Brodie frowned. “I’ll be a single mother, Poppy. My parents were together.”
“They were married, yes, but your father was in the army, stationed overseas. Your mom was alone for six, eight months at a time and she coped. Money was tight for them.” Poppy looked at Brodie’s designer jeans and pointed to her expensive toiletries. “Money is not an object for you. You are your own boss and you can juggle your time. You could take your child to work or you could start working more from home. This is not the disaster you think it is.”
Brodie tried to find an argument to counter Poppy’s, but she came up blank. Before she could speak, Poppy continued. “Your parents were practically broke and always apart and yet they never once regretted having you. They were so excited when you came along.”
Brodie’s mom had loved kids and had wanted a houseful but, because she’d had complications while she was pregnant with Brodie, she’d had to forgo that dream. “I can’t wait until you have kids,” she’d tell Brodie. “I hope you have lots and I’ll help you look after them.”
Except you are not here when I need you most. You won’t be here to help and I’ll have to do it...alone.
Poppy wouldn’t give up her traveling to become a nanny. Besides, knowing Poppy, she’d probably leave the baby at the supermarket or something.
“What about the man who impregnated you?”
“You make me sound like a broodmare, Pops,” Brodie complained, pushing her hand into her hair. She looked around and noticed they were having this life-changing discussion in her too-small bathroom. “And why are we talking in here?”
“Because I’m standing in the doorway and you can’t run away when the topic gets heated.”
“I don’t run away!” Brodie protested. Though, in her heart, she knew she did.
Poppy rolled her eyes at the blatant lie. “So, about the father.”
“What about him?” Brodie demanded.
“Are you going to tell him?”
Brodie groaned. “I don’t know what the hell I am going to do, Poppy!”
Poppy crossed one ankle over the other and Brodie saw she’d acquired a new tattoo in Bali, this one on her wrist. “I think you should talk to him. The decision lies with you but he was there. He helped create the situation and he has a right to be part of the solution.”
“He doesn’t have to know, either way.”
“Legally? No. Morally? You sure?” Poppy asked.
Brodie tipped her head up to look at the ceiling. “I was at the point of making a decision,” Brodie complained. “Thank you for complicating the situation for me, Great-aunt.”
“Someone needs to,” Poppy muttered, looking exasperated. She pointed a long finger at Brodie’s face. “Your problem is that since your parents and friends died, you always take the easy route, Brodie.”
“I do not!”
“Pfft. Of course you do! Not having this baby is the easy way. Not telling the father is the easy way. Living in this house and burying yourself in your work—finding other people love but not yourself!—is taking the easy route. You need to be braver!”
“I survived a multicar pileup that wiped out my parents and best friends!” Brodie shouted.
“But it didn’t kill you!” Poppy responded, her voice rising, too. “You are so damn scared to risk being hurt that you don’t live! You satisfy your need for love by setting up other people. You keep busy to stop yourself from feeling lonely, and you don’t do anything exciting or fun. Do you know how thrilled I am to find out that you’ve had a one-night stand? I think it’s brilliant because someone finally jolted you out of your safety bubble. And, dammit, I hope you are brave enough to talk to the father, to have this kid, because I think it will be the making of you.”
Through Brodie’s shock and anger she saw Poppy blink back tears. Poppy was the strongest person she knew and not given to showing emotion. “I want you to be brave, Brodie. I want you to start living.”
Brodie felt her anger fade. “I don’t know how,” she whispered. “I’ve forgotten.”
Poppy walked toward her and pulled her to her slight frame. “You start by taking one step at a time, my darling. Go talk to the father...” Poppy pulled back to frown at Brodie. “Who is the father?”
“Kade Webb.”
“My baby has taste.” Poppy grinned. “Well, at the risk of sounding shallow, at the very least the baby will be one good-looking little human.” Poppy grabbed Brodie’s hand and pulled her from the bathroom. “Now come and tell me how you met and, crucially, how you ended up in bed.”