Page 88 of Stick Work

“Are you not happy about the baby?”

I let out a shaky breath. Jesus, the baby. I haven’t really had a chance to process it. But the truth is, I want this baby. I want to raise it with Taylor and build a life together.

“Yeah, I’m happy, but she’s not.”

Grandma’s voice is quiet when she asks, “She’s not happy about the baby?”

“I don’t know, to be honest. Everything just imploded, and she and her brother kicked me out, and don’t want to talk to me.”

“Oh, dear.”

“Yeah.” I flop back down on the bed and let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s a mess, Grandma.”

“Nothing is a mess as long as you have love, Elias.”

“Love?” I pinch my eyes shut. “There’s no love, Grandma. Taylor never wanted to marry me, and not wanting to have my baby pretty much goes without saying.”

“I see.” Her voice is steady but there’s a sadness in it that makes my heart ache. I never wanted to hurt Grandma. But I have. I’ve hurt everyone.

“Why does that sound like you have more to say?” I ask quietly.

“Because I do. The real question is, are you ready to listen?”

The seriousness in her tone cuts through the chaos, and I suddenly realize I’m not just talking to my grandmother. I’m talking to someone who’s lived through love, loss and all the complicated messes in between. “Yes,” I mutter, my voice and the chaos quieter now.

“You know what was real?” she asks, her voice almost a whisper.

I swallow hard. “What.”

“Your love for Taylor and her love for you.”

“She doesn’t love me, Grandma. She just kicked me out of her house.”

“She loves you, Elias,” she says, her voice unwavering. “Trust me. But she’s scared.”

“Scared?”

“You asked her to pretend to live a lie for your family. You sold us some story about her wanting to be a big Hollywood actress.”

I cringe. “That’s not what she wants.”

“I know. But the point is, she couldn’t pretend to be something she wasn’t, because she loved you. Yet you kept up with the charade.”

“I just…thought Mom and Dad would be impressed by her Hollywood aspirations, that she would fit the image they wanted for the family,” I mumble, and shake my head at my own stupidity.

“No, son. We were all impressed because she was real and honest and open…and because she loves you. If she believed you loved her too, maybe you would have stopped pretending. Maybe you would have put an end to the act.”

I should have stopped pretending.

“But now,” Grandma’s voice softens, “Maybe she doesn’t think she’s enough for you or your family.”

The weight of her words crush me. God, I’m so fucking stupid. “She’s enough. She’s everything, Grandma.”

“Then what are you going to do to show her that?”

25

Taylor

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