At seven that evening, Greg was sitting on the sofa twelve minutes before Emma was supposed to call.<\/p>\n
He pretended this was accidental.<\/p>\n
I did not dignify the claim with a response.<\/p>\n
His laptop sat open on the coffee table. The camera was adjusted. The lamp behind us had been moved because Greg decided it created glare. He had changed shirts twice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou understand this is a family video call, not a hostage negotiation.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sitting on my own sofa.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ironed your shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was wrinkled.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do not iron shirts for conversations with our children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI respect them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wore a sweatshirt during Michael\u2019s promotion call.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was different.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t remember.\u201d<\/p>\n
At precisely seven, the screen chimed.<\/p>\n
Greg sat straighter.<\/p>\n
I clicked accept.<\/p>\n
Emma appeared beside Daniel at their kitchen table.<\/p>\n
The first thing I noticed was that Daniel looked as if he had been ordered not to smile and was failing badly.<\/p>\n
Greg noticed too.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi to you too, Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHi. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel looked down.<\/p>\n
Emma took a breath.<\/p>\n
I reached for Greg\u2019s hand.<\/p>\n
He glanced at me.<\/p>\n
Then Emma said, \u201cWe\u2019re having a baby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg did not move.<\/p>\n
For one strange second, the sentence seemed to pass through him without registering.<\/p>\n
Then his mouth opened.<\/p>\n
Nothing came out.<\/p>\n
Emma started crying.<\/p>\n
Greg stood so abruptly his knee struck the coffee table.<\/p>\n
The laptop shook.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma laughed through her tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pregnant.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg put both hands over his face.<\/p>\n
I had expected tears.<\/p>\n
I had not expected him to turn away from the screen.<\/p>\n
His shoulders shook once.<\/p>\n
Then again.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad?\u201d Emma said.<\/p>\n
He pressed his palms against his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cGive me a second.\u201d<\/p>\n
I touched his back.<\/p>\n
He lowered his hands.<\/p>\n
There was no attempt to hide what he felt.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma covered her mouth.<\/p>\n
Greg leaned toward the laptop as though physical distance were suddenly unbearable.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow far?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlmost eleven weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEleven weeks?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked briefly wounded.<\/p>\n
Emma saw it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to wait until after the appointment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
The answer came immediately.<\/p>\n
He corrected himself before the hurt became accusation.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course you did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel finally allowed himself to grin.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything looked good yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg closed his eyes.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he began asking questions.<\/p>\n
Had Emma been feeling well?<\/p>\n
Was she sleeping?<\/p>\n
Was she taking prenatal vitamins?<\/p>\n
Had they chosen a doctor?<\/p>\n
Did their building have an elevator?<\/p>\n
The elevator question stopped everyone.<\/p>\n
Emma blinked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy do you need to know that?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel laughed.<\/p>\n
Greg rubbed his forehead.<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma looked at him with tenderness.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, apparently I\u2019m already inspecting infrastructure from nine hundred miles away.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat took approximately forty seconds,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty-five,\u201d Daniel offered.<\/p>\n
Greg pointed at the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou stay out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
For several minutes, the joy carried us.<\/p>\n
We talked about the appointment.<\/p>\n
Emma held up a grainy ultrasound image that meant almost nothing to my eyes and everything to all of us.<\/p>\n
Greg moved closer to the screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that the head?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe technician explained it better.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSend me the full-resolution image.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFor archival purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Emma.<\/p>\n
She looked back.<\/p>\n
We both knew the difficult part had arrived.<\/p>\n
She inhaled.<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, there\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s smile disappeared immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
He relaxed by a fraction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just need you to hear me before you respond.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg glanced at me.<\/p>\n
I squeezed his hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Emma looked down at the table, then back into the camera.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s forehead creased.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean really involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
He waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want you and Mom visiting. I want the baby to know you. I want you to give me advice when I ask for it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you ask.\u201d<\/p>\n
She gave him a look.<\/p>\n
He nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t want you making this your whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room changed.<\/p>\n
Greg did not move.<\/p>\n
Emma continued before fear stopped her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told us this morning that you miss being needed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI shouldn\u2019t have dumped that on you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, listen.\u201d<\/p>\n
His mouth closed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m having a baby. That doesn\u2019t mean you get your old job back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pain crossed his face so quickly that Emma nearly lost her nerve.<\/p>\n
I felt it beside me.<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s fingers loosened from mine.<\/p>\n
Emma leaned toward the camera.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat came out harsher than I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s voice was quiet.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinish.\u201d<\/p>\n
She swallowed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was little, you fixed everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy bike. My car. My college applications. Every stupid science project. Every apartment move.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shelf in your first apartment would have collapsed.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt did collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause you ignored my anchors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDad.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stopped.<\/p>\n
Emma smiled sadly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love that about you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg said nothing.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019m going to become somebody\u2019s mother. Daniel and I need to learn how to do this ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel placed a hand over hers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to need help,\u201d she continued. \u201cA lot of help. I just don\u2019t want you sitting around waiting for us to need you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg\u2019s eyes glistened again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s silence answered him.<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
I did not rescue him.<\/p>\n
Finally he nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI might.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma\u2019s shoulders dropped.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s all I\u2019m saying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg rubbed his palms together.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how to do this part.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat part?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStand nearby without grabbing the toolbox.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can probably find jobs for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is exactly the problem,\u201d Emma said.<\/p>\n
For a second I worried Greg would retreat behind humor.<\/p>\n
Instead he leaned back.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Emma looked wary.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll right what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTry what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be your father without turning into your project manager.\u201d<\/p>\n
I almost laughed.<\/p>\n
Emma did.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat would be excellent.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg looked at Daniel.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you tell me if I\u2019m becoming unbearable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Daniel\u2019s expression became cautious.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs this legally binding?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I would like witnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
We all laughed.<\/p>\n
The tension eased, though it did not disappear.<\/p>\n
Then Greg asked the question I had been waiting for.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen are you due?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApril twenty-third.\u201d<\/p>\n
His face changed again.<\/p>\n
April.<\/p>\n
Spring.<\/p>\n
A date now existed where there had only been an idea.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to have a baby,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
Emma smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to be grandparents.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
His joy was almost boyish.<\/p>\n
For the rest of the call, he behaved remarkably well.<\/p>\n
He asked before offering advice.<\/p>\n
Twice.<\/p>\n
The third time he forgot.<\/p>\n
Emma reminded him.<\/p>\n
He apologized.<\/p>\n
Nobody died.<\/p>\n
After the call ended, Greg remained staring at the dark laptop screen.<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
Finally he said, \u201cShe was scared to tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was careful about telling you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is a polite version.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also true.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stood and walked toward the window.<\/p>\n
Outside, the yard had disappeared into darkness.<\/p>\n
The flower bed where we had found Susan and Steve was barely visible.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought being the dependable father was a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cApparently there\u2019s a statute of limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n
I joined him.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe job changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI hate that sentence.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they were five, nobody said the job would someday become waiting for permission.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe because exhausted parents of five-year-olds would revolt.\u201d<\/p>\n
He smiled faintly.<\/p>\n
Then he looked toward the guest room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do I do with all of it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of what?\u201d<\/p>\n
He made a helpless motion with both hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis.\u201d<\/p>\n
The need.<\/p>\n
The love.<\/p>\n
The instinct to solve.<\/p>\n
I understood without further explanation.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou already found somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe rescue.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat feels pathetic when you say it like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He watched me carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mean that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven after the lying?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe lying was the problem. The rescue wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg turned toward the hallway.<\/p>\n
From the guest room came a sharp chorus of tiny cries.<\/p>\n
Feeding time.<\/p>\n
He smiled despite himself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI suppose my night shift is calling.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOur night shift.\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
This time he understood the difference.<\/p>\n
We fed the kittens together.<\/p>\n
Later, while Greg cleaned the bottles, I picked up the rescue paperwork again.<\/p>\n
Near the bottom was a handwritten note I had not noticed before.<\/p>\n
Foster homes urgently needed.<\/p>\n
I read it twice.<\/p>\n
Then I looked toward my husband.<\/p>\n
A thought came to me that I immediately disliked.<\/p>\n
Not because it was wrong.<\/p>\n
Because it might be exactly right.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreg.\u201d<\/p>\n
He turned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow long can Susan and Steve stay here?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou mean tonight?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean until they\u2019re old enough to be adopted.\u201d<\/p>\n
His expression became very still.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re asking whether we could foster them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m asking what would happen if we did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Greg did not smile.<\/p>\n
That surprised me.<\/p>\n
Instead he put the bottle brush down carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cLaura, before you offer, there\u2019s something you should know about fostering.\u201d<\/p>\n
The seriousness in his voice made me wish I had asked sooner.<\/p>\n
At seven that evening, Greg was sitting on the sofa twelve minutes before Emma was supposed to call. He pretended this was accidental. I did not dignify the claim with … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insightdrama"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13470"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13494,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13470\/revisions\/13494"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/insightdrama.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}