Chapter 100
-BLAIR-
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I told them in the living room because if I did it one person at a time I would lose my nerve.
Mom sat first. Dad stood near the fireplace. Ethan had his arms crossed like he was already prepared to hit
someone.
Olivia knew, of course. Caleb was on his phone until Olivia kicked his shoe. Tessa had a bowl of cereal at four in the afternoon and the expression of someone who expected gossip.
“I’m pregnant.” I blurted it out.
I could see the shock on each of their faces and they looked as though they didn’t know how to react.
Dad’s first question came immediately. “Is Grayson the father?”
“Yes.”
Mom’s hand flew to her mouth. Then she was up and pulling me into her arms. “Oh, my sweet girl is going to be a mother. This is just wonderful news. I cannot wait to call up all of my friends and family and tell them the wonderful news.”
Ethan dragged a hand down his face, then pointed at me, already torn between joy and being overprotective. “I am happy. I am also going to need a minute to decide whether I shake Shaw’s hand or break it.”
“Congratulations,” Caleb said. “At least you were married before getting knocked up.”
Olivia rolled her eyes. “Really Caleb?”
Tessa shrieked, abandoned the cereal, and grabbed my arms. “I am going to be an aunt. I am going to spoil this baby more than anyone else. Also you hid this from me and I will be discussing that betrayal later. I can’t believe I didn’t find this out on my own. Am I losing my detective skills? This cannot be good.”
Olivia grinned. “Well you already know how happy I am for you.”
Mom cupped my face. “How far along? Are you well? Have you been sick? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought it was stress from the articles.”
“Over twelve weeks. The baby is great.” I glanced at Olivia. “I was scared. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone. And well Olivia was the one that figured I was pregnant and gave me the stick to see for myself.”
Dad had not moved from the fireplace. His face was unreadable. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“There is something else,” I said. “Grayson never signed the divorce papers. We are still married.”
Olivia made a small noise of confirmation. Ethan swore under his breath. Tessa’s eyes went huge.
Dad only nodded.
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“I know.”
I stared at him. “What?”
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“I know he never signed.” He said it like a fact he had been holding for weeks. “I kept in contact with Richard. He made me aware of it. That is why I did not make a big problem of things. I knew the two of you would eventually work it out and we could put all of this behind us.”
He knew? All this time my father knew the truth and he didn’t think to tell me?
“You knew I was still married. Dad, how could you keep that from me?”
Mom shot him a look of disbelief. “William.”
“I knew about the papers,” Dad said. “I did not know about the child until this moment. If I had, Richard and I would have had a different conversation much sooner.”
His eyes softened a bit, which for him was a lot. “I am glad the baby is his. I am glad he did not sign. That does not mean I am glad of how he handled things. Those are separate things. I know he has a lot of making up to do.”
Ethan exhaled. “So Shaw knocked up my sister, asked for a divorce, failed to finish the divorce, and now we are supposed to be calm.”
“You are supposed to congratulate your sister,” Mom said without looking at him. “You can threaten the hockey player another time. I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities for you.”
Caleb lifted his glass of water in a mock toast. “To the most Monroe way possible to announce a baby.
Tessa leaned into my side. “Does this mean I get to be the favorite auntie?”
“Oh please,” Olivia said. “If anybody’s about to be the favorite auntie, it’s the one that knew about the baby first.”
Tessa rolled her eyes.
Mom guided me to the sofa and sat with my hands in hers. “Do you want him back?”
“I love him,” I said. “That’s all I know. I just need time to heal from everything that happened recently. I don’t want to jump back into anything unless I’m sure Grayson isn’t going to hurt me again.”
Dad nodded once. “Time is reasonable. A child is not a game. When you decide what you want, this family will stand behind it. If Shaw wants to be a proper husband this time, he can prove it with his actions and not his words.”
Ethan muttered, “He can prove it to my fist when I see him.”
“Ethan,” I warned him. “Grayson has gotten into enough fights recently with Chase. I don’t think he needs another article about him fighting.”
Ethan frowned, “you’re right. The person who needs a meeting with my fist isn’t Grayson. It’s Chase. It’s been
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a long time coming.”
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After that, they started talking about names, clothes, Tessa already shopping on her phone, Caleb asking if the baby would get season tickets, mom quietly wiping her eyes and asking if I had eaten.
I was not alone. I had my family.
I was still married.
I was carrying Grayson’s child.
I watched my family react to the news with a smile on my face. Dad already planning which hospital I would be having the baby in. My mother looking at clothes with Tessa. Ethan still seething in the corner like a quarterback with no one to tackle.
Olivia watching me with a warm smile. As if to say I told you everything was going to be okay.
All I was missing was Grayson. But it was still too soon to forgive him.
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14:53 Thu, Sep 17
The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife
Dex Morgan
Dex works to elevate each story with clean writing, emotional balance, and thoughtful flow for readers.