“I do, and I love him,” I say firmly. “I’m not divorcing him or giving my baby up.”

He doesn’t say anything, and the only thing I hear is his labored breathing while Jace moves his fingers along my forearm, trying to keep me calm. I really don’t know what I would do without him. “Your dreams are gone if you do this, Avery. You realize that, don’t you?”

“No, they aren’t.”

“So, you can be a singer and have a baby? Please. Not when he’s got a one-way ticket into the league. Be realistic. He’s gonna dump you the first chance he gets!”

“No, he won’t,” I say and Jace looks up at me, a promise that will never happen in his eyes.

“You’re being naïve. This isn’t going to work.”

That’s my biggest fear, but I won’t let him know that. I have to believe in Jace, in us, and I won’t let anyone deter that. My heart is slamming into my chest, and I know I can’t keep going round and round with him. It’s obvious they are only concerned with how this makes them look, so there is nothing else to talk about. “Yes, it will. If you don’t support us, then why are we still speaking?”

“So that’s it? It’s your way or no way?”

“It’s my life, Dad. I want this.”

He lets out an exasperated breath and roars again. “Avery, are you insane? You don’t want this. Who wants to have a kid at eighteen or be married?”

“You’re right, I didn’t. But I am now, and that’s it. There’s nothing else to discuss ’cause I’m staying married to Jace and I’m having our baby.”

Wow, I sound strong. So sure.

And for once, I am.

Looking to Jace, I smile. This is my forever. Yeah, we don’t have anything figured out, and we may have rushed into this, but we’ve got this.

He says so.

“What about school? That singing thing you’re doing?”

“I’ll go and I’ll sing. I don’t see a problem.”

“You have no money. You have my money.”

“We’ll figure it out. I’ll get a job, but Jace will be going into the draft soon and we’ll be fine.”

“And what if he doesn’t go in?”

“Dad, come on. You know he’s going in.”

“You can’t put stock in that. Be realistic here. Anything can change. He could start to suck, get hurt.”

“Then we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Dad, I love him.”

“You don’t even know him. It’s been, what, a week?”

My eyes cloud with tears as I shake my head. “See, Dad, you don’t even know. It’s been almost six weeks, and if I remember right, that’s how long it was before you and mom were married. So don’t give me that crap that it’s too early.”

“But we were in our late twenties. You’re a baby. You don’t even know what life is yet.”

Looking at Jace, I smile. “Yeah, I do. I’m looking at it right now.”

“Oh Jesus, Avery. Get your head out of your ass. It’s puppy love. It won’t last.”

“How do you know? You don’t know him—you don’t even know me.”

Groaning loudly, I hear something crash as he lets out a long, frustrated breath. “Jesus Christ, Avery, you’re killing me,” my dad breathes and I shrug. “I do know you, baby. I love you.”

“Funny way of showing it. If you loved me, you’d support my decision.”

“Not when you are making a mistake.”

“But I’m not. I’m happy, Dad, and now I see the only mistake I’ve made today is answering the phone.”

With that, I hang up and hand Jace his phone as my hands start to shake. I’ve never spoken to my dad like that. Or my mom, but it just crushes me that they don’t support me. I don’t even know why I thought they would. I’m constantly setting myself up for failure with those two. Wanting more than they can give me. I really need to learn.

I close my eyes tightly, and Jace wraps me back up in his arms. I lean my head to his. Kissing me, he tightens his hands around me, and my lip quivers as my tears roll down my face.

“I’m sorry, Avery.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know, but I don’t want you to cry.” I nod, nuzzling against him. “But I promise, no matter what, I got you.”

“Jace?”

“Yeah?”

“I hope you’re right.”

Because I’m not sure what would happen if it goes to shit, and that scares me to my core. My dad is right; everything he said could happen, and then what? We have such big dreams we are depending on, and what happens if they fall apart? What happens between now and then? Will we make it? What if I get suicidal again? Oh Jesus, what did I do?

“Avery, I can feel your anxiety, but it’s not needed, baby, I promise you. We got this. I got you. I promise.”

As he dusts kisses along my cheek and lips, I feel his confidence as it comes off him in waves. I believe him. I’ve put all my hope and trust into him, thrown all caution and reason to the wind, and I just pray I’m not wrong for doing so.

I hope I’m doing the right thing.

It feels right.

I mean, I’m keeping my baby and I love its daddy, so this is right. It has to be.

But damn it, my parents have stirred doubt inside of me, and now I’m questioning it.

Us.

“Avery, look at me,” Jace demands and I look up, his eyes locked on mine.

“What are you feeling? Talk to me.”

“I’m scared.”

“Okay? Why?”

“’Cause he’s right. It could all come crashing down into a heap of a clusterfuck, and then what?”

His eyes are so steady as he holds my gaze. “Then we pick it all back up, put it together, and push on. The great thing is we have each other, Avery. We’ve got this. Together.”

“How do you know? How are you not freaking out?”

“’Cause I love you and I know we can do this.” My lip trembles and I pull in a deep breath as he smiles. “That’s right. Do it again,” he says, breathing with me, and my heart slows down as my eyes slowly fall closed. Leaning his head to mine, he wraps his arms around my neck, kissing my forehead.