Moments In Time (18 page)

Maybe her father had been right about him all along. From the day he found out that Maggie was pregnant, Frank wanted to break J.D.’s neck. Of course, he had blamed J.D.—God only knew what line the SOB had used to sweet-talk his daughter into his bed.
That had surely been one of the hardest things I ever had to do—telling them that I, their daughter, their beloved Maggie, was pregnant and by
whom
…

T
he drive to her parents’ house that weekend was the longest trip she’d ever made. She dreaded the scene she
knew would take place more than she had ever dreaded anything. How in the name of God, she wondered, could she bear to break the news.

Her stomach contracted tightly as she turned onto the old familiar street, and for a fleeting minute she thought of turning back to Philadelphia. Right now, eloping sounded like a great ide
a. She could fly to Toronto…

Her heart flopped over when she pulled into the driveway and saw both parents on the front porch. By the time she’d taken a deep breath and opened the car door, they were both almost to the car. She got out and greeted them nervously, hugging first her father, then her mother, unconsciously holding her for a moment or so longer than she normally would have.

Mary Elizabeth drew back slightly, studying her daughter carefully.

“Where’s Kevin?” Maggie asked, averting her eyes and swallowing hard.

“He’s at Joey’s.” Mary Elizabeth’s gaze never left Maggie’s face. “He should be back by lunchtime.”

Frank, oblivious to the tension, called across the street to a neighbor as mother and daughter walked into the house.

“Where’s Colleen?”

“Softball practice. She’ll be back later this afternoon.”

Maggie sat down at the kitchen table and sipped at the coffee her mother had poured for her. Her stomach was queasy and the smell of the coffee was almost making her sick. She could feel Mary Elizabeth watching her.

“Maggie, what is it? Tell me what’s wrong,” she asked gently.

Maggie’s eyes filled, and soon a steady stream of tears followed each other pell-mell down her face. She fought for words, though none would come. Her father walked through the back door and stood motionless as he took in the scene. Mary Elizabeth looked at him with anxious concern, stunned by Maggie’s stillness. Silent tears had never been her style.

Her mother sat down next to her and took her in her arms, trying to comfort her.

“I’ll be okay. I am okay. Just give me a minute. This is so hard for me. And I’m not doing it very well. I really thought I could handle this by myself, but maybe Jamey was right and this was not a good idea. But you know how I get sometimes, I always have to do things my own way but now I’m wondering
…”
she
babbled.

“Maggie, for God’s sake, what are you talking about?” Her mother took her by the shoulders and forced her to look up.

Maggie took a deep breath and said quietly, “Jamey and I are getting married in two weeks. Two weeks from today.”

Her parents exchanged a look of surprise and puzzlement.

“Maggie, if you feel this strongly about the man, why don’t you just bring him home and give us some time to get to know the fellow,” her father said.

“Time is something we
don’t have a lot of right now…”
Maggie looked up at her mother and could tell by Mary Elizabeth’s expression that she knew.

“Oh, Maggie
…”
Her
mother’s hand reached toward hers but did not touch the fingers that lay splayed across the end of the table, gripping its edge.

“I’m so sorry. I know this is the last thing you’d ever have expected from
me. I hate having to tell you…”

“Tell us what? What the hell are you talking about?” Frank was clearly losing patience with his daughter.

“Daddy, we’re talking about the fact that I’m pregnant.” As difficult as it was for her, she looked him in the eyes.

Frank froze for a very long moment, then began to pace back and forth slowly, as he did when he was angry to the point where he could not think unless he was moving. Maggie had seen him like this only a few times in her life.

Finally, “So. Where’s the father?” he snapped through jaws that barely moved.

“He’s out of town.”

“He’s out of town,” he repeated. “How convenient. What a guy, Maggie, to leave town and hide out while you break the news to your family.”

“It’s not like that. And he’s not hiding. He’s in Toronto,” Maggie explained.

“Toronto. How nice for him. Doesn’t have the nerve to come here and face us, so he leaves the country.” Frank
’s rising blood pressure was ris
ing his face ever more scarlet.

“Daddy, he didn’t want me to do this. He told me to wait
…”

“And I’m sure he’ll be heartbroken when he finds out that he didn’t have to be here when you told us. I’m sure he’ll be very upset.” He paced again. “Who is this person?”

“His name is Jamey Borders.”

“And what does Mr. Borders do for a living?”

Knowing this wouldn’t be the worst news she had that day, she said, “He’s a musician. He sings and plays the piano and makes records.”

“What kind of records?” Her father’s face was immobile. At that moment the back door flung open, and Kevin blew into the room with his usual exuberance.

“Maggie! Hey, Mags is home.” He bent and kissed her head, oblivious to the scene into which he’d walked, and as he did so, he put the items he’d carried under his arm onto the table in front of his sister. On top of the pile was the Monkshood album he’d played the last time she was home.

Picking up the album, Maggie stared at the photograph of the five long-haired musicians on the jacket and in spite of herself started to giggle, then laughed out loud as the irony, the absurdity, of the situation became more than she could bear. Her family looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. She was absolutely out of control, crying at the same time she laughed uproariously as her emotions collided like speeding tractor trailers, pounding her fist on the table, tears in her eyes.

Kevin, who had no idea of what was going on, bent to take the album from her. She shook her head, waving him away as she slid the cardboard envelope across the table until it rested in front of her mother.

“This,” she announced when she could finally sputter a word, her index finger tapping on J.D.’s image, all long hair and cocky nonchalance, “is your future son-in-law.”

No one reacted.

“This is the musician, the piano player?” Her father’s
voice rose slowly. “This long-haired punk is the man who’s gotten you—”

“He doesn’t have long hair anymore, Daddy. Mom, he doesn’t look anything like this picture,” she assured them, trying desperately to regain her composure.

Frank wasn’t listening again. “You walk out on a perfectly good husband—for reasons I’ve never been able to understand—and then you walk into this house and tell us that you’ve been fooli
ng around with some wimpy rock-
and-roll singer who got you pregnant, who’s not man enough to face your family.” She started to protest and he cut her off. “What makes you think this guy is going to marry you?”

“There’s no question of him wanting to get married. We’d already planned to get married in August, before, well, before I found out.”

“And as soon as he found out, he hightailed it for Toronto.”

“That’s not fair. He’s on tour. The dates were scheduled months ago.”

“Another break for him. What makes you so sure he’ll be back?”

“He loves me,” she said simply, “and I love him. More than I ever thought it was possible to love anyone.”

“And you think that’s enough to justify your behavior? Margaret, to say that you’ve disappointed us is an understatement. I thought we’d raised you with better morals—”

“It has nothing to do with how I was raised. And it isn’t a question of my morals. It happened, Daddy, it happens to lots of people.”

“Lots of people are not my daughter.” He slammed a large fist on the table.

All the while Kevin had stood listening to the exchange between his father and his sister, watching their faces. At first he’d thought Maggie was kidding, that it was all somehow a big, crazy joke.

“Maggie, are you serious?” he asked wide-eyed. “You really know J.D. Borders?”

“Apparently your sister knows him intimately, Kevin.”
Frank had stopped pacing and glared at his daughter, making no effort to hide his fury.

“Frank, that’s uncalled for.” Mary Elizabeth spoke for the first time.

“Maggie, are you really, um
…”
Kevin
wavered
between embarrassment and
curiosity
.

“Yes, Kevin.”

“And you’re really going to marry him?”

“Yes, Kevin.” She nodded.

“Wow! This is unbelievable. This is about the greatest th
ing that ever happened. God, J.
D. Borders is going to marry my sister. That’s so cool! Wait till I tell the guys.” Kevin raced in the direction of the phone in the front hallway.

“Kevin, you’re not to discuss this with anyone outside this room.” Frank grabbed his arm, spinning him around.

“Aw, Dad, this is the most exciting thing that ever happened in this family. Probably the most exciting thing that ever happened in this whole town. This guy is the hottest singer. He has the most unbelievable band and he’s—”

“Kevin, I said not one word. I’m not convinced this guy is even going to show up.”

“Frank, that’s enough.” Mary Elizabeth rose to face him, blowing her nose with a cotton handkerchief and stuffing it into her slacks pocket. “This is hard enough for all of us, particularly Maggie.”

“I suppose you think we should greet this little announcement with a toast and a pat on the back for a job well done?”

“No. Certainly not. But I don’t think we need to make this any more difficult than it already is for her,” she said softly.

“I can’t believe what I’m hearing. You, of all people, to condone this type of—”

“I’m not condoning it, Frank. I’m saying it’s done, and we
can
stand here and shout at each other till the moon falls from
the
sky and it’s not going to change the situation.
Maggie will
marry him, Frank, whether you approve or not.
She’s in
love with him and it’s her choice. Please, Frank, this
time, let her
marry a man she loves.”

Mary Elizabeth was breathless from the control it had taken not to shout. Husband and wife stood and glared at each other.

The phone rang, breaking the silence. Kevin removed the receiver from the wall phone in the kitchen, not wanting to leave the room and take the chance of missing something good.

“Maggie, it’s him! It’s J.D.”

She took the phone from her brother. “Your timing couldn’t be worse,” she said by way of a greeting.

“What the hell are you doing there?” His voice was full of reproach. “I thought we had agreed—”

“How did you know?”

“You’re so goddamned transparent. I’ve been calling your apartment all morning. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where you’d gone. Why are you doing this?” He was clearly angry.

“Because I thought it would be easier for everyone if I got it over with.” She turned her back to the room to spare herself from looking at her parents.

“Well, was it?” he demanded.

“No.”

“Damn it but you’re stubborn.” His annoyed exasperation exploded through the telephone.

“Please don’t be so angry, Jamey.” She was crying again, weary tears, drained of all emotion. “Everyone’s angry. Everyone’s yelling at everyone else. You were right. I should have waited. I didn’t, and I’ve made things worse
…
”

“Oh, Maggie, I’m so sorry.” His anger melted away as he realized how distressed she was. “Calm down, now, sweetheart. Look, let me talk to your father.”

“Have you lost your mind?” she whispered.

“Is it that bad then?”

“Yes.”

“Then we don’t have too many choices, do we. Book yourself onto the first flight to Toronto. We’ll get married here.”

“No.”

“Then Philadelphia.”

“Jamey, I don’t want to get married in Toronto. Or in Philadelphia. I wanted to be married here, in my home, with my family.” She started to break down again.

“Sweetheart,” he said gently, “what is the likelihood that that will happen?”

“Not very good,” she admitted sadly.

“Then we’d best make some other plans, don’t you think?”

“Yes,” she reluctantly agreed.

“I want you to think it over and let me know what you want. I’ll do anything you want. I don’t care where or when, Maggie.”

“Jamey, I need to think. Can you call me back tonight at the apartment?”