Caleb shrugs again. “I know what’s best for me and if that’s ridiculous then I guess I’m guilty as charged.”
“Oh you’re very charming.” My mum’s eyes narrow, suspicious of the man before her. We watch and wait as she stands and walks to the drawers. What’s she doing? What’s that bag? Oh dear god no. She throws the bag on the table and a few packets of condoms fall out of its bulging belly. “Don’t get her pregnant. You may be willing to give up your education for her, but…”
I fold my arms on the table and bury my face in them.
I am now simply mortified. There’s no room for any other kind of emotion.
“Don’t worry about it, Dawn.” Caleb waves her off. “Safety first. Cross my heart.”
Oh, he’s enjoying this. “Caleb!”
“Just saying,” he states, trying to suppress his smile but failing as it blinds me seconds later. “I promise to do everything in my power to keep Gwenny in school until she graduates.”
This my mum likes; I can tell by her apparent grin. “Good.” After exhaling a long breath, she continues, “So, tell me what your plans are. I hope you don’t expect to move in here…”
“I’ve started looking at apartments near the university,” he says and places his hand over mine on the table. “I have a trust fund so money isn’t an issue.”
A trust fund? Why am I only now learning all of this information about him? I know it has only been two weeks since we started dating but he must have known that my mum might ask him about this stuff. Wouldn’t it have been better to discuss it with me beforehand?
“Okay, good.” My mum nods, her lips pouting slightly as she thinks on it. “Well, you’re an adult. It’s your life; you’ll do as you please. You, however,” she gives me a pointed look, “don’t take this the wrong way, but he’s just a guy. Don’t get distracted.”
“Okay,” I sigh with a roll of my eyes. I’m not stupid. I really like Caleb but I’ve wanted to go to University since I was little. It’s important to me to get the education I require in order to become an amazing chef.
We don’t have family. My mum’s parents abandoned her when she fell pregnant with me and I don’t think she knows who my dad is. I’m guessing I’m the result of a one night stand gone wrong and as much as I’d like to hate her for that, I don’t and never will.
I suppose it’s becoming more common these days for people to grow up without a father figure. I turned out okay regardless, though I won’t deny the certain pangs of jealousy I get when I see other fathers with their daughters.
“Also, if you get pregnant and he leaves you, don’t expect to come back here.” She gives me a pointed look.
Caleb frowns at this but remains silent. I only nod. What can I say to that? I find it quite hypocritical considering the circumstances in which she found herself when pregnant with me, but hey ho. There’s no use dwelling on something that is never going to happen.
“So…” She smiles warmly now, all seriousness gone. “Pizza and box office?”
“Yay!” I grin.
Caleb looks at me. “Yay? Who says yay?”
“You’ll find there are a lot of things she says that nobody else would say. Good luck.”
I scoff. “A lot of people say yay.”
“Not normal ones,” Caleb murmurs playfully and clips me on the chin. “But I don’t like normal so it’s all good.” Then he grins, throws his arms in the air and, in a high pitched tone, he cheers, “Yay!”
“Geek.”
After the initial greeting is done and Mum and Caleb are properly acquainted, we retire to the living room. Caleb and I sit side by side on the couch, with my mum sat in the chair to the right, watching some action film on TV. I’m not interested; I’m too busy playing thumb war with the guy beside me.
I wonder if all of the talk about pregnancy has him thinking about sex. It’s something that I can’t stop thinking about when he kisses me and makes me feel so sensual and frustrated all at once. I’m just not ready to take that step yet.
Will he think I’m frigid if I turn him down?
I have this rule that my mum taught me; she said if you can’t stand in front of the person while naked and feel comfortable, to