It had been a few months since Mom and I found out we were pregnant with Ty's babies. Our pregnancies would start showing soon, and we wouldn't be able to hide them anymore. So, it was time to tell the rest of the family. In the days leading up to it, I tried to predict everyone's reactions. I knew Ross would be furious, and Millie already knew and was fine with it.
I figured Lily would be excited to be a big sister but confused about how our mother got pregnant. But at least, she wouldn't know how far to question things. I couldn't decide how I thought Billy would react. He was a little more unpredictable than Ross and Millie. And I wasn't sure if Ross had told Andy about the family secret. If he told Billy and Millie, he must have told Andy too. But Andy hadn't said anything about it.
Mom told all of her children we were having an important family dinner and everyone was required to attend. Ty and I arrived an hour early so we and Mom could discuss how we were going to tell everyone.
"What are we going to tell Lily?" I asked.
"Keep it simple and be as vague as you can. You talk about that Co-worker a lot, so you can pass him off as the father," Mom said.
"He's not real," Ty stated, his jealousy showing through.
"I know that," Mom replied with a grin. "You are just like your father. He'd get jealous over my fake boyfriends too."
"I'm not jealous over someone who doesn't exist," Ty insisted.
"Sure, honey."
"I'm not."
"Okay, fine."
"I'm really not."
"I said okay, Ty," Mom replied, but she kept her grin.
"What are you going to tell, Lily?" I asked Mom, trying to hide my satisfied smile from Ty.
"Well, that's more tricky," Mom said.
"How about a one-night stand?" Ty suggested.
"Yes, if she was older. But every option I thought of seemed too mature to explain to a thirteen-year-old."
"Anything is less confusing and shocking than the truth," I pointed out.
"True."
"What about everyone else?" Ty asked.
"Well, after we tell Lily, we can ship her off to a friend's or something so we can talk with the others openly," Mom stated.
"Unless Ross decides to take her again," I said without thinking.
But my mother, being her usual nonchalant self replied, "That would work too."
Our siblings arrived and we sat around the dinner table. Mom had made her famous pot roast, it was a family favourite. Our family dinners were normally lively and filled with chatter and laughter. But tonight, the table was silent.
"Sky and I have some news to share," Mom stated.
Everyone's eyes fell on her.
"I am pregnant," Mom announced.
No one said anything, but everyone's eyes looked at me.
"So am I," I said.
Ross dropped his fork and excused himself from the table, he went to the bathroom. The other adult children exchanged looks, and it was clear from Andy's face, that he did know about the incest.
"How did this happen?" Lily asked.
"Well, honey, it's a long story."
"I think I have the right to know, I'm not a baby," Lily stated.
"Okay, Lily. You're right. Sometimes grown-ups have relations with -"
"I know how babies are made, I'm not stupid. I'm just confused about why I've never met this guy."
"Well, you have met this person before. You know what, I have more exciting news," Mom stated. "Ty and Sky are moving back in with us!"
"Why?"
"Well, Skyler is going to be a new mother and she's going to need a lot of help learning how to care for her baby," Mom explained.
"Okay, but why is Ty moving in too?"
"Just for extra support," I chimed in. "It's a twin thing you wouldn't understand."
"This is weird," Lily said.
"Don't think about it, and just enjoy the new babies when they come," Mom said.
For a second, Lily didn't say anything. But then she shrugged. "Fine. I don't care that you had a one-time thing with someone, Mom, it's not a big deal.
"Yeah, congratulations, Mom, you too, Sky," Billy added. Andy didn't say anything and Ross took a very long time in that bathroom.
We finished the dinner in silence and then Lily asked to hang out with her friends, giving us the perfect opportunity to speak freely. Once Lily was gone, Ross came back to the table.
"How do you feel, honestly," Mom asked.
"Is Ty the father of both babies?" Andy asked.
"Yes, I am," Ty replied.
"You already know how I feel," Ross said. "I'm going to leave before I say something I regret."
He got up and left the house.
"I don't know how to feel, or what to think. I need more time to wrap my head around all this," Andy stated.
"I understand," Mom replied.
"Well, you already know where I stand," Millie added.
"Yeah, I stand with Millie, but I agree with Andy. This is a lot to take in," Billy said.
An hour later everyone had left.
"That went better than I thought it would," Ty said.
"Yeah, is it a little weird how open most of us are to incest?" I asked.
"I have my suspicions about Billy and Millie," Mom said.
"Really? I don't get any vibes from them," I replied.
"Not as strong as you and Ty, but a mother knows her kids. I don't think they have done anything incestuous, but I think they will, and soon now that they know it's okay in our family," Mom continued. "And Ross..."
"Yeah, that will never happen," I interrupted.
"I don't know," Mom disagreed.