Spare Me the Details

Author's Note:  This is Flash Fiction under 300 words.  Prompt:  Spare Me the Details 

300 words

"You're late, honey."  Lisa faced Joshua in her pink bathrobe, hands on hips. The clock behind her chimed 3:00 a.m.

"I know, Mom."  Joshua gazed at the parkay floor and wondered how he was going to do this.  His dry mouth tasted of beer and a lump in his throat threatened to choke him. 

"Samantha and I just started talking and the time got away from us."  Joshua traced a line of parkay with his shoe, an untied lace dragging behind.  The smell of a carnation arrangement in the entry nauseated him. 

"And this talking involved getting dirt on your knees and a button off your jacket?"

Joshua looked down in horror thinking he'd cleaned himself up pretty good.  But sure enough, a button was missing from the jean jacket, dirt was on his knees and, worse yet, his T-shirt was inside out.  He ran a hand through limp, black hair and looked back at his mother. 

“Mom, there's something I gotta tell you."

"Yes, apparently there is." 

He took a breath, the repeated rehearsals of the words reverberated in his mind. 

"Samantha's pregnant and I want to marry her."  Joshua watched his mother’s face blanch  against long, brown hair.  She steadied herself with one hand on the side table, her red nails looked garish against her pale skin. 

"Mom!"  Joshua reached and hugged her, feeling her head fall against his shoulder. 

"Oh God, honey, you're only seventeen."  She pulled back and held him at arms length.  "I was seventeen when I had you.  Believe me, it's way too soon to get married."

"But Mom, I really love her and I'm ready to get married.  Let me tell you..."

Lisa held her hand up.  "Spare me the details, I already know them."