Page 7 of The Reluctant Hero

There’s the sound of the phone shuffling around, and then Mom becomes louder.

“You’re on speakerphone. Tell me you're pregnant!”

Mom has wanted me to have kids since the day of the wedding. She would have been happy if I had dropped a baby on the walk down the aisle. I wanted kids, too, onmyschedule. Justin kept putting me off. The reminder is a dagger through the back that makes me gasp.

Silence falls, which is a mistake. I usually snark back unless Justin is in the room. He doesn’t like my parents at all and has never understood our dynamic.

Red flag.

Either way, not replying at all is a sure sign that something is wrong. I’m too busy trying to force back tears to answer.

“Amanda?” Mom asks cautiously.

“What’s going on, pumpkin? Let’s work through this.” Dad is trying to be logical. That’s a first.

“I’m getting a divorce,” I burst out and then hold my breath. I know they’ve always had reservations about Justin, but they made great strides into accepting him and-

“Thank God!” Mom squeals with delight.

The tears come out, along with a choked laugh of disbelief. What the hell?

“Do you need help packing?” Dad chimes in next. It sounds like Mom is dancing around in the background, fist-pumping.

“I can’t leave town.”

“What?” They both bark, all happiness wiped away in an instant.

I have to explain everything, from the affair and the phone throw to the lawyer’s advice. My parents are not quiet about it. If they had popcorn, they would throw it at the TV for lousy production values and scream.

“So what are we doing?” Mom asks with grim determination. “We can set his house on fire. It won’t be abandonment, then. No one could fault you for needing to move back in with us.”

“Suzanne,” Dad interrupts in a warning tone that Mom ignores.

“What? She doesn’t live there. Freak accident. Bad wiring.Ratschewing through everything. Work with me here, Edward.”

“No fires,” I feel a weak smile work over my face at their unwavering support. The sheer happiness they feel at me leaving him is a little painful, though. They knew all along that it wouldn’t work out. They warned me. This is atold-you-somoment, but they’re being nice enough not to say it to my face.

“We break his knees first,” Dad starts, but I cut him off before he gets any further.

“I need a lot of money to get a lawyer and start the ball rolling. Since he took it, all I’m left with is my savings, and it’s not going to last long.”

“I’m already looking up… Damn you, Edward! I had that credit card paid off!”

I can hear Dad cursing.

“Busted,” I chuckle.

“Thanks a lot,” he mutters back.

“What did you buy?” Mom demands in a wrathful tone.

“Our daughter is emotionally distraught, and you’re asking about what I’ve bought?” Dad deflects like a champ.

She harrumphs and snaps, “We can’t help you yet, Amanda. Is there any way you can get a job and make it through for a while? We’ll start paying things down here and get the card worked off,right Edward?”

“Yes, dear,” Dad says meekly. It’s an act he’s perfected over the years.

“In the meantime, you’ve got some work to do yourself, young lady,” she turns the stern voice on me next.

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