Raif. "Of course, you'll stay at the house until Townes is sent wherever the government sends him. Then, you'll be living on a military base with a lot of other military families if it's a place where Townes's family can join him. If not, I guess you'll stay with me until you can join him."
Terry nodded. "That plan works for me."
Raif looked at his soon-to-be son-in-law. Wagging his head, he said, "Townes, say something."
Townes stammered, "The condom failed."
Raif and Terry looked at each other. As if of one mind, they each plopped a hand firmly on one of the boy's shoulders and squeezed hard enough to make Townes wince.
"Dad!" shouted Trista, completely stunned by her father's reaction for she had never seen him lose his temper.
Raif pointed at her. "You aren't married yet." He turned toward Townes. "And even when she is, if a comment like that comes from your mouth, she will be a widow." He turned back to Trista. "I can be just like Ray if you push me." Raif turned to Terry. "It's Wednesday. I'd say Saturday makes a good wedding day. What do you think?"
"Yep."
"Hold on just a minute," snapped Trista. "Don't we get to say anything?"
"Like what—the condom failed?" asked Raif, oozing sarcasm.
"Like, I'd like Townes to ask me to marry him." She glared at the boy. "You did say you love me."
"I…I do," spluttered Townes.
"Townes Johnson!" Trista stomped her foot. "I didn't do this alone. I can't do this alone, but I will if you don't want to marry me."
"Trista, I'm scared," whined Townes.
"How do you think I feel?"
"More scared than me. Mr. Raif, I'm sorry. I truly never meant for this to happen."
"I'm sure you didn't," said Raif a bit more calmly. "But the only one-hundred-percent foolproof birth control is abstinence. Y'all didn't use that. Y'all made a choice. Choices have consequences. A child is a serious responsibility. Townes, whether you marry Trista or not, you will still be a father. I promise you that. Trista will have this baby, and you will support it."
"I do want to marry Trista."
"And I want a real wedding," Trista added.
Townes looked back and forth between the two parents. "Can we, please , wait until after graduation? Nobody else has to know she's pregnant, do they? She won't be showing. Prom is next week. I know we messed up, but can't we be kids for one more month? Please? I had already planned to join the service, but after graduation. I planned that since ninth grade. I've been in ROTC four years." Townes looked at his girlfriend. "I do love you. I'm sorry I've been acting like a brat." He smiled. "Will you marry me?"
Trista hooked her arm around Raif's. "With my father's permission. Please, Dad?" she asked with Chris's eyes looking at Raif.
He choked back tears and sighed, "Terry?"
Terry Johnson nodded. "All right. Plan a wedding. Graduation is May 12 th . You will be married the following Saturday."
Raif helped his daughter get ready for prom and graduation and a wedding, a small intimate affair at Charity Chapel with only Patrick Gautier and Courtney Reynolds, Ray's daughter, as attendants. At the simple reception at the Gautier home, Ray cornered Raif. "Is she pregnant?" he asked pointedly.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"They didn't want anyone else to know. Townes is leaving next week for boot camp." He puffed out air. "He'd planned to go at the end of summer. We'll take it one day at a time. Ray, I am so tired . This has been the year from Hell. Two weeks from tomorrow will be one year since I lost Chris. I don't think I can take anymore."
Ray hugged his brother. "Hey, maybe you should let me play big brother for a bit. Take a vacation."
"Maybe. Maybe I will."
At the reception, Courtney caught the bouquet. Ray whispered in her ear, "A long time."
She nodded. "As you say, Daddy, 'You know it.'" She laughed. "I'm only fifteen."
Standing beside Courtney, Tasha Johnson, only eleven months older than her brother, Townes, nodded agreement. "You can have it. I don't
Terry nodded. "That plan works for me."
Raif looked at his soon-to-be son-in-law. Wagging his head, he said, "Townes, say something."
Townes stammered, "The condom failed."
Raif and Terry looked at each other. As if of one mind, they each plopped a hand firmly on one of the boy's shoulders and squeezed hard enough to make Townes wince.
"Dad!" shouted Trista, completely stunned by her father's reaction for she had never seen him lose his temper.
Raif pointed at her. "You aren't married yet." He turned toward Townes. "And even when she is, if a comment like that comes from your mouth, she will be a widow." He turned back to Trista. "I can be just like Ray if you push me." Raif turned to Terry. "It's Wednesday. I'd say Saturday makes a good wedding day. What do you think?"
"Yep."
"Hold on just a minute," snapped Trista. "Don't we get to say anything?"
"Like what—the condom failed?" asked Raif, oozing sarcasm.
"Like, I'd like Townes to ask me to marry him." She glared at the boy. "You did say you love me."
"I…I do," spluttered Townes.
"Townes Johnson!" Trista stomped her foot. "I didn't do this alone. I can't do this alone, but I will if you don't want to marry me."
"Trista, I'm scared," whined Townes.
"How do you think I feel?"
"More scared than me. Mr. Raif, I'm sorry. I truly never meant for this to happen."
"I'm sure you didn't," said Raif a bit more calmly. "But the only one-hundred-percent foolproof birth control is abstinence. Y'all didn't use that. Y'all made a choice. Choices have consequences. A child is a serious responsibility. Townes, whether you marry Trista or not, you will still be a father. I promise you that. Trista will have this baby, and you will support it."
"I do want to marry Trista."
"And I want a real wedding," Trista added.
Townes looked back and forth between the two parents. "Can we, please , wait until after graduation? Nobody else has to know she's pregnant, do they? She won't be showing. Prom is next week. I know we messed up, but can't we be kids for one more month? Please? I had already planned to join the service, but after graduation. I planned that since ninth grade. I've been in ROTC four years." Townes looked at his girlfriend. "I do love you. I'm sorry I've been acting like a brat." He smiled. "Will you marry me?"
Trista hooked her arm around Raif's. "With my father's permission. Please, Dad?" she asked with Chris's eyes looking at Raif.
He choked back tears and sighed, "Terry?"
Terry Johnson nodded. "All right. Plan a wedding. Graduation is May 12 th . You will be married the following Saturday."
Raif helped his daughter get ready for prom and graduation and a wedding, a small intimate affair at Charity Chapel with only Patrick Gautier and Courtney Reynolds, Ray's daughter, as attendants. At the simple reception at the Gautier home, Ray cornered Raif. "Is she pregnant?" he asked pointedly.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"They didn't want anyone else to know. Townes is leaving next week for boot camp." He puffed out air. "He'd planned to go at the end of summer. We'll take it one day at a time. Ray, I am so tired . This has been the year from Hell. Two weeks from tomorrow will be one year since I lost Chris. I don't think I can take anymore."
Ray hugged his brother. "Hey, maybe you should let me play big brother for a bit. Take a vacation."
"Maybe. Maybe I will."
At the reception, Courtney caught the bouquet. Ray whispered in her ear, "A long time."
She nodded. "As you say, Daddy, 'You know it.'" She laughed. "I'm only fifteen."
Standing beside Courtney, Tasha Johnson, only eleven months older than her brother, Townes, nodded agreement. "You can have it. I don't
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