have to wait for him.
We separate from each other immediately,
embarrassed and shaken up to face what I’ve
feared for weeks.
“Do you want to explain to me what’s going on
here?” he asks, closing the distance between us.
“Dad,” I start, but Patrick moves to the side and
I can read in my dad’s eyes that the revelation has
hit him full on.
“Erin … what…”
“Dad, I can explain.” I begin swallowing hard
but Patrick steps in front of me and does
something I never would have expected.
“Sir,” he says, looking him right in the eyes.
“Erin and I wanted to tell you before, but we didn’t
think it was appropriate on the phone.”
What the devil is he doing?
I pull him on his arm to get him to look at me,
but he gives me a very confident and disarming
smile that makes me shut up on the spot.
“Erin … so that’s it? You’re pregnant?”
“Let’s not do this here, Dad. Let’s go upstairs.”
He nods, confused, and I lead him towards the
door that leads to the stairs and everyone in the
pub resumes their business. By now the show is
over. As I walk slowly with my head down, I feel
some fingers interlacing with mine. I freeze and
raise my head.
“What are you doing?” I ask him in a whisper
with my father at our heels.
