I force a tight smile. “I’ll explain all that to you over dinner, Mom.”
My dad gives me a quick hug before heading into the kitchen to inspect the appliances. He then ends toward the living room and points at the wall. “Is that original stone?”
I press my lips together. “I believe so.”
What the hell is with the original stonework that is so special?
His head jerks back. “I hope the previous owner was the moron who put a TV mount on there and not you. Otherwise, your landlord is going to go berserk.”
I cringe, and then nearly jump out of my skin when I turn. Josh stands in the doorway watching us. I lower my gaze and am surprised he’s not dressed in his normal scrubs that he usually wears home from work.
Tonight, he has on jeans and a button-down. He must have changed because he sensed something was up.
He frowns at my parents and then at me. “The driveway is blocked.”
“Oh, I’m afraid I parked there,” my dad bellows and tosses his keys to Josh like he’s some sort of valet driver. “Sorry there, pal. Go ahead and move it.”
“What’s going on, Jones?” Josh asks, his tone dubious as his view moves from my parents to the windows in the living room that clearly displays his parents sitting out there sipping wine and munching on charcuterie like it’s a normal Thursday night.
I move to grab Josh’s arm. “Mom, Dad? This is Josh Richardson. Excuse me…Dr. Josh Richardson.”
My mother practically salivates at the mention of the word doctor. “Is this your boyfriend, darling?” she asks, coiffing her short hair and batting her eyes at Josh.
“No. Look, can you guys just maybe…have a seat at the dining table? I have something I want to tell you.”
“How mysterious,” my mother tuts and turns to follow my dad to the table.
“What the hell is going on?” Josh seethes, his tone acidic as his parents wave at him through the glass.
“What do you mean?” I ask through a smile and motion them inside.
“Why are our parents here?” Josh’s eyes are practically lethal on mine.
My face spreads into a saccharine sweet smile. “Because we have news, Joshy.” I bite my lip and giggle under my breath when I use his mother’s nickname for him. .
“Joshy!” his mom peals right on cue. She pulls him down into a hug. “So nice of you to invite us over for dinner and even hire a caterer. I was completely shocked to see your place looking so…well…furnished.” Her nose wrinkles as she glances around. “Not my taste but if it makes you happy.”
Josh offers a wooden smile as his dad comes around and claps him hard on the back. “You can kiss that historical home grant goodbye after drilling holes in that stonework. God, I didn’t take you for that big of an idiot.”
Josh cuts laser eyes at me. “Yeah, I’m a big, dumb idiot, Dad.”
Cringing, I turn on my heel to grab a bottle of wine off the counter. My face crumples.
This is a really bad start.
“Harv, I keep reminding you that Josh is a doctor, not a contractor,” his mother coos. “Cut him some slack. He was saving young children from cancer when you were building silly houses. Whose work do you think is more meaningful?”
My brow furrows as I turn to look at Josh, who’s conveniently avoiding eye contact with me. Saving children from cancer? What?
Harvey grumbles. “I didn’t really mean idiot…I just mean. God, that was dumb!” He barks out a laugh and shakes his head.
I blink because I have no clue what they’re talking about, and now really isn’t the time, so I gesture to the table. “Harvey, Lana? These are my parents, Darren and Sue Jones. Mom, Dad, these are Josh’s parents, Lana and Harvey Richardson. Why don’t you guys join them at the table? I’ll bring the wine,” I bellow like an overacting child.
Josh gently grabs my arm and turns me on my heels. “This isn’t funny, Lynsey. What is your plan here?”
“It’s not meant to be funny.” I pin Josh with a confident look that I don’t altogether believe anymore. “And, honestly, you’re the one who gave me the idea.”
“What idea?” he hisses.
I shrug. “The Band-Aid ripping off thing. We’ll tear this off in one fell swoop, and then the secret’s out and we can all move on with our lives, okay?”
“You have no idea what you’ve done.” Josh lets out a huff through his nose before walking to the glasses of wine I’ve poured and grabbing one for himself. “You can’t even drink through this.”
I grimace and push him to the table. He takes the seat at the head and I sit down opposite him, offering polite smiles to Josh’s parents on my left and a wobbly smile to my parents on my right.
Just like a Band-Aid, Lyns!
I open my mouth to speak, but my mother interrupts.
“Are you two engaged?” she asks, her eyes wide and hungry over the prospect that I could be engaged to a doctor, never mind the fact that she’s never met the man.
“Oh, my God, you’re not the caterer,” Josh’s mom exclaims, clapping her hands to her cheeks. “I’m such a fool…are you Josh’s wife? Did you two elope?” Lana’s voice reaches a high-pitch squeal as she looks elated at the notion. “I’d given up on Josh ever being happy again, so this news would just—”
“You’d better not have eloped,” my mother tuts, her voice harsh and displeased. “A marriage is not even real unless it takes place in Catholic church.”
“Excuse me?” Josh’s mom exclaims, holding her hand to her shocked chest.
“Well, that’s our belief,” my mom states, reaching over and holding my obviously uncomfortable dad’s hand. “You are welcome to yours, but if it didn’t happen inside a church, then it didn’t happen in the eyes of God.”
Lana laughs. “That’s not how my God sees it.”
My mom narrows her eyes. “And who is your God?”
A slow smile spreads on Lana’s face. “The same one as yours, but a bit less homophobic and self-righteous.”
My mother gasps, and I slam my hands on the table to stop them. “We’re not married. We’re not engaged. We’re not even in a relationship!” The enormously fake smile on my face stretches to capacity as if I’m auditioning for the role of the Joker because I’m certain they can see my molars right now.
Josh watches me expectantly, his glass of red wine frozen in front of his lips as he seems almost amused by my discomfort.
I take a deep breath in and state as calmly as I can, “We’re having a baby.”
The table goes completely silent.
The quiet goes on and on. Wait—am I in the middle of a horrible nightmare? Maybe I’m about to wake up.
Reality pummels its way back in when my mother weeps noisily.
“There, there, Sue,” my dad says, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “It’s alright.”
“Guess you’re an idiot about more than just home renovations.” Harvey lets out a laugh as he takes a drink of his wine. Lana elbows him in the ribs. “It’s just a joke.”
Lana turns her wide eyes to me as she glances down. “How…far along are you?”