Rick and Marissa: Questions

Dad looked at me and said, "Long story short, you're gonna be a big sister in October."

"Oh, GOD!" Rick shouted, and he put his head down.

"Ed!" Mom said.

"I'm kidding," Dad said, but no one was laughing.

"But only about the big sister part," Mom said. "There's a kernel of truth in Dad's attempt to be funny."

Dad explained, "It'd be hypocritical for me to have a problem with the two of you having a sexual relationship when I clearly enjoyed the sight of you and your cousin having one."

Mom's face lit up. "Boy, did he!" She waited for us to stop looking disgusted. "Anyway, most parents and kids have an unspoken agreement that the parents won't remind the kids that they have sex if the kids don't remind the parents that they do too. We're just making the same deal with you out loud."

For the first time, Rick seemed relieved. I wasn't yet, but I wasn't far behind. "That's it?" he asked. "You're not gonna kill me?"

"You didn't get her pregnant, did you?" Dad asked.

"No!" Rick assured him.

I didn't see a need to reopen the wound with Rick by telling them that I'd taken that chance once already. "Why do you think I went on the Pill last fall?"

"Since you can't get married, just make sure you finish college first," Mom said.

We don't have the excitement of getting found out any more, but it freed me to experience a sense of wonder at our love, and that's a new thing to me. If I ever want excitement again, I'll just go off the Pill.