Chapter 15

Emily's POV

"Wow. Wowie wowie wow," I replied, moving away from Jack.

"Em, please say something other than wow," Jack asked.

"I don't know what to say. I need to call my mom back," I replied, walking into the living room to pick up the phone. I heard Jack's footsteps behind me.

"You said you were gonna call her back tomorrow," he reminded me, taking the receiver from my hand and placing it back on the cradle. "Babe, you don't have to give me an answer now. I know we've only been together a couple months, and this was completely out of the blue."

I couldn't even begin to think straight. How did this happen? I mean, three years ago, I would have told you Robbie and I would get married someday. And then, here comes Jack into my life. This tough on the outside, sweet on the inside kind of guy. Oh god, I just made him sound like a candy bar or something. That's what not thinking straight does to you.

"This is out of the blue from left field," I replied. "Do you really want to get married? To me?" I asked, skeptically.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't mean it," he told me. His voice was calm. Too calm. Like the way the wind is really calm before a blizzard.

"But I don't clean and I can't cook, the pain of which you've experienced first hand. And I can curse like a sailor on leave and we get mad at each other all the time, and…" I rambled off a list of perfectly good reasons to not marry me before he covered my mouth with his hand.

"Yes, I have noticed this habit of not cleaning, and yes, the cooking was not the most enjoyable experience. But I do love you," he said softly, removing his hand and replacing it with his lips.

"I think I need to sleep on this," I decided, after pulling away from his lips. I stood up and held my hand out to him.

"Still want me to stay here?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course. I like you being here," I told him, placing a small kiss on his lips as we walked to the bedroom.

The next morning I was up early. There's something amazing about watching a person sleep. Jack always wrinkled his nose when he dreamt. And he made the strangest sounds as he slept. It was like a very soft "puh" sound.

As I lay there in his arms, I thought about his proposal. How crazy would I have to be to accept that? Sure, we met three years ago, but we haven't been together longer than three months. It would totally freak my mother out.

Oh damnit! I have to call her back. She should be up by now.

I quietly and deftly slipped out of Jack's arms, and padded over to the door. He rolled over onto his left side, and I was afraid I'd woken him. Boy sleeps like a rock though. A tornado in our bedroom wouldn't wake him up.

I put on a pot of coffee and picked up the phone. My fingers shook as I dialed my parents' number.

"Hello?" my mother's voice said.

"Hi mom," I replied.

"Who is this?" she asked. Are you kidding me?

"It's Emily. What other girl would be calling you mom?" I questioned.

"Well, it's nice of you to call back. I did call three days ago, but with your lifestyle, how could you ever have time to answer a phone," she said facetiously.

"Why'd you call, mom?" I asked, getting annoyed.

"Your brother got married. I just thought I'd let you know," she stated. "We'll be having a little get-together tonight. Feel free to bring a guest."

"Josh got married?" I asked quizzically. "Why didn't someone tell me?"

"Who's on the phone?" Jack's whisper scared the living hell out of me.

"My mother," I mouthed, making the fake gun to the head then pull the trigger motion with my free hand.

"I don't know why he didn't tell you, Emily. Maybe if you checked in with your family every so often, you'd know the goings on," my mother chastised.

"Yeah, maybe, Mom. If only I wasn't entirely ostracized by my family for a mistake I made three years ago," I spat out, feeling tears threaten to fall.

"A mistake? You call getting pregnant a mistake?" she asked, her voice raising.

"Well, it wouldn't answer to Fred, so I had to call it a mistake," I said, furiously swatting at the tears. "Look, I have to get ready for work. I'll see you tonight."

"Be here at seven and dress appropriately," she instructed, in a way too chipper voice that did not fit the conversation.

"Goodbye, mother," I said, slamming the receiver down. I slumped down into the nearest chair, folded my arms in front of me on the table, and cradled my head there.

"Wanna talk about it?" Jack asked, placing a mug of coffee in front of me before comfortingly rubbing my back.

"My only brother got married," I sobbed. "And he didn't think to invite me."

"Oh god, Em, I'm so sorry," he said, pulling me close to him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and cried into the collar of his shirt.

"And now I have to go to dinner at my parents' house tonight in celebration of the blessed union," I told him, hoping he'd get the hint that he'd be joining me.

"Want me to come with you, for moral support?" he asked, moving a few curly strands of hair out of my face when I lifted my head.

I got a smart one.

"Yes, please," I told him meekly.