The Checklist (Explicit Version)

Chapter 21

CHAPTER XXI
The Truth

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ALTHEA

"I'm so proud of you, Als."

Dad's words shredded my heart and burned tears into my eyes, but I kept them at bay as he pulled me into his arms. His body shook with emotion when a small hand pressed against my back. I glanced to my right and saw mom staring at me, eyes red with unshed tears.

"Seeing you walk down... I felt so old." She laughed, but it came out with a sob before she pulled dad and I into her arms. "I love you so much, baby. I'm so proud of you."

I'm so proud of you. I love you.

Those words shouldn't have made me want to cry, but they had. Still in my parents arms, I stupidly mumbled, "Really?"

Dad was the first to jerk back in surprise, his dark green eyes wide with disbelief. "What do you mean really? We're always proud of you."

"Baby, you're our baby. We're always proud of you," mom continued casually, not realizing how much her words affected me. You're our baby. "Look at this face, Theo," she palmed my cheeks and squished my face with a wide grin and wet eyes, "We made that."

He grinned at her. "We made a college graduate."

"I made a college graduate. Only one of us finished school. She has my genes."

"You're still going on about that? I went to school, Di."

"Two years for producing music?"

"You studied Greek Mythology—"

"Before we moved to the States," she deadpanned, plopping her hands onto her hips before twisting her body toward him. "Then I studied English. Althea got her way of words from me."

Dad rolled his eyes but stayed silent, knowing she won the argument—or he just didn't want to fight in front of me. He brought his attention back to me and ruffled my hair. "You didn't get a hat, Als?"

"No." I sounded disappointed. "I don't know why. But I have to return my gown before we head out. There's a late fee if I don't bring it back within forty minutes."

Mom clapped her hands with excitement. "Let's take pictures. I want to post them on my blog."

"Your travel blog?" I laughed, fixing my hair. "I don't think your following will want to see that."

She was already pulling the phone out of her purse, ushering dad and I to stand closer together. "Hush. It's my blog, and I can post what I want. And I want to post my baby."

"Don't argue with her, Als. She's extra testy with this pregnancy," Dad leaned down to whisper in my ear before giving me a small smirk. "When she was pregnant with you, all she did was cry and eat food. I think this one's a boy."

Even though mom and dad could figure out the sex of the baby now, they decided to wait until the baby is born. They hadn't built the bed yet, but they already decided on the colour palette; white, grey and pale yellow.

"Are you gossiping, Theodore?" Mom demanded coolly, phone lifted horizontally. "Don't piss me off, or I'm making you stop by every burger restaurant on our way back home."

Dad slithered a hand around my upper body while hissing through his teeth. "Full name. Als, if you don't hear back from us tonight, your mother killed me."