It's My Life - Melody Carlson [59]
“You didn't hear it from me.” Then she looked at me with pleading eyes. “Please, don't tell anyone. Not your mom or anyone. They're going to make an official announcement in church tomorrow so everyone will hear it at the same time.”
I smiled. “That's so great! But now, why are you so upset about it? Don't tell me you've developed some kind of schoolgirl crush on Tony and you're getting all jealous now?”
She sort of laughed. “Yeah, you bet. No, it's just that I'd hoped I could live with Steph until graduation.”
I nodded. “Okay, I get it now. So you're getting all worried that you'll have to move back home.”
“Yeah. Please don't breathe a word of this, but they plan to get married fairly soon, maybe even during Thanksgiving weekend.”
“Oh.” I thought a moment. “But Beanie, you know you could come live with us.”
She looked at me skeptically. “Thanks, Cate, but you know your parents don't really like me all that much.”
“That's not true,” I argued. “I mean, there was a time when they weren't that crazy over you, but that's all changed.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like when? Maybe it was when I got pregnant. I'm sure I really impressed them then. Or maybe it was when I got so depressed–”
“Beanie, my parents have changed lately.”
She kind of laughed. “Yeah, like when you were telling me they were trying to run your life last week.”
“But you sided with them,” I said accusingly, still feeling the sting of her choosing them over me.
“Not really. I was just pretty upset because Steph had told me about the whole engagement thing. And I suppose I was feeling jealous that you have decent parents who actually care enough about you to try to tell you how to live.” She sighed deeply. “Now that's a problem I wouldn't mind having.”
Suddenly I felt just totally horrible for having been upset with her on Sunday. “I'm so sorry, Beanie. I wish I'd known all this then. I can see how tough this must be for you.”
“I just don't want to move back with my mom.”
“Beanie, I'm serious, you can move in with us. I'll gladly share my room with you and everything.”
“I appreciate it, but it's not really your decision, Caitlin, now is it? And I hate putting that kind of pressure on your parents. I've sensed their disapproval in the past. I'd just hate it if they played the ‘good Christians’ and let me come live there but were unhappy about it underneath. You know what I mean?”
“Yes. But I think I could talk to them honestly and figure this all out first. And I wouldn't encourage you to live with us if I felt they really didn't want it.” Then another possibility occurred to me. “You know, Beanie, I've been saving a lot of money from my job. I wonder if we both worked, if we might possibly be able to afford a place of our own.”
She laughed. “Do you know how much even a cheap apartment costs? And then we'd have utilities and food, and I just couldn't ask you to do that, Caitlin. I mean, you're set just fine. I'm the one who needs a place.”
“And you wouldn't consider staying with Steph and Tony? I'm sure they'd welcome–”
She held up her hands. “Steph already said as much. But I said forget it. I refuse to live with newlyweds. I told Steph I'd still come baby-sit for her so she and Tony could enjoy going out and stuff, but I will NOT live with them.”
“Yeah, I can kind of understand. But please, at least let me talk to my parents. You might be surprised at how they really think of you.”
“Sure, go ahead and ask. I'm sure not in any hurry to ask my mom. She's got a new boyfriend who's living at her house right now. I've seen his motorcycle parked there at all times of the day, which makes me suspect that he doesn't even have a job.”
“Poor Lynn. She really ought to improve her taste in men.”
Beanie laughed sarcastically. “Or just give them up altogether.”
After lunch we walked around the mall for a while and picked out a book to take to Jenny, then we headed over to West Haven. But when we got there, her mom and dad were in there talking to her, and the nurse said we'd have to wait. So we waited and waited and even considered leaving,