"Richard, you do not have to marry this girl," Martha said as Rick tied his tie.
"She's pregnant. With my child. What kind of man doesn't marry the mother of their child?" he said. "Other than my father."
Martha sighed. "Richard…"
"I'm not him. I refuse to be him. I'm not letting my kid grow up without me."
"Richard, he doesn't even know you exist."
Rick froze for a moment, breathing in deeply as he straightened his tie. "That doesn't make me feel better. This is my wedding day. Will you please stop talking about him?"
"You're the one who brought him up. Do you realize what getting married now will do to you? You're 22, you've just written your first novel. It's already a best seller. You have your entire life ahead of you, darling."
"Yes, and I will live it with Meredith and our family." He looked at his mother. "I'm a father. If I don't do this, Meredith will take that baby and walk away and I'll spend the rest of my life being a father but not a dad. I want to be a dad. I want to be there."
Martha nodded. "I have to say, I'm so proud of the man you've become."
He smiled. "Thank you. Have you seen my jacket?"
"And just like any other man, you are incapable of dressing yourself." She found his black suit jacket and handed it to him. She straightened his lapel for him once he pulled it on. "You be good to her and to your baby. No more meeting girls at parties, no more staggering home drunk at three in the morning. You have to grow up, kiddo."
He nodded. "I know. I will."
"That means no more laser tag," she told him, tapping his nose with her index finger before she walked away from him.
He stood stunned for a moment. "What? Why? Kids love laser tag!"
"Yes, but nursing mothers don't."