LIAM (Book Two)

EIGHT

"I am asking, who is the father of who's baby?"

I felt the coldness in her voice when Birdie asked. I averted my eyes back to my parents, who were looking at each other, thinking of a response without being suspicious.

"I came back because I left my glasses only to hear this interesting conversation," Birdie crossed her arms. "I would like to know who are you talking about?"

I swallowed hard. Sweat broke loose as I felt it slide from my head to my cheek. What should I do? What will my parents say? Will they lie? Will they tell the truth about the baby?

I'm not ready; we weren't prepared for this — my breath in rapid beats and shallow. I can feel my pulse pounding in my temples. It's a relief I'm sitting on the chair because my heels and legs are shaking. I'm afraid I'll trip. Birdie was waiting for any of us to answer her.

"Oh! Baby? Yes, we were talking about a friend," Dad burst out unexpectedly. Daddy looked at her with wide eyes.

"A friend?" Birdie arches a brow.

"Yes, a friend." My dad stammered but was able to continue. "Her name is Athena; she is the older sister of Effie, Lily's friend. A few months, Athena didn't want to tell her boyfriend, Rex, about her pregnancy because she was scared that Rex would not want any kids."

"And did he want kids?" The tone in my grandmother's voice scared me. I almost fell off my chair.

"Yes, he does. He was excited and loved Athena even more just two weeks ago they celebrated her pregnancy, and as God, as my witness, I saw how happy they were." Dad breathed and let out a chuckle.

That could convince Birdie and take her off the question from my parents' conversation. It wasn't their fault; we didn't know my grandmother would come back for her glasses to hear the discussions about an irresponsible dad who knocked up a pregnant girl with his baby, whom he did not even know.

The silence was killing me as I watched Birdie studying us as she read our minds, looking at six eyes to see the truth from a lie.

I didn't want to hide the baby from Birdie, but her attitudes towards men who don't care about the women they had sex with and the growing baby inside she hates most men who act that way. She gravely hates them. She loathes them. Birdie will kill them for being an unfit parent, just like her ex-lover, Orlando. Thank God he's in jail. I could sense if Birdie were to see him again, she would not hesitate to kill him.

If Birdie knew that the boy I loved knocked me up, who doesn't love me back, she would surely drive back to Long Beach and hunt him down.

I can't have that. Liam may be a prick, and he has no clue why he couldn't be honest with himself. Couldn't he be honest with me?

"Well," Birdie sighed heavily. "As long the boy takes full responsibility and loves your friend, that is good. Oh, here are my glasses." She picked up her frames next to the spices rack and put them on. "I'm happy to hear your friend's sister is starting a new family, Lily. They must be so excited."

"Yeah, they are," I replied with a smile.

Birdie responded with a smile. "Good, okay, I'm leaving. Need anything? Ring me up on my phone." We heard the click of her boots fade as the door closed.

Then all three of us just let out a sigh of relief and have our anxiety disappear.

"Man, that was scary," Daddy stated.

"I love your mom like she was my own, but we should be careful with our conversation around her." Dad pulled his hair up in a ponytail. "I'm worried about what she will do once she finds out the truth."