Finding Stone (The Stone Brothers Series) (Volume 1) (18 page)

The next morning I wake up feeling much better. Still no more spotting and I was only sick once. I go ahead and shower. It's still early so I'll give Noah time to wake up. When I get out of the shower, I see that have a text from Noah.

Good morning beautiful -N

It is a GREAT morning -M

Yeah? Why? -N

You're here. The baby is ok. Life is good! -M

That just made my morning -N

When do you want me to come get you? -M

I'm going to rent a car. I can come ASAP or do you need some more time with your parents? -N    

No. I want you here. They need to know you & I are in this together -M

Okay. I'll be there soon. ILY - N

ILY 2 -M

I feel like a giddy schoolgirl. Noah is my first actual boyfriend. I never really dated in high school. In college, Jeremy and I just went on few dates. I can't wait until he gets here.

I walk into the living room with a big smile on my face. When I look up and see both of my parents are sitting on the couch. I hope they got some rest because today may be a little trying on everyone.

"Good morning, I hope you all got some rest last night. How are you all feeling?"

My mom speaks first. "Molly, please sit down. We want to talk to you before Noah gets here."

"Molly, your mother and I talked last night about everything that's going on." My dad clears his throat. "We understand that you are an adult and can make your own decisions. Now, we may not always agree with the decisions that you make, but we want you to know that we will always love and support you in any way we can. Can you tell us what you are planning to do now that you are pregnant? Are you going to come back here to live? Are you staying in Chicago? Are you going to marry Noah? Who's going to watch the baby when you are at work? Everything is changing. See, Molly you're going to learn very quickly that once you have a child, you are always going to worry. We are always going to worry about you, no matter how old you are. You're always going to be our baby girl."

"I have no idea what my plans are right now. All of these questions Noah and I need to discuss."

"Molly, we just want you to know that this situation is serious. You have time to figure things out. You've only known Noah for a couple months now. Please don’t feel like you need to rush into anything."

I'm starting to feel overly emotional. I can't help but to feel hurt by what they are saying.

"Don't try to make this decision for me."

My mom grabs my hand. "We're not Molly. We just don't want to see you hurt."

"You don't know Noah. He would never hurt me. He loves me. Why can't you see that? Maybe it was a mistake staying here." I can feel my voice raising. My face feels flushed.

"Don't get in a tizzy. We are just trying to understand a few things. Noah does seem nice. We have nothing against him. Our concern though is you and our grandbaby," my dad speaks up.

I'm so upset. I need to get out of here for a while.

"I tried my entire life not to embarrass you. I didn't sleep around. I made good grades. I didn't get in much trouble. I know this isn't how you thought I would be telling you that I was having a baby. I know I have disappointed you, but what's done is done. I can't change this. You all can't change this. All I can do is accept this new journey I'm on. I just want you all to be there with me. Can't you see that? I'm sorry if I have embarrassed you. I never meant to!"

"You think we're embarrassed?" My mom says in a cry.

I hear a knock at the door and storm towards it.

"Noah, please take me somewhere, just anywhere."

He has no idea what's going on. All he can see is that I'm upset, my mother is crying and my father looks lost. Thankfully, he follows me. We get in the car and he immediately asks what happened.

"Just drive, please. I want to show you a special place. It's a state park named Greenbo. I need to get away for a little while. I need to calm down. I need to go for a walk. I just need..." I start to cry.

"Okay, let's go. Just tell me how to get there."

She gives me directions to get there. The drive is quiet. I don't say anything because I don't really know what's going on, but I hate that she's hurting. We drive for about thirty minutes. The area is truly beautiful. I understand why she wanted to come here. We pull into a parking lot. She takes a deep breath. I tell her to wait so I can go around to open her door. She looks at me and smiles.

"Thanks Noah, you're so good to me." She sounds so sad. She points to a wooded path. We start walking in that direction.

"Molly, please talk to me, tell me what happened. Everyone looked so upset when we left."

"I got upset with my parents. They told me they didn't want to see me get hurt. I feel like they still think I'm a child. They think that I didn't know that this baby is going to change my life." This is what has her so upset?

"They're your parents, Molly. Of course, they don't want to see you hurt. They've been through all of this. They just want to make sure you really understand that things are going to change. How your whole life is going to change. I'm sure they want to make sure you're okay. That's all."

She stops walking. "Are you taking their side?"

"Molly, please stop. Listen to what you are saying. I mean really listen. One thing you need to know for sure is that I am always going to be on your side. Always. I've heard you talk repeatedly about how great your parents are. How much they love you. How much you love them. Just think about your conversation. Did they say anything mean? Anything hurtful? Anything resentful? You're lucky Molly to have parents like that, ones who would do anything in the world for you. Give your parents the answers they need. Just the little bit of time that I was around them last night, I saw how concerned they are for you and how much they love you. They are trying to come to terms with it all. Do you think maybe you let your anger and emotions get the best of you? They aren’t going to be happy overnight."

"I know. I hate that you are right. I was hurt. I hated that they questioned my judgment."

"Think how they feel. They probably are feeling that they did something wrong as parents. They aren't just questioning you. They are questioning themselves as well. I mean you left here with a plan. You are gone just a few months and those plans have changed."

I see what he's saying. Now that I am calmed down, I realize they weren't really questioning me. They were just asking questions, questions about my life, this baby, about Noah. I feel awful. They have always been so good to me. I acted like nothing but a spoiled child.

I decide I have had enough of feeling sorry for myself and change the subject.

"Would you ever consider moving to Kentucky? I mean, not now. I love Chicago and the relationships I'm building there. Maybe down the road?"

"Molly, I'd go anywhere with you. When the time comes, we can talk about it. No need to worry now about things that might or might not be in the future."

"You could be an E.R. doctor here. You wouldn't believe the idiots that show up in the E.R. on Fourth of July, the four-wheeler accidents, and the farm accidents. I'm sure you will see things here that you've never seen before." I start laughing. He does too.

"Should we head back? You need to talk to them."

"Can we walk for a little bit longer?"

"Yes, for a little bit. You should still be taking it easy. You've already had a stressful morning. " Molly wraps her arm around my waist and starts walking again.

"Thank you for being here."

I place a kiss on the top of her head. As we walk, she talks about hiking here as a child and going camping. How they didn't have much money growing up, but she never felt like she went without. Her parents always made sure she had something to do. They always made her feel special.

"What were your parents like Noah? I know you've told me a little."

"I don't remember much before my mom left. I remember that my dad loved her. My last good memory of my dad was coming to a place much like this. He took Evan and me fishing. Maddox stayed home with our mom. He was too young to fish; he was about two. I remember us laughing. He baited our hooks and showed us how to reel in a fish. It was a good day. Evan got his first fish that day. He was so excited. After we fished, we had a picnic and played around. Dad just sat there, smiling, watching us play. I swear sometimes I can still smell the smoke from the cigar he was smoking. We left the lake and drove home. I remember it being dark when we got home. There wasn't a light on in the house. We walked in and Dad yelled for mom. No one answered. I heard glass shattering in the kitchen.

My mother left dad a Dear John letter on the kitchen table. She waited until Maddox was asleep and just left. He was only two years old and she left him in that house alone. Anything could have happened. Shortly after that, my dad started drinking. He blamed us all, said that we were why she left. Sadly, he blamed Maddox the most. Right up until the day he died. Took Maddox a while to realize that dad was full of shit. He knows he isn’t to blame now, but it's was still hard hearing your own father tell you he wishes you were never born. We didn't have much growing up either. He bought us just enough so that it wouldn't look suspicious, kept us clean enough, fed enough. He was a mean bastard. He would hit us over nothing. Someone would just breathe wrong and it'd set him off. We learned very early how to take care of ourselves. That's why we are so close. We only had each other. We could only trust each other. We only had each other to love. Most kids would pray for a parent's recovery. We didn't. Our father wasn't fixable."

I realize I had stopped walking and was completely submerged in that memory. I shake my head and look at Molly. She's crying.

"Hey, hey, I’m okay. Don't cry. It was a long time ago. Nothing I can do to change what happened. When I tell you how much that I love you and when I tell you how much you've changed me, know that I really mean it."

"Do you know what happened to your mother?"

"No, not really. I never read the letter she left. Dad always told us it was because of us. I don't really know why she left that day."

"You ever think about looking for her?"

"I used to think about it, not anymore. I guess so much time had passed. Nothing changes the fact that she left. She could have come back to us at any time. We never moved. Besides, I have my brothers and I'm happy with the family I have."

"I'm sorry that happened to you, Noah."

"Yeah. Me too."

"I can't wait to see what kind of father you're going to be. You have so much love in you. This baby is going to be so blessed."

"I was always afraid of becoming a father. I had such a horrible one myself. I didn't ever want to make another person, especially a child, feel the way he made me feel. But Molly, with you by my side, we are going to love this baby so much. We are going to give it such a good life. I know there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you or my child."

"I love you Noah. We have each other. We can do this together."

Right when she says that, a breeze passes through. Her hair blows in the wind. She looks beautiful. I know that I will never want another woman the way that I want her. I don't want to waste another second. I get down on one knee.

"Molly. I feel like so much has changed. I don't want to waste another second without you. I want to go to bed every night with you and wake every morning with you in my arms. I don't want to miss a moment of watching our baby grow inside you. I love you with everything in me. Please marry me, Molly?"

"YES! Noah, I want all of that too. I don't want to miss a single moment with you. Yes, I'll marry you. I want you to be your wife."

"I love you, Noah."

"I love you too. Um, I'm sorry I don't have an engagement ring with me."

"I don't need a big ring. I just want a wedding band."

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'm positive! I think we need to head back to my parent's. I need to talk to them. I need to apologize. We will play it by ear about telling them. They have heard so much over the last few days. I can't wait to be Mrs. Noah Stone."

I am going to be Mrs. Noah Stone. I'm can hardly contain my excitement. I want to rush into the house and tell my parents. First, I know that I have an apology to make. Noah grabs my hand and walks me inside. My parents are sitting on the couch where I left them a few hours ago.

"Mom, dad, I want to say I'm sorry. I know you were just looking out for me. Things are changing so fast. I know that I didn't handle our conversation like I should have. I'm really sorry."

"Oh Molly, we will always look out for you. We will always love you and there isn't anything you could do that would change that. Not to long from now you'll know exactly what we mean."

"I know. I want you both to know that it's going to be okay. We know we have a lot to learn about each other. This baby is going to be so loved. Please, I need you to accept all of this."

"It's a lot to take in. We know that nothing is going to change this situation. We'll be okay, don't you worry about us. Everything is going to work out," my mom says.

"Noah, I want you to know how much you impressed me when we talked yesterday. I thank you for your honesty. I thank you for helping me to see things when I was just too upset to understand. From our conversation and the actions you've shown, you seem to love our daughter. She deserves nothing less. My grandbaby deserves the best as well. Being a daddy is a hard job, but the most rewarding.

“Molly I want to get something straight with you right now. We have NEVER been embarrassed of you! Even though this was a shock to us, no matter what we're here for you and we will support you and Noah."

I hug him tightly. "Thank you daddy. I love you both so much."

We spend the next few hours showing Noah the sights. I'm pretty sure I caught him nodding off a few times. Kelly came to have an early dinner with us. I wanted her to meet Noah. She, of course, was her silly self and immediately starting asking if he had some doctor friends or if he could hook her up with one of his brothers. I should have warned him, she can be a bit much. She sure brings a smile to my face though. She put us on the spot when she asked if we were getting married.

"Well, are you?" My mom responded when I didn't answer.

"Yes." Noah and I said at the same time.

"When?" Dad asked.

"I don't know. We haven't really talked about a date, but definitely before the baby comes. We'll probably go to the courthouse or something."

Noah looked at me and said, "We're not getting married in a courthouse."

"I didn't think it would be a big deal. I don't want a big wedding or anything. I guess we can always have Daddy marry us." I say jokingly.

Everyone got really quiet.

"I think that's great idea. We can file the paperwork later. Jay, would you do the honor?"

I am in complete shock. I don't even know what to say. Mom and Kelly are talking a mile a minute. I sit there in silence.

"Sounds like a plan. How about you and I go to the jewelry store and get some bands and the girls here can go pick out a dress. It looks like my baby girl is getting married tomorrow!"

What just happened? I'm looking around at everyone. Noah is smiling, talking to dad. Mom and Kelly are talking about a cute little boutique in the mall. I realize that I have all that I need in this room. Tomorrow I'm getting married. Tomorrow I will be a wife. As happy as I am, I’m wondering what the hell just happened.