Page 71 of Sometimes You Fall

Grady

“You sure you don’t want some help?” Astrid says, hovering over me like I’m about to do something wrong.

“I’m grilling chicken and hot dogs. How can I fuck that up?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugs as Penn wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her into his chest. “I just don’t like standing around not helping.”

“If I asked you to stir the pasta salad, would that help ease your anxiety?”

She wriggles free of Penn and darts to the fridge. “Absolutely.”

Penn and I laugh at my sister. “I swear, you’re more nervous than I am.”

Astrid brings the bowl of pasta salad over to the counter. “I just want everything to be perfect for you,” my sister says affectionately. “I know you want this and—”

“I’m working on it, Astrid,” I cut in, glancing nervously toward the door. I don’t want to risk my mother overhearing the reason for this dinner before I can tell her myself. That is, if she hasn’t already foundout from the rumor mill. The past few weeks have been insane and the last thing I wanted was to tell her this news over the phone.

I know Scottie’s mom and grandma know, but I wanted to have more answers for the questions my mother will inevitably have. Astrid’s already reprimanded me for keeping this from Mom, but between trying to get Scottie to open up to me and Chase to stop fighting me at every turn, my head has been a mess.

“Have things gotten any better?” Astrid asks, stirring the pasta as Penn nurses a beer from his perch on a stool at the island. Bentley and Lilly are watching some show called Bluey that they’re currently obsessed with in the living room.

“Yes, with Chase at least.”

Astrid’s face lights up. “Well, that sounds promising.”

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

Penn clears his throat. “Melissa just pulled up.”

Astrid and I turn to look out the front window just as our mother shuts her car door, walking carefully up to the front porch with a casserole dish in hand.

I quickly rinse my hands in the sink and nod toward Astrid. “I’m gonna go talk to her before Scottie and her family get here.”

“Good luck!” my sister calls out as I make my way to the front door.

I open it just as my mom approaches and steps onto the porch. “Hey, Mom.”

She beams, perching up on her toes to kiss my cheek. “I have to say, this invitation was a pleasant surprise. It’s usually your sister who’s coordinating our family dinners.”

“Well, I might have had an ulterior motive,” I admit, leading her inside.

Her brows arch. “Is that so?”

“Yeah. Follow me.” I lead her down the hallway, dropping off her casserole dish in the kitchen as we make our way to the den, a state-of-the-art game and movie room I insisted on when I built this place. “You might want to sit for what I’m about to tell you.”

My mother lowers herself into one of the recliners, eyeing me cautiously. “You’re scaring me, Grady.”

Running a hand through my hair, I say, “No need to be scared, but I do have some news that’s going to surprise you.”

“Okay…”

“I’m going to be a dad,” I blurt out, watching as the shock ripples across her face, her jaw dropping.

“What?”

“I’m having a kid in September…with Scottie Daniels.”

That has her eyes widening even further. “Your friend Scottie from high school?”

---