Sweet Children Come Out and Play, chapter 13
Two mornings later, "Billie," Delphine walked into the kitchen at their home. She was just on the phone.
"Yeah, hey, who was that?" Billie looked up with a new cup of coffee in his hands.
"Um, my dad."
"Oh, is something wrong?" Her dad never was the one to call. Mary always called, and he knew that she and her father just don't get along very well. In fact, the same was so for all of her siblings after they reach age ten. It was sort of odd though that Billie had never seen anything too bad about him except for a fight or two between him and Delphine. At Billie and Del's wedding, he seemed happy with her. In fact, he could never quite tell if she and her siblings were telling the truth about her father's bad side. Where they all just overreacting? Not that he wanted the guy around. That's just scary. No, he trusted Delphine. Her father would never fight with her with him in the room anyway. How would he know?
"No, it's nothing. He just wants to talk with me. I guess about the baby. He said he was 'surprised.'" Delphine sat down next to Billie on the only other chair at the island/dining table/cooking area/TV watching area for the tiny set on the counter/umm... "other uses" area. Billie wrapped an arm around her.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"I guess not, but I was hoping I would have some more time before I had to talk to him about it. You know, so he could get used to the idea."
"What are you going to do?"
"I told him I would come today."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"I really would if you don't mind."
"Does he think I'm coming?"
"No, I suppose not, but he can't be surprised. You are the father anyway."
About half an hour later, Delphine knocked on the door of her old home for the second time in two days. He mother answered the door. She smiled, but not as she had the day before. It was a more sympathetic smile. Billie Joe followed his wife through the door as Mary tried to apologize for her husband's behavior in making them come over again. Why the hell didn't he just say what he wanted to say over the phone anyway?
Delphine found her dad in the living room watching TV. Dr. Phil was on. It drove her crazy when he watched crap like that. Why can't he be normal and just find the nearest sports game? Anyone of them would do. Well, that's what he gets for being cheap and refusing to get cable. "Hey," she said as she walked in and Andy turned around. Funny, Billie's dad had the same name. Delphine found it so ironic. Billie's dad was half Italian, half English and her dad was also mostly Italian. So was her mother. So why is it that Billie's father had to pass away and her father was still around. She wished for Billie's sake that it had been the other way around. Everyone loved Billie's father. Her dad was a likeable person too she supposed for anyone who did not live with him. Her grandfather had not been a very accepting person and in turn her father was not either. She pitied her brother and sisters who still had to live in this home. They all had their mom. At least that was true. There just came a point when you could no longer talk to her father. He never realized when his kids grew up. And then there was Billie's dad who gave him Blue at age ten and taught him to play guitar. And both named Andy.
"Oh, hi Delphine. I just wanted to talk to you." Andy got up motioned for them to come over. Billie and Delphine sat side by side on the big burgundy couch. Andy looked a little surprised to see Billie Joe there. Delphine's mom didn't sit next to her husband as one would have expected, but instead stood in the doorway. "I heard what happened." Andy looked serious. Delphine tried to smile. "And I have thought about it and I really think that you are not ready for something like this." He said it so matter-of-factly. Billie really didn't know what to say and his heart gave a leap.
Delphine was a little broken. She never needed her father to agree with her and it was never going to effect her decisions, but it was a disappointment. All this, and the making her come to the house just to say it - and right in front of Billie. "Well... what do you mean?"
"I really just don't think you are ready for the commitment. You are not going to college, and you want to have a baby all on your own. I just think you have not thought it through about the money yet."
"Dad, why is that an issue? We don't have a lot of money, but we will find a way to support ourselves."
"Delphine, it's just... " he shook his head like she was an infant, "It's just not going to happen."
"Andy, this is not our decision," Mary butted in. Andy turned to her.
"No, I'm not saying it is, but I am giving them my advice."
"Look, I really think it is a little bit late to be saying no now," Delphine said.
"I know, I know, but you can do other things. There are more options. There's abortion if need be. Or there's adoption. You know we could work out whatever you want."
Delphine was appalled. How could her own father say these things to her face when he himself and his twin brother were adopted. He knows the pain of not knowing a parent. It was only when Delphine was two that they found his birth mother and still do not know his birth father. Delphine loved his side of the family. How did it end up with a person like him? And she hated the way that he said, "whatever YOU want." It was his way of making it seem like you were making the decision yet he was better than you. Higher than you and what he says goes. Nope, not anymore. Delphine stopped that a year ago. "How can you say something like that?" she whispered.
Billie saw how hurt she was and decided he was also in this so he spoke up, "I know it is early, but ... but both of us wanted this." Andy looked at him with such a scornful face that Billie might have shied away before. However, now this was HIS family in jeopardy. He just hoped that Delphine was not thinking of agreeing. Seriously, he would do anything she wanted to, but he was also looking forward to being a father. He was getting used to it now. And this way he could be around for his kids for a long time. And grandkids too. Oh, that's scary to think about. But it's true.
"Well, I am not so sure that that was a very good decision."
"Look, I may be far from perfect, but I want this too. I will do whatever I can to support Delphine and the baby." This was such a strange argument. It was all so refined and classy yet just as angry and through clenched teeth.
"No, I'm just saying that I don't think you are ready."
"And I don't think you understand," Delphine said. She was so grateful to Billie for saying something like that. "We are having this baby. Whether or not it was a good decision is behind us now. We cannot go back on our word. I would never give up my own child and there is no reason for an abortion. We can't just say no now." Billie was relived. She was not thinking twice about it.
"Yeah, hey, who was that?" Billie looked up with a new cup of coffee in his hands.
"Um, my dad."
"Oh, is something wrong?" Her dad never was the one to call. Mary always called, and he knew that she and her father just don't get along very well. In fact, the same was so for all of her siblings after they reach age ten. It was sort of odd though that Billie had never seen anything too bad about him except for a fight or two between him and Delphine. At Billie and Del's wedding, he seemed happy with her. In fact, he could never quite tell if she and her siblings were telling the truth about her father's bad side. Where they all just overreacting? Not that he wanted the guy around. That's just scary. No, he trusted Delphine. Her father would never fight with her with him in the room anyway. How would he know?
"No, it's nothing. He just wants to talk with me. I guess about the baby. He said he was 'surprised.'" Delphine sat down next to Billie on the only other chair at the island/dining table/cooking area/TV watching area for the tiny set on the counter/umm... "other uses" area. Billie wrapped an arm around her.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"I guess not, but I was hoping I would have some more time before I had to talk to him about it. You know, so he could get used to the idea."
"What are you going to do?"
"I told him I would come today."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"I really would if you don't mind."
"Does he think I'm coming?"
"No, I suppose not, but he can't be surprised. You are the father anyway."
About half an hour later, Delphine knocked on the door of her old home for the second time in two days. He mother answered the door. She smiled, but not as she had the day before. It was a more sympathetic smile. Billie Joe followed his wife through the door as Mary tried to apologize for her husband's behavior in making them come over again. Why the hell didn't he just say what he wanted to say over the phone anyway?
Delphine found her dad in the living room watching TV. Dr. Phil was on. It drove her crazy when he watched crap like that. Why can't he be normal and just find the nearest sports game? Anyone of them would do. Well, that's what he gets for being cheap and refusing to get cable. "Hey," she said as she walked in and Andy turned around. Funny, Billie's dad had the same name. Delphine found it so ironic. Billie's dad was half Italian, half English and her dad was also mostly Italian. So was her mother. So why is it that Billie's father had to pass away and her father was still around. She wished for Billie's sake that it had been the other way around. Everyone loved Billie's father. Her dad was a likeable person too she supposed for anyone who did not live with him. Her grandfather had not been a very accepting person and in turn her father was not either. She pitied her brother and sisters who still had to live in this home. They all had their mom. At least that was true. There just came a point when you could no longer talk to her father. He never realized when his kids grew up. And then there was Billie's dad who gave him Blue at age ten and taught him to play guitar. And both named Andy.
"Oh, hi Delphine. I just wanted to talk to you." Andy got up motioned for them to come over. Billie and Delphine sat side by side on the big burgundy couch. Andy looked a little surprised to see Billie Joe there. Delphine's mom didn't sit next to her husband as one would have expected, but instead stood in the doorway. "I heard what happened." Andy looked serious. Delphine tried to smile. "And I have thought about it and I really think that you are not ready for something like this." He said it so matter-of-factly. Billie really didn't know what to say and his heart gave a leap.
Delphine was a little broken. She never needed her father to agree with her and it was never going to effect her decisions, but it was a disappointment. All this, and the making her come to the house just to say it - and right in front of Billie. "Well... what do you mean?"
"I really just don't think you are ready for the commitment. You are not going to college, and you want to have a baby all on your own. I just think you have not thought it through about the money yet."
"Dad, why is that an issue? We don't have a lot of money, but we will find a way to support ourselves."
"Delphine, it's just... " he shook his head like she was an infant, "It's just not going to happen."
"Andy, this is not our decision," Mary butted in. Andy turned to her.
"No, I'm not saying it is, but I am giving them my advice."
"Look, I really think it is a little bit late to be saying no now," Delphine said.
"I know, I know, but you can do other things. There are more options. There's abortion if need be. Or there's adoption. You know we could work out whatever you want."
Delphine was appalled. How could her own father say these things to her face when he himself and his twin brother were adopted. He knows the pain of not knowing a parent. It was only when Delphine was two that they found his birth mother and still do not know his birth father. Delphine loved his side of the family. How did it end up with a person like him? And she hated the way that he said, "whatever YOU want." It was his way of making it seem like you were making the decision yet he was better than you. Higher than you and what he says goes. Nope, not anymore. Delphine stopped that a year ago. "How can you say something like that?" she whispered.
Billie saw how hurt she was and decided he was also in this so he spoke up, "I know it is early, but ... but both of us wanted this." Andy looked at him with such a scornful face that Billie might have shied away before. However, now this was HIS family in jeopardy. He just hoped that Delphine was not thinking of agreeing. Seriously, he would do anything she wanted to, but he was also looking forward to being a father. He was getting used to it now. And this way he could be around for his kids for a long time. And grandkids too. Oh, that's scary to think about. But it's true.
"Well, I am not so sure that that was a very good decision."
"Look, I may be far from perfect, but I want this too. I will do whatever I can to support Delphine and the baby." This was such a strange argument. It was all so refined and classy yet just as angry and through clenched teeth.
"No, I'm just saying that I don't think you are ready."
"And I don't think you understand," Delphine said. She was so grateful to Billie for saying something like that. "We are having this baby. Whether or not it was a good decision is behind us now. We cannot go back on our word. I would never give up my own child and there is no reason for an abortion. We can't just say no now." Billie was relived. She was not thinking twice about it.
