t need to know that.” He looked away with disgusted look and then turned back to me. “But you told her. That’s a huge step, Iz; it really is. What did she say?”

“She didn’t really say anything. We just sort of sat there and I cried; not that crying is a bad thing, because it’s been happening more often than not lately.”

“You’re pregnant—of course you’re gonna cry.”

“Well, thank you, Captain Smart-ass,” I raised my eyebrows at him. “Anyway, I’m hungry. Let’s eat, please.”

“After you,” John pointed towards the kitchen and I walked in, taking in the amazing smell.

“Isabella, I hope you don’t mind that there isn’t any chili for the hot dogs. I haven’t had the chance to get my grocery shopping done,” my mother said. “But I everything else is there. I just hope none of this goes to waste.”

“Believe me, mom. If I’m eating any of this, it definitely won’t go to waste,” I laughed and John chuckled to himself. I took my usual seat and John sat down next to me as my mother brought over a plate with hotdogs in buns and a plate with chicken nuggets. She then brought over a large bowl of macaroni and cheese and I smiled as I started filling my plate with food.

John was the first to start piling the macaroni and cheese on his plate and he suddenly stopped. I looked over at him, wondering why he paused in the middle of scooping it onto his plate.

“Scooby Doo?” He said and looked at me. I laughed as I looked back at him.

“Um, yeah. It’s my favorite.”

He just shook his head and continued to put it onto his plate. I knew that would get a comment from him. He passed it over to me and I piled it on my plate, having barely any room to fit it next to the two hotdogs and six chicken nuggets on my plate.

This lunch was like it should’ve been the night before at dinner. It was peaceful and my father wasn’t there heckling John. I had a feeling it would take much more time to actually tell my father the truth. He cares for me very much, but I think the news would leave me having to go to school at the community college, and I didn’t want to do that. But would John get the worst out of it? Would he be the one blamed for me walking by myself that night? It scared me to think of what this would come to, although it seems to be about as bad as it can get.