“That’s true,” Caitlyn said, grateful for the vote of confidence.
“Any particular reason you haven’t mentioned him before?”
Caitlyn flushed. “You know how Grandpa Mick and Trace would get. The whole family, for that matter. Add in what happened at Jenny’s wedding and Grandpa Mick would never leave us in peace. Catching that bouquet all but signaled that there’d be a wedding in my future. If he knew about Noah, he’d have a date scheduled on the church calendar. I didn’t want to subject Noah or myself to the pressure.”
Her mother smiled. “No question Dad would pile on the pressure,” she agreed. “But you’ve always been able to handle that. Did you think your young man wouldn’t be able to?”
“Not at all. Noah is incredible,” Caitlyn confided to her. “He’s smart and funny and gorgeous. He’s finishing his residency in family medicine next month.”
“He sounds perfect for you.” She studied Caitlyn with a penetrating look. “Am I wrong about that?”
She shook her head. “No, he is perfect. It’s the timing of all this. He wants to get married.”
“Let me guess. You don’t.”
“Not because I don’t love Noah,” she said quickly. “I do. More than anything. And I want this baby.”
“But marriage and a baby weren’t part of the plan,” her mother said, holding her gaze. “The one you thought through so carefully and wrote down before you even finished high school.”
Caitlyn nodded. “That was the plan, all right. This was supposed to happen years from now. After I’d accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish,” she stressed.
Her mother regarded her with sympathy. “Oh, my poor girl, I can totally relate to how you’re feeling. I know all about plans and how disconcerting it is when they go awry. I was just getting started as a stockbroker in New York when I met your father. I had this fast-paced timetable for success, and believe me, there was no room in that for a man, much less marriage and a family.”
Caitlyn chuckled. It sounded so familiar and oddly reassuring. Her mother had figured out a solution. Perhaps she could, too.
“But bad timing or not, there was your father,” her mom continued. “He was very determined and persuasive. Eventually he overrode all of my objections and convinced me to get married. I figured I could juggle marriage and work okay, no problem. I am, after all, an incredible multitasker.”
Caitlyn laughed. “So you’ve always claimed.”
“I am,” her mother repeated with a hint of indignation. “My point is that I adjusted my plan and it was working very smoothly.” She sighed. “At least until I discovered I was pregnant with twins.”
After a moment, she continued. “You know the rest. Your father wanted me to quit work and be a full-time mother. When I refused, we fought. Endlessly, as a matter of fact, until there was no other choice but to get a divorce. Then I had two babies and a full-time career. I panicked, but I did it. You’ll be able to do it, too. You’ll make whatever adjustments are necessary. You have my genes, after all.”
“I’ve been to med school,” Caitlyn reminded her. “I know genetics will only get me so far.”
“Well, you have the O’Brien grit and determination going for you, too,” she added. “What does Noah have to say about all this? Beyond wanting to get married, that is.”
“He says we can figure the rest out, but I don’t see how. The only way I see it working is if I give up on my dream and settle for practicing medicine in some traditional way, rather than going overseas.”
“Did Noah insist you abandon everything you’ve worked for? If he did, perhaps he doesn’t know you as well as he should. The right man would be incredibly proud of your dedication.”
“Noah would never insist on something like that, even if it’s what he really wants. Sure, he’d be thrilled if I finished up in a few years and went into practice with him, but he does get where I’m coming from. He’s always been incredibly supportive. If there’s a way for me to do what I’ve always hoped to do, he’ll back me. I’m the one who’s not seeing any alternative but sacrificing the one thing that’s been driving me for years now. I feel as if I’m caught up in one of those either-or moments.”
“Maybe you just need to start thinking outside the box. You won’t know what’s possible until the two of you really sit down and talk about all your options. Have you done that yet?”
Caitlyn shook her head. “We just found out this week. He encouraged me to come home to talk to you and Nell.”
“He didn’t want to come along?”
“He practically insisted on it,” she admitted. “I talked him out of it. I told him I needed to think this through in peace and break the news myself.” She regarded her mother worriedly. “Do you think there’s any chance at all that Grandpa Mick and Trace will take this as well as you have?”
Her mother laughed. “Not a chance,” she said. “But we’ll deal with them. Given what a handful you and Carrie were as teenagers—well, Carrie, anyway—I’ve had a lot of experience at keeping them from freaking out.”
“I know that, but I’m not sure your skills have been put to a test like this before. Besides, I’m the one who needs to tell them.”
“How about we do it together?” her mother suggested.
Caitlyn wanted to seize the offer, but she shook her head. “Thanks for offering, but no. I’m an adult. It’s up to me.” She sighed, then added, “Noah really did want to be with me when I tell them, but I told him I wouldn’t risk his life like that.”
“Probably a wise decision,” her mother concurred. “But I suggest you get him down here very soon. Otherwise, I can’t promise they won’t go looking for him. The entire O’Brien posse is likely to take off for Baltimore before you can get all your words out.”
Unfortunately, Caitlyn knew her mother was absolutely right about that. “I’ll talk to Trace and Grandpa Mick in the morning. After I’m convinced they’ve recovered from the shock, I’ll see if Noah wants to drive down for Sunday dinner. At least if there’s a crowd, someone will pull Trace and Grandpa Mick away if they attack him.”
Her mom nodded. “Good plan.” She hesitated, then asked, “What about your father?”
Oddly enough, Caitlyn hadn’t even considered how her biological father might react. While Wes Winters had remained in their lives after the divorce, he’d married again, had two more children and taken less and less of an interest in what was going on with Caitlyn and Carrie.
“I’ll call him next week. It’s not as if he’ll accidentally find out in the meantime,” she said. “I doubt the news will be much more than a passing blip on his radar these days.”
Her mother gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. “It’s all going to work out,” she promised. “And I can’t wait to meet this young man of yours.”
“You’re going to love him,” Caitlyn predicted.
“What matters is that you love him,” her mother responded.
“I do,” she said, and for the first time since she’d seen that positive pregnancy test, she was able to focus on the fact that she loved Noah more than she’d ever imagined possible. She needed to concentrate on that. Maybe then everything else really would fall into place.