KANDY

The entire house knew that between two and four in the evening, I took my daily nap. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. By that time of day, I was completely exhausted, and nothing could keep me up. But for some reason, my man wanted to disturb my peaceful slumber, and I wasn’t happy with it.

“Kandy,” Cane called.

“Ugh, Cane.” I groaned, pushing his hand away when he tapped me again.

“Kandy, wake up.”

“What?”

I rolled onto my back, looking through the corner of my eye at him. “I need to show you something,” he said.

“Can it wait? I’m really tired today.”

“No. It can’t. And you’re tired every day. Plus, Lora said you’ve been sleeping since two, and it’s now six. You gotta get up.” He grabbed my hand and tugged on it. “Come on, girl. I ain’t got all day.”

I huffed a laugh, throwing an arm over my face. “You’re insane, man.”

He chuckled, bending over to kiss my exposed lips. Then his lips trailed down to my neck. “Up, baby. I think you’ll love what I have to show you.”

Sighing, I caved and sat up, rubbing my eyes. He helped me out of bed, and I felt the weight drop right to my lower belly, making me lurch. “It better be worth it, Cane. I mean it.”

“Ohh, you are a grumpy little thing,” he teased with a grin.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t not smile. With my hand still in his, Cane led the way downstairs and through the foyer. We walked down the hallway to the kitchen, where the lights were off. Cane flipped the switch on, and out of nowhere there was a loud “SURPRISE!”

I gasped with a hand to my chest as Mom, Dad, Miss Cane, Lora, and Frankie stood in a kitchen full of colorful balloons. “Oh my gosh!” I squealed, staring up at Cane. “What is this?”

“Just a little something for my queen.” He shrugged. “Happy birthday, little one.” Cane kissed my cheek while I looked ahead at the two-tier cake and food on the counters, then at Mom and Dad. I focused most on Dad and said a quick prayer of gratitude that I wasn’t showing yet, or he would have had a fit.

“Happy Birthday, kid,” Dad said, meeting up to me and hugging me tight. I hugged him back.

“I’m surprised you guys are here. My birthday isn’t for two more days.”

“Well, Cane planned something a bit earlier,” Mom said. “And I’m glad he did.”

“Oh—I got you something.” Dad reached for a wrapped gift on the counter behind him and handed it to me.

“What is it?”

“Open it and see.”

I tore the gift wrap off and noticed it was a jewelry box. I looked up at Dad warily before opening it. It was a pair of diamond earrings, this set bigger than the pair he’d given me when I was seventeen.

“Oh my gosh!”

You like them?” he asked, his smile getting bigger.

“Dad, are you kidding? I love them!”

“Your mother helped me pick them out. Consider it a gift from both of us.”

“I love it so much. Thanks you guys.” I hugged them both around the neck.

“Okay, okay! Enough of the sappy mess! I need to say hello to my bestie!” Frankie grabbed my arm and twisted me around. She pulled me in a for a hug, and I laughed, as did my parents, then squeezed her just as tight as she squeezed me. “So…I didn’t bring a gift, but I do want to plan a night out with you tonight. I’m off—no work. Clay is taking care of Mom.”

“A night out?” Cane asked, stepping up beside us.

“Yes, Mr. Cane. A night out. She may not be free, but she’s still young and wild, right, K.J.?”

I laughed nervously. Poor Frankie. I still hadn’t told her about the baby—not that I didn’t want to. I just didn’t want to tell too many people when things could end up awry. Every person I tell is someone I have to un-tell if things go wrong, and I can’t imagine how hard that would be for me.

“Guys, how about we try some of the appetizers Miss Cane made?” Mom suggested, but she made a face that said “go tell your best friend why you can’t and shouldn’t go out.”

“Please, eat as much as you’d like,” Miss Cane urged. “I think I may have made too much food,” she laughed.

“No such thing, Mom,” Lora said. “Whatever is left over, I’m sure I’ll pig out on it once I light up a joint.”

Miss Cane shooed her playfully and started serving food to everyone.

“Frankie, I need to talk to you.” I grabbed her hand and led her out of the kitchen. On my way out, I peered back at Cane, who nodded at me.

When we were in the den and out of earshot, Frankie asked, “What is it? What’s going on?”

“Um…I don’t think I should go out tonight.”

She frowned a bit. “Why not? I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“Yeah, I know but…I just found out something, and it means I have to take it easy for a while.”

“Something like what? Are you sick?”

“No…it’s just that…I’m pregnant,” I said, as more of a question than a statement, and Frankie’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

“Holy shit!” she gasped. “What? But I thought you couldn’t have—”

“We all thought so, but I am. I’ve been sick, and so tired, but I go to the doctor often, and the baby is still there. I keep thinking I’ll wake up one day, and it’ll all be a dream, but it’s not. It’s really, really happening.”

“Shit, K! That is so amazing!” Frankie wrapped me up in her arms again, and I laughed over her shoulder. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner?” She pulled back, gripping my shoulders and looking at me with an even deeper frown than before.

“I didn’t want to jinx myself by telling the whole world, you know? Plus I’m still really high risk. There’s a chance things could go wrong.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?” a deep voice interjected, and I gasped, looking to my right. Dad was walking around the corner with a grimace.

“Dad, I—”

“You’re pregnant, Kandy? Is that what I just heard?”

Frankie took a step back as Dad got closer. I stayed in place, and a defeated sigh pushed through my lips as I said, “Yes, Dad. I’m pregnant.”

“What the hell?” he barked, and footsteps sounded right after.

Cane was down the hallway, standing behind Dad. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded.

“You got her pregnant again?” Dad snapped, swinging around and pointing a finger in Cane’s face.

“Derek!” Mom popped up around the corner, grabbing Dad’s arm. “Stop it!”

“Did you know?” Dad shouted in Mom’s face.

“Yes, I knew,” she snapped, voice firm.

“And you didn’t tell me? What kind of wife keeps a secret like that from her own husband?”

“The kind of wife who knows her husband would throw a damn tantrum over the news!” she retorted.

“It’s not her fault, Dad!” I yelled. “I told her not to tell you. I wanted to tell you myself when the time was right.”

“Oh yeah? When? When the baby is born?”

“I was going to tell you,” I assured him. “I—I was just trying to make sure everything was really going to happen. I knew you wouldn’t react well to it.”

“Damn right I’m not going to react well to it!” Dad shook his head and scoffed, looking between me and Cane. “You’re both reckless and stupid, and if she suffers another loss because you couldn’t keep your dick—”

“DEREK!” Mom hollered. “Outside. Now!” She pointed at the door, and Dad glared hard at Cane before putting his focus on her. I’d never seen Mom get so angry with Dad, ever—especially not when it came to defending me.

When Dad realized how dead serious she was, he grunted and turned away, rushing past Lora and Miss Cane, who were standing in the hallway, and out the door. Mom went after him and the door slammed closed.

The whole house was quiet. To say I was embarrassed was an understatement.

I lowered my head, squeezing my eyes shut. “He always does this. Lets his temper get the best of him. He’s a fucking asshole.”

“He’s upset, Kandy. You knew he’d react this way,” Cane murmured.

“I don’t care. He needs to grow the hell up already.”

Cane sighed, wrapping his arms around me and kissing the top of my head.

“Lora, Mom, take Frankie to the kitchen with you. Make her some food.”

“Sure. Yeah,” Lora breathed.

“For the record,” Frankie said, rubbing my arm. “I’m super fucking happy for you guys. You’ll make great parents.”

Her words made me smile. Just a little. “Thanks, Frank.”

When she was out of the room, it was just Cane and me. “I’m sorry he said that to you,” I whispered. “I should have told him before now and spared all of this drama and embarrassment.”

“Don’t worry about it. I understand his frustration.”

“But it doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t mean he can say whatever he wants to say to you just because he’s upset with you. He doesn’t have to be a dick about everything. You’re my fiancé, I love you, and he should respect that.”

“Well, first of all, you haven’t told him we’re getting married, so he has no idea we’re engaged. Second of all, this is a hard pill for your dad to swallow, Kandy. He has to get used to the idea of us. Men aren’t like women. It’s harder for us to process and accept certain things. We were friends once. Now we’re just…here. Stuck in an awkward situation, trying to live through it.”

“Well he has to learn to accept it and let things go. Not just for my sake anymore, but the baby’s too. I want the baby to have a good, happy grandpa. Not one who will talk shit about his or her dad because he isn’t on good terms with him.”

“Derek isn’t like that. He won’t spew hatred to an innocent child, especially his own grandkid.”

Ugh. For his sake, I hoped he was right.

The front door opened, and Mom came back inside. “Let him cool off,” she said, then forced a smile at us before closing the door and walking down the hallway to get to the kitchen.

“You heard her. Come on,” Cane said. “We aren’t going to let that ruin your birthday.”

“It’s already ruined,” I muttered as he draped an arm over my shoulders and escorted me back to the kitchen. Lora had music playing on her portable speaker, a song by Dua Lipa, and I was glad she, Frankie, and Miss Cane were focusing on the actual party and not what had just happened several minutes ago.

I suppose we were all used to the chaos because we all dealt with some form of it. None of us had lived a stable life. It was easy to brush off the minor things, like arguments and fights. And with that in mind, I decided to go along with it. Yes, Dad was upset, but he would cool down and get over it. His temper always got the best of him in the heat of the moment, but once it was over, he’d return to settle it.

And sure enough, after we all ate a slice of cake and recited lyrics to our favorite songs, Dad was back. He stood at the mouth of the kitchen, looking at all of us.

“Calm now?” Mom asked, quirking a brow at him.

He merely ignored her. “Kandy…can we talk?” he asked, and I placed my plate down. I glanced at Cane, who gave me a slow blink and a nod, and then walked past Dad, rounding the corner to get to the backyard. I sat on one of the lounge chairs as Dad closed the door behind him. He met up beside me, taking the lounge chair next to mine.

We were quiet for several seconds. From where we were, I could still hear the music playing in the kitchen, as well as some laughter.

“Look, I’m sorry for my temper before,” he finally said. “I just…I don’t understand. Why didn’t you just tell me? Why did I have to be last to know?”

“Because I didn’t know how to tell you, Dad. And I knew you would blow up like you always do. You’re like an Angry Bird.”

At that, he shook his head, but he couldn’t hide his smirk. “Kandy…the odds of you getting pregnant were slim. Your mom told me all about it. Of course I’d want to know right away that you are.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” I focused on the ground.

“How many weeks?”

“I just hit the fourteen week mark.”

“Hold up…fourteen whole weeks you’ve been pregnant, and you didn’t tell me?” His brows drew together, but his eyes were soft. Playful. “If you still lived with me, I would ground your butt right now, you know that?”

I laughed.

“I’m just…shocked, I guess,” he went on. “I didn’t see it coming.”

“Well…then, I guess you’ll be even more shocked to find out that Cane and I are engaged now.”

“Engaged?” Dad’s eyes got even wider. “Are you kidding me? Anything else you haven’t told me?”

“No, Dad. That’s it.”

He sighed and was quiet for several seconds. “Engaged, huh?” he finally said.

“Yep. He asked me when we were in Belize. I said yes.”

“When’s the wedding?”

“Next year, after I graduate. Well, hopefully. I’m not sure how things will work with the baby.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re finishing school first.” He looked me over. “You sure you’re ready to be a mother and a wife? Being a spouse is hard work, but being a parent is even harder. You see what we had to go through with you, right?”

I pushed him with my elbow, giggling. “I was not that bad.”

He shrugged. “You were a nightmare at times, but overall, a pretty good kid.”

“I don’t know if I’m ready…but if I’m at fourteen weeks, and still carrying this baby…I’m here for it. I was told by my doctor that the first thirteen weeks were my highest risks for miscarriage, but I’ve made it. The baby is still in there, and if I’m meant to have him or her and become mother, I will make sure I’m ready.”

Dad put on a small smile and then lowered his head. “You’re a good person, Kandy. You know that? I guess I didn’t screw up with you after all.” With a grin, he stood and opened his arms, and I pushed out of my chair, walking into his embrace. With a deep exhale, he said, “You’ve put me through a lot of shit…but I love you more than anything. The baby is…well, I’m not going to lie. It’ll be hard for me to wrap my mind around for a while, but I’m here for you. For whatever you need.”

“I know, Dad.”

“Good.” He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Now let’s get back to the party.”

Dad walked with his arm slung over my shoulders, back to the house. In the kitchen, Lora and Frankie were taking shots of whiskey—the crazies—and Mom, Cane, and Miss Cane were laughing at Frankie’s face every time she took one.

Everyone was smiling. Happy. For the first time ever, we were all together—all the people I loved—and we were enjoying ourselves. We all had our issues, yes, but when the room was full of life like this, nothing outside of it mattered.

These people? They were my family. I had no idea what I would do without any of them, and knowing that my baby would have their love was going to be worth it. Of course, Dad didn’t really talk to Cane for the rest of that night. Cane didn’t bother making an attempt to speak to him. They kept their distance, and it was fine, just so long as they didn’t end up in each other’s face all over again.

Around 9:00 p.m., Mom and Dad left. They had to work in the morning and still had the drive back to Atlanta. I hugged them goodbye and watched them go. When I could no longer see their tail lights, I went back to the kitchen.

“Frankie, you should definitely stay the night,” Miss Cane insisted as I rounded the corner. “I refuse to let you drive after taking five shots of whiskey.”

“Dude, I’m totally fine! I can drive!” Frankie tried convincing her, but by the stern look on Miss Cane’s face, I knew it wasn’t going to happen.

“She is not fine,” Lora tittered. “That bitch is fucked up.”

“I guess this is my night out, huh?” Frank giggled and threw her arms around my neck.

“Yeah, you’re drunk,” I laughed. “You’re staying the night, and we have a few extra rooms, so no excuses.”

“Yep. You can sleep it off,” Cane said.

“Okay, okay. Fine. Well, if that’s the case…” Frank pulled away from me to pick up her shot glass and the half-empty bottle of whiskey. She topped her glass off and then raised it in the air. “I’ll keep sipping on this whis-kay! Cheers to you, Cane and Kandy! I hope the baby is just as amazing as you guys are!”

“Fuck yeah!” Lora squealed, picking up the whole bottle of whiskey. Apparently, she was just as drunk as Frankie. “Cheers!”

They clinked glasses, and Cane, myself, and Miss Cane laughed while Lora drank straight from the bottle while Frankie downed her shot.

They were insane, I swear, but I wouldn’t have traded them for anyone or anything in this world.