Place Your Betts (The Marilyns) (37 page)

Tears filled her eyes. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m just…”

Tom’s face twisted with anguish. “It doesn’t look like nothing. You’re upset.” He swallowed. “Did I do something?”

Kaitlin shook her head because she didn’t trust her voice.

“What is it then?” Tom tilted her chin up and kissed the tear streaks from her cheeks. “I love you. Please tell me.”

Tom was so honest and good and loving. How could she destroy that by telling him what was wrong? But he needed to know…deserved to know.

“I’m late.” Kaitlin’s voice was squeaky and shallow. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

Tom studied her face expectantly. “For what?”

“My period. I’m late.” She looked away. Why did she feel like she’d done something wrong and he was going to be mad at her?

“Oh.” Tom let out a long, slow breath as he pulled her into his arms. “How late? I mean, it doesn’t happen at exactly the same time every month, does it? Your body doesn’t have a built-in calendar. You’re a little late. So what?” Tom sounded like he was trying to convince her and himself that he believed everything was fine.

Kaitlin swallowed hard several times and pressed her lips into a smile. “You’re right. It’s probably nothing.”

“What about one of those tests? A home pregnancy thingy. Why don’t we take one of those?” Tom sounded so calm and mature.

Kaitlin was falling apart, but he was calm, cool, and collected. That was Tom—her rock. The only good thing in her life.

“Sure. That’s a good idea. It will be negative, and then we’ll laugh about the whole thing.” Kaitlin tried to giggle, but it stuck in her throat. “Thanks for saying ‘we.’”

Tom took her face in both hands. “We will always be together. If the test is positive, we’ll get married. I’ll quit school and get a job—”

“There is no way that you’re quitting school.” Kaitlin snuggled into him. “Everything’s going to be all right. I’m sure of it.”

***

The next afternoon, Tom lifted his hand to knock on Betts’s door before he lost his nerve. He needed some help and someone to talk to. Kaitlin might be pregnant, and he wanted to talk it out adult to adult.

The door swung open, and Tom jumped. Mama Cherie stepped out into the sunshine and pulled her sparkly sunglasses over her eyes.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite Swanson male.” She smiled at Tom. Her lips were painted traffic-cone orange and looked like they might glow in the dark.

Mama Cherie was funny and nice and more than a little bit strange. She acted like the girls at school and not an old lady.

“Is Betts around?” Tom peered into the trailer. She’d better be at home because he didn’t think he’d be able to work up the nerve again.

“Sure, honey. Just go on up.” Mama opened up a huge pink purse and rooted around until she found her car keys. “I’m headed to town. Need anything?”

“No, ma’am, I’m good.” Tom tipped his hat to her. “Thanks for asking.”

As he stepped into Betts’s trailer, he pulled off his hat and smoothed his hair down. “Betts,” he called out and hoped she had time to talk. His hands shook. How did he bring it up?

“Hey, Tom.” Betts looked up from a stack of sheet music. “What’s up?”

Tom curled and uncurled his hat brim. “Do you have a minute?”

Betts smiled. “Always.” Her gaze zeroed in on his face. “Looks serious.”

Tom forced himself to smile. Maybe it would be better to ease into it. He had something else he wanted to discuss with her, and it might be best to start with that.

“It’s about you and my dad.” Tom’s voice cracked. “Tell him he doesn’t need to sneak around on my account. I’m a man. I know y’all are sleeping together.” It wasn’t an accusation, just a statement of fact. He wanted her to understand that he knew what a committed relationship meant.

“Um…” Betts stared a hole in the table as her cheeks turned red.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m cool with it.” He swallowed. “Are y’all gonna get married?” It would be good having her around all the time. She made his dad happy like Kaitlin made him happy—it took a man in love to understand.

Betts finally met his eye. “I don’t know. What’s between us started a long time ago. You can’t relive the past—”

“I’d be okay with it. It’d be nice to have a mother-type person around all the time.” Tom tried to sound matter-of-fact, but it was too hopeful. He wanted her to know how important she was to him. He swallowed. “Maybe I could sometimes call you Mom? I don’t have to if you don’t want.”

Betts’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes got watery.

Great going, Tom. Make her cry, that’ll get her to help you.

“I’d…um…like that.” She sniffed and took a deep breath. “That makes me so happy.”

If she was happy, then why was she crying? Women. Who could figure them out? They cried when they were happy or sad—men made so much more sense. They only cried when blood was gushing or if the Dallas Cowboys lost.

“I need your help.” He’d run out of flattery. “There’s something I want to talk to you about.”

“You and Kaitlin have a fight?” Betts wiped her eyes with a napkin, crumpled it up, and tossed it in the trashcan next to the sink.

“Not a fight…nothing like that.” Tom pressed his lips together and tried to come up with an easy way to bring up the possible pregnancy.

“You know the longer you agonize over it, the harder it will be to get out. Best if you just spill it.”

“Kaitlin’s late.” There he’d done it.

Betts watched him, waiting for the rest.

“Her…um…period is late.” Tom got it out on one long exhale of breath.

“Oh.” She didn’t sound angry or shocked. More like she was absorbing the news—letting it soak in. “Okay. How late?”

“I don’t know. She just told me—”

“Has she taken a home pregnancy test?” Betts hadn’t blinked. She just kept on staring at him.

“No, ma’am.” Tom looked down and took his time placing his hat in the center of the table. “We plan to take one as soon as possible. What should we do?”

He hadn’t intended to ask, but with every passing second, the weight of his future felt heavier and heavier.

Betts reached across the table and grabbed his hand. “Thanks for saying ‘we.’ Most boys would have left it all up to Kaitlin. She’s lucky to have you.” Betts squeezed his hand. “What does your father say?”

Tom met her eye, and fear cut through his gut. “I haven’t told him, and I don’t plan to, if at all possible. You’re my friend. That’s why I came to you. Promise you won’t tell him.”

 Betts’s cheeks puffed up with air, and then she let it out in one long sigh. “I’ll keep your secret, but it puts me in a very awkward position.”

“Thanks.” Tom traced the brim of his hat with his right index finger. “I don’t want to bring the old man into it until I’m sure one way or another. In case you didn’t know, he got my mother pregnant in high school.”

Betts’s eyes got huge, and her face paled. “Yes, I know.”

Duh? If Tom had been alone, he’d have smacked himself on the forehead. His dad had probably been dating Betts when he’d gotten his mother pregnant. It was hard to think of the old man as a cheater, but clearly he was.

“What...” Her voice cracked. “What happened to your mother?”

Was this Betts’s way of asking if his mother was still in the picture?

“She died giving birth to me. I never knew her.”

This was the part that Tom hated most. Whenever he told someone about his mother, they immediately felt sorry for him.

“Died? Really?” Betts’s face was turning red, and her eyes were all scrunched up like she was mad. “What is this, Little House on the Prairie? Women don’t die having babies in this day and age.”

Not the normal response.

“Died. I can’t believe it.” A muscled ticked in Betts’s jaw as she picked up her iPhone. She pushed a few buttons and hit speaker.

“Hello.” It was Mama Cherie.

“Can you pick up a couple of home pregnancy tests while you’re at the store?” Betts held the phone in front of her mouth instead of at her ear.

Tom sat up. Why was she telling her mother? Now, his dad was sure to find out.

“Ten-four. Can do. Anything else?”

“Nope. That’s all.” Betts ended the call and tossed the phone on the table. She glanced at Tom. “Don’t worry about Mama. The good thing about having a crazy mother is that she never asks any questions, and she doesn’t judge.”

“What if she tells?” Tom was sick at the thought that his dad would find out. The old man would be so disappointed.

“Mama can keep a secret. Trust me.” Betts squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry. We’ll get everything sorted out. It will be okay. I promise.”

Tom smiled. It was stupid being treated like a four-year-old, but it made him feel better. No matter what, he and Kaitlin weren’t alone.

“Is Kaitlin coming for dinner tonight? Mama and I will pull her aside and take care of everything. Don’t worry.”

This was another moment when it would have been good to cry, but he was a man now and they didn’t do that…no matter how good it would feel.

***

Betts’s brave face was wearing thin. How could this have happened? If only Gabe had had the birds and bees talk years ago. Then again, Mama had given it to Betts at the age of six, and she’d still ended up pregnant. If Betts had been into nail biting, her fingers would be bloody nubs, but instead, she paced back and forth from her bedroom to the living room, over and over and over.

What if Kaitlin were pregnant? Betts would be a grandmother. She frowned. Becoming a grandmother at the age when most women were having their first babies—there was definitely a country song in there somewhere.

“You’re gonna wear a hole in that carpet.” Mama looked up from the
Enquirer
magazine splayed out on the kitchen table. “I swear you got the worry gene from your father, ’cause I’m as cool as a cucumber.”

“How can I not be worried? My son may be having a baby. Do you know what that means for the rest of his life?”

Mama rolled her eyes. “I have an inkling.”

Betts smirked. “Then why aren’t you upset?”

“What good would it do? I could get all worked up, pace around, pull out my hair, and curse a mean streak, but all that’s gonna make me is tired, bald, and hoarse.” Mama put her hand over her heart. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of people who piss me off.”

“Could you be any more irresponsible?”

“That sounds like a challenge.” Mama blew her an air kiss. “Besides, teen pregnancy is a plague upon our family. Gigi, me, you, and now Tom—damn but we’re some lusty, fertile folks. You can’t argue with DNA.”

“I don’t think lust is part of anyone’s genetic code.” Betts paced back and forth.

“Sit down. You can’t do anything about it. And we don’t know if she’s pregnant anyway. No use in worrying about milk that hasn’t spilt yet.” Mama pointed to the seat opposite her. “Sit. You’re giving me whiplash.”

Betts slid onto the banquette, but her knee vibrated just like Tom’s had. She smiled. He’d gotten that from her.

“That’s better.” Mama licked her thumb and index finger then turned the page. “The sooner you learn to go with the flow the better. If the rabbit dies, the rabbit dies. It’s not like it’s gonna rise up on the third day and start hopping around again. Some bells can’t be unrung.”

“Can’t you even try to be comforting?”

“I am. I’m comforting myself. You just happen to be hanging around.” Mama scanned the page, licked her fingers again, and turned to the next one. “I’m catching up on current events.”

Betts glanced at the magazine. “‘Woman Sees Face of Jesus on a Tortilla, Husband Goes to Hell for Eating It.’ Yeah, that’s certainly earth-shattering news.”

A faint knock sounded at the door. Betts jumped up, power walked the three steps to the door, and smashed the button.

Kaitlin and Tom looked up. Neither one smiled. In fact, they looked as worried as Betts felt. “Come on in.”

Tom had his hand on Kaitlin’s back, leading her into the trailer. The girl’s eyes were swollen and red. She’d been crying, hard. Betts could relate.

Mama ruffled her paper closed and scooted out from under the table. “Tom, why don’t you go help your father for the next half hour while we have some girl time.”

“Um…” He looked at Kaitlin. “Are you sure? I can stay.” The look on his face said that he’d rather chop off his own pinky toe.

Kaitlin smiled bravely. “Go ahead. I’m in good hands.”

Tom practically flew out the door.

Betts, Mama, and Kaitlin stared after him.

“Men. They’re such caring and deep creatures.” Mama picked up the Bobcat Drug bag from the counter.

Kaitlin paled. “You didn’t buy those pregnancy tests at Bobcat Drug, did you?”

“Sure, why?”

“Are you kidding? They’ll know they’re for me. Mr. Salomen, the pharmacist, plays golf with my daddy every Saturday morning.”

Mama patted Kaitlin on the shoulder. “Honey Bee, don’t worry. I’ve been buying my pregnancy tests at Bobcat Drug since I was sixteen. Trust me. The gossip mill doesn’t have time to worry about you now that I’m back in town.” She stuck her hand in the bag. “And to add some extra grist, I had my estrogen replacement medication refilled while I strolled the pregnancy test aisle.” Mama pulled out the white prescription bag and tossed it on the counter. “Keeps them guessing.”

Betts had to hand it to Mama. It wasn’t everyone who could make light of this situation.

Mama upended the bag, and a mountain of pregnancy tests spilled out.

“Now, I got enough for everyone, so don’t fight—”

“These aren’t party favors.” Betts stared at her mother.

“I didn’t want Kaitlin to feel uncomfortable, so I got three different kinds for each of us.” Mama grabbed three boxes and handed them to Betts. “You first, then Kaitlin, then me. It’s like an all-girl pregnancy party.”

“I’m not pregnant, and you don’t have a uterus.” Betts shoved the tests back at Mama. Her mother was crazy, but this was over-the-top.

“Jesus, you’re no fun. How in the hell did I raise such a rule follower?” Mama handed the tests to Kaitlin. “Here, I guess you’re goin’ it alone.”