Turbulence

"I can't believe you talked me into letting you be my plus one," I muttered, glancing at Patrick from the passenger seat of his Hummer.

"You're going to want someone with you when your parents go insane." Patrick sent me a smirk, which I returned by sticking my tongue out at him. "Anyone ever tell you that you've got a cute tongue?"

"Anyone ever tell you that you're full of shit?" I turned slightly in the seat to look at my son in the back. "Its just like him to sleep the entire ride to New York."

"He must take after his father."

Rolling my eyes, I smacked him in the arm. "You never sleep, Patrick."

"You're just saying that 'cause that's how I got you pregnant."

"I wonder how many other kids you have out there from before we met."

"None," he said with a deadly serious expression.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I never slept around that much before we got together."

"Whatever you want to believe, Patrick. I'm not stupid and I've met your family and friends."

"You're going to start harping on me when we are less than fifteen minutes from your sister's wedding?"

"You knew it was coming before you forced me into letting you come. You've had a rather promiscuous lifestyle since we split, too."

"Tazer always makes me out to be the bad guy."

"I wonder why," I muttered, looking out at the countryside.

"He's wanted to get in your pants since the start."

"What? No, he hasn't."

"He has. Ask him."

"I will."

"I bet he'll lie."

"Jonathan never lies to me."

"Want to bet?" Patrick looked over at me for a brief moment. "Jonathan might be good at a lot of things, but hiding his feelings for you is not one of them. You're just too oblivious to see it."

"Or maybe I was just too wrapped up in you to care."

"What?" The hummer slowed slightly as Patrick tried to collect his thoughts.

"Forget about it, Patrick, we'll talk later. Pull in here."

He followed my directions and quickly found a parking spot. "You ready for this."

I shook my head and sighed. "I really don't want to go in."

"I'll be right there with you, Cee, I promise."

"Last time you promised me something we ended up not talking for over a year."

"That was a mistake," he muttered, squeezing my hand. "I can carry him in if you want."

"That's probably for the best," I agreed. "I'm way too nervous to carry anything."

"You'll have to take the present, Cee. I may be a great athlete, but my arms aren't quite that long."

I nodded and slid out of the vehicle. Taking a deep breath, I crossed to the driver side and pulled open the door. "Do you think they will make a huge scene?"

"You're parents?" he joked, watching me pull the gift from the seat. "You're mother will be silent and you're father will turn as red as our home jerseys."

I sent him an unimpressed look and walked back to the passenger side. "We could probably leave his car seat, right?"

"Is he walking yet?" Patrick asked, lifting Cameron from his car seat.

"Not quite, but you'll still have to hold onto him during the ceremony. He's over curious at times."

"How is he in crowds?"

"We're going to find out," I confessed, leading the way to our backyard. "Just be prepared for anything."

"Carey, honey, thank goodness you're here. You're sister has been stressing for the past hour."

I gulped as my mother rushed over. "Sure, I'll head up in a second. Um, you remember Patrick, right?"

She looked behind me at the curly haired blond who was lightly poking Cameron to make him laugh. "I do, but who is this little guy?" She moved over to Patrick and took Cameron from his arms. "Aren't you just the cutest little boy?"

I exchanged a look of relief with Patrick. "This is Cameron, our son."

"You're son?" Her eye brows shot up and she glanced from me to Patrick. "When did this happen?"

"He's about fourteen months," I replied. "I know I should have said something earlier, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"Oh, honey, I understand completely. You know how your father gets about things like this."

"Things like what?" A loud, booming voice sounded from behind us.

We turned to my father who was walking over with the pastor.

"Patrick, son, its good to see you again."

They shook hands and briefly discussed the season before he turned to me.

"There's my little girl," he smiled, pulling me into a hug. "Nothing can get me down today. Both of my girls are home, one is getting married, and you, I hope that wedding bells are soon to come."

My eyes grew as my father winked at Patrick. "Well, since that probably won't be happening, I've brought along your grandson."

My father stared at me, shocked. "I don't have a grandson. Davina and Marcus haven't even started thinking about kids, yet."

"Honey, look at him, isn't he the sweetest?" My mother cooed, holding Cameron toward my father. "He has Patrick's hair, but those eyes, they are big and round just like Carey's when she was this size."

"You must be joking," my father mumbled, taking Cameron from his wife. The look on his face told us that he was inspecting the toddler, making sure he was not a figment of his imagination, while the bouncing of his arms showed that he had already fallen for the boy's deep blue eyes.

Exchanging a look with Patrick, I took a step forward and placed an arm on my father's arm. "Look, Pops, I know this is a shock, but Pat and I are trying to figure things out for ourselves, so please don't make it a big deal." I knew I was pleading, but I needed it to be clear and I knew how to tug at his heart stings. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go help Davina finish getting ready for her big day."
Doing my best to ignore the daggers Patrick was sending my way I hurried into the two storey house I had grown up in and pranced up the stairs two at a time.

"Carey!" Davina's screeching voice drew me into her childhood bedroom. "Thank heavens you are here! Mom was absolutely no help."

"What seems to be the problem?” I questioned, glancing around the room.

“Everything is such mess!”

I rolled my eyes at her overreaction and started doing whatever it was that she told me to do.

“Mom said you weren’t going to bring a plus one.”

“I wasn’t,” I confessed, fussing with her hair. “I was planning on coming alone, well, sort of.”

“Sort of? What does that mean?”

“I have a kid.”

“What?” Davina’s eyes widened as she stared at my through the mirror. “When?”

“Almost a year ago.”

“And you didn’t think it was necessary to let me know? Why didn’t Mom and Dad say anything?”

"I didn’t tell them. I didn’t really tell anyone.”

“Is it Patrick’s?”

“Is that a serious question? Of course he’s Patrick’s.”

“Just checking,” she smirked. “So, I have a nephew. What’s his name?”

“Cameron Robert.”

“Cute. Does this mean there will be another wedding in the near future?”

“Not likely,” I chuckled, stepping away to inspect her hair.

“Trouble in paradise or are you above marriage?”

“The first would be more correct.”

“What happened? You two were always so happy. I thought for sure you would be married before me.”

“We weren’t together that long.”

“Doesn’t matter. Everyone can tell you’re in love.”

“We were.”

“You aren’t still?”

“He left.”

“He did what?” She shot upward out of her chair and spun to look me in the eye. “And you still brought him to my wedding?”

“He left when I told him I was pregnant. We are starting to patch things up, I think.”

“You’re not getting back together with him, are you?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I gave him the option to be a part of Cameron’s life.”

“If he is a part of Cameron’s, he will be a part of yours.”

Sighing, I walked over to the window and gazed down at the people who were putting finishing touches on the wedding preparations. “I can’t go back there, Davina. It was the most horrible feeling when he left me the first time, I don’t think I could survive a second breakup.”

“You know I’m going to be having a talk with him.”

“I wouldn’t expect it any other way.” I grinned and turned to her. “You look amazing, Dav. Marcus is one lucky son of a bitch.”