Theon
" Come on Theon, please give him a chance," Lara practically begged as I carried some of my mother's groceries into the house.
It was the second week of December, and the snow had begun to fall outside. I had been avoiding the subject of Daphne's repentant father, and despite assuring Lara that I would support any of her decisions, I was still running away from that meeting.
" Lara, I told you I've been busy the last few days," I muttered, putting the groceries on the counter, "I don't have time right now, in half an hour I have to meet Sam for Lamaze.”
" Come on, you're always inventing something up. I know he's made mistakes, but he's trying to make things right," she pleaded, "everyone has met him, Liny even said he's very kind and thoughtful!”
" Lara.”
" Come on, you've been through the same thing as him, you must understand…”
" Don't compare me to him! I would never, never abandon Samantha and our son" I growled " and in my situation it would be easier if I did, I didn't even know her, I could claim the child was not mine and disappear. She had nothing but my phone number. This guy was your boyfriend, you knew him and trusted him!"
That seems to have affected her a lot. I hated myself to see her eyes fill with tears, but I couldn't stand to see her deluding herself like that.
" I remember it all the time, Theon. I've suffered through it for months! " she looked up in an attempt to stop the tears from coming out " but he's trying to change, and I can't deprive Daphne of that. I can't stop her from having a father present in her life because I’m hurt.
" I'm sorry if I can't believe that someone who is capable of abandoning his own daughter and girlfriend is capable of repenting and changing," I muttered, "but I hope he is worthy of your trust.”
Lara cursed in Greek and walked away, leaving me behind.
I took a deep breath, abandoned the bags and headed for the door. I would have to hurry if I didn't want to be late. I shouldn't have agreed to do the shopping for my mother before Lamase, Sam will kill me if I'm late. If she doesn't, she'll call her father, and he'll kill me!
I drove carefully through the newly snow-covered streets, and with luck, managed to arrive just in time at the indicated address. I hurried through the corridors of the place, not taking long to find the room where several couples were settling on the floor on yoga mats. Sam was sitting alone with a closed expression as I hurriedly removed my shoes.
Why is she looking at me like that? I am on time!
My doubts were answered when I noticed the couple sitting next to her looking satisfied.
" Welcome, may I help you? " the instructor smiled at me, causing me to look away from Carl and Selena.
What are they doing here?
" He is the father of my baby," Sam rolled her eyes.
" Ahh yes, you can sit with your partner.”
I settled down next to Sam as the couple next to us began to introduce themselves.
" Hi, we are James and Lisa, we have been married for six years and Gertie is our first daughter," the woman smiled as the man, who looked a little older than me, stroked her belly.
" I thought you weren't going to come and leave me alone with these two," Sam whispered beside me.
" I'm sorry, did I miss much? " I whispered back.
" Besides the absurd explanation the two crazy seniors gave for getting involved at this moment?”
" The two crazy seniors are not old and even less deaf, Samantha," Selena whispered with a forced smile on her face, "so you better watch your mouth!
" You're next," the instructor warned us after a few minutes.
" Ahh yes, I'm Samantha, this is Theon, and this is our baby " she put her hand on her belly, forgetting for a moment the presence of her parents " he is our first…”
" And only one," I added, receiving a curious look from Carl.
" Yes, and only son " she smiled.
"How long have you been married? " one of the pregnant women asked with a smile on her face.
" No, they are not married " Carl answered for us.
" Oh sure, sorry. It's just that you make a very nice family " the woman looked embarrassed.
" Yes, in fact, for someone who got pregnant by a stranger, she even knew how to choose," Selena returned, receiving a shocked look from Sam.
" Mom," she growled.
" I'm sorry, do you two know each other? " the instructor frowned.
" Sorry Beth, these are my parents, and I have no idea what they think they're doing," Sam groaned.
I didn't really understand the situation either. This was supposed to be our moment, even Harper understood that. Why are they getting involved?
" Ohh, your parents? " the woman who introduced herself first spoke up.
" This is not very common," Beth, the instructor, frowned, not knowing how to act.
" Our situation is not common, Sam and Theon barely knew each other when she got pregnant," Carl began to narrate, to our discomfort.” we both lived in Texas and found out about this whole situation just a few weeks ago, and decided to support them in every detail!”
We felt the gazes of all the couples present appraising us. I shifted uncomfortably next to Sam, as she glared at her parents.
" That's very nice of you both. Not many grandparents are willing to participate in this way, even more so in this situation," the instructor smiled.
" Well, I would rather not have to see my daughter go through this, but since it has happened, we will support her through everything," Selena observed Sam with a forced expression of extreme affection, which didn't seem to be characteristic of the woman, "so Carl and I thought, they are not a couple, what if she goes into labor and he is away? We need to know what to do to help her.”
" Exactly, Sellie," Carl agreed with his wife.
" I'm going to kill these two," Sam murmured quietly.
" So the baby doesn't have a name yet? Is it a boy? " One of the parents, named Glover, decided to shift the focus a bit when he noticed our discomfort.
" Yes, it's a boy, but we both can't agree on a name," I replied, smiling at Sam in an attempt to distract her.
" We have to figure it out soon, or I'll end up calling him the Hurst-Adamos baby, and traumatizing him for the rest of his life.”
" Don't worry honey, your mom called you "monkey face" for over a week until we chose Samantha and you were fine.”
" She was very hairy," Selena confided to one of the mothers next to her.
" Can we start? " I questioned the instructor who seemed lost in the situation.
" Yes," she exclaimed, "let's assume the positions, dads settle down behind moms, and I'll start explaining the breathing techniques.”
I followed her instructions, settling in behind Sam, thinking about what the woman had said earlier about Sam and I being a beautiful family. I think that definition could be applied, that the three of us would form a family. A different family, but still a family.
I felt a little awkward as I settled Sam sitting between my legs, but that was what everyone had done. She also seemed a bit affected by our closeness, and I got the impression that Harper would not be at all happy if she came to any of these classes.
For the last two weeks I had been stuck in an impasse. I knew I had feelings for Sam, but I was also afraid of hurting Harper. And that would happen if we broke up now. So I was doing my best to get over my feelings for the mother of my son, and at times I even believed that I had, but all it took was a situation that brought us a little closer together, like now, to prove me wrong.
Her perfume invaded my nostrils, sharpening my every sense, making our closeness even more obvious.
" How have you been feeling? " I tried to distract myself, as the instructor began a brief explanation of what the Lamaze method was all about.
" He has been moving around a lot, especially when I try to sleep," she turned her face toward me, standing a few inches from my face.
Could it be that she doesn't feel anything with such close proximity? Is it only me?
" But what about you? " I insisted.
" Aside from the pain in my back, I'm fine," she looked straight ahead again, moving slightly away from me after looking at my mouth.
I felt her parents' gaze on both of us as we tried to keep our focus on the instructor.
" How is Harper? It's been a few days since I've seen her," Sam asked without looking at me.
" She's fine, she bought a present for the baby yesterday," I smiled, remembering her expression when she found the little blue coat, feeling guilty afterwards for thinking so much about Samantha while my girlfriend was thinking about my son.
" I hope she tastes better than your sister," Sam scoffed, referring to the gift Evangeline brought for our baby.
" It wasn't so bad " I smiled, following Beth's instructions for performing the exercises.
" "The Best Oops ever? It wasn't so bad?”
" She's right in a way," I held back a laugh, "You guys were the best slips of my life.”
Sam smiled frowning in a confused expression before looking away, blinking dazedly in an attempt to focus on her breathing while I thought about what I had just told her. Again I caught myself thinking about Harper. I couldn't fool myself any longer, there was no way I could continue in that situation. Every time the baby moved, every time I held her, every time I comforted her, I wanted more. And that wasn't right. Not while I was with Harper!
I tried to stay as far away as I could for the rest of that class, it would be torture for me, but it was necessary. When we left, I was about to offer her a ride, but her parents were quicker.
" I loved this class, when's the next one, Sam? " Selena asked excitedly.
" Next One? you're not invited to the next one," Sam growled.
" Honey, you've kept us apart for so long," Carl declared, "we want to help you in any way we can from now on.”
Samantha alternated her gaze between the two with an expression of pure panic.
" That's it, isn't it? “
" What?”
" You don't want to participate in all this because you are good grandparents and you are interested. This is your way of punishing me for not telling you about the pregnancy sooner! " she exclaimed in an accusing tone.
Selena opened her smile even wider, holding her daughter's face, showing off her perfectly painted fingernails.
" You know us so well, dear. We are going to participate in every detail until this baby is born.”
" Shall we go? " Carl asked pleased.
" Theon will give me a ride," she murmured, pulling away from her parents, "I'll see you next time you decide to make my life hell!”
" It'll be soon then," her father returned quietly, as the two of us walked away side by side.