A deep voice answered on the third ring. She took a deep breath. "Dad, this is Megan."
"What's the matter, honey?"
"What makes you think something is the matter?" she asked. Did her voice sound as anxious as she felt?
"You don't usually call this late. Has something happened?"
She glanced at the clock and gasped as she realized it was almost midnight. "I didn't realize it was so late. I can call you tomorrow."
"Well, you already have me on the phone. Why wait? Is something wrong?"
"No." She hesitated. They were probably in bed and wouldn't sleep well after they heard the news. Still, they wouldn't sleep well wondering why she called, so she might as well tell them. "We're getting married Thursday."
For a moment he was silent. "What date?" He finally asked.
"This Thursday." She said.
He was silent again...probably in shock. "Day after Tomorrow? Isn't that a little sudden? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. Justin is going to fly back to Arkansas for the long weekend and get his car. He wanted to...we decided to go together and take a short honeymoon at the cabin."
She could hear Mom ask Dad what was happening. They had a brief emotional exchange in the background. Finally Dad spoke to Megan.
"I'll talk to you about it at work tomorrow. Your mother and I need to discuss this."
Actually, they only needed to accept it, but that would only happen when they discussed it a while.
She sighed. "All right Dad. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Long after she went to bed, she was awake, thinking about the discussion they would have in the morning. Hopefully Dad wouldn't try to talk her out of it. Surely he would come to the conclusion that they were old enough to make their own decisions; and the fact that any disapproval might alienate them.
When she had exhausted the possibilities of that discussion, her thoughts turned to more pleasant things...like the honeymoon. She smiled to herself as she considered purchasing a double bedroll. Wouldn't the society magazine have a time reporting this wedding? No French Riviera...only a sleeping bag on the floor of a log cabin in the Arkansas backwoods. Maybe they could bring back pictures of the two of them, barefoot. Maybe she'd even come back pregnant.
She sat up and gasped. That was what she was forgetting...birth control! She had always used abstinence and she was fairly certain Justin wasn't going to agree to that on their honeymoon. There was only one other form that would be effective that fast. Her face felt hot. Would Justin take care of the purchase? What would be the least embarrassing way to broach the subject? Would he even use one? They had never discussed the subject of children in detail. Sure, they both wanted children, but when?