166

Sophia’s POV

I sat in the driveway for what felt like hours, my fingers nervously tapping the steering wheel as I stared at the front door of my parents’ house. I’d come all this way, and now that I was actually here, I wasn’t so sure I could bring myself to tell them what I was here to tell them. How was I going to tell them? I hadn’t spoken to them in weeks—since everything had happened with Ian—and they were already worried about me. This was going to be a lot to dump on them.

I sighed and finally got out of the car, clutching my jacket around me as I made my way up the steps. My belly wasn’t huge yet, but it was starting to show. I could still hide it under loose clothes, but that wouldn’t last much longer. That’s why I had to do this now, before they found out some other way.

The front door opened before I even knocked. My mom stood there, her face lighting up when she saw me.

“Sophia!” she exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. “Where have you been? We’ve been so worried. You haven’t answered any of our calls.”

I hugged her back, guilt eating me up slowly. “I know, Mom. I’m sorry. It’s been… crazy.”

She pulled back, her eyes searching my face. “Well, you’re here now. Come in, your dad’s in the living room.”

“No work today? What of Simon and Sarah?” I asked. The house seemed too quiet and that meant they weren’t at home.

“You’re dad’s taking a break from work and your siblings are out on holiday,” She explained.

I followed her inside, my heart pounding as I tried to gather my thoughts. This was going to be harder than I’d thought. As we walked into the living room, my dad looked up from his newspaper, his face immediately softening when he saw me.

“Sophia! Sweetie,” he said, standing up to give me a hug. “You’ve been avoiding us.”

“I know, Dad. I’m sorry,” I said, sitting down on the couch. “I’ve just had a lot going on.”

My mom sat next to me, her brow furrowed in concern. “You’re not in trouble, are you?”

I shook my head quickly. “No, nothing like that.”

My dad sat across from me, his hands resting on his knees as he studied me. “Then what is it? You can talk to us.”

I took a deep breath, feeling my palms start to sweat. “Okay, so… there’s something I need to tell you. And I know it’s going to come as a shock, but I really need you to listen.”

They exchanged worried glances, and my mom reached out to take my hand. “Of course, sweetheart. What is it?”

I swallowed hard, looking down at our joined hands before finally blurting it out. “I’m pregnant. And I’m getting married.”

The room fell silent. I dared to glance up at them, and the look of shock on their faces was exactly what I had expected.

“Pregnant?” my mom repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. “Married? Sophia, what—how?”

My dad leaned forward, his brow furrowing. “Who’s the father? And when did all this happen? You just told us about your boyfriend just a few days back.”

“I know,” I said quickly, my heart racing. “It all happened really fast, and I haven’t been great at keeping you guys in the loop, but... it’s with Ian. He’s the father, and we’re getting married.”

“Ian?” my dad said, his voice rising slightly. “As in your professor? The same man you told us about a while back?”

I nodded, biting my lip. “Yeah. That Ian.”

My mom’s hand tightened around mine, her face a mix of confusion and concern. “Sophia, this is… a lot. I don’t even know where to start. You’re pregnant? And you’re marrying your professor?”

“I know how it sounds,” I said quickly, trying to keep my voice steady. “But I love him, and he loves me. We’ve been through a lot together, and we both want this. It wasn’t planned, but we’re happy about it.”

My dad stood up, pacing in front of the coffee table. “This doesn’t make any sense. How can you be pregnant? You’ve been gone for weeks, and now you’re telling us you’re getting married? Sophia, we raised you better than to just… run off and keep things from us.”

“I’m not keeping things from you,” I said, though I knew that wasn’t entirely true. “I just… I wanted to wait until the time was right to tell you. And I know this is a lot, but I need you to trust me. Ian’s a good man. He’s going to take care of me, and he’s going to take care of our baby.”

My mom’s eyes were filled with tears, and she wiped at them with the back of her hand. “But you’re so young, Sophia. I just don’t understand how this all happened so fast. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

I nodded, though my stomach twisted with anxiety. “I am. It’s not like I expected to be pregnant right now, but I’m ready. I have to be.”

My dad stopped pacing and looked at me with a hard expression. “You didn’t even tell us you were dating him, Sophia, until a few days ago. And now you’re telling us you’re pregnant and getting married? I don’t know what to think.”

“I know,” I said quietly. “I know it seems like I’m springing this on you, but it’s just… with everything that’s happened, it was hard to find the right time. And I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Well, we’re worrying now,” my mom said, her voice tight. “This is a huge deal, Sophia. You’re having a child. You’re getting married. And it’s all happening so fast. What about school? What about your future?”

“I’ll figure it out,” I said, though I wasn’t sure how convincing I sounded. “Ian and I will figure it out together. He’s supportive, and he Wants to be involved. We’re going to make it work.”

My dad let out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t like this, Sophia. I don’t like how it’s all happening so suddenly. But you’re an adult, and I can’t stop you from making your own choices.”

“I just want you to be happy for me,” I said, my voice softer now. “I know this isn’t what you imagined, but I need your support.”

My mom let out a shaky breath, her hand still gripping mine. “Of course we support you. We’re just… worried. This is a big responsibility.”

“I know it is,” I said. “But I’m ready for it.”

There was a long pause as they both seemed to absorb everything. My dad finally sat back down, looking tired. “Well, I guess congratulations are in order, then,” he said, though his voice was strained.

I managed a small smile. “Thanks, Dad.”

My mom wiped at her eyes again, her face softening. “Do you know when you’re getting married?”

“Soon,” I said. “We haven’t set a date yet, but it’ll be soon.”

She nodded, her expression still full of concern but also a hint of acceptance. “Well, we’ll be there. Whatever you need, we’ll be there for you.”

Relief washed over me at her words, and I squeezed her hand. “Thank you, Mom.”

My dad still looked uneasy, but he gave me a small nod. “We’ll support you, Sophia. Just… promise us you’re sure about this.”

“I am,” I said, my voice steady this time. “I’m sure.”

They didn’t look entirely convinced, but at least they weren’t yelling or disowning me. That was a small victory, at least. I knew this was going to take time for them to process, but I was grateful that they were still standing by me, even if they didn’t understand everything.

As we sat there in the quiet of the living room, I realized just how much I was asking of them. I was keeping so many secrets—about Ian, about the baby, about the vampire world—but I couldn’t drag them into that mess. Not yet, maybe not ever.

For now, I would just focus on what I could control. And right now, that was planning a wedding and preparing to become a mom.

“When do you think it’ll be though?” Mom said with a forced brightness in her tone as she got up from the chair and went to the kitchen. I looked at dad but he wasn’t looking at me. I sighed, getting up from the chair and going after her.

“Soon, mom,” I replied.