S everal weeks after the whole Stretch incident, we agreed to how we would come clean to my dad about our relationship. With each passing day we only became more in love with one another .

I was beyond nervous, but I sat my parents down at the dining room table while Stone waiting out of sight down the hallway near my dad’s office that I still worked in. My palms were sweaty, so I wiped them on my pants .

I paced back and forth trying to find the right words. I thought they would have come easier, but with both of their eyes on me it was harder than I had expected. Or planned for .

“Oh, Jesus Christ, Terry, she’s pregnant,” my mom blurted out and put her hand over her mouth. The odd thing was I couldn’t tell if she was upset, or happy about it. Maybe it was some strange combination of both .

“I’m not pregnant,” I said, shaking my head and waving my hand side to side .

“Oh,” my mom said with a puff of air as she dropped her hand back to the table .

“I just have something I need to tell you and I’m not sure where to start exactly,” I said shoving my hands into my pockets. “OK. Umm. Here goes. You know how when you met mom, and grandpa kind of well, um, hated you a lot ?”

My dad chuckled, “That’s putting it lightly .”

“He wouldn’t have liked anyone,” my mom said trying to make things seem better to my dad .

“Tell yourself that. That man still hates me with a passion,” my dad said .

“Right. So, well ….”

“She’s finally going to tell us,” my mom whispered to my dad, but it had been loud enough for me to hear .

“Sorry?” I said raising my eyebrows. Had I heard her right ?

My mom looked at my dad and then at me. She shook her head side to side, “You know who your father is right? There is no hiding things when it comes to him. You can try to hide it, you can try to sneaky around, but he knows everything that happens in this town. Not to mention I saw how you two looked at each other even back when he was in the hospital .”

I glanced towards the hallway. They knew about me and Stone. How? When? How long? I was rendered speechless .

“Is he in here?” my dad said in a low voice looking in the same direction I had .

Oh shit. How much trouble were we in? They haven’t killed me yet which seemed to be a good sign so far. At least for me .

I couldn’t say anything but I nodded. Stone had been prepared for death, the removal of his patch, having to turn in his cut, all sorts of outcomes we considered, he said he was ready .

My mom smiled at my dad and I raised an eyebrow .

My dad leaned forward, “If he’s just fucking around with you, I’m going to kill him, you both know that right ?”

“Oh God, dad, no. He’s not… it’s not like that,” I said raising up my palms .

My dad looked at my mom and took her hand into his. Then they did something I never imagined as a possible outcome. They smiled. They looked happy .

“You love him?” my dad asked still looking at my mom .

“I do. I really do .”

“And he loves you?” my mom asked smiling as she stared into my dad’s eyes .

I was about to open my mouth to answer, when Stone stepped out from out of the kitchen. He walked over to me and took my hand. Stone looked right at my dad, “I do. I love her more than life itself ."

There was a long uncomfortable silence before my dad shoved the chair back so hard it hit the wall behind him. He stomped over to me and Stone, his face unreadable .

Then a smile slowly grew on his face until it was so big his teeth showed, “Well then why the fuck have you been hiding it from everyone?” My dad turned back to my mom, “They’re in fucking love! This calls for a celebration !”

“What?” I said softly .

My mom put her hand on her heart and she smiled. She almost looked as though she could cry .

“I don’t know why you felt the need to hide this from us,” my mom said looking as though she was already dreaming about wedding and grandkids. I wanted to tell her to slow down .

Stone and I looked at one another and laughed. I turned to my mom, “So how long have you known ?”

“Probably long before you even did, dear.” She stood up and snuggled under my dad’s arm. They both looked at us as though this was one of the best moments of their life. I thought it was a bit much. My mom touched Stone’s arm and looked at me, “I don’t think you could have picked a better one .”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Stone said turning his bright blue eyes towards me. “But I’m the lucky one here. She could have anyone she wanted. I don’t know how the fuck I got so lucky .”

I couldn’t stop smiling .

It was going to be hard being with someone in the club and I knew that. But I knew all this going into it. I grew up with a father who often seemed to put the club first. There were lots of days and nights where my mom would be in the kitchen pacing worried about whether or not she’d ever see my dad again .

Club life could be dangerous. But it was like a family. They club had saved me more than once and for that I was grateful. I’d never forget it and it would be easy to consider them my family .

Before now, that world hadn’t been something I ever wanted for myself. I didn’t want to be the one pacing in the kitchen waiting to find out if my guy was ever going to walk through that door again. But I fell in love. For Stone, I’d pace for a lifetime if I had to .

“So when is the wedding?” my dad asked wearing a huge grin .

“Dad!” I said with huge eyes .

Stone wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off of the ground. He stared into my eyes, his expression completely serious, “The sooner the better .”

There was nothing I wanted more than to be his old lady. Now and forever .

* * *

I t had been a little over a year since we came clean to my parents about our relationship. I sat there in our small living room, rubbing my pregnant belly. I looked around the room of the house we now shared .

My lips curled upward as I thought about the first time I had come here. How badly I wanted to be with him but how afraid I was to admit it, even to myself. Now this was my house too and soon we would welcome our little baby into it .

I thought back to that day we gathered in the backyard of my parent’s house with the club, our family and our friends. Stone looked so incredibly hot in his cut and jeans. I remembered how he swallowed hard when he saw me in my white wedding dress. When I walked up to him, he told me how beautiful I was and how lucky he was to have me .

Our wedding had been small, but it was perfect for us. It was one of the best days of my entire life. And soon, in about two more months, we’d have our first child. A son .

I couldn’t believe this was my life. It wasn’t even close to what I had imagined for myself… it was about a billion times better than I could have ever dreamed it could be .

Stone walked in the front door and smiled at me. He kissed me as though he hadn’t seen me in days. It was passionate and I could feel everything he felt for me in just that one kiss .

We were simply in love. And together we would love our son with everything we had and more .

Stone kneeled down between my knees and rested his head on my belly. I twirled my fingers into his hair while he kissed and whispered wonderful things to our son .

Our son kicked and did summersaults. It seemed he was just as excited to meet us as we were to meet him. And neither Stone nor I could wait to be a family .

T he end.