My name is Mick O’Dell and I’m here because my wife is cheating on me and my daughter is not mine.

I think.

I dated Deb in high school ... after she dropped the football team.

Yeah, I said it correctfly, not the quarterback, the team.

She liked to fuck.

I thought she was beautiful and I think that maybe I was trying to rescue a fallen angel. At Homecoming my Senior year, after putting her off for weeks, we had sex. I was one time short of being a virgin and she was far and away too much for me to handle. But I hung in there and soon afterwards, we were banging away like veterans.

I watched her, and had friends who did the same, and I really believe that she was faithful to me. One evening, while we were sharing a very nice afterglow, she looked me in the eyes and uttered the words that changed my life.

“Mick ... I’m pregnant.”

Our eyes were locked and I could see the truth of what she said.

“How? I thought you were on the pill and we always used a rubber.”

“All I can think of is that one week after I had the flu. I was on those prescription meds and that one time, the rubber broke. That’s is the only thing I can think of.”

“Well, shit. Now what?”

“Well, I can’t get an abortion. My folks may have raised a cock hungry slut, but they raised a moral one. I can’t kill the baby.”

“And my folks raised me to accept the consequences of my actions and choices. If you need, we can get married. I mean I do care for you ... a lot. You’ve become my best friend. My parents told me that they married as best friends. They felt that they couldn’t see themselves living apart from each other, and they fell in love afterwards.”

“You’re my best friend, too, Mick. Everyone else treats me like the way I’ve acted before you. You’ve always treated me like I was someone you valued. I don’t know if we will fall in love, but I care for you and if you care as much, then I think that we have a good chance to make it.”

“Well, then, I’ll talk to my folks and let them know.”

“I’ll go with you. We’re in this together now.” Deb kissed me tenderly.

“Dad? I need to talk to you and mom after dinner, OK?”

“Sure, champ. Does this have to do with going to college or something equally serious?”

“Yeah, it does. Oh, and Deb is coming over in a little while. I want her here when we talk.”

“This does sound very serious.”

“Yeah.”

I called Deb.

“Hi. I talked with my dad and I asked to have a meeting after dinner. If you’re still up for it come over at about 6:15.”

“I’ll be there, Mick.”

“OK. I’ll see you then.”

“I love you.”

“Really?”

“It seems that love will come faster if we acknowledge that it’s what we want.”

“Well then, I love you too. I’ll see you at 6:15.”

I hung up and went to my room to beat my head against the wall and rehearse my speech.

The doorbell rang right after we cleaned up from dinner. My dad hadn’t said anything while we ate, but mom had a look on her face like she knew something was about to happen. She always seemed to know what I was going to do before I did it. I walked to the door and let Deb in and kissed her before leading her to the kitchen.

“Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend, Deb Ballentine. Deb this is my dad Mike O’Dell and my mom Joyce.”

“Hello Mr. and Mrs. O’Dell. Thanks for having me over.” She shook hands with my mom and dad. My mom held her hand a little longer.

“Come on dear. Let’s go to the living room. It’s a bit more cozy and relaxing than this bright old kitchen.” She took Deb by the hand and led her to the living room with dad and I close behind.

After we sat, Deb and me on the couch and mom and dad in the love seat, I opened my mouth and forgot everything I was going to say.

“Crap.” I hung my head.

“Good start son.” Dad said as he chuckled.

“Dad, I rehearsed this speech but I forgot everything.”

My mom looked at my dad and sadly nodded.

“So, Deb. How far along are you?”

Cricket.

Cricket.

Cricket.

“Mrs. O’Dell?”

“Deb. You’re here so you, and my son, can tell us that you’re pregnant. Right?” She said calmly.

“Yes, ma’am.” Deb began to tear up as I sat next to her with my mouth hanging open, until my brain kicked in.

“Dad, it was an accident. She had the flu and the condom broke.”

“The ‘how’ doesn’t really matter now, Mick,” he explained.

“Yes sir. Anyway, Deb and I have talked and I’m going to ask her to marry me. I know you and I have been arguing about me going to college, but it seems like a waste of time and money. I want to go to work in your shop as an apprentice welder and learn the business from the bottom up. I’ll be ready to take over when you retire and then you and mom can tour the world.”

“Mike, we have talked about this. I think Mick has his goals set right. We raised him to follow a plan and be ready for it to go wrong.” My mom sounded like the voice of reason.

“Wrong? This is a damn site more fucked up than wrong!” My dad’s voice got louder and Deb grabbed my hand.

“Dad. Calm down. What’s done is done. Deb is having my baby. I want a job that will allow me to have my own home and be able to pay my own bills right away. I want our home settled before your grandson gets here.”

“Granddaughter.” My mom said with a smile. “So are you two going to get married before or after the wonderful day?”

“I would like it to be right away.” I said. Deb looked totally blindsided.

“Have you even asked her yet?” Mom smiled again.

“Well. Not officially. We talked about it.”

“Deb. Do you even want to marry this kid?” My dad jumped in, he sounded like she would be crazy to marry me.

“Since I found out about the baby, I’ve been thinking about what to do. I can’t kill it. It did nothing wrong. I was all set to go it alone when I told Mick. He stepped right into the mess and took over. I don’t know if I love him, but I respect him and over this past year as we’ve been dating, he has become my best friend.”

There was a long silence before my dad spoke.

“It usually ends badly. Ours didn’t. But we are the exception to the rule.” He paused and took a deep breath. “OK, since you’ve been working for me on and off, you are listed as a part time employee. Having you changed over to full-time and having you set on insurance for you and Deb will be no problem. She should be covered as soon as you start the Monday after graduation. Assuming that you’re married.”

Dad paused and looked at both of us.

“Deb? Are you graduating too?” He asked.

“No. I’m only a Junior. My mom and dad said that they would help take care of the baby while I finished my Senior year.” She said meekly.

“Mick, you’d better take care of things quickly. I will not have my daughter-in-law be a high school drop out.”

Deb put her hands to her mouth in shock and surprise.

“Well then, Deb? Will you marry me?” I asked her, trying to sound as serious as the situation.

“I will,” she replied.

“Well then, tomorrow let’s go and get a ring,” I said.

“There goes the college fund.” My dad whispered to mom, who lovingly punched him in the arm.

“Deb dear? Do your parents know?” My mom asked as we headed for the door.

“That I’m pregnant? Yes. That Mick asked to marry me? No.”

“Well, if I may make a suggestion, go and pick out an inexpensive ring that can be sized and fitted right when you buy it and then tell your folks with the ring on your finger. Trust me.” Mom kissed her on the cheek and patted me on the butt as she shooed us out the door.

We married before Deb began to show too much. And when the baby arrived, and to my mom’s delight, it was a little girl that I named Aurora Dawn O’Dell. She was the sunrise and sunset on my every day. Deb and I were close, but I never had the feeling that we were as close as my mom and dad. I thought that maybe it was because Deb was still in high school for our first year together. But the loving relationship never really blossomed as I had hoped.

Over the years, I raised our daughter to be strong and independent. She had her mom’s beautiful genes, making her the prettiest girl in grade school and then later the most beautiful girl in high school. Along the way, I taught her how to throw a baseball and a softball. I taught her to be honorable. We even lifted weights together. She became a really good basketball and softball player and a formidable date.

Over the years in high school more than one young man went home with blue balls, and several went home with crushed balls, as she used her self-defense lessons to disable a grabby suitor. She was always willing to go out with any boy who asked her out. She was less than willing, if the boy was an asshole, to go out a second time.

During her high school years, Aurora often had boys over to the house to meet her mother and I, but very few were brought in twice. It caused me to ask her one day.

“Baby, why don’t you have a boyfriend?”

“Daddy, I can’t find a guy that measures up to you!”

“Thanks, but seriously.”

“Daddy, I am serious. I measure every guy I meet or go out with against you. Why would I want anyone less?” She always smiled and kissed me on the cheek when she said that.

One day after she had again kissed me on the cheek, I was hugging her as Deb came into the kitchen.

“Mick, I’m going to go and meet Diane and Rod to go over the plans for the 15^th anniversary reunion. I should be back by 10.”

“OK Deb. Say hi to them for me. I love you.”

“I know you do!” With that she was out the door.

I don’t know why, but for some reason it hit me that of late whenever I said, “I love you” to Deb, her answer was always “I know you do.”. As I sat there and thought about it, I couldn’t remember that last time she had told me that she loved me. Aurora looked at me with sad eyes for just an instant.

A few weeks later my daughter had her 16^th birthday. We had a party and invited a ton of her friends over. Several brought their parents, including Diane and Rod, to help us ride herd. Over the past 16 years, I had learned all about my father’s business and, by the time I reached the age of 30, I had taken over as General Manager of the company while my mom and dad had started their tour of the world.

I had also moved Deb and Aurora out of our big apartment and into a big house. It was so big that we needed the extra parents at Aurora’s party to stop the kids from running off and hiding in a room or a closet to fuck. I stood there watching the craziness of my daughter’s birthday around me and mentioned to Deb that we had all the room in the world for more kids, why had none ever appeared.

“Maybe I should go to the doctor and get checked to see if something is wrong with me before we are too old to have more like her.” I told Deb and she grabbed me and just held me.

“Mick, I hate to be a bitch, but I don’t want any more babies. I’ve been on the pill since Aurora was born. It scared me to death being pregnant and I really didn’t want any more babies.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t we talk about it?”

“I was afraid that you would leave me. Getting pregnant was the only reason that you married me and I was worried that if I told you, that you would leave me for someone who would want your babies.”

I held her and let her know that it was alright.

“Deb, I’m not happy. Not about you not wanting more babies, but because I wish you would have trusted me enough to tell me.”

“I’m sorry, Mick. Please don’t hate me.”

“I don’t and won’t ever hate you Deb. Ever! I mean look what you gave me. Aurora is the most perfect gift I have ever received.” I kissed her and watched our daughter dance with her friends.

A year later, on one of their trips, my dad had a heart attack and died in my mom’s arms. When she came home, she was despondent for a long time. We moved her into the house with us, but for some reason she was really uncomfortable around Deb. I thought it was the depression and her seeing us in a loving relationship when hers was dead.

She got really sick a few months later and as I was sitting by her side one day, she took my hand and winced in pain. She panted a few times to catch her breath before looking me in the eyes.

“Mick,” she said weakly, “love Aurora. She loves you.”

“I know mom.” I said.

“No you don’t. She ... loves ... you.” She said weakly, and then she was gone.

At the funeral Deb stood by my side the whole time, while Aurora held me tightly and cried.

A few months after the funeral was Aurora’s 18^th birthday. We had a party for her and had all her friends over. Diana was still Deb’s friend and Rod was still Diane’s husband. I don’t know why, but Rod and I never got to be as close as Deb and Diane. Rod was a jock in high school and I was into industrial arts. I never thought about it but assumed that Rod would have been one of the many jocks that had sex with Deb before she started going with me.

Like I said, I never really thought about it.

After the party, Aurora was exhausted and when she couldn’t stand up from her chair, asked me to help her up the stairs to her room. I picked her up in my arms and walked up the stairs with the strength that all those years as a welder, throwing around metal, had built. At the top of the stairs, Aurora wrapped her arms around me and kissed me on the lips with a passion I had never felt.