Destiny's Detour by Mari Brown Page A

me when I say that this is not the end of the world. We will just have to make some adjustments.”
    I hug my mom, so happy that she is taking this so well. Then another thought hits me. “Um, Mom, who’s going to tell Dad?”
    She laughs and says, “We will tell him together”
    Then it hits me. Troy! I have to tell Troy, and then worry sets in. What if he isn’t ready? What if he breaks up with me? Well, wouldn’t that be awkward? I pull out my phone and send Troy a text telling him I am sorry for being a bitch and that I really love him. In seconds, I get a text back saying he has already forgiven me and that he loves me, too. When I look up, my mom and Amy are watching me.
    The three of us sit there for a little while talking things over, and more time passes than we realize. The front door slams open, and David and Troy rush through it. Once again, I am surprised.
    “What are y’all doing here?”
    “Lover boy over here was driving me crazy. We knew you came home, and he wanted to be with you, so here we are. I couldn’t let him drive himself,” David says.
    I smile at Troy. He comes over, then leans down and kisses me. “Why are you still crying?”
    Before I can open my mouth, David shouts, “What the fuck!”
    I glance over at my brother to see what has caused him to scream out like that. Oh, no! I realize that the pregnancy test is still on the coffee table for anyone to see. His eyes jump from the table to Amy and me. Well, this is not how I expected this to be revealed.
    My mom speaks first. “David, do you have to use such language? Really, didn’t I raise you better?”
    “Who does that belong to, Mom?”
    She pauses before saying, “Um, well …”
    I interrupt and say, “It’s mine, and thanks for making this a public declaration instead of something private.”
    I hesitate before I glance over at Troy. He has a bewildered look on his face until his eyes focus on the test. He walks to the table and looks down at it. Without a word, David lunges and punches Troy hard in the face, causing him to fall beside me on the couch.
    “ David! ” My mom and I shout at the same time.
    “ Oh! Troy, are you okay?” I ask as I reach up and gingerly caress his face. I look at my brother and can see how angry he is. I open my mouth, but before I can say anything, he turns and starts walking towards the front door. The walls shake from how hard he slams it. I turn back and fuss over Troy as I check his eye to make sure there is no major damage other than the fact that he is going to have a mean shiner.
    “Amy, why don’t you and I head into the kitchen to get some dinner started and let Destiny and Troy talk,” my mom says.
    “Great idea,” Amy replies.
    Troy and I are left there together. He still hasn’t said a single word.
    “Troy?” I question.
    “So this is why you have been so moody?”
    “It would seem so.”
    We sit in silence, and then slowly, Troy moves closer to me. He leans over to give me a slow tender kiss and says, “So, we’re going to be parents?”
    I search his face and all I see is acceptance. “Yep, we are.”
    “Destiny, I am in shock. I can’t say this timing is the best, but we’ll figure it out together.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes, really. You didn’t think I would leave you over this, did you? I told you. I love you and I plan to be with you a long time.”
    “Honestly, Troy, I didn’t know what your reaction was going to be. You’re just a junior in college, and I am a freshman. This is not supposed to happen now”
    “Baby, we will get through this together. We can make it work.”
    Tears slide down my face. Stupid hormones. Stupid tears.
    “Troy, I really do love you.”
    “I love you, too, Princess.”
    Then his lips find mine, and we share one of the most tender, sweet kisses that I have ever experienced in my life. I can understand Troy still being in shock. My knowing that things will work out has helped calm me. I am so happy that we are going to share