The Six Month Contract

Surprise!

My throat tightens and I straighten my skirt. I stare at the door in front of me and then at the buzzer. Why am I so nervous? This is my parents' house.

"Here goes," I mutter under my breath as I shake my left hand and then press the buzzer.

Father opens the door. The look of disappointment says it all. He doesn't pull me into a hug, he doesn't tell me how beautiful I look like he used to. All he does is open the door further and move beside the door to let me in.

"Hey, dad," I say.

He nods. "Glad you finally took time out of your busy schedule to see us," he says sharply.

Mother appears behind him as I step in. "Don't bother her," she says placing a hand on father's shoulder to calm him. "The poor thing is already stressed."

"Stressed!" Father yells. "That's exactly what we are. The last few months have been hell and instead of sorting it out, you go and get married!"

I look down at my feet. If only they knew how I got stuck into this marriage.

"How long have you known this Rocky guy for?" Father asks.

It surprises me that he doesn't recognise Rocky, although I cannot be too shocked. Rocky was always around in school, never involved in my personal life. My parents might've seen him at school events and graduation but that was about it.

"Too long," I say.

Father shakes his head. "That's not an answer."

Mother hushes him. "Can we not do this in the hallway," she tells us as she places a hand on my back ushering me to the dining room. "Let's just have dinner."

"That's right, because dinner will solve all the issues," father says snapping his head in my direction. "What, was your husband too privileged or rich to have dinner with us?"

I try to hide the obvious tears forming. This isn't how it was supposed to go.

Rocky isn't here but that's because I warned him against it. He told me he could sort things out with my parents but there was no way in hell I would bring him here. This whole mess was his fault to begin with, and knowing him, he wouldn't clean the mess, he'd make it worse. I told him to stay put even when he insisted on coming along. I got mad and threw a photo frame at him. Of course, I later found out that that was Daniella's photo and felt bad about it. He didn't even utter word then and I know how protective Rocky is of his younger sister. If my parents saw Rocky, they would think him the same way I did, a player and perhaps a tool. That wouldn't go down well if this is already this bad.

I sit down around the dining table. Suddenly aware how small of a family we are to sit around a table for ten.

"You really should have come to us," mother says. "It's been almost three months since you've been married and you have not paid us a visit."

"Umm..." I say clearing my throat before my father cuts in.

"We weren't even invited to your wedding. How is that even possible?" He asks in a frustrated voice. "You've let both of us down."

He doesn't need to say it for me to know that I have let them down. There could have been a better solution to this but I just couldn't find it.

The front door buzzer goes off and I turn to watch my parents. They look at one another in confusion. "Were you expecting someone?" I ask.

Mother shakes her head no as she heads down the hall. Father watches me. "I was expecting your husband."

I nod. "I...umm...I asked him not to come. I knew you guys were mad at me and I didn't want him to experience that."

That was a lie. I couldn't care less what Rocky experienced, I just didn't want him here to cause a scene.

Mother walks and behind here is Rocky, all suited up in a grey suit and blue tie. My mouth drops open. He actually went against my word and everything I told him.

"Sir," he says stretching his hand to my father. "So nice to finally meet you."

Father shakes his hand it doesn't hesitate to let him know his opinion. "Can't say the same unfortunately."

Mother smacks his arm and tells Rocky to sit. "So Rocky dear, what made you know you wanted to spend the rest of your life with our daughter?"

I choke on the pasta and stare down. Rest of your life. More like six months.

"I don't know if Sky told you but we knew each other from school, and I was pretty sure I was in love with her then."

Mother squeals in delight as father watches between us. "No she didn't," he says. "She doesn't seem to tell us things anymore."

I twist the pasta around on my bowl. Father is not going to make this easy.

When Rocky looks in my direction, my blood boils. If I could rip his head apart with my bare hands, I would have already done it.

"So you knew each other in school?" Mother asks.

"That's right, ma'am," Rocky says and his sudden etiquette with my family surprises me. "We go back to primary school."

Father nods and this time keeps whatever he wanted to say to himself.

Mother watches us in delight. "I must ask though. Why were we not invited to the wedding? I won't lie, Sky had not even told us about you at all and then we suddenly hear that you are married."

Rocky forks the pasta into his mouth. "I admit we didn't do this the right way, but there was no wedding. We got married in court. Sky should have told you about us but I take full responsibility for that. I had advised she tell no one. In my line of work there is a new headline in the papers and the news everyday. One small slip up and the rumour would have spread. I guess she was respecting my opinions to have not muttered a word."

My father relaxes as he squeezes my mother's hand. "We're not strangers, she should've told us especially about the wedding."

I nod. "I am so sorry," I tell him. "I really should've told you both."

Rocky gives my thigh a squeeze. Part of me wants to swat his hand away but the other part finds it comforting, as if to hold me together so I don't break down.

My father seems relaxed beside my mother, something he wasn't until Rocky showed up. I feel like gagging. How on earth Rocky has this effect on people, I will never know.

"So Rocky," my father says. "Am I guaranteed that you will take care of my daughter just as well as we have these past few years?"

Rocky looks over at me. His expression is one of hurt and concern but it only lasts a second. He's good at that, the ability to change his emotions or fake them like it's nothing.

"Sky means the world to me," Rocky tells father. "I don't want to sugarcoat it. I will take care of her with all my heart. I cannot promise I will take care of her the way you both have but I will try my absolute most to make sure she is always happy. She is my number one priority sir and I wouldn't do anything to hurt her."

Beside him I subtly shake my head. What a load of lies. He's already done a lot to hurt me, and as for being happy, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've felt it since being married and I'm pretty sure it has more to do with the fact that my parents are semi-okay with the situation.

Rocky watches me. "What?" He mouths when he sees my disappointed expression.

"What a load of bull," I whisper as I lean in to grab the gravy from in front of him.

His hand reaches for the gravy as well. "It's not a lie," he says tugging both the gravy and myself closer to him.

I give him a deadset look. My parents are busy talking to each other to notice what Rocky is doing here.

"My parents," I mouth as I yank the gravy away from him.

A small smile appears on his lips. "So what?" He whispers.

I make a puking expression by holding my finger near my mouth. Rocky grins beside me and winks in my direction.

I roll my eyes and look down at my plate and then up at my parents who are smiling at us.

Damn Rocky!