When I got home that night, Mom and Dad were in the living room, Dad watching the news and Mom folding clothes beside him while throwing loose socks in his lap and demanding he find the pairs. I put my shoes away, waved hi, and started for the kitchen, but then I realized I had them both there—it was probably a good idea to tell them. So I did an about-face in the doorway and dropped into the big easy chair in the corner.

Mom paused and gave me The Look. “What’s wrong?”

“What would be wrong?” I asked, maybe a little too nonchalantly.

“Now we know there’s a problem,” Dad said, dumping the socks he’d been diligently ignoring onto the coffee table. “What happened? Is Mike giving you a hard time?”

I shook my head. “No, just, I thought you should know you’re going to be grandparents again.” Not the most elegant way to do it, but now it was out there and they could yell at me for being stupid if they wanted.

Mom sank down onto the couch and reached out for Dad. “Lew, is this why you two decided to get married?”

“Mom, I just found out today. Mike was the first one I told, you guys are the second.” I looked back and forth between them. “I love him. That doesn’t mean I’m blind to his faults. Maddie left me that money so that I could follow my heart if I wanted to, without worrying about being stuck in something I couldn’t get out of. We did more ‘working at this’ in the past month than we ever did while we were in high school.”

“Well, no one works at anything in high school,” Dad said with a bit of a smirk.

I laughed at him. “No, I guess we didn’t. But we’re working now. And if it turns out it was a bad idea after all, then it’s not like I’m stuck depending on him. I’m sorry if you’re upset about the baby. It wasn’t planned, but I will admit I didn’t do anything to avoid it. It felt like it was time. Which I know isn’t a good excuse, but there it is.” I got up and dragged an ottoman over so I could reach for both their hands. “Look, I know you’re probably disappointed. I get that you’re wondering where you went wrong. But this isn’t your decision—it’s mine. Just like the consequences will be mine.”

Mom sighed. “I just worry. I remember what it was like right after he broke up with you. I was really worried, Lew. We both were.”

Dad squeezed my hand. “We don’t want to see him break your heart again. Don’t you think it might be better to take it a bit slower this time? Feel him out and see if he’s really serious?”

I could see their point and, for a moment, I almost questioned my own judgment. But I wasn’t the same love-struck teenager I’d been in high school. Mike, too, had changed. Weirdly, I thought Hollywood had been good for him. He seemed more focused, more business oriented. We’d spent more than one night talking about decisions he was going to have to make and how the ones he had made had pointed his career in one direction or another. Analyzing the career arcs of today’s rising stars and the ones that were starting to fade.

The thought he put into his choices made my own agonies over going to college after our break-up look like a thirteen-year-old getting dressed late for school on a Friday morning.

“I think,” I said slowly. “If you two are willing to deal with the gossip, I don’t want to rush into the marriage part. He’s already asked if I wanted to do a quick Las Vegas wedding, but I really don’t. And they’ve all been talking about me around here for so long, I don’t care if they talk some more.”

“So you don’t plan to marry him?” Dad asked, confused.

“Oh, I’m going to marry him,” I replied firmly. “But not until we have the money to have the kind of wedding I want to have. And, well—” I shrugged in embarrassment. “I don’t want to be as big as a house in my wedding photos. So it’s going to be after the baby.” I hoped Mike didn’t fight me on this. I really hoped he wouldn’t change his mind before the big day, because no matter how confident of him I was when we were together, my own parents’ doubts were doubling up on my memories of that horrible year after he’d left and I was just a little afraid. “I know what I’m asking you is hard to do, but all I want is a little space and a little time to figure out how this is all going to work out in the future. I never did stop loving him. He says he never stopped loving me. I don’t think I’d ever forgive myself if I didn’t try and see if we could make it work.”

Neither of them said a word for the longest time, just stared at each other until I had to work not to fidget like I’d just been caught necking with a boy in the basement. Which had, actually, happened and which I still cringed thinking about. Kenny Jorgenson, I bet your ears are burning right about now.

“You promise you’ll wait until after the baby comes?” Mom said, in a quiet voice.

“I will.” If it made her feel better, I could promise; it didn’t change anything. “I’m going to talk to Mike about it some more tonight, but I swear to you that if anything doesn’t feel right, I’m invoking my right as oldest child in the family to come home and invade your basement again.”

She laughed then and Dad smiled. “You’re a grown man and have been for a while. It’s hard to remember to stop being Mom, though,” Mom said.

“I don’t want you stop being Mom,” I told her, and moved over to squeeze in between them on the couch. “I’m probably going to need a Mom at some point. And a Dad too.” I put my arms around them both and hugged them fiercely. “I’ve got a ton of questions already, and I’m only a month in!”

Her laughter this time was real and spontaneous. “Well, Hallelujah! We’ve moved past the ‘my parents don’t know anything’ stage!”

“Ha ha, very funny,” I said, putting on a sour tone, but really, I was so relieved that I hugged them again. “I love you two more than I could ever say.” I kissed them both on the cheek then got to my feet. “Is there anything in the fridge? I’m starved.”

“Well, that’s starting early,” Mom said and stood up. “There’s a plate in the fridge for you, and leftovers from lunch if that isn’t enough.”

“Fantastic,” I exclaimed, rubbing my hands together. I’d get some food into me, then tackle Mike and our plans for the baby. And maybe, as I slipped my arm around Mom’s waist and let her lead me into the kitchen, soothe my mother’s nerves about the health and safety of her child and grandchild.