Page 56 of A Minute Past Midnight

“Right. So, when you decide to stop funding her lifestyle or fire her, she can be in debt. I expected more from you, Juliana.”

Samir sat up and placed his elbows on his knees. “The whole time we’ve been sitting here, I been watching you. You're upset because you're controlling. People who want control of everything will lose everything, every time. You're sitting over there judging me and trying to make her feel bad by way of manipulation. To try to put shit in her head about me so she’d doubt me and go running back to you.

“Out of respect for Juliana and her mother, I won't put my hands on you for disrespecting me. I’m a grown-ass man, and you're not going to keep talking that shit to me and think I'll sit here and keep taking it. You only got one more time, pops, or this shit is going to go another way.”

Samir then took my hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ma step outside to calm down. I'll come back inside once your people leave.”

I nodded solemnly. This was not how I expected this to go. Samir was right about one thing though: My father was controlling. I never thought of it that way, but it explained why he was so upset about me leaving.

I sat across from my parents, my hands folded tightly in my lap as my heart beat against my ribs.

For as long as I could remember, Daddy had been the one person whose approval I wanted most. He had done his job of protecting me, guiding me, and sometimes controlling me so tightly that I’d forgotten where his decisions ended and mine began.

But I wasn’t a little girl anymore.

“Daddy,” I said softly. He looked up at me, and the concern in his eyes almost made me lose my nerve. “I love you. You know that, right?”

His brows pulled together. “I’m not even sure about that anymore, Juliana.”

I took a deep breath.

“I’m an adult now. I know you’ve spent your life trying to protect me, teach me, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I really do. But you have to relinquish control.”

The words hung heavily between us.

His face changed, disappointment flashing through his expression.

“This is my life,” I continued with my voice trembling. “And I have to be allowed to live it. I’m going to make mistakes. I may make decisions you don’t agree with, but they have to be my decisions.” He leaned back slowly, staring at me as if he were seeing his little girl for the first time as a woman. “There’s also something else,” I whispered.

His eyes narrowed slightly. “And what might that be?”

My hand instinctively moved to my stomach as I pulled Samir’s shirt tight against my stomach.

“I’m pregnant.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

Daddy blinked once.

“What did you just say?”

Tears burned my eyes as I smiled. “Y’all are going to be grandparents.”

The shock on both of their faces nearly broke my heart.

“Pregnant? Are you sure? I mean, I see the slight weight gain, but it doesn't look like you're pregnant,” Mama said.

I nodded. “I am. Six months. I know it's shocking, but for the past six months, Samir has been nothing short of amazing to me. He came into my life like a knight and rescued me from drowning. He’s a great man and a great provider. Y’all don't have to worry about anything when it comes to the baby and me.”

Mama looked at me. “And you're confident about this?”

I nodded. “I am.”

Daddy’s mouth opened, but no words came. For a moment, he just stared at me, then disappointment settled into his expression.

Not anger or hatred. Just disappointment.

“I didn’t expect this for you,” he finally admitted quietly.