Chapter 22

We parked outside the venue and started to walk inside but I stopped and tuned to my mom, "mom earlier I kinda left something out".

"Um ok, what's that?" My mom asks nervously.

"I- I'll just show you," I say and continue to walk, my parents following closely behind me.

I walk into the back stage area and immediately hear "mommy!!"

"Hi baby," I say picking him up. I turn around to my parents and say, "mom, dad, this is my son Elijah".

"How- how old is he?" My mom stutters.

"I'm this many," Elijah says holding up four fingers.

"Elijah, sweetheart, these are my mom and dad, your grandparents," I introduce.

"Hi Elijah," my mom says holding back tears.

"Hello Elijah," my dad says.

"Hewwo," he says cutely.

"Baby, where is your dad?"

"Over therwe," he says pointing to the green room.

"Shall we?" I ask my parents before turning around and walking towards the green room door. I knock lightly before opening the door and walking in. "Boys, you remember my parents?"

"Yeah, hey Mr. and Mrs. Holland," all the boys say. I set down Elijah and he immediately runs over to Zach.

"Elijah why don't you go with your uncles," I hear Zach whisper to our son before runs over to Corbyn and the boys leave the room.

I motion for my parents to sit on the couch next to the one Zach is sitting on and join Zach on his. "So how have you guys been?" Zach asks my parents.

"Work as usual, nothing has really changed," my dad answers.

There was an awkward silence so I filled it by answering the questions I'm sure they had, "I got pregnant the week before I left but found out about a month and a half later. I was still so hurt by what you had said I decided not to tell you. It was my fault I should have told you but I had to much pride".

"I understand," is all my mom says so I continue with the story.

"I finished high school at one of the schools in LA, and made a group of really good friends. After I graduated I started college online so I could take care of Elijah, he was born July 16, 2021. Of course I didn't raise him alone when Zach wasn't working he was helping out. Zach's parents and the boys helped out a lot as well".

"I'm proud of you," my dad says.

"What?" I say testing up.

"I'm proud of you, you raised an amazing little boy and got a college education," he says getting up and pulling me into a tight hug.