Inside Out - Lauren Dane [109]
“You’re dating Andy, aren’t you?”
“Yes. So now you can be unhappy with his choices too. I’m sure that will be a comfort to you at holiday dinners. Or when that baby says his first word, starts crawling for the first time, takes his first step. Your wife will be there for it. Are you so angry, so bitter and hateful that you’d willingly check out?”
“Ella, that’s enough.” Andrew stepped out into the area from the stairwell. “It’s not worth it.”
“Andrew Copeland, if this isn’t worth it, you please tell me what is.” She turned to him. “This man showed up here and has not done a thing to support his son who has to be terrified of losing his child. Why are you here, Mr. Copeland?”
“This is family business. You’re not family, and I don’t have to make excuses to you.”
“Fine, though I can’t be disappointed that you’re not family. What I can do is say what I’m thinking, because you’re not man enough to stop me. No one will stop me from speaking my mind ever again.” She said the latter to both of them.
“And what’s on your mind then? That I should throw a party for my half-gay son who is maybe having a baby, maybe not? That I should celebrate this baby who should not have ever been conceived to start with? What kind of life will that child have? You think all the other kids are going to be so hip and with it that they’ll accept two dads and a mom who looks like a pen exploded on her?”
“Is that what you think people want from you? Really? Your level of hubris is unbelievable. This isn’t about you. Don’t you get that?”
“Ella, honey, just let it go.” Cope touched her arm.
“Let it go? Are you kidding me? He comes here, stirs trouble, and no one wants to say boo to him. Why? It’s a serious question.” She knew they had a complicated relationship. What father and son didn’t? But this man didn’t deserve two sons as wonderful as Andrew and Ben.
“You are not family. You’re the problem!”
“You are, and you’re acting like a thug. And for whatever reason, you’re getting a pass. Not from me. The fact is, I am family. I’m more family to Erin than you will ever be, and I don’t need your permission to tell you I think you should go if you can’t at least be halfway supportive. My friend is in the hospital, scared about losing her child.”
“Get this woman out of my face, Andy.”
Andrew put his arm around her shoulders. “Dad, I think you need to take a breath and calm down. This isn’t helpful, and you promised to behave if you came upstairs.”
“I’m not taking any direction from this woman or from anyone else. This is none of her business.”
She started to speak, but Cope squeezed her shoulders. Which frustrated her, but it wasn’t the time for that. She knew he was most likely embarrassed by his father’s behavior and perhaps even hers. But she’d deal with that later. This man should not be allowed to make Erin, Ben or Todd feel bad here and now. If he wanted to hate at his own home, that was his choice. But not here. Not now.
He relaxed a little when she kept quiet. “Dad, we’ve discussed this, and you had options. You came here, so I’d imagine somewhere inside, you want to be helpful and loving. But on the outside? Not so much.”
“I’m not having this conversation with her here.”
Ella sighed but said nothing else to him. She turned to Cope. “I’m going back up.” She wanted to warn him again not to bring his attitude back up in there, but it felt like overkill, so she let it be.
Halfway back up the stairwell it hit her, and she had to pause, holding her belly. She’d done it. She’d stood up for her friends in the face of exactly the sort of aggression Bill used on her to keep her compliant.
She’d wanted to turn and run a few times, but she’d stood her ground.
She pumped her fist into the air once and smiling, began to climb again.
23
“Everything all right?” Elise sidled up to her once she got back. The