what I would’ve done.”
“Oh, mom. That’s the saddest thing I ever heard.”
Her mother sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I needed their help, and they turned their back on me.”
“I’m so sorry.” Emily’s own tears began blurring her mother’s face.
“It’s not your fault, Emily.” She stopped pacing and took a moment to gather herself. “It was mine. I think I took it out on you anyway, a little, by being so strict with you. I thought that if I made sure you were good, nothing would happen to you.”
“Mom, it doesn’t work like that.”
“I’m not so sure.” She looked ready to cry again. “We are all punished for our sins.”
“I’m not punishment.” Could her mother really believe that? She didn’t think so, but after today… she wasn’t sure. “I see this baby—my baby—as a blessing. The timing is just really off.”
“Maybe.” Her mother sighed but didn’t sound very convinced. She sat down and Emily came over and sat beside her. She gave Emily a strained smile. “Just so you know, Emily. I’ve always loved you and I won’t do to you what my parents did to me.”
Emily put her arms around her and gave her a hug. “I’m glad to hear that. I love you too.”
Her mother pulled back and straightened her skirt. Strain was clearly written across her face. “Now, I just have to figure out how to tell your father.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think I should.”
“Mom, I’m not sixteen years old anymore. I’m almost thirty.”
“You’re still our little girl.”
“ She what?”
Sam Dougherty exploded so loud Emily heard him shouting from the first floor to the second. She gulped. Even though her mother pleaded with her to wait in her old bedroom, Emily didn’t feel it was right to leave her mother to face her father alone. She crept down the stairs, the bearing wall that ran to the roof where the stairs climbed the only defense against her father’s wrath.
“Now, Sam. Calm down.”
“Calm down! How dare she? After all we’ve done for her.”
“I know you are upset—”
“Upset doesn’t begin to cover it! Where is she?”
“In her room, but Sam—”
“Don’t ‘but Sam’ me, Amanda.” He spun and shouted out, “Emily Rose Dougherty, get your butt down here!”
Emily rounded the wall to the living room. “You don’t have to yell, Dad.”
She’d never seen Sam Dougherty so angry. At that moment, all the connection she felt for him crumbled. He wasn’t her father. She didn’t share a bit of his DNA. For most of her life all she remembered was Sam Dougherty being upset, or disagreeable, or demanding. As a young girl he made her tremble. When she was older, all he did was make her angry. The thought scared her.
“What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Say? What would you have me say, dear daddy? ”
Her mother winced at Emily’s tone.
“Explain yourself!”
“I think the words ‘I’m pregnant’ are pretty self-explanatory.”
“Don’t be sarcastic with me!”
Emily sighed. “I know you’re disappointed, but being angry won’t change it. Things are as they are. I wanted to tell you before anyone else did. Mom convinced me to let her tell you. That mistake is mine.” She grabbed her purse and walked toward the back door.
“Just where do you think you are going?”
“I’m doing what I should’ve done a long time ago. I’m growing up. I’ll let you know how it works out.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
A New Complication
Saks didn’t show nor did he call, which pissed Luke off, but what was he going to do? He couldn’t drag the man to work by his heels. Saks wouldn’t answer his phone either. Luke’s calls went straight to voicemail. He supposed the six day workweeks, and the lack of the weekly road trips that used to be the highlight of their week, had gotten to Saks. He just wanted a day off. Luke didn’t blame him, but he did expect the courtesy of a
“Oh, mom. That’s the saddest thing I ever heard.”
Her mother sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “I needed their help, and they turned their back on me.”
“I’m so sorry.” Emily’s own tears began blurring her mother’s face.
“It’s not your fault, Emily.” She stopped pacing and took a moment to gather herself. “It was mine. I think I took it out on you anyway, a little, by being so strict with you. I thought that if I made sure you were good, nothing would happen to you.”
“Mom, it doesn’t work like that.”
“I’m not so sure.” She looked ready to cry again. “We are all punished for our sins.”
“I’m not punishment.” Could her mother really believe that? She didn’t think so, but after today… she wasn’t sure. “I see this baby—my baby—as a blessing. The timing is just really off.”
“Maybe.” Her mother sighed but didn’t sound very convinced. She sat down and Emily came over and sat beside her. She gave Emily a strained smile. “Just so you know, Emily. I’ve always loved you and I won’t do to you what my parents did to me.”
Emily put her arms around her and gave her a hug. “I’m glad to hear that. I love you too.”
Her mother pulled back and straightened her skirt. Strain was clearly written across her face. “Now, I just have to figure out how to tell your father.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I think I should.”
“Mom, I’m not sixteen years old anymore. I’m almost thirty.”
“You’re still our little girl.”
“ She what?”
Sam Dougherty exploded so loud Emily heard him shouting from the first floor to the second. She gulped. Even though her mother pleaded with her to wait in her old bedroom, Emily didn’t feel it was right to leave her mother to face her father alone. She crept down the stairs, the bearing wall that ran to the roof where the stairs climbed the only defense against her father’s wrath.
“Now, Sam. Calm down.”
“Calm down! How dare she? After all we’ve done for her.”
“I know you are upset—”
“Upset doesn’t begin to cover it! Where is she?”
“In her room, but Sam—”
“Don’t ‘but Sam’ me, Amanda.” He spun and shouted out, “Emily Rose Dougherty, get your butt down here!”
Emily rounded the wall to the living room. “You don’t have to yell, Dad.”
She’d never seen Sam Dougherty so angry. At that moment, all the connection she felt for him crumbled. He wasn’t her father. She didn’t share a bit of his DNA. For most of her life all she remembered was Sam Dougherty being upset, or disagreeable, or demanding. As a young girl he made her tremble. When she was older, all he did was make her angry. The thought scared her.
“What do you have to say for yourself?”
“Say? What would you have me say, dear daddy? ”
Her mother winced at Emily’s tone.
“Explain yourself!”
“I think the words ‘I’m pregnant’ are pretty self-explanatory.”
“Don’t be sarcastic with me!”
Emily sighed. “I know you’re disappointed, but being angry won’t change it. Things are as they are. I wanted to tell you before anyone else did. Mom convinced me to let her tell you. That mistake is mine.” She grabbed her purse and walked toward the back door.
“Just where do you think you are going?”
“I’m doing what I should’ve done a long time ago. I’m growing up. I’ll let you know how it works out.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
A New Complication
Saks didn’t show nor did he call, which pissed Luke off, but what was he going to do? He couldn’t drag the man to work by his heels. Saks wouldn’t answer his phone either. Luke’s calls went straight to voicemail. He supposed the six day workweeks, and the lack of the weekly road trips that used to be the highlight of their week, had gotten to Saks. He just wanted a day off. Luke didn’t blame him, but he did expect the courtesy of a
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