“Are you pregnant?” Lauren asked.
“What?” my dad yelled. “You’re pregnant?”
“No, I’m not pregnant,” I said. I thought about how I had narrowly escaped that, but I didn’t think telling them about my almost-pregnancy was such a good idea.
“Phew. You almost gave me a heart attack!” Lauren said as she turned to my dad and smiled at him. He smiled back at her, and I smiled internally. If only they knew what I was about to say next.
“So, Tyler and I….” I started, but lost my confidence. I had prepared a whole speech, yet I forgot what I wanted to say when it mattered most. The adults turned to Tyler as if expecting him to complete my sentence.
“We’re dating!” he blurted out.
The two of us looked at our parents, expecting them to burst out laughing, yelling, screaming, shouting or something to show how they felt, but they did nothing but look at each other.
“Do you want to tell them?” my dad asked Lauren.
“Might as well,” she said.
“Tell us what?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
“I know it seems crazy, but your dad and I are ex-stepsiblings.”
“What?” Tyler asked, sitting up.
“Jack’s dad was married to my mom in our late teenage years. It was a second marriage for both of them. They ended up getting a divorce a few years later and remarrying other people. But that’s how we met, and even though our lives took several paths after that, one always remembers their first love, right, Jack?” She winked at him seductively.
Without saying another word, I could tell they had been together as a couple at some point in their life before going on to marry our other parents.
“So, you’re not mad?” Tyler asked.
“Why should we be? You are not related by blood, and if you want and love each other, why should we keep you guys apart? It makes it easier to plan a wedding,” Lauren said.
I looked at Tyler, who looked overwhelmed by the recent craziness. I certainly had someone looking out for me; first I had escaped being pregnant by a hair, and now, the moment we had been dreading for weeks turns out so calm I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
“Dad?” I turned to my dad to hear his opinion. “What do you think?”
“Exactly what Lauren said. Be responsible and don’t abuse your privileges, and if you want to be with each other, we’ll fully support you while it lasts.”
I looked at Lauren, then at my dad. They were not kidding. They truly were giving us their blessing. Bizarre, but I will take it.
“Tyler?” I said, looking at him. He threw his hands up.
“What can I say? I guess it runs in the family.”
*** THE END ***