Chapter 84
Suzy set her half-eaten muffin on a plate. She had lost her appetite from utter shock. Turning to Vanessa, slightly annoyed, Suzy asked, “How can the baby be Jon’s?”
The young woman’s hazel eyes were filled with tears that steadily rolled down both cheeks. Obviously upset, Vanessa swiped them away. She reached for a tissue, and between sobs, said, “I was a stupid teen who thought I was the only girl my senior year who hadn’t been laid. Call it peer pressure. Call it a girl in love with her boyfriend of two years. It just happened.”
Suzy leaned forward. “I’m confused. Jon’s gay.”
“I know that. You don’t have to keep repeating it.” Vanessa squared her jaw and glanced around the half-empty coffee shop. “Listen, it was my fault. I practically begged Jon to have sex with me after our prom. I was tired of being a virgin. Jon didn’t want to. He said it would ruin our friendship, plus he had already confided he was gay. I told him I didn’t care. I loved him anyway and wanted one last hurrah before he left for Europe.” She whimpered. “I knew I’d probably never see him again once he traveled abroad, so I got drunk and made darn sure he was drunk too. I’m sure he regrets being intimate with me.” She patted her belly. “And now look what happened.” Tears continued to snake down her cheeks.
Suzy sat speechless. It was all she could do to comprehend this bombshell. She tried to speak but her voice no longer seemed to work.
Vanessa continued, “It was our one and only time we ever made love during the two years we dated. Jon said he wanted a new life—the life he had always dreamed of—and, well—” She sighed. “You know the rest.”
Vanessa glanced at Suzy who sat mum. Blowing her nose before continuing, she said, “Somehow, I thought convincing him to have sex with me, just once, would make our breaking up easier.” She buried her face in her hands. “I was stupid. It made it worse.” Wiping her nose with the back of her hand, she said, “Sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear intimate details about your son. I never dreamed I’d get pregnant the first time.” She threw both hands in the air. “What are the odds?”
Suzy couldn’t speak.
Vanessa continued. “I already love this baby. It’s a little piece of Jon and me.” Her voice broke. “I won’t blame you if you walk out that door right now but I thought you deserved to know.”
Unable to breathe, Suzy glanced out the window at the cloudless blue sky, as if for an answer. She took a deep breath and weighed her comments before speaking. “Vanessa, I don’t know where to begin. Number one, I’m dumbfounded. Jon never told me he had sex with you. Then, again, I guess he wouldn’t. Maybe he was confused about his sexuality.” She scratched her head. “I’m shocked, perplexed, baffled, bamboozled, just pick an adjective.”
Vanessa touched Suzy’s arm. “I don’t have any expectations. Jon made it clear he was coming out after graduation. He confided in me first, I suppose. At school, I remember he said he had to work up his nerve to tell you and especially his dad, saying he wanted to think about the best way to approach you both while he backpacked in Europe.” She shrugged. “Like I said, we were totally drunk. I practically begged him. We were both so smashed he may not even remember it.”
Suzy rubbed her temples, feeling one of her famous headaches bearing down. She held up a hand. “I don’t need any more details. I believe you. Still, it’s a—”
“I know. It’s a lot.”
“How far along are you?” Suzy asked.
“Twenty-eight weeks.”
Suzy did a quick calculation. “That’s seven months, right? You’re two months from your due date?”
Vanessa bobbed her head. “We can do a paternity test if you want.”
Suzy reached across the table and gripped both of Vanessa’s hands. “Please stop crying. Stress isn’t good for you when you’re pregnant.”
“Like I said, I believe you but I can’t speak for Jon. That’s up to him—and his partner. This is messy and quite the challenge.”
Vanessa nodded. “I understand.” She sniffed. “Why do you think I’ve kept this a secret?” Her Adam’s apple moved as she attempted to swallow. “I’m afraid, Suzy. I don’t think I can raise a baby by myself. Plus, it’s way too late for—” She rubbed her belly. “Not that I could bring myself to do that anyway.”
This time, Suzy’s eyes rimmed with tears. Her heart sank, lurched, but just as quickly, filled with love. She leaned forward. “Do you know the sex?”
Vanessa’s eyes twinkled. “Yes.”
“And?”