Chapter Twelve – Eavesdropping
"I heard Mom and Dad talking last night," Jesse told Lee as they both sat by the window and smoked. "I told Dad I was going back to your place, but I didn't."
"Obviously," Lee muttered.
"I just didn't want them to bother me. I tried to sneak out at, like, two- thirty or something, but Mom caught me so I told her I was just getting home."
"What'd you hear them talking about?" Lee asked, his squinty green eyes wider than usual, his light brown hair unkempt and blowing about from the slight breeze.
"From what I picked up, Dad got Mom pregnant when they were young."
"Well, yeah. They were pretty young when I was born."
"Naw, before that, Lee. When they were even younger."
Lee stared at his brother. "That's impossible. I'm the oldest. There's no one before me."
"I know. But I heard Dad mention that he was eighteen, which means that Mom would've been..."
"Either fifteen or sixteen," Lee finished for him.
They were both quiet for a minute. Jesse stubbed out his cigarette on the windowsill.
"Maybe she had an abortion," Lee said.
"Mom wouldn't do that," Jesse objected.
"I don't know, Jess. If she was that young..." Lee trailed off.
"Dad wouldn't let her. I know he wouldn't."
"It doesn't have to be up to him. And he was young, too. Maybe it's what they both wanted."
Jesse shook his head.
"Then maybe they put it up for adoption," Lee suggested. "Or maybe it died at birth. It could've been a number of things, Jess, but you know what? I'm not really worried about it right now. I'm worried about you and I'm worried about Kati. Having a baby's a big responsibility and I can't be sure the two of you are ready."
Jesse walked to the bed and took a seat on the edge, his back facing Lee.
"Jess...?"
"Lee," Jesse said calmly, "I'm fucking scared."
"I heard Mom and Dad talking last night," Jesse told Lee as they both sat by the window and smoked. "I told Dad I was going back to your place, but I didn't."
"Obviously," Lee muttered.
"I just didn't want them to bother me. I tried to sneak out at, like, two- thirty or something, but Mom caught me so I told her I was just getting home."
"What'd you hear them talking about?" Lee asked, his squinty green eyes wider than usual, his light brown hair unkempt and blowing about from the slight breeze.
"From what I picked up, Dad got Mom pregnant when they were young."
"Well, yeah. They were pretty young when I was born."
"Naw, before that, Lee. When they were even younger."
Lee stared at his brother. "That's impossible. I'm the oldest. There's no one before me."
"I know. But I heard Dad mention that he was eighteen, which means that Mom would've been..."
"Either fifteen or sixteen," Lee finished for him.
They were both quiet for a minute. Jesse stubbed out his cigarette on the windowsill.
"Maybe she had an abortion," Lee said.
"Mom wouldn't do that," Jesse objected.
"I don't know, Jess. If she was that young..." Lee trailed off.
"Dad wouldn't let her. I know he wouldn't."
"It doesn't have to be up to him. And he was young, too. Maybe it's what they both wanted."
Jesse shook his head.
"Then maybe they put it up for adoption," Lee suggested. "Or maybe it died at birth. It could've been a number of things, Jess, but you know what? I'm not really worried about it right now. I'm worried about you and I'm worried about Kati. Having a baby's a big responsibility and I can't be sure the two of you are ready."
Jesse walked to the bed and took a seat on the edge, his back facing Lee.
"Jess...?"
"Lee," Jesse said calmly, "I'm fucking scared."