EJ
“So, they’re going to see me at ten,” Bri says as we sit on the couch eating the pancakes I made earlier.
My heart stumbles in my chest as I think of what this all really means.
“No shit.” I swallow before taking a drink to help wash them down. “Didn’t you just call them this morning?” I take a drink of my coffee. “I can’t believe they fit you in so quickly.”
“Yeah.” She guzzles her orange juice. I’ve never seen anyone like orange juice as much as she does. “Me neither, but I guess this is one of those times when being kind of a celebrity works to my advantage? They said they had a cancellation so I could have it if I wanted it. Could be celebrity, could be divine intervention.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” I’ve never been to a gyno, but I’ll go with her. I’ll do anything she needs me to do.
Her smile is bright as she giggles slightly. “While I appreciate the offer, I have a feeling you’d hate it.”
Clearing my throat, I hold my hands up. “I’m just putting it out there that I’m willing.”
“Let’s wait.” She blows out a long breath. Her eyes look anywhere but at me, allowing me to see her vulnerability in the moment. “If we’re able to make this happen, I’ll be asking you to attend a bunch of doctor’s appointments. Whether you want to or not.”
To some this may be scary, but I’m looking forward to it. If there’s one thing my parents emphasized while we were growing up, it was to support your spouse at all costs. Nothing gets in the way of that.
“Oh, I want to. If it’s important to you, it is to me. One thing I can say for sure is my dad taught me how to be a present partner. He never expected my mom to do things on her own when it came to us. There were times, obviously, they couldn’t be together. When they could, he made time to be there, regardless of what was going on in his day. I can remember him even coming to our checkups. Those things were important to him and they stuck with me, which means I realized, even at my young age, these were memories we were making. I want to be that type of dad, that type of husband.”
I’ve never believed anything more than the words I’ve spoken to her. Nothing would make me prouder than to be the type of man my dad raised me to be.
She hugs me tightly around the neck, sighing slightly before pulling back. “It makes me happy you had such good role models. Lord knows I didn’t, but I’ve learned a lot watching your parents over the past few months. They’ve taught me how to love not only others, but myself.”
“They’re great and, when we do have kids, I’m excited to see how they’ll be as grandparents.” I wonder if mom will let her grandchildren get away with more than she let RJ and I get away with.
“It’s a good thing they’ll have a set who will love them. I can’t guarantee what mine will do.” Her mouth twists into a grimace. I know she hasn’t spoken with them in months, and I don’t think it’s bothered either of them so much.
“What they do has no reflection on you, babe. It’s going to be their loss if they choose not to be involved.”
“But it could hurt our kids.”
“Not with my family around. They’ll more than make up for anything they’re missing.”
She sighs, her hand coming out to cover mine. Her fingers squeeze mine. “That’s not really how it works, Everett, but we’ll discuss it later. I gotta go.”
****
“What's been going on with you lately?” Dad asks as we sit in front of the fireplace at my parents’ house.
“Not a whole lot. Just getting ready for this upcoming tour. Trying to decide if we want to tour alongside Bri or if we want to tour after her. There are pros and cons to both. We can have shows in the same cities on alternating days or we can do completely different dates and follow one another.” I rub at the beard on my face. “But a lot of that will depend on a conversation we had last night.”
Dad raises an eyebrow. “Oh really? What did you two talk about? Is there an issue?”
I’m nervous to tell him what we’ve been talking about. No matter that I’m an adult, I still want him to approve of what I do. I want him to be onboard with this. I’ll need him to be. He’ll be the person I go to for any questions we might have. “I wouldn't call it an issue.” I run my hand through my hair chuckling. “Slightly more of a life change.”
“Okay, EJ, you're starting to worry me.” His green eyes, so much like my own, are brimming with fear.
“Yeah, well, there's gonna be some definite changes if what she wants happens.”
He stops what he’s doing, staring at me hard. “Okay, tell me what it is because you're starting to make me nervous.”
“She's talking about babies, dad. Babies.” I laugh slightly, my face getting hot. I don’t know why this bothers me. My dad has known since the night I lost my virginity that I’ve had sex. There’ve been a few times when I even told him about encounters I’ve enjoyed, but this feels more intimate than anything else.
“Are you ready for that?” Dad asks carefully, probably assuming I’ll be the same hothead he was most of his early twenties. While I can be, Bri has calmed me down. It’s one of the best things she’s given me in the short amount of time we’ve been together.
“I’m not sure.” I shrug. “I told her I was but, the more I think about it, the more scared I get.”
“That’s normal, EJ,” he interjects. Just like I need him to.
“One thing I do know is that I’ll be down for whatever she wants. I can see my entire life with her so I know that this is where we'll end up. It just seems as if maybe we're moving a little fast.” I get up, starting to pace a bit while I continue talking. “But this whole relationship has been fast.”
“It's okay if you want to slow it down,” Dad reminds me. “When your mother and I decided to have kids early, it was because I was older. She wanted them too but, I mean, I had the clock ticking, not her.
“I know. I know. She's gone to the doctor today to see what she needs.” I clear my throat. “What we need to do. And then we'll sit down and make a decision. But I'm leaning toward it.” I think we would be great young parents and I can't imagine anyone else I'd want to do this with besides her.
“All I'm saying…” Dad stops. “Is make sure this is definitely what you want. Once you have it, you can't take it back.”
Glancing over, I give him a shit-eating grin. “So, is that what you thought after you guys had Rhett? Because I know I was a perfect child. Did he put you off having anymore, because you didn’t have more after him?”
He laughs. “Shut the fuck up. I think you were the one who broke your arm and got me in the doghouse with your mom. But either thing y’all decide to do as a couple, good luck. You know we'll love you and be there for you regardless.”
And those were the words I wanted to hear most.