SEVEN

"Princess, all packed and ready to go?"

I heard Daddy called from outside of my room as I zipped my suitcase shut. "Yeah, just need to put my boots on."

As I put on my snow boots, I thought about things going through my mind. First, I never thought me and my family would be going to see Grandma Birdie at Big Bear for Thanksgiving because she wanted to cook and see us. It's been a while since I've seen Grandma Birdie, she's a wild lady with the heart of a daredevil. She can do anything that seems risky for her age. Not saying she's old-old but people age and she isn't getting any younger. Sometimes I would be getting postcards from places where dangerous things can happen, skydiving, ATV at the sand dunes, swimming with sharks, going on a safari journey anything the whole world can provide that my grandma can do. But I love her braveness if only I can get some of that.

Secondly, I'm glad we are having Thanksgiving dinner at her house otherwise that lie I told Athena the other day would be just a stupid excuse to avoid Liam.

Fuck!

Why did I think of him so suddenly?

I was supposed to keep him off my mind forever. And school wasn't helpful. Every time I'm with Effie, he would be there next to his brother and then leave without saying a word. I guess my very existence is like a disease. Every day at school we would meet unexpectedly and pass by like strangers. It hurt, my heart ached, but I had to be strong and never let myself cry over a guy who isn't right to himself. I don't know what is going on, but I'm tired of it.

"Leelee, ready to go?" Daddy stood at the doorway wearing his biker leather jacket and beanie. "Are you done with your stuff?"

"Yeah, you can put it in the car. Is Dad done with packing?" I asked once I'm done with the second boot.

"Your Dad isn't finish packing as far as I know," he grunts. "Even if it's only three days and two nights at grandmas he's packing as if we are leaving the country."

I chuckled.

I could imagine Dad messing up their room full of his closes and unsure of what to bring. It's always like that with family trips, Dad had brought four suitcases, and Daddy suggested to minimize two carryons for the trip.

"Can you check on him, please," Daddy said taking my suitcases. "I'll put yours in the car. We have to be at Grandmas before traffic hits."

"Okay," I said like a child and head to my dads' room, there was a peek at the door as I made my way inside and gasped loudly. "God, damn."

Lily, language," Dad said as I watch him go back and forth from their walk-in closet carrying a load of clothes in his arms throwing them on the bed with the rest of his clothes in piles.

"Dad, you're not ready yet?" I looked around and saw the room a mess as if a tornado hit only my parents' room. "We have to hit the freeway before traffic."

"I know," he breathed and stopped. "I just don't know what to bring. There is so much to choose from."

"Hurry up, Daddy is getting agitated and wanted to leave early."

"Daddy would just have to wait, this is a fashion crisis," He whined. "There is so much to choose from, and he wanted to bring at least two suitcases."

I felt a vibration inside the pocket of my jacket and dig for my phone and saw Effie's text.

Effie: Have you left yet?

I typed my fingers and texted her back.

Me: No, not yet. Dad is having a fashion crisis and can't pick out the clothes to bring.

Effie replied quickly.

Effie: Aren't you only staying there for three days?

I left her a stern emoji icon and replied to that with a laughing one.

Effie: I'm sure, your dad wants to look his best.

Me: Yeah, whatever. I'll text you later and let you know if we have arrived at my Grandma Birdie's house.

Effie: TTYL. Love you!

I return text to her with a kissing emoji, I put my phone away and heard footsteps approaching from behind me as Daddy said, "Babe, you are not done yet? We have to go."

"Give me just a few more minutes," Dad started to throw all his clothes in a rush looking for the clothes he is going to bring. "I know what I am going to bring."

Daddy groaned, rubbed his face and his head, and swore under his breath as he walked out of the room. "If you are not packed within 20 minutes, Lily and I are leaving you."

"That's mean. I swear that hulky man of mine, so impatient like driving, sex-"

"Okay, Dad, I get it. That is gross," I cringed the thought of my dads' having sex the images in my head are going to haunt me for the rest of my life. "But you know Daddy is excited to see Grandma Birdie."

Dad sighed. "I know, my lovely. Okay, I'll pack whatever needed. Will you help me? Makes the packing go faster, and we wouldn't want your daddy to come back."

"Sure, no problem."

After twenty minutes we hit the freeway on the road to Big Bear. The drive took two hours and thirty-five minutes; only because it was traffic and we stopped by Walmart to gather some stuff needed to make to Grandma Birdie's house.

Minutes later, we drove onto the driveway of a beautiful lakefront cabin, it was newly remodeled by our very own Wayne Peters two years ago. The cabin is close to deep water lake, dock for a boat, and you can step into the backyard, wind-protected for evenings outdoors on the deck. The house has four bedrooms, four baths include two master suites that have the same view of the lake.

Once I stepped out of the car, the sound of the door shut and I heard screaming. "Oh my goodness, there is my baby!"

Grandma Birdie, a small woman, pearl-complexion soft beauty with a strikingly sweet expression shows a bright smile on her face every time she sees us. Her boyish short hair mixture of brown hair with a hint white and grey doesn't show her age in the early 70s' came out from the house to welcome us with open arms. She approached me first pulling me into a tight grizzly hug.

"Oh, my baby, my baby, my baby" Birdie squeezed me as I tried to heave some air. "I miss you so much."

"I missed you too, Grandma Birdie."

Then she pulled apart and cupped my face"Look at you, so beautiful and these I bet you grab the attention of all the boys at your school." Grandma Birdie wiggled her brows when her hands on me and bounced my breast.

"Grandma!" I shrieked and moved away from her hands shield my pride and glory.

"Mom, please don't tease Lily," Daddy said as he held four suitcases with his hands and arms taking them inside.

"What? I haven't seen my grandbaby in so long." Birdie protested with a childish pout made me giggle. "Look how beautiful she has become. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to your birthday. I was on cliff walking in China. You should see it, so beautiful."

"It is why you always hang out with your friends instead of your family, Birdie." that was coming from Dad who has pink luggage.

"I can't be cooped up inside my lonely and quiet home. I need the excitement, the thrill, the adventure. I'm not getting any younger, you know?"

Daddy sighed. "That is why you should come live with us. We have one room with your name on it."

Birdie tutted at her son. "I'm not a city life type gal."

"But you were born in the city," Daddy groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes on me, young man. I couldn't live in the city with you guys: Too much pollution I could choke, people always on their gadgets and do not greet, crimes are committed every day that I'm scared to go out, what if I get molested or mugged?"

"Mom, that is how city life is like, and you own guns."

"Well, your mama likes the wilderness and mother nature, there are no crimes committed here, and it snows." Birdie smiled. "Say, when you graduate high school you could live here with me. You might not like the cold, but you will get used to it. Its peaceful, quiet and you will see beautiful sceneries, what do you say?" she asked me.

I only chuckled and gave it a quick thought before answering her. "I'll think about it."

Grandma Birdie made another baby pout. "Come on; you will love it here."

"Mom, don't pressure your granddaughter. You always ask her that." Daddy groaned. "Come on let us go inside, it's freaking cold out here."

As my dads walked inside the house after finishing unloading the suitcases, Grandma Birdie links arms with mine as we followed my dads' inside. "That son of mine always the hard head. He's not used to the cold as I do."

I giggled. "That is because he doesn't have your strong will to live with nature."

"Your dad hates the wilderness. There was this one-time raccoon chased him because it thought Wayne's frizzle hair looks like cotton candy," Grandma Birdie laughed so hard. "I was dying."

"Is that why Daddy shaved his head?" I asked.

"Yes, that is the only reason why he never grew out his hair anymore. Now, he looks like those bobbleheads," she said laughed as we entered the house. I remembered the whole interior of the home; once you are inside, there is a large chandelier hanging above us, a curved staircase that leads upstairs, across is the massive family room with a fireplace and over-sized sliding doors and windows for you to exit out the backyard. I could see the whole lake from where I'm standing.

Birdie closed the door behind us as I felt the warm feeling of this house. It has been a long time since we visited and I could never forget. "So, Lily, do you have a boyfriend yet?"

My body flinched at her question. "Boyfriend? No, I don't have time for a boyfriend," I laughed nervously.

"Really? You are grown now, eighteen, practically a young adult. Don't tell me you don't have someone in mind." Birdie frowned. "Is your daddy not letting you date? If he is, then I'll give him a good lecture about-"

"No!" I grabbed her arm stopping her, I looked down and squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and lift my head. "No, my dads are okay with me dating it just...not right now since it's my senior year and I have lots of things to do like looking for a good college."

Birdie made a face, studied me for a whole minute I felt uncomfortable with her stare that I was beginning to sweat, then sighed. She smiled as she reached for my cheek, and pat it softly. "I understand, you are responsible now that you will enter the real world of life. But, if anything goes wrong don't hesitate to call me. I'll go on my ATV and drive to Long Beach with full speed."

"Thanks, Grandma."

My body relaxed as Birdie didn't further question or notice any change on me. I couldn't tell her that I'm engaged with a man who does not love me and pregnant with his child. I don't want to imagine her driving her ATV vehicle to Liam's house and threaten him with her rifle force him to love me.

Yeah, she has a rifle, not only that but also a shotgun as well. When she is not out of the country exploring, she will go to Big Game Hunting seasons with her other friends at legal arenas in California, but she doesn't use her guns, regulations, and rules are killing innocent creatures such as deer and elks. So, in an arena only have a type of rifle that tags them, using a needlepoint bullet only paralysis the animal for a minute then once tag the deer are released into the wild, and the game ends by how many animals you have tagged. Other hunting areas allow you to use your gun and kill them for a show, but Birdie thinks all animals should be treated equally and deserves to live and not be used as trophies.

But Birdie does have real guns in her storage room with the other weapons. I have not seen the rest, but I know she keeps them locked up in someplace where I can't find.

"Hungry?" Birdie announced and with just one word made my stomach cried.

"Now that you mentioned it, I'm starving. We didn't get to eat before we left."

"Oh my, you did not eat?" Birdie gasped, then rolled her sleeves walking towards the kitchen that is connected with the family room. "Wayne, did you not feed your family before you left?"

Both of my dads were in the kitchen with a glass of wine in their hands. "We were in a hurry and bit traffic, and you know how the holidays are, busy?"

"Well, you left my granddaughter nothing to eat," Birdie took a skillet off the rack on the wall and placed it on the stove turning up the heat. "I can't let my grandchild be malnourished, I mean look at her. She needs some meat in her bones."

My dads looked at me, and their eyes examined at one another before they stared back at me as they knew of me being pregnant. They couldn't tell Birdie about it. "Mama Birdie, Lily looks just fine to me, isn't that right, honey?"

"Oh yeah, we've been stuffing her with all kinds of food that Nicky makes. Our daughter isn't malnourished, she is actually on her crave- OW!" Dad elbowed my other dad to shut him up. "Our daughter is healthy as a horse."

I groaned and slapped my head with my hand. Dad just rolled his eyes as Daddy Wayne let out a nervous laugh that makes his face looks simpleminded.

"Mmh..." Birdie intensively stared at her son, and Daddy looks like he's going to break a sweat. Then she opened her stainless fridge and said, "I know Lily is healthy but eating breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Oh, damn, no eggs, I'll have to run to the store real quick. You don't mind waiting, Lily?"

"No, not at all," my stomach growled had me hugged it. "I can wait, no worries. Take all the time that you need."

"Okay," Birdie grabbed her coat, put on her boots, and then took the keys off the hook hanging on the wall. "I'll be back in a jiffy." Once she closed that door, my dads and I all let out a sighed of relief.

"That was too close," Dad fan himself. "Wayne, how are we going to explain to your mom that our Lily-pad is pregnant?"

"You know how she is," Daddy rubbed his temples roughly as if he is having a migraine, then pinch the bridge of his nose. "Once she finds out that our little girl is pregnant and the father isn't taking action of responsibility, she will kill that boy."

"You wanted to kill Liam too," Dad implied.

"Yes, but if I do it would make Lily cry, which is the reason why I didn't do anything. I don't want to hurt my little princess."

"Me too, but you have to talk to her. She is your mother make her understand."

I felt the tension in the room as well as the difficulties of hiding my baby from the most trusted person I ever knew.

I sighed. "Dad, Daddy, I'll tell her."

"No, honey, you don't have too." Dad walked around the island table and pulled me into a hug. "We don't want to burden you on telling your grandmother. You know how she became pregnant with Wayne, she was young, almost about your age. And the father-"

"I know, he was the jackass for knocking up Grandma Birdie and never cared for her and Daddy."

"Exactly, if she knew before we even explain. Your grandma Birdie will definitely kill Liam."

"If she doesn't I might reconsider," Daddy said, as he took a sip of an open beer he popped open. "I might even castrate that boy for hurting Lily."

"Wayne!" Dad gasped, pulled apart from me so he can scold Daddy with his declaration. Dad pinned his hands to his hips and glared at Daddy. "You know better than to kill a boy. Even if he doesn't love our Lily, that doesn't give you the right to murder him."

I sat down on the high chair and slumped my shoulders as I listen to their arguments. They do know I'm still here.

"Well, what do you want me to do? Just sit around and do nothing while our daughter is heart-broken because of that bastard."

"I may want to hurt that boy as well, but that bastard is still the father of her baby."

"Who's the father of who's baby?"

All three of us froze, my dads and me as we felt an electrical wave spreading through our bodies once we heard Bernadette Peters walked inside the house, unannounced of her arrival back from the store.