Her Journey Begins (19 page)

Brandon opens his eyes, looks up at her and shakes his head,
“
No! Is that what you want?
”

  
“
No, that
’
s not what I want, but
…”

  
“
But what
…
? Chris I
’
m 18 now. Yeah, I still live at home, but I should be able to go out with who I want. Don
’
t you think? I mean, it
’
s not like you are some horrible person. I
’
m not skipping school with you, drinking and doing drugs. We aren
’
t out running around getting into any trouble.
”

  
“
But Brandon
…”
Chris takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out.
“
She
’
s your mom. You can
’
t
…”

  
“
I can
’
t what, Chris? Don
’
t you know that the only thing that keeps my mother from driving me insane is you? I would go nuts if I couldn
’
t see you every day. Come on, I
’
ll walk you to your next class.
”

Chris lets Brandon help her up.
“
Brandon?
”
He looks at her.
“
I do love you. You know that, right?
”

Brandon sighs and wraps his arms around her.
“
I love you too. And I don
’
t want to lose you.
”

Chris whispers.
“
I can
’
t see that ever happening. You are stuck with me for the rest of your life.
”



   Sunday, a week before they graduate and Chris is sitting at the kitchen table with her head on her folded arms.

  
“
Chris, do you feel okay?
”

  
“
I
’
m fine
”

Barb walks over and puts her hand on Chris
’
forehead.
“
Are you sure?
”
Barb can see tears roll down Chris
’
cheek as she puts her arm around her.

  
“
Chrissy, what
’
s wrong?
”

  
“
Oh mom, I think I
’
m pregnant.
”

Barb sits down next to her.
“
Chris, look at me.
”

Chris takes a deep breath and opens her eyes.

  
“
Why do you think that?
”

  
“
Because I
’
m late.
”

  
“
How late?
”

Chris shakes her head and whispers,
“
Almost two weeks.
”

  
“
I thought you and Brandon were using protection?
”

  
“
We were most of the time and the other times we were doing the rhythm method where you
…”

Barb holds up her hand.
“
I know what the rhythm method is.
”
 

  
“
I must have screwed up and counted my days wrong. Oh mom what am I going to do?
”

  
“
What did Brandon say when you told him?
”

  
“
Mom, I can
’
t tell him.
”

  
“
Chris you need to tell Brandon.
”

  
“
No, I can
’
t ruin his life like that. He
’
s going to be going away to college and this is something I have to deal with on my own.
”

Mom reaches over and takes Chris
’
hand in hers,
“
Chris, whether it ruins his life or not, it
’
s his baby and he has the right to know. Even if that means him walking away and not taking responsibility, it
’
s still his baby too. Now you have to tell him.
”

Chris doesn
’
t say anything as her body starts to shake. Laying her head back down Chris starts to cry.

   Chris is still crying at the table when Brandon walks in and sees Barb sitting next to Chris with her arm around her shoulder.

  
“
Chris, what
’
s wrong?
”

  
“
I
’
ll let you two talk.
”
Barb pats Brandon on the shoulder and leaves the room.

Brandon sits down.
“
Chris what
’
s the matter?
”

With her head still on her arms, Chris shakes her head.

  
“
Chris, look at me.
”

Lifting her head Chris looks at him, closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then reopens her eyes.
“
I think I
’
m pregnant. Oh Brandon, I
’
m so sorry. I must have miscounted my days.
”
Chris lays her head back down on her arms, not looking at him.

Brandon leans down and whispers to her,
“
I
’
m going to be a dad? We are going to have a baby? That is way too cool. Chris look at me. Aren
’
t you happy?
”

  
“
Oh Brandon what are we going to do?
”

Brandon stands up and puts his hand out to her,
“
Chris, come here.
”
Chris takes Brandon
’
s hand and he pulls her into his arms.
“
We are going to have a baby. I am going to be a daddy. That
’
s what we are going to do. Come on.
”

Brandon leads Chris into the living room and while holding Chris
’
hand Brandon announces.
“
We are going to get married.
”

Brad looks from one to the other.
“
What am I missing here?
”

Brandon grins at him and takes Chris
’
other hand in his to stop her fidgeting,
“
You are going to be a grandpa.
”

Brad looks at Barb, who takes a deep breath, lets it out and raises her eyebrows at him.
“
Yep
”

   Chris averts her eyes, ashamed to look at Brad.
“
Chris
”
Brad calls to her and Brandon lets go of her hands.
“
Chris come here.
”

Chris takes a step forward.
“
Dad I am so sorry. I didn
’
t mean for this to happen.
”

Standing up Brad puts his arms around her shoulders and gives Chris a squeeze.
“
It
’
s okay Chris. These things happen, besides I kind of like the idea of being called grandpa.
”
Making light of the situation as he hears her stomach growling, Brad asks her,
“
Now do you think we can get your mom to finish making dinner before we all starve?
”



   After dinner Barb and Brad go upstairs so Brandon and Chris can have the living room to themselves to talk. Brandon holds Chris in his arms while they are sitting on the couch.
“
Tomorrow we will go tell my mom.
”

Chris pushes away from him.
“
No. We can
’
t tell your mom.
”

  
“
Chris, don
’
t you realize that once I tell my mom, she can
’
t send me away to college. I
’
ll be able to stay here.
”

  
“
Then we can
’
t tell her yet, at least wait until I go to the doctors tomorrow and we know for sure.
”



   Pulling up at Brandon
’
s, Chris can
’
t see any good coming from this. She went to the doctors yesterday and yes he confirmed she was pregnant. Only about a month along he told her. Staring out the window Chris is clenching and unclenching her hands, afraid of what his mom will say. Brandon reaches over and squeezes her hand.

  
“
Everything will be okay, you
’
ll see. I love you and that
’
s all that matters. Besides, we are going to have a baby.
”

   Brandon holds her hand as they walk into the living room. Chris sits down on the couch with her hands between her knees as Brandon
’
s mom walks in.
“
Mom, sit down, there
’
s something I
’
ve got to tell you.
”
She sits down and looks at Chris suspiciously.

  
“
Mom, Chris and I are going to have a baby.
”
Brandon is so good at this. When he told Brad last night, he had no shame, wasn
’
t embarrassed or anything. In fact he couldn
’
t hide how happy he was, even if he tried.

Staring at Chris, Brandon
’
s mom almost spits out the venomous words she has for Chris.
“
She did this on purpose you know. Just so you would marry her. Are you keeping this baby, because if you are, then you are no longer my son.
”

Brandon is now staring at his mom,
“
What? Are you saying you want me to choose between Chris and my baby and you?
”

  
“
What I
’
m saying is, she can go get an abortion and we
’
ll pretend this conversation never happened and nothing will change between us. She is only doing this so she has someone to support her. Can
’
t you see she
’
s only after the family money?
”

Chris bites her lip and blinks away the tears.
“
If that
’
s what it takes, then
…”
Chris takes a deep breath,
“
I can do that.
”

  
“
See, she
’
s fine with it.
”

  
“
Chris! What are you saying? You can
’
t do that. That
’
s my baby too.
”

  
“
Brandon didn
’
t you hear her, she will disown you. She
’
s your mom. I can
’
t let her do that.
”

Brandon glares at his mom.
“
You know why Chris is agreeing with you mom? Because she loves me. She cares about me and doesn
’
t want to see me hurt. Unlike you, who only cares about yourself and what others will think of you. When I brought Chris here for dinner, you treated her like she was some kind of trash. All your little remarks about how she wasn
’
t good enough. You aren
’
t any different from all the other snobs. Come on Chris, let
’
s go. I
’
ll come back tomorrow and pick up my things.
”