Page 26 of Bending Under Pressure

Mom’s eyes widen, not expecting Keelan to give her so much info. “Oh.” She seems at loss for words and I want to laugh. “Well, that was nice of you, Haley.” She regains her parenting look, where she seems composed and authoritative. “However, it’s getting late and you should probably head home, Keelan.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’ll walk you out.” We stand and Mom lets us pass her. When we’re safely away from their ears, I say, “You didn’t have to tell her all of that.”

Keelan grins. “No, but I’ve learned if you drop something major like that, they usually believe you and don’t ask many more questions because it throws them off.”

“Did you want to talk about it? Your birth mom, I mean?”

He shrugs. “She wants me to get to know her and the rest of my family. I apparently have a sister and an aunt. I don’t know what I want to do though. Something doesn’t feel right about it.”

“Wow. That’s a lot to take in.”

He nods. The porch light flashes behind me, and I shake my head. “I should go. Thanks, Hales.” He leans in and kisses my cheek before opening his door. “Hey, if you want to talk about whatever’s going on with your dad, I’ll listen.”

I’m surprised he doesn’t already know. “Your mom didn’t tell you anything?”

He shakes his head. “No, she said you’d share whenever you’re ready. So, I’ll listen when you are if you want.”

“Thanks, Keelan.”

He finally leaves and I go inside to face my mom. Is she going to be mad? Suspicious? I have no clue what to expect. However, Mom knows exactly what she wants to say because she talks the moment I walk in.

“What do you think you’re doing here by yourself with a boy? And in your bedroom! You are not allowed to have anyone over if we are not here, Haley.” She folds her arms over her chest from where she stands behind the couch and waits.

“Okay, it won’t happen again. He needed someone to talk to, and I didn’t know where else we could go where he could have some privacy.” No need to put up a fight.

Mom narrows her eyes at me. “Don’t think I bought that y’all were just talking either.”

It’s as if she’s waiting for me to fess up. Ha. Not happening. I shrug. “Believe whatever you want, Mom. I’m going to do homework.”

“No more boys in the house, Haley!” she calls after me as I walk past her.

“Got it!” I’m glad she’s behind me now because she can’t see me rolling my eyes at her.

“Well?” I ask, having just recounted everything to my parents and Cameron. “What do you think?”

“What do you want to do?” Mom asks.

I shrug. “I want to know what you think.”

“This is your decision.”

“Mom! Please, just give me something here,” I beg, annoyed and frustrated. Something isn’t sitting well with me about Natalie, but I don’t know what it is. For all I know, I’m imagining it all because she’s disrupting the stability and familiarity of my life.

Mom pats my knee. “It sounds like your curious about your family.”

“They aren’t my family!” I shout, standing up, unable to sit on the couch any longer. “I don’t know them! They’re strangers, not family.”

“Lower your voice, Keelan,” Dad orders in a calm, yet demanding tone. We don’t yell and definitely not at our parents.

“Sorry, I just—” I run my hand over my head. “I don’t like this. I don’t want to be curious. I don’t want them to be my family when I already have a family I love. I don’t want to deal with this.”

Mom stands and gives me a hug. “It’s been a long day for you. Why don’t you go to bed and sleep on it? You don’t have to decide today or even tomorrow.”

“Yeah, okay,” I agree.

On the way to our room, Cameron finally speaks up to give me his opinion. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be freaking out. I’d want to know everything about them.”

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