It had all become too much. Damon kissing Kaylie and then being outright disappointed that he and I could finally be together were the tipping point. As if finding out I was pregnant wasn't life shattering enough. The worst part was that Kaylie had to be such a good friend and tell me the truth about their indiscretion, so it was impossible to be angry with her. Figuring out what to do didn't take me long; I hated to leave my mom and Brian, but one thing was certain: I couldn't continue to live in Boulder. That's how I ended up here, in Vegas. Moving in with my godmother was the only option.
Pulling into the driveway of my godmother's modest one-story home, I put my car in park and took a deep breath. I cut the engine and made my way up the two small steps leading to the door. I lifted my hand to rap on the door and froze. What would I say to her? How would I explain my situation? Better yet, how would she react to seeing me after all these years? Finally, after what felt like eons of deliberation, I brought my hand to the door and knocked. A minute or so had passed when the door slowly swung open.
"Emily Kmetco?" She gasped, stunned.
"Hi," I choked out.
Thankfully, my godmother welcomed me with open arms. She wasn't happy that my mother and I failed to keep in touch with her, but nevertheless, she was willing to take me in. I explained everything to her at her kitchen table as best I could, but she reacted the same way as (I can only assume) everyone else-with sheer disappointment. Silence followed. Then: "Stay as long as you'd like, honey. But I hope you know you can't hide from your problems forever," she warned.
"Well I can always try, right?" I joked halfheartedly.
A couple of days later, I was sorting laundry in my basket when I came across a shiny red, white, and blue ensemble. I held it up and stared at it longingly. It was my one of my leos. Just then, I heard a series of taps on the door. At that, I snapped out of it and shoved the leo to the bottom of the heap and rushed to the door. Grabbing the handle, I flung the door open and stared blankly at the face opposite of mine.
Damon.
I closed the door behind me and stepped outside. "What are you doing here?" I said, crossing my arms.
"Well, I hate to be blunt, but you're sort of having my baby. Did you really think I was about to let you run off on me, just like that?" Damon retorted.
I paused. "Something like that."
"I told you I love you, Em," he said, frustrated. "I happened to mean it."
"I know-"
"I want you to be a part of my life forever, period. If that's not what you want, then just say the word and-
One moment my feet were planted firmly on the ground and the next I was grasping Damon's face and pulling him toward mine. "Uhm," I said, gathering my bearings, "do you think you'd be up for a walk?"
"I am if you are."
He put his arm around me and I rested my head on his shoulder as we started down the pavement.