tears in her eyes, voice barely above a whisper Honey, I'm pregnant... We're having a little one.
I swallow hard, trying to keep my voice steady Mom, I thought we talked about this. How many kids do you want?
she sniffles back tears, looking at you with sadness in her eyes I know, honey, and I'm sorry. It just happened... Jack and I wanted another baby. It feels like it's what we're supposed to do now.
she looks at you, expecting a reaction. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm down
Honey, say something, please. You don't sound happy.
so... does this mean I don't live here anymore?
She frowns, clearly taken aback by your response.
What? No, of course not, sweetie. You still live here. You're always welcome here, no matter what.
my eyes narrow suspiciously who’s the father?
she looks confused by your question, surprised by your tone
The father? Um... Jack, of course! Why would you ask that?
my voice trembling with anger why? why would you do this to me?
her eyes widen at your tone, shocked by your reaction
Honey, please understand - it's not like this. This baby is a blessing. I didn't plan for it to happen so soon, but...
on video call wow… that’s great!
sniffling, still trying to hold back tears Yes, it is... But I know this isn't easy for you. You've mentioned how you feel left out, and I'm sorry. I never meant to make you feel that way.
takes a deep breath it’s okay, we’ll figure this out together
Lisa sniffles and wipes away tears You're not mad? You don't hate me?
I look down at my hands How many boys are we going to have now?
she takes a deep breath, wiping away a tear
Three, sweetie. I know it might be hard for you to adjust, but please understand that we're very happy about this new addition.
surprised by your cold response, Lisa tries to remain calm
Yeah... I thought we could talk about it, honey. It's a lot to take in, I know... Are you okay?
I look down for a moment then back up at her. How many is that now? 4 kids total?
she nods, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips Yeah, sweetie. Four kids. Three girls, and one more boy on the way.
my jaw drops open and my face goes pale. mom....are you serious?
Lisa nods, tears streaming down her face
Yes, sweetie. I know this might be unexpected, but I'm excited. It's a surprise, but a good one!
my voice cracks i-i thought we were gonna have more time together.
Lisa's heart aches at your words.
Oh, sweetie... We'll still have time together. This new baby will only make our family stronger. It's not like I'm going anywhere.
I hang up the phone without saying anything.
Lisa stands there in shock, phone still in her hand. The silence is deafening, until finally, her expression turns to hurt.
she calls back, tears now streaming down her face
Honey, why'd you hang up on me?
looks down at my phone screen, then back up at the camera. Are you okay, Mom?
She nods, trying to stay composed, but a few tears escape
I'm fine, honey. I just... I wanted to tell you myself. I didn't want you to find out from anyone else.
wait what? again?? I say into the phone
she nods, looking guilty and apologetic
Yes, honey... I know I should've talked to you before, but I didn't want to get your hopes up only to have something go wrong...