Samantha
I stared at that statement. They doesn't want to go to Adamos house, do they?
" Excuse-me, What? " I stammered.
" I want to meet the father of my grandson," he explained, "Your mother and I will change at the hotel, and come back here to pick up you and the Green girl.”
" Dad, I can't bring guests to a lunch where I've already been invited," I tried to argue, following them to the door, "it would be rude!”
" See Carl, and we thought the etiquette classes were a total waste of money," my mother sighed with false pride.
" You're right, it would be impolite, but the man invited us," my father reassured me, "by the way, it would be rude of him not to invite his own son's grandparents!”
I felt a wave of panic start to wash over me. They can't come today! Not when all his family and friends will be there!
" But... " I couldn't think of any other way to avoid that meeting.
" Samantha, let's put it this way. Either we meet him today, or we meet him at another time, without your supervision," my mother smiled.
" Qué infierno" I cursed in Spanish, receiving a disapproving look from my father.
" What's it going to be, Samantha? " he crossed his arms, staring at me.
" I'll get ready and tell Theon.”
The two of them left, leaving me standing there wondering what to do next. I didn't want Theon to deal with this in the middle of his family, but I also couldn't trust the two of them alone with him. Couldn't they have shown up some other time!?
" This was your fault, you should have told them sooner," I muttered to myself before going upstairs.
I went into the guest room where I had sent Charlie as soon as we arrived, and knocked on the door.
" You may come in," she hummed.
She was in her lingerie in the bathroom, drying her wet hair, indicating that she had just stepped out of the shower.
" Are they gone? " she asked.
" Yes, it wasn't as bad as I'd hoped," I sighed, approaching the bathroom door as she looked at me through the mirror.
" We met at the airport, and I tried to warn you, but you didn't answer your cell phone.”
" I had a lot to do today, and what worries me is that they've decided they want to meet Theon anyway," I leaned against the doorframe.
" So we're still going to dinner?"
" Yes, I'll let him know," I sighed.
She offered me an encouraging smile as I walked away to my room. I showered and dressed immediately, trying to look as nice as possible. Charlie came into my room ready to go, sitting on the bed, watching me as I put on my makeup.
" And how are things with Theon? " she asked after a quick moment.
I sighed defeated and went to bed. I knew that at some point she would ask me this question, and it would be good to be able to open up to her again.
" A total mess. He slept here last night," I settled down beside her, "we painted the baby’s room, had dinner together, and, I don't know, Charlie. We get along so well.”
" But does he still have a girlfriend?”
" Yes, He has. She was supposed to come yesterday too, she's been there more and more, but there was a storm and it got in the way," I groaned.
" And you don't mind her presence? " Charlie looked at me.
" Well, sometimes I feel bad about how Theon treats her, and there's a little jealousy there," I admitted, "I wish I could be in her place, I wish I could get his attentions like that. But she's a good person and I would never do anything to hurt her!”
" Maybe you should think more about yourself, Sam," she frowned, "talk to Theon, because the way you say he treats you, he probably feels something too.”
" And I'd feel like the worst person in the universe! " Charlie, you don't know Harper. She's an amazing, beautiful, intelligent woman, and she's been very kind, despite this whole situation. I couldn't hurt her like that. I will not be responsible for the end of their relationship!”
" But if they break up…”
" I promised her " I denied it " I'm not like that, I could never take part in that. And on top of everything else, there's Mike, we're getting along, and we're have another date next week.”
" And are you happy about this? " she asked, and to my relief, the doorbell interrupted us.
" I can give him a chance, you said yourself that I'll never know unless I try," I indicated the door, "come on, my parents should be here soon.”
I felt lighter in my parents' presence after our conversation, even with the imminent threat to my son's father, I felt good about their presence. I knew that in the end, they would support me, and I felt like a real fool for having hidden my situation for so long.
" Dad, please go easy on Theon," I pleaded as we waited for someone to answer the door.
" Honey, you misunderstand me," he smiled, "I would never do anything to the father of my grandson.”
" I know you, Carl," I warned him as someone approached the door, "if I suspect that you're up to anything, I'll put you on a plane back to Texas!”
" I'd like to see you try, little girl," he laughed.
Before I could answer, Gregor opened the door to the room, smiling at me.
" Samantha, you look stunning as always! " he smiled " How is little Gregor?”
" I told you, his name is not Gregor," I rolled my eyes, "Evangelous, these are my parents, Selena and Carl Hurst.”
" The Hurst family... It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he wrapped his shoulder around me, guiding me into the house, "Hey Liny, you'll never guess who just arrived.”
Liny? Is he talking about Theon's little sister? Is she here? All questions were answered when a young woman about my age came to meet me. She had light hair and eyes, delicate features on her face, and was wearing a long-sleeved white flowered blouse, black shorts, and high heels.
Isn't it a little cold for her to be dressed like that?
" Oh my goodness, it's so nice to finally meet you," she smiled before kneeling in front of me, caressing my belly.
" Hmm hi... " I caught the attention of the girl who was still touching my belly.
Why do people I don't even know have a habit of doing this? Since when does a pregnant woman's belly become public domain?
" Hi, you're Samantha, aren't you? I'm Evangeline, but you can call me Liny. I've been dying to meet you," she stood up with a smile on her face, "tell me, what's it like being pregnant with my brother?”
I thought of countless ways to answer that, "Being pregnant with Theon was the best and worst thing that had ever happened.” "He is the perfect father, and yet I would rather someone else be the father." "It's a total mess that affects my mind every day.”
" Well, I guess it's the same thing as being pregnant by someone else " I tried to get away from the subject " Liny, these are my parents, Carl and Selena Hurst and this is my friend Charlie.”
" Hello, Evangeline Adamos.”
Liny introduced herself before watching Charlie for a while after shaking hands with my parents.
She was the complete opposite of Theon, her personality seemed to be lively, and at some moments even a little inconvenient, while he was more centered.
" Hey, are you the one who worked with her?" Liny asked Charlie.
" Yes, we both danced together.”
" What's it like to work with her? Was the money good? Did you have fun?”
" Callie, get your sister away from the girl, before she becomes a stripper," I rolled my eyes when I heard Delphine's voice.
" Stripper? " my mother raised an eyebrow at me.
" I told you I'm not a stripper, you old witch! " I turned, seeing her walking toward us with her cane.
" You may not have been a stripper, but you have no idea how easy it is to fool this one," Delphine muttered, pointing her cane at my father, "You could sell her to a French brothel, and she'd probably only realize it after a week!”
" γιαγιά! " Liny exclaimed offended.
" It would be a good investment.”
My father declared after measuring the girl, making me want to hide in a hole.
" FATHER!”
" What does this mean? " she stared at us with a confused expression, drawing a smile from Delphine.
" Do you see what I mean?”
" For God's sake," I rolled my eyes, "nobody is selling Evangeline to a French brothel!”
" Are you negotiating my sister? " Lara approached with Daphne in her arms " Theon is over there, Samantha.”
She pointed to her brother, who was walking from the bar towards the living room, where the men were gathered watching the game, carrying a few beers. Callie, Harper, Agatha and Lilly were sitting near the piano, talking.
" Did you eat before you came? " Delphine questioned.
" I'm not hungry," I took a deep breath, watching the woman walk away as soon as I uttered the first word.
" Samantha, come sit down," Theon came toward me after handing the guests their beers, "Hello Charlie, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst. It's a pleasure to see you again.”
" The pleasure will be all mine, young man " Carl smiled openly, shaking Theon's hand.
" Dad," I murmured in a warning tone.
" That was not a threat," he clarified as the man alternated his gaze between the two of us.
" Samantha, you should sit down," Theon insisted, shifting his focus a little, "I'll get you some juice. Can I get you anything?”
My father nodded, and Theon walked away, while I followed him to a vacant seat at the table by the glass door.
" At least he's polite," my mother whispered.
" Yes, he is," I held back a smile, receiving a warning look from Charlie.
Delphine returned to her grandson's side, carrying a tray with something on top.
" Here you are, you need to eat," the woman offered me some puff pastry tortillas.
" What are these? " I frowned, as Theon placed a glass of juice next to me, before settling into the vacant seat beside me.
" Tiropita, they are filled with cheese," he explained, "you don't have to be afraid.”
" I'm not, but I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't let your grandmother make me eat like a duck today," I sighed.
" These girls today don't want to hear the voice of experience," Delphine murmured discontentedly, "she needs to feed, she's so thin she doesn't look like she's having a baby!”
" In my opinion this part is quite apparent," my father declared, while Charlie gave me an amused look, "but I agree with you, she needs to feed!”
I groaned, leaning my forehead against the table.
Theon held his laughter as I sighed and started to eat, to the old crazy lady's satisfaction.
" So, are you two managing okay with this situation? " my mother appraised us.
" Mom, I told you, we're fine," I took a deep breath.
" Yes, you don't have to worry," Theon assured us, shifting uneasily in his chair.
" Kid, you're going to be a father soon," Carl stared at him, "you'll understand that there's always something to worry about.”
Charlie alternated his gaze between us before getting up.
" This seems like the kind of conversation that needs a little privacy," she smiled, "I'm going
to go meet the girls.”
" Well, I'll be right here," Delphine declared unaffectedly.
" I'll meet you later," I forced a smile at Charlie before she walked away.
Nothing was going according to plan. This isn't fair!
" Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, I know that our situation is…”
" Totally insane? " my father cut him off.
" The biggest mistake of your lives? " my mother added.
" Delicate," I growled.
" Yes, it is delicate," he continued without shaking, "but that doesn't mean it was a mistake!
That statement made something warm inside me, doesn't he consider us a mistake? But that feeling didn't last.
" No? Don't you consider getting a girl you didn't even know pregnant a mistake? " Delphine questioned openly, causing me to bite the inside of my cheeks.
" It was irresponsible, and crazy," he assumed.
" I'm glad you know," my mother rolled her eyes as I busied myself eating the tortillas, feeling Harper's gaze on us the whole time.
How must she feel about the whole situation?
" But it wasn't a mistake," Theon stated again, "this baby is already part of our lives, and I can't regret his existence.”
My father watched us in silence for a few moments while I absorbed the real meaning of that sentence. In the end, he has no regrets for our baby, and as hard as it was, I had no regrets either!
" You know, Adamos. You won't be able to understand what I felt when I came here and saw my daughter pregnant," my father began, "or when I saw her crying earlier in her kitchen because she was going through such a difficult situation alone.”
" Alone? But…”
" I wanted to tear every inch of skin off your body," my father continued as I felt my face heat up at the sight of Theon's gaze.
I don't mean that he's not supporting me or anything, but it's different than having the support of my parents!
" But one thing I've learned in these twenty-six years of parenting is that it's impossible to protect your daughter from all dangers. Sometimes we have to step back and let them learn from their mistakes," he held my hand.
" And that's why we decided to rent a house here and spend more time with you," my mother stated naturally, causing me to choke on a piece of pasta, while Theon still stared at me with an expression I couldn't quite decipher.
My mind, however, was stuck on what my mother had just told me. She's got to be kidding me!
" What did you say? " my voice came out in a rasp when I finally regained it after coughing for air.