Krissa didn’t have a kettle so she put two mugs of water into the microwave. She opened a cupboard and found two boxes. “Earl Grey or green tea?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
She plucked two green tea bags out and waited for the water.
“When is the baby due?” her mother asked. Her hands clasped tightly in her lap.
“In March. March twenty-first.”
“Well. That’s accurate.”
Krissa shrugged. The microwave dinged and she reached in for the steaming mugs, dropped a teabag into each. “I know the exact day I got pregnant.”
“Oh.”
“I know you don’t approve.” Krissa carried the mugs over to the couch and set them on the small table in front. “I’m sorry, Mom.” Damn it, the apology had just slipped out. “But what happened, happened.”
“You shocked us last night.”
“I know.” She fought back the smile that tugged her lips.
Her mother’s own mouth twitched—shockingly. “You enjoyed, that didn’t you?”
Krissa stared. “Um…yes.”
Mom shook her head. “I think there’s a lot more to the story than you told us.”
“Well…yeah.”
“I don’t know if I want to hear it.”
“I don’t know if I want to tell you.” They looked at each other for a stretched out moment.
“That’s fine,” Mom said finally. “We love you, Krissa. I don’t know what happened between you and Derek and Nate. I really don’t know if…” She drew in a breath. “If I can ever…understand. I only…I wish…” She sputtered to stop. She took a quick sip of her tea.
“What, Mom?”
“I’m afraid you’ve been very hurt by all this.” Mom’s voice was almost a whisper. “Your husband cheated on you…that’s enough to destroy any woman. But…did Derek cheat on you because of…Nate?”
Krissa breathed in. And out. Once again, it all came back to whatshe’ddone. “No. He’d been cheating on me for a long time.”
“Oh.”
Krissa rubbed her mouth. “I don’t want to bad-mouth Derek to you. I know you like him. I loved him, too. I think he feels awful about what he’s done.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you and Derek wanted a baby?”
“I can’t believe you’re asking me that! Every time I see you, you tell menotto have children!”
Mom looked down. “I want the best for you, Krissa. I want you to have whatever it is you want.” She looked up. “I thought you wanted a career. And it was taking you long enough to get going.”
“Mom!”
“I’m just saying. Jumping from job to job. How would you expect to get promoted and rise up through a company when you only stay there for a year? Your father worked his whole life at the bank.”
“It doesn’t work that way anymore. Nobody works their whole life for one company.”
“Apparently. Anyway—I saw you doing that, and I was afraid…I thought having a baby would just interfere with your career even more. We were happy you started your own business, thinking maybe you’d finally found what you wanted to do.”
