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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 11:55:57 GMT -5
I was driving to Stoneybrook. I've been driving for quite sometime now. I'm sixteen and a junior at Portland Voc-Tech High School. I'm Mary Anne Spier and a resident of Stoneybrook, Connecticut for a long time until I was a freshman. I'm in Fashion Design shop. I'll be graduating a year from June and I want to attend Stoneybrook Community College to be a major in Fashion Design. I want to be a Fashion Designer while I'm in college or maybe before. I was alone since I can't have a passenger until I'm eighteen, so my stepsister, Dawn Schafer, is learning how to drive, too. She wanted to have a driver's license in California where she grew up until her mom, Sharon, got divorced back in seventh grade.
See, her mom grew up here and happened to be my dad's girlfriend in high school. Sounds exciting, huh? Then they broke and went separate ways. My mom died many years ago and Dad raised me all by himself. Sharon was still married and had Dawn as her first child. She had Jeff three years later. After the divorce, she moved her kids back to Stoneybrook all the way from California. Sharon ended up seeing Dad and married him. They're happy together now. Jeff was never happy there and moved back to be with his father.
Dad's a lawyer. When I was a freshman at Stoneybrook High School, he learned he was going to be promoted AND transferred to Portland, Maine. We live there now since after Christmas Vacation during the weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr. The problem is that I'm very shy and get nervous pretty easily. I was very upset and angry when I found out about that. I didn't want to leave my home in Stoneybrook. Luckily, I get to visit whenever I want. I can't wait to move back there when it's time for college. I usually stay with my boyfriend, Logan Bruno, who lives on Burnt Hill Road where I used to live with my dad and stepfamily. It was Spring Vacation and was invited to spend the week in Kentucky to visit Logan's cousin, Lewis and his parents.
I also have two wonderful adopted siblings. Carlos lost his family eight years ago and Meredith Sousa-an exchange student from London, England-lost her family three years apart in a tourbus crash. Carlos took it bad, too, since he grew up across town where my best friend, Kristy Thomas, lived with her family that includes her mother, stepfather, three brothers, an adopted sister, two stepsiblings, and her grandmother. Her father returned to Stoneybrook nearly two years ago and Kristy lives with him now. She still visits her family every weekend into Monday morning.
In Stoneybrook, I went over to the Brunos'. When I got there, I got out and went up to the door as I rang the doorbell.
"Mary Anne's here," said Logan's younger sister, Kerry, who is twelve.
She swung the door open excitedly.
"Hi, Mary Anne!" exclaimed Kerry.
"Hi yourself," I said as she giggled.
"Hi, Mary Anne, dear," said Mrs. Bruno.
"Hi, Mrs. Bruno," I said.
"Come on in. We'll be leaving in an hour or so," said Mrs. Bruno.
"Are we taking a taxi?" I asked.
"Mr. Thomas is nice enough to give us a ride to the airport," replied Mrs. Bruno.
"Okay. Sounds good," I said.
"Hi, Mary Anne," said Logan who was thrilled to see me as usual.
"Hi, Logan," I said.
An hour later, I got my suitcase to put it in Mr. Thomas' van. Once the others did the same, we headed to the airport. At the airport, our plane wasn't there yet. It came thirteen minutes later. Logan and I sat together. We can't wait to spend the whole Spring Vacation together. It's going to be fun. We've been going out since we were thirteen.
I take Yasmin birth control every day for about a year. See, he wants me to sleep in the same bed with him. Imagine if Dad finds out I came home pregnant? He would probably kill me for that. He used to be very strict when I was growing up until I was twelve. My life was much better after I stood up to him by proving him that I wasn't a baby anymore. In Kentucky, after we got our suitcases, we took a taxi to Lewis'. He was on front porch waiting for us.
"Hi, Lewis," said Logan.
"Hi, Logan," said Lewis. "Hi, Mary Anne."
"Hi to you, too," I said.
"What have you been up to? I haven't seen you since last year," said Lewis.
"Nothing much," I said.
"How have you been doing in Maine?" asked Lewis.
"Pretty good," I said. "I can't wait to go back to Stoneybrook to attend Stoneybrook Community College next year."
"Good for you," said Lewis.
"Thanks," I said.
"No problem. Come in. My parents went to get pizza for dinner. That's we having," said Lewis.
"Okay," said Logan.
"Sounds good," said Mrs. Bruno.
Mr. Bruno's brother and sister-in-law came back home with pizza. Lewis told me they ordered plain pizza with salad and garlic bread. I have two favorite toppings: cheese and pepperoni. At dinner, I ate two pieces of pizza.
"If you want to have another piece of pizza, you can," said Lewis' mom.
"Thanks, but I'm getting stuffed with two pieces of pizza. May I get another sprite though?" I asked.
"Help yourself," replied Lewis' mom.
That's what I did. Later, my stomach was starting to hurt. I took TUMS and it felt better. Logan and I were on the front porch looking at the stars.
"I can take you to the park tomorrow," said Logan.
"As in for lunch?" I asked.
"Yeah," smiled Logan.
"Okay. Sounds good to me," I said. "I think we should include Lewis as well."
"I was going to ask him if he wants to join us afterwards anyway," said Logan.
"Oh, okay," I said.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 11:56:20 GMT -5
The next day, Logan, Lewis, and I went to the park for lunch. Kerri and Hunter wanted to join, but Mrs. Bruno told them to let us go on our own today. They're well-behaved kids and I love them dearly. They're dying to be my sister-in-law and brother-in-law one day.
At the park, we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, and talked about what to do later on.
"We can go to the beach tonight," suggested Lewis as he took a bite out of his sandwich.
"Aren't we going there as a family anyway?" asked Logan after swallowing his bite.
"I meant while we're there, silly," said Lewis playfully, and we all laughed.
I had a stomach ache that morning, so I didn't take my birth control pills yet. I decided to do that when we got back home before tonight. After lunch, we stayed at the park for awhile, and then we went back home. When we got back, I went to my purse to go take Yasmin before I'd forget to do so later before leave for the beach. When I got it out, I noticed I had none left. I knew I didn't take it this morning since I had an upset stomach. I must have had that yesterday. Uh-oh. I went over to Mrs. Bruno.
"Is there a drug store nearly? I noticed I ran out of Y-a-s-m-i-n," I said with a blush, feeling self-conscious about having to ask Logan's mother, of all people, for birth control. "I didn't take it this morning because I had an upset stomach. I must of took the last one yesterday."
"You can call Walgreens to have that refilled and you can get it before we go to the beach," suggested Mrs. Bruno.
"Okay," I said, and I went to use the cell phone to call Walgreens to have Yasmin refilled.
It was all set after that. It would take fifteen minutes. I went to Mrs. Bruno.
"It'll be ready in fifteen minutes," I said.
"Okay," said Mrs. Bruno. "It's down the road from here."
"Don't you think your brother-in-law would let me borrow his car since I drive now?" I asked. "I've been driving since winter vacation."
"You can check with him to make sure he's okay with it," said Mrs. Bruno.
I did, and he said it was fine by him. I had already showed him my driver's license. Ten minutes later, I left for Walgreens. Mrs. Bruno told me where to go. I had no trouble finding it. I walked into the store and asked the pharmacy for Yasmin birth control. They asked me for my name and they gave it to me as I paid them. I thanked them and left to go back. When I got back to the Bruno's home, I went in with Yasmin in my purse.
"All set?" asked Mrs. Bruno.
"Yes. Thanks," I replied. "I didn't have any problems going there and coming back."
"That's good," said Mrs. Bruno.
"I just need to take it now before I'd forget to do so," I said as I went to the bathroom to take Yasmin with water.
That night, we left for the beach for six and we didn't come back until around eleven. Lewis, Logan, and I did stroll around the beach like we planned. Logan gave me a piggy back and nearly dropped me in the water, so I got off and splashed him for fun.
"Hey!" laughed Logan. "Wait until I get you for this."
We had fun splashing each other for the next several minutes, happy and carefree.
"You two will be soaked as rats by the time we leave," laughed Lewis.
Logan and I nodded and without him looking, we filled a bucket of water and sneaked behind him.
"On the count to three," whispered Logan. "One."
"Two," I whispered.
"Three," we both said as we splashed him.
"Very funny," said a now wet Lewis.
"You asked for it," said Logan as we laughed.
We kept playing around until it was almost time to leave at ten-thirty, so we had to dry off. We had so much fun.
At home, I called Dad and told him everything. He laughed about it. I laughed as well. The next day, Logan woke me when he kissed me near my cheek.
"Morning, princess," whispered Logan softly.
I smiled and said, "Morning to you, too."
"It's nearly ten o'clock," said Logan as his fingers lightly brushed my hair.
"I was tired. I just had fun last night," I yawned as I sat up in bed.
"I bet," said Logan with a grin. "Mom said you, Lewis, and I get to hang out tonight."
"Where do you mind?" I asked.
"Lewis got invited to watch a movie with our friend, Carla Lynn Holmes. So, we're both going. You'll meet her," explained Logan.
"What time is that?" I asked.
"From six to eleven, so we need to be home after that," replied Logan.
"Okay," I said. "Who would be there?"
"Her parents would be home then," answered Logan.
I wanted to trust him, but what if none of the parents were home? We'd be in big trouble. I decided that if I saw no one there, I'd go home by pretending to have a headache or to make a phone call or something. Thankfully, both of Carla's parents were home when we arrived. Good. I'm not very comfortable going to anyone's house when there are no adults home.
We were watching Titanic. I like that movie, but it's sad at the end when the ship sinks and all those people die in the water.
When the movie ended, it was only ten-thirty.
"I think we should get going soon," I said.
"It's not even eleven yet," pointed out Logan.
"Mary Anne's right," agreed Lewis. "We did promise Mom we'd be home after the movie."
"You two can go without me," said Logan.
"Mom's going to be mad if you're late afterwards," warned Lewis.
"And you can't walk in the dark since we took your uncle's car," I added.
"Why don't we leave at ten-fifty?" asked Logan. "It's up the street."
We looked at the clock.
"It is ten-fifty," said Lewis. "We must go. Now."
"Fine. You win," sighed Logan.
Then we went straight home. I got to drive this time. At home, we had just got in a little after eleven when Mr. Bruno met us at the door.
"Why are you all late?" asked Mr. Bruno worriedly.
"Why don't you ask Logan that?" asked Lewis.
"Um, yes, we told them we had to leave when it was ten-thirty," I added, feeling a little flustered over being caught, and also having to out Logan.
"Logan, when they tell you it is time to leave, you leave right away before you pass your curfew," scolded Mr. Bruno. "At least they knew when to go after the movie ended like you promised my sister-in-law, remember?"
"Yes, Dad," sighed Logan.
"Thank god we said the right thing," said Lewis with a sigh of relief.
"I know, I give you both credit for that," said Mr. Bruno.
"Thanks," said Lewis.
I felt glad knowing I could be trusted to do the right thing.
Or so I thought…
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 11:56:46 GMT -5
Later that night, Logan and I had sex, which I like to think of as love making. I especially loved lying next to Logan for several minutes afterwards, feeling happy to be here with my boyfriend.
We had fun for the next week. We went to the movies as a family, ate at a Chinese Buffet, had pizza again for lunch while I had a cheeseless piece, and went to the beach once again. When we went to the beach, I didn't feel like doing anything. I started to feel sleepy, so I sat out while Logan and Lewis went jogging on the beach.
"Aren't you going to join them, Mary Anne?" asked Mrs. Bruno.
"Not right now. I don't feel very well," I yawned. "I just want to relax."
"Okay," said Mrs. Bruno. "Let me know if you feel any better."
"Want me to take her back to the house so she can rest and I'll come back? Kerry and Hunter can stay here so she can sleep. They want to go back with her, but she won't able to rest," said Mr. Bruno.
"Yes, Kerry and Hunter will have to stay here with us," nodded Mrs. Bruno.
I nodded and closed my eyes. The next thing I knew, I felt Mrs. Bruno shaking my shoulder and asking me if I was asleep. I felt so embarrassed! I decided to go back to the house to nap for a little bit. When we got back, I began to fix myself a little "bed" on the couch.
"I'll be heading back to the beach," said Mr. Bruno. "We won't be back until after dinner. We'll be having lobsters at Weathervane after the beach in an hour."
I barely heard what he was saying; by that time, I had already laid myself down on the couch under a blanket and was beginning to drift off to sleep.
"See you in a while, Mary Anne," was the last thing I heard Mr. Bruno say before drifting off to sleep.
I woke up a few hours later and realized something: Did I take any of Yasmin birth control pills? The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I only took two since I had it refilled. But I had been having such a miserable time with my stomach that I forgot about it. And I remembered something else: My period was due in one week, and Logan and I slept together last week…right in the middle of my cycle when I'd be most likely to get pregnant.
I heard Logan's parents come back, and I decided to take a walk on the porch. During that time, I worried about what I would do if I was pregnant, and if I kept the baby, who would watch my baby while I'm at school? My Grandma Verna, who lives with us, is very sick and lost her hearing not long ago. Sharon and Dad both work during the day. Carlos and Meredith would be at school. And obviously, Dawn would be at school with me.
After walking around on the porch, I went inside to use the phone to call Dad. He told me he had to work late until eight tonight, so I can still call him at work. He works at Mark C. Cogan Law Office. He doesn't work late much only if he was told to do so. The manager is Mark Cogan and the secretary is Carla Rivers- Cindy's sister-in-law from her husband's side. I had met her already and she was very nice to me. I miss not seeing Randy though. I liked him. He was the one who promoted and transferred Dad to Maine.
I called his work number and Carla answered.
"Mark C. Cogan Law Office," said Carla.
"Hi, Carla," I said.
"Hi, Mary Anne, how are you doing?" asked Carla.
"Good," I said. I decided not to say anything about my suspicion about being pregnant until the time for my period rolled around—then I'd get a better answer. "May I talk to Dad, please?"
"Hold on for one moment," said Carla.
"Okay. Thanks," I smiled. I listened to the bouncy receptionist music for a minute before Dad came on.
"Hi, pumpkin, what's up?" asked Dad.
"Nothing much," I said, using one finger to twirl a strand of hair.
"I thought you'd be out at the beach by now," commented Dad, "Are you feeling well?"
"I was feeling tired, so Mr. Bruno was kind enough to bring me back so I could sleep for a little bit," I said, being as honest as I could for the time being.
"That's good," said Dad. "Just try to get some more sleep."
"I will," I nodded.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you again in a few days," said Dad.
"I know. Same here," I agreed.
"I'm taking Monday off to spend the afternoon with you after you return from school," said Dad.
"I'm planning to go to Dunkin' Donuts on the way, so we do that afterwards," I said. Briefly, I thought about whether or not donuts would be good for the baby—then I told myself I was being silly; I didn't know if I was even having a baby!
"That's fine," said Dad.
"Maybe we can spend our afternoon at around three-fifteen? Does that sound okay?" I asked.
"Not a problem," said Dad.
"I can get you since I'll be in my car. Want me to honk the horn?" I asked.
"It's up to you or I'll be on the porch," said Dad.
"If I don't see you on the porch, I'll honk the horn. Do you want anything from Dunkin' Donuts?" I asked.
"You can get me medium iced coffee, light, no sugar," said Dad.
"Okay," I said.
After we talked, I was tired and decided to get to bed at nine. I left the lights on so the others won't have to come home in the dark and bump into everything. Surprisingly, I fell asleep with almost no difficulty in spite of my worries.
Two days later, we left for the eleven am flight and when we got in Stoneybrook two hours later, Mr. Thomas was there to bring us home. As soon as we got home, I had my suitcase in my trunk.
"I should get going now," I said. "Thanks for inviting me on this vacation."
"Not a problem. Lewis and his parents will be here all summer long if you want to come down to see them," said Mrs. Bruno with a smile.
"Sounds good. Bye, Mrs. Bruno. Where are Logan and the crew so I can go say good-bye to them?" I asked.
That was when Logan, Kerry, and Hunter came out to say their good-byes to me.
"Bye," I said. I smiled at Logan, wondering what he would say if he knew there was a chance he was going to be a father.
I went to my car and started it up as I backed up and drove away to Portland, Maine. On the way, I noticed the gas tank was almost empty, so I exited out from Rhode Island and had my car filled up with fuel. I continued on for another hour, until I got a flat tire in New Hampshire. I called AAA to have my tire replaced, and once I was ready to head back for the road, I went on for Maine. Unfortunately, I got stuck in a really bad traffic jam. I called my dad to let him know I'd be late, and turned on the radio.
Ten minutes later, it was finally time to pass, and I arrived home in less than twenty minutes at six in the evening. I arrived just in time to be greeted by the smell of fresh pizza. But I can't have any of that because it's process cheese and I can't eat that."
"Hi, Dad," I said with a smile, and I gave Dad a hug before setting down my luggage.
"Hi, sweetie," said Dad with a returning smile. "Just in time. We ordered pizza from Portland House of Pizza. I got the pizza without cheese for you."
"Swell," I said. "It's quiet here. Where is everyone else?"
"Sharon has to work late until nine and Dawn started her new job at Nickelodeon Portland Movies today, so she's working until eight-thirty," explained Dad. "Meredith and Carlos are at a sleepover, and your grandmother is at the hospital."
"Is she all right?" I asked, feeling worried.
"She's going for a check-up," explained Dad, "But you know how long waiting in the reception area can take. In the mean time, have some pizza."
Then, I felt nauseous all of sudden.
"My nausea feeling has been coming and going in Kentucky," I said. "I better take my time."
That was when I ran to the bathroom, and threw up a bit, but it did leave me even more worried. But somehow, I was able to eat just fine- thankfully.
Then, I realized I never gotten my period today and I'm getting worried about it. I wondered if Yasmin made that happen. I told myself that I'll wait to see what happens.
The next day, I felt better for school and in time to spend the afternoon with Dad later and I did go to Dunkin' Donuts and went to the drive-thru. I picked up our orders, and came home and had our snacks together on the porch. I can have iced coffee, but I was told to stay off from donuts. I wanted to have one, so I'm sure I can eat it as long as I take insulin. I managed to enjoy myself and push my worries out of my mind, until a few days later.
My period still didn't arrive when it was supposed to. I went to the doctor's office without my father knowing it and told her about the signs I was having.
"We can take a pregnancy test here," said the doctor.
"I think so, too," I agreed.
When I found out I was pregnant, I cried my eyes out in her office.
"I'm so stupid to let that happen," I said.
"Mistakes happen," said the doctor. "At least you came to me and tell me what was wrong."
"That's true," I agreed.
I thanked her and I left. I got in the car and started crying again. I have a few problems to deal with.
First of all, how am I going to tell my father about this? I'd worried how he would react. Would he help me out? I always go to him when I have problems with anything. Second, how I'm doing to handle that while I have diabetes?
And third, I was worried about how Sharon would react to the news, too. I'd be afraid to be kicked out, but I know my dad won't like that. I ultimately decided to go see Dawn first. She'd help me out.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 11:57:05 GMT -5
I was waiting for Dawn to come home. Dad and Sharon to leave to pick my grandmother up from the hospital. They invited me to go.
"No thanks. I'll wait to see her here," I said.
"Okay," said Dad.
"And... um, when you get back, can we talk about something?" I asked nervously.
"Sure," replied Dad.
I was on the couch when Dawn came home.
"Dawn, do you have time to talk?" I asked.
"Sure. Why don't we talk while I do my homework?" asked Dawn.
"Sounds great," I said.
We went to her room as we sat on her bed.
"You look worried. Are you okay?" asked Dawn.
I shook my head no.
"What's wrong?" asked Dawn.
"I'm worried about some things," I said.
"Like what?" asked Dawn.
"I just found out that I was pregnant. Now, I'm worried to tell Dad that," I said.
I was crying while I was telling her.
"Wow," said Dawn. "What about Mom?"
"I have no idea," I sighed, running one hand through my hair. "I'm worried about telling her the most. I usually go to Dad when I have any issues. This is the biggest issue ever. I'm also worried how Sharon would react as well."
"I'm sure my mom would understand," said Dawn reassuring. She paused. "How far along are you?"
"I just found out today, so I have no idea," I admitted. I sighed, "What am I going to say?"
"Just tell them straight out," advised Dawn. "If they have any problem with it, I'll be there, okay?"
I smiled. "Thanks, Dawn."
"No problem," said Dawn. Then, "Wow, I can't believe you're actually pregnant."
"I'll make up an ultrasound appointment to see how far I am," I said.
When Dad got home, Grandma Verna was there. I was glad to see her. I was on sitting on the couch. Dad suspected something was wrong, so he sat with me.
"I noticed you looked nervous earlier. Is everything okay, honey?" asked Dad.
"I know I said we can talk when you get back came, but can we talk tomorrow instead? I'm getting tired," I said.
"Sure," said Dad
In my room, I was at my mirror.
"Dad, I need to talk to you about something. I love you very much and I was worried I'd let you down to tell that I'm pregnant. I wonder if you can help me out," I said.
That didn't sound right. Dawn came in and sat with me.
"Are you okay?" asked Dawn.
"Not really. I'm just trying to think what to say to Dad," I said. "I know you said you would be with me, but I'm very nervous."
"Aren't you going to tell Mom, too?" asked Dawn.
"Yes. I would like to tell Dad first," I replied. "As you can see, I feel comfortable going to him."
"I think he's going to work late tomorrow night, so I wouldn't bring it up right away," said Dawn.
"Should I wait and see how he feels first?" I asked.
"I would," replied Dawn.
I could hardly sleep that night. I knew I had to tell Dad and Sharon, but how would they feel about this? That's why I figured I'd tell my dad before telling Sharon.
The following night, I was sitting on the couch when Dad came home from work. I suspected he look tired, so I don't know if it would be the best time to tell him like Dawn mentioned the night before.
"You look tired tonight," I said.
"Yes, it's just a long day," said Dad.
Maybe it won't be the best time for me to bring this up. Experts can when get people get tired, they'd get cranky, which is why teens wait until the time is right to mention anything. Dawn and I talked about that.
"We can wait until tomorrow to talk," I said.
"You can still talk to me," replied Dad as he sat on the couch with me.
That was a surprise.
"Maybe you should get some rest tonight. Then, we can talk tomorrow," I said.
"Okay," said Dad.
"Is something wrong, sweetie?" said Dad gently.
I took a breath and said, "I was worried to tell this, but I'm pregnant. I'm sorry if I let you down."
"It's okay to tell me anything," said Dad.
"I felt so stupid to let this happen," I said.
"No, you're not, honey. Things happen," said Dad. "When did you find out?"
"Yesterday," I said, feeling incredibly small.
It all came out in a rush, about what happened with my Yasmin birth control, and my early pregnancy symptoms, and how I missed my period. When I was finished explaining, there was a silence that just about killed me.
"When I didn't get it, I knew something was wrong. That's why I went to see a doctor right away," I said.
"That was a good thing," said Dad.
"I know. But I don't know how far along I am yet," I said.
Luckily, Dad said in a calm voice that practically scared me, "What do you plan on doing with the baby?"
I shook my head. "Honestly, I have no idea. I'm thinking about what it might be like if I kept it, but I'm not sure who would look after it while I'm at school. I do know I don't believe in abortion. I don't know about adoption because it's not fair to expect the other couple to raise the baby for me."
"It's good when you're trying to do the responsible thing," said Dad.
"I know," I agreed. "The only thing is that I don't want to put the burden on Grandma at all since she'd be too sick to watch the baby," I said.
"I don't blame you," said Dad.
I paused, thinking about another possible solution. "I think I have a better idea. April's mom stays at home, so maybe she can baby-sit if she's not too busy. I'll ask her if I decided to be a parent."
"That would be a good idea since Sharon and I work," said Dad.
"I thought about the same thing," I said. "Are you okay with me if I ended up raising my baby? I might do that to fix that mistake. I have time to think about it."
"I'll be happy to support no matter what decision that you make," said Dad.
I'm glad this chat went well as I hoped for.
"One thing: how can we tell Sharon?" I asked. "I'd just tell her I haven't make a choice yet."
"We can tell her together," said Dad.
"Okay," I said. "Should we tell her tomorrow? She's already in bed."
"That would be a good idea," said Dad.
The next day, I told Dawn about last night.
"Wow. I'm surprised he was able to let you talk about it," said Dawn.
"The next step is telling your mom. Dad and I are telling her together," I said.
"Good," said Dawn.
"I knew she was in bed, but I didn't want to wake her to tell her," I said. "We'll do that later."
Later, somehow, I was able to tell Sharon on my own.
"I'm stressed on how I would do," I said. "Another thing I'm worried about how to handle diabetes during pregnancy."
"You can ask the doctor and I'm sure she'll give you advice how to do so," said Dad who joined in.
"That's true," I said.
“You should do abortion,” said Sharon.
"I don’t believe in it,” I said. ”Plus, abortion and diabetes don’t mix.”
”I don’t blame her. Let her decide,” said Dad.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 11:57:27 GMT -5
The next day, I left for school feeling at least a bit more assured. Earlier, I had called up April and explained my situation to her, and she said she would see if her mother could look after the baby if I kept it. That afternoon, when I got home from school, I made a phone call to Portland Clinic and made an appointment for Friday after school at three in the afternoon.
"Do you need either of us to go with you that day?" asked Sharon.
"I'll be all set. Thanks anyway," I answered.
"If you need us, let us know," sighed Dad, who is being supportive.
"Okay," I said.
At least he didn't get mad at me about it. As for Sharon, she acted fine as I thought about the news.
On Friday after school, I went to the Portland Clinic. I sat in the waiting room for only ten minutes (but what felt like ten hours) when the doctor came to say she was ready for me.
"Hello, how are you doing?" asked the doctor, who had a friendly smile.
"Fine thanks," I replied. I meant it; seeing her smile put me at ease by a bit.
"Right this way," said the doctor as she began to lead me down the hall. "I'm Dr. Allyson Andrews and I'll be your obstetrician during your pregnancy."
In her office, we went over some of my medical information, including the approximate date of my last period and the average length of my cycle. She told me I was about five weeks along, and that I was due on December 20th.
"Here's your schedule book," said Dr. Andrews, handing me a book, "Your last appointment would be at least seven days before your due date."
"Alright. As in on December 13th?" I asked as she nodded. We went over some more information, including how to follow a proper diet for my condition.
At the end of the conversation, she asked me, "Are you sure about having this baby? It's a huge responsibility at your age."
"I haven't decided yet since I just found out," I replied.
"And, you'd have to be very careful on how to handle your diabetes during pregnancy in order to have a healthy baby," added the doctor.
"Okay," I said.
She gave me great advice on how to handle it. I'm sure I would make it just fine.
When I got back home, I went to get some water.
"How did it go?" asked Dad.
"The doctor told me I'm five weeks along and I'll be due on December 20th," I replied as I filled up a glass in the kitchen.
"That's not too bad," said Dad.
"I know," I agreed. "I'm still thinking of what to do, since it's only eight more months."
"True," sighed Dad. "If you still want to raise the child, I'll help out."
"Okay, but I'm still thinking about it," I said as I added what the doctor told me about handling diabetes during pregnancy.
That night, I'm starting to think about keeping it. Or at least, leaned towards keeping it. I'd gotten used to the idea of motherhood by that point, and I knew it would be hard. I had heard many girls my age especially had a hard time with it. I was still feeling a bit unsure about my decision, but I hoped those baby-sitting skills I picked up when I was in the club would be useful for something. But I'd fix my mistakes by being responsible and raise the child.
I was still contemplating my decision the next morning at breakfast when Sharon asked, "Have you made your decision?"
"Sort of, but I'm not sure yet," I said slowly, "I think I might keep it. I mean, I think I might be able to manage with my homework if I time it just right. And when it's time for college, I could go to a community college during the daytime. Plus, I've had experience with looking after babies before… But I think I'll do a responsible thing and raise my child."
"But how are you manage a baby and going to school?" asked Sharon.
"I give her credit for trying to take responsibility, Sharon," said Dad. "That's normal for teen moms."
"Do you mind if I leave the table? I need time to think things over," I said.
"Of course," said Dad.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 11:57:57 GMT -5
The next day, I drove over to the Franklin's house, having been asked to baby-sit for them a short while ago. I had started baby-sitting for the Franklin's shortly after we moved here. Luca and Lila are well-behaved kids. I never have trouble with them. I had been watching for Luca for a while, and not too long ago, Lila was a newborn baby when I started watching for her, too. Now she's eighteen months old and already a bright, bubbly little girl.
"Luca's having his snack in the kitchen and I just put Lila down for her nap ten minutes ago," said Mrs. Franklin as she began to get ready to leave, "She should sleep until we get back, but if she wakes up before then, read to her for a bit."
"Okay," I said. I was pretty familiar with the drill by now.
"In case of an emergency, you can call on my cell phone or my husband at work. He's working until eight," continued Mrs. Franklin, putting her coat on.
"No problem," I said.
"You might have to watch the kids for a few days this month because my husband has to go on a business trip starting Saturday if I can't get a hold of my sister," added Mrs. Franklin, "I've been trying to call her, but no answer. In a week, I'll be starting my new job at Portland Nursing Home. I'll be gone from four to eleven." She looked guilty. "I really don't want to feel like I'm springing this on you at the last minute, but…"
"It's all right," I assured her, "It's only till he gets back, right?"
I really didn't mind at all. The Franklin's were the nicest parents I had met. I had met them at April's BBQ cookout on the fourth of July. I had told them of my past baby-sitting experience with the BSC, and they started using me almost immediately.
Lila was such an angel; she didn't wake up from her nap until Mrs. Franklin returned. I could only hope my own baby would be this easy. She paid and thanked me, then I left for home. That night, I learned she managed to get a hold of her sister, leaving me more time to think about my decision.
After talking to Mrs. Franklin on the phone about her sister, I felt nauseous, and went to get a drink of water in the kitchen. It was there that I saw Sharon who said, "So, you're still thinking about keeping the baby, huh? Just keep in mind this could be difficult."
"I know," I sighed, "I just hope I can prove to Dad I'll be a good mother."
"You know your father is only worried about you," assured Sharon, "He'll come to accept it in time. I'll look into finding a parenting class for you, if possible. I'm not sure if there are classes for teen mothers, but I'll check it out." Then, "Have you told Logan yet?"
"No," I said. I had been putting it off for a while; I knew Logan wouldn't be mad, but at the same time I wasn't sure if he would be all that excited, either. "I'll give him a call right now."
I went to my room with the portable phone. I anxiously dialled Logan's home phone number, and waited as the dial tone rang…rang…
"Hi, Mary Anne, what's up?" asked Logan's voice.
"How did you know it was me?" I asked, feeling my stomach tie up in knots
"We just got a new phone with an ID caller," replied Logan.
"Oh, I see," I said. "Anyway, I'm calling to tell you something."
"Spill the beans," teased Logan.
I bit my lip and paused before saying, "I'm pregnant."
There was a five-second silence before Logan said, "You sure?"
"Yes. I already went to see a doctor," I said, feeling nervous in anticipation for Logan's answer, "I'm due December 20th."
"Wow," said Logan with a low whistle.
"And I'm planning on keeping it," I said slowly, hoping he wouldn't be too mad.
"Swell," muttered Logan, though he didn't sound entirely happy about it.
"I'm looking into finding a sitter or daycare to look after the baby during the day, if possible," I went on, hoping not to worry him too much.
"What about for college?" asked Logan.
"Probably daycare," I said. "Grandma Verna is very sick and I wouldn't want to put too much pressure on her to have to look after it." I paused. "Well…bye."
"Bye," said Logan stiffly.
I hung up and let out a breathe. That went over better than I had expected.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 11:58:18 GMT -5
In Loving Memory of Verna Baker
Beloved mother of the late Alma Spier and the widow of Bill Baker
The next day, I talked to April about it and she said her mom would be happy to baby-sit my child during the day.
"She works for the last shift anyway, so it would be perfect. I'll talk to her about it later on," said April.
"Okay, great," I said.
Later, April and I both talked to her mom and she said, "Sure. I can baby-sit while you're in school. I can keep it here while you do your homework or study."
"Sure. That sounded like a great idea," I said.
I felt better on that.
A week later, Grandma Verna was admitted to the hospital again after suddenly having a stroke. She had trouble speaking and she couldn't move one of her arms. I was worried about her all day in school, and could barely concentrate on my work. Finally, it got to the point where I knew I couldn't spend the rest of the day in school without knowing how my grandmother would be. I got permission from the principal to go after my explaining my situation, and arrived at the hospital to meet Dad in the reception area.
When I got there, I asked, "How's Grandma doing?"
"She's doing better," said Dad, "Hopefully, she should be out within a few days."
I hoped Dad was right.
When I got home that day, I don't know if was the stress or maybe it was just time for the symptoms to start showing up, but everything seemed to hit me all at once: I spent about ten minutes in the bathroom feeling extremely nauseous before vomiting. And a few hours afterwards, my back started to ache. Somehow, though I don't know how, I managed to fall asleep.
At midnight, I woke up to the sound of a phone ringing. Then, I heard a voice in the kitchen, and then lowered voices. I got out of bed and ran down to the kitchen, hoping nothing else had happened to Grandma. I had a feeling it's about her.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"It's about your grandmother," said Sharon, rubbing her forehead.
"What?" I asked. "Is she okay?"
Before Sharon could answer, Dad got off the phone and came to us.
"I'm sorry, Mary Anne to break the news to you, but," he said softly, "Your grandmother passed away ten minutes ago."
"What? Are you serious?" I asked trying not to cry.
"Yes, I'm afraid," said Dad.
That was when I started crying, feeling an overwhelming sadness.
"She can't be gone. She just can't," I sobbed.
I went to hug Dad tightly. I was buried in his arms while he was comforting me. I cried for the next several minutes before going up to bed and crying myself to sleep.
The next day, I hoped it was just a bad dream. Unfortunately, I knew it was real when I talked to Dad about it.
"They're going to bring her to Iowa to be buried there since your grandfather is there," said Dad.
"Oh," I said. I looked down. "She would've been a great-grandmother for the first time if she didn't die."
"Yes, she would," said Dad, trying to comfort me. "She would've love the baby."
"When will she be moved?" I asked.
"This weekend," replied Dad.
"Am I still going to school until then?" I asked him.
"Yes," replied Dad. "You and I are going to attend her funeral."
"What about Sharon? She liked her, too," I said.
"She wanted to go, but she has to work late over the weekend," said Dad. Then, "Are you sure you'll be all right to attend the funeral?"
"I…I think I'll be okay," I said quietly.
It felt like I was losing everyone I loved in my life. Kayla…and, now Grandma. Like I said, I didn't knew Mom since I was a baby when she died. Kayla died of cancer when I was 15 and I was depressed. It happened not long after her family relocated to Maine. I have been supportive. In fact, her second anniversary is coming and I didn't think of that because I focused on making a decision.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 11:59:07 GMT -5
I had a tough day at school even though I tried to push Grandma Verna's death out of my mind so I could concentrate in my classes. Somehow, I managed, and did pretty good on my tests, which is a good sign. April was there to help me concentrate and feel better. I felt lucky to have her as my friend. Later, after school, at home, I was able to concentrate to do my homework. Afterwards, I headed down to the beach for a little while before heading back.
However, I had a lot of difficulty falling asleep that night. I missed Grandma Verna a lot. I don't know what time I managed to fall asleep at, but eventually I did. The next thing I knew, I was dreaming. The news about Granny was bothering me.
"No, no," I was calling out. "No, no."
Dad must have heard me because he came in.
"Mary Anne," said Dad as he went to me.
"No, no," I continued.
"Honey," said Dad as I woke up. "You were having a bad dream."
"The news about Granny bothers me," I said.
"I bet," said Dad while he was stroking my hair.
"I miss her," I said as I hugged him and started crying. "It's bad enough that I still miss Kayla too much.
"I know, honey," said Dad gently.
The next day, I must have slept for three hours because I woke up to see Sharon standing just above me. "Your father was telling me you had a rough night," she said. "Are you okay?"
"I haven't slept very well," I said, rubbing my eyes. "I'm still not used to Grandma being dead, so is it okay if I stay home from school just for today?"
"Okay," replied Sharon. "You get some rest."
Dad already left for school. I fell back asleep and stayed home from school. When I woke up, Dad was coming into my room.
"Hi, honey," said Dad. "How come you're not in school?"
"I still feel kind of tired from last night," I admitted, "Sharon's letting me stay home from school. I just hope I'll get some sleep tonight and forget about missing Kayla and Grandma."
"I understand," said Dad.
"I supposed Sharon didn't tell you," I said.
"I think she might have called me while I was in a meeting, but no one told me after I got out of the meeting," said Dad.
On Friday, Dad and I flew to Maynard, Iowa, where Grandma Verna's body was sent in the casket the day before. The wake took place the following night at the Maynard Funeral Home from five to seven while the funeral set for the morning after at nine and her burial was at Maynard Cemetery, which is where Grandpa Bill is buried as well. Tina and Bob invited me and Dad to stay with them for the funeral.
"I'm sorry for your loss," said Bob, shaking my hand.
"Thanks, I'm going to miss her a lot, but I'll be okay," I said. I hoped not to embarrass myself too much by breaking down in tears.
"My mom and I will be going," said Bob. "See you."
That night, we ate dinner a bit early, so we had to be at the wake for five. I wore a black and white dress. I left my hair loose. At the Maynard Funeral Home, I saw some flowers that were sent by my friends. They must have known about it. I'd been trying not to cry during the wake, but it failed. I did it softly while Bob held my hand to comfort me. Dad had his arm around me. That was when I left there. That happened the same thing at Kayla's wake. I didn't attend the funeral or see her buried. She was my best friend, which is why I took the news very hard. Bob's mom took me back to their house.
Later, at home, I was still crying in the guestroom. I had just gotten into my nightgown then.
I heard my Dad knock on the door and he came in to be with me.
"Are you okay now, honey?" asked Dad. "This wake is painful for you, isn't it?"
I nodded and said, "I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I don't know if I should just attend the burial instead of the funeral. I know where the cemetery is."
"Okay, it's up to you," said Dad. He stood up. "Get some sleep."
I nodded and got under the covers. Grief and hormones did not mix well together at all.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 12:00:29 GMT -5
The next day, I told my Dad I didn't want to attend the funeral, just the burial. An hour later, everyone else left for the funeral. At nine-thirty, I got dressed up in my black shirt with black pants. I left the house fifteen minutes later for the cemetery. No one was there yet when I got to Grandpa Bill's grave. His picture with Grandma Verna had been placed there. I went to sit on the chair in the front row. Everyone arrived five minutes later. Then the casket was being carried to the grave. Dad, Tina, and Bob came to join me. I sat for ten minutes in silence and left because I almost started crying when the casket was going down. I went over to the entrance. I started crying again when I got there. Dad must have known I had left because he came to me putting his hand on my shoulder while I hugged him.
"It's going to be okay now, honey," said Dad comforting me.
At the Maynard Church Hall, I was in there for awhile and then, left to go outside to sit near the tree.
"Is Mary Anne okay?" I heard Ella Stone, Grandma's hairdresser, ask my Dad.
"She's still having a rough time missing Verna," I heard Dad say.
The two went inside together before I saw Ella Stone's daughter, Michelle, walk up to me looking worried.
"Are you going to be okay now?" asked Michelle.
"I'm still going to miss Grandma Verna," I said tearfully. "I'm really sad she won't get to see her great-grandchild."
"You mean you're pregnant?" asked Michelle.
I nodded and said, "I'm due in December, and I'm keeping it." I paused before saying, "If it's a girl, I'm naming it Verna Alma; and if it's a boy, I'm going to name it Cameron Richard."
"I like those names. Your grandmother would love that," said Michelle.
"I was still planning on it when she was still alive," I sighed mournfully.
Michelle looked down at her watch. "What time you have to leave?"
"Dad and I are taking the two o'clock flight," I replied.
I looked up at the sky, which suddenly seemed all the more beautiful. The name "Cameron" reminded me of Cam Geary, whom I looked forward to seeing again in the summer. If nothing else, it would help take my mind off my worries for a little while.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 12:00:47 GMT -5
That afternoon, we arrived back in Portland, Maine. At home, I changed and went with April to the beach for a little while, which cheered me up a bit, but I still missed Grandma greatly. And, I suspected that Sharon changed a bit.
One month later, there was a day where things with Sharon nearly fell apart. First of all, my car broke down after school and had to call the repair shop to get my car there. Then, I had to take a cab for home. I paid him and went on to the porch as the taxi drove away. When I tried to get in, the door was locked. I knew it was Sharon who changed the locks on me. She has done that before and I know Dad would be furious at her. To make matters worse, it was raining.
"You've got to be kidding. Oh, come on, Sharon," I muttered.
I noticed there was a lock at the back door, so I couldn't get in from that way either. Luckily, I had some extra money in the pockets of my jacket. I took a bus to Mark C Cogan office, where I marched straight to Dad's office to go see him.
"Hey, look who's here," said Mark with a smile. I ignored him, not in the mood to greet anyone.
"Hi, hon," said Dad, looking up from his papers. "Did something happen?"
"Yes," I said in my angry voice. "Sharon locked me out."
Dad closed his eyes and said, "She did what?"
"Worse of all, I was out in the rain," I said.
"Wow," said Mark.
"Sharon does that to me often," I said.
"Wait until I see her. I'm letting her have it to do that to Mary Anne," said Dad.
"I wonder if she changed since last month," I said.
"That's what I'm wondering, too," Dad began. "I'm calling Sharon."
I marched out of the office while he called Sharon and she took me home and unlocked the doors. I didn't speak to her at all.
At home, Dad said in his angry, "Don't you ever lock Mary Anne out again."
"That's the rule here. If anyone is pregnant before marriage, they're on their own," said Sharon.
"I don't care. Do you realize that Mary Anne is being responsible by fixing her mistake and to raise the child?" said Dad. "I give her credit for that."
I cried out, my frustration and anger pouring out. "Exactly. You weren't like that last month."
I got up as I went to my room and slammed the door.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 12:01:10 GMT -5
After dinner, Sharon probably felt bad about what she did to me and came up to apologize.
"Do you forgive me?" asked Sharon.
"You better not do that again," I said.
"I promise," said Sharon. "I realized you and your father were right that you're doing the responsible thing and raise your baby."
"Of course," I said. "We have room here. If we didn't, I'd go for another option: adoption."
Later, I went to Dad and said, "Do you think maybe we could look into parenting classes somewhere around town?"
"We can check into that," said Dad.
The next day, I called Mrs. Franklin to ask her about a parenting class and she said she took one at Bullard House Birth Center on 131 Spring Street and gave me the number. I wasn't entirely sure about it, though; I felt a bit nervous, worrying I'd be judged by the other mothers there. After all, I'd probably be the youngest one.
I started having morning sickness at school, but I usually made it to the bathroom in time, though it was a nuisance to have to get out of class in the middle of a lesson. I was beginning to show ever so slightly, but my cardigans and blouses managed to cover my little bump for the time being.
After school, I decided to call the Bullard House Birth Center to get information to take up parenting classes. I considered eventually asking Logan to come with; the last time I had talked to him, he still seemed kind of shocked but at least he wasn't too mad about it. For the time being, I managed to get the information I needed, and decided to start taking parenting classes over the summer (summer classes were due to start June twenty-fifth). The cost was thankfully low. Dad and Sharon approved when I told them.
I was still a bit nervous, but I felt more assured as I began to regain control of the situation, bit by bit.
During the following weekend, Dad and Sharon were working late, and Meredith and Carlos were at their friends' houses, so Dawn and I had our own "girl's night" and rented a movie: My Cousin Vinnie. We both laughed really hard at it. After the movie, Dawn and I went out for a bit just to see where the Bullard House Birth Center was. It was only a few blocks away from the mall. After that, we went home and had tofu sandwiches and watched another movie.
"Are you doing okay in school?" asked Dawn.
"I'm still having morning sickness," I sighed. "It's a pain, but what else can you do?" Then, "Do you think I should have Logan come with me to the parenting classes? He seems kind of nervous when I talk to him now."
"Well, he's probably been looking after his siblings since they were babies," pointed out Dawn.
"But he was still too young to look after a baby alone those times," I said. "I mean, I'm sure he helped out, but…"
"Here," said Dawn, giving me her cell phone, "Why don't you call him right now?"
I shook my head. "It's okay; I'll just wait until tomorrow. I wouldn't want to waste the battery on your phone."
Just then, Tigger came up to us, and curled up on my lap.
"Hey, Tigger," I said, gently stroking his fur.
It was too quiet without my grandmother. I wished she were here, enjoying the movie with Dawn and me.
"I wish my grandmother would be still here," I sighed, trying not to cry, "I wish she and Kayla both were here."
"Just think of them as your guardian angels," suggested Dawn.
I hoped Dawn's advice would help. I was glad she was helping me move past my grief. I got to more thinking about names. Instead of Verna Alma, I considered naming my daughter Kayla Verna.
I told Dawn my ideas for the names, and she seemed to like them. She said, "I bet Logan would like them as well."
"I'm sure he would, if or when he comes to accept this," I said. I paused. "He probably didn't realize that keeping the child is the right thing to do to fix our mistake."
"You're probably right on that," said Dad.
The next day, at school, my back started to hurt, and I was too sore to play in Gym. As soon as I got home, I went straight upstairs to take a warm shower. I looked forward to my next appointment, hoping the baby would look cute in the picture.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 12:01:36 GMT -5
That night, I began to feel nauseous and lay down on the couch for a little while.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" asked Dad, looking up from his newspaper.
"I'm feeling a little nauseous," I admitted.
"Do you want me to get you anything?" asked Dad.
"Just some water, please," I said.
"Okay," said Dad.
Thankfully, the nauseous feeling went away. I didn't eat anything in case that feeling came back, so Dad said soup can help. I was able to manage to have soup. I felt better after that.
The next few months almost seemed to fly by, and my little, round belly grew a bit bigger. When the day of the parenting classes arrived, I was so nervous I wouldn't be able to do anything right. Luckily, I managed to remember most of what I had picked up from baby-sitting and did all right.
During the summer, Dad took us on a trip to the Bahamas. I was hit with morning sickness almost the entire time, and I knew I couldn't really swim, but I managed to enjoy myself anyway. During the entire time, I couldn't help but wonder about the looks Meredith and Carlos would exchange with Sharon, almost as though they had something top secret in mind, though they didn't let me know just what it was.
"What were you talking about?" I asked.
"You'll see. If we tell you, it wouldn't be a surprise," said Meredith.
"Um, okay," I said puzzled.
I was hit with a bad back halfway through, which made the experience a bit miserable. Sitting on the recliner helped a bit, though I still had the usual morning sickness to deal with.
When I got back, I went for my next appointment, where I had an ultrasound. I smiled at the grainy, black-and-white image. "How beautiful," I whispered, blinking tears.
"Do you wish to know the gender of the baby?" asked the technician.
"Sure," I said, "I'll surprise everyone."
"Alright," said the technician looking at the screen. After a few minutes of adjusting, the technician announced, "You're going to have a boy."
I decided to stick to my decision to surprise everyone about my having a son. He would be named Cameron Richard, just as I had planned.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 12:02:02 GMT -5
Later, back at home, I went down to the beach to join the others, and met up with Sharon.
"How did the ultrasound go?" asked Sharon.
"Just fine," I replied as I showed her the picture. I didn't want to show her the gender of the baby, so I had asked for a picture that wouldn't give anything away.
"That's cute," said Sharon.
"I still felt stupid about this," I said.
"Things happen," said Sharon.
"Okay, thanks," I said as I hugged her.
Later, Dawn and I went shopping through gift shops.
"I really like the Bahamas," I said as I picked up a snow globe.
"Me, too," said Dawn. "I'm glad our parents are going to support you."
"I'm luckier that April's mom is going to baby-sit while I'm in school, doing homework or study for a test," I said. "And, I know I can be a good mother."
That night, we had a picnic on the beach since it was a nice evening. It was fun. Afterwards, my back started to ache.
"Here we go again," I mumbled.
My back felt like it had pins and needles sticking through it. That drove me nuts!
"Are you alright?" asked Sharon.
"I feel pins and needles in my back as usual," I answered with a sigh.
"You can go relax on the recliner," said Sharon.
That's what I did. My vacation in the Bahamas was helping to relieve my grief over Kayla and Grandma Verna a little bit. At midnight, I woke up from a bad dream. It shook me up so badly that I had a bit of a hard time going back to sleep, so I got up and went down to the kitchen. Sharon was also in the kitchen with a glass of milk.
"Is everything okay?" asked Sharon.
"I just had a bad dream, that's all," I sighed, taking the milk carton to pour myself a glass, "I dreamed Kayla was killed by a shark while we were whale watching. Then, I woke up."
"I hoped being in Bahamas would help you to deal with her death," said Sharon.
"A little," I said, taking a sip, "I'm trying hard to put it behind me. It did help me put Grandma Verna's death behind."
"I know," said Sharon, putting her arm around me. "I'm sure it will keep helping you to feel better about Kayla, too."
"I just hope so. I still miss her. If she was alive, I would have chosen her to be the godmother. At least I can choose Kaylee," I said.
"That's true," agreed my stepmother.
I realized something, and remarked on it: "You're never up at midnight. It's usually Dad."
"He was too tired tonight, and I got thirsty," explained Sharon.
"Oh," I said.
The next day, I got up at nine and changed into a nice sundress that also made for a good maternity dress. I brushed my hair, but started feeling sick again.
Sharon stood in the doorway and asked, "Are you ready to go?" Then, she noticed I didn't look too good. "Are you feeling alright this morning?"
"I'm feeling sick," I said. "So, may I stay behind for awhile?"
"Of course," said Sharon gently.
"Are you sure you'll be okay alone?" asked Dad.
"Richard, she'll be fine here by herself. She's not feeling very well this morning. It's not a big deal," said Sharon. "All she's going to do is get some rest."
When they left, I went to the couch to watch some TV. Minutes later, I could no longer hold it down and fled down to the bathroom where I threw up. I rested, and I was watching some TV when Sharon came back.
"How are you doing?" asked Sharon.
"I still don't feel very well this afternoon," I replied. I had started feeling a little bit worse; I wondered if maybe, in addition to my morning sickness, I had also caught a minor bug. Sharon's hand felt cold as she lightly touched my forehead, so I knew I had to be hot.
"You still should stay behind for the rest of the day," said Sharon.
"I think so," I agreed.
That's what I did. I slept in my room for the rest of the day, and woke up the next morning.
"You look better," said Sharon as I came down for breakfast.
"Thank goodness," I said. "I'm going to get some air."
"Okay. Would you like me to join you?" asked Sharon.
"I'd like that very much, thank you," I replied.
"We'll be back, Richard," said Sharon.
"Okay," I said.
Sharon is the best stepmom ever. At least she's back to her old self
While we were walking, we talked. She felt sorry about accusing me of being irresponsible.
"Let's face it, I know I can be a good mother. Dad thinks so, too," I said. "I know there would be times that I'll struggle and be tired, but I know getting up for the baby would be my top priority. That's what parenting is all about. My grandmother told me I was an easy baby while she and grandpa raised me while Dad was grieving for Mom. I'm lucky I have support system. I'm thankful Logan would help me out. Otherwise, I'd do adoption."
"You got a good point," said Sharon.
"And, I hope you realize I'd still love you and Dad when the baby comes. That would never change," I said.
It felt good to have a talk with Sharon. I feel better.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 12:02:25 GMT -5
Several days later, when we got back home, I noticed something very different about the house.
"Hey, is it me or did our house change?" I asked as we walked up to the porch.
"You'll have to wait and see," said Sharon.
"Um, okay," I said, puzzled.
The only thing I noticed was that the inside of the house was slightly bigger, but Sharon said the surprise was upstairs. There was a door next to my room which was closed.
"Why don't you open the door to see it?" asked my stepmom.
When I did, it was a nursery. I gasped in surprise to see the beautifully decorated carpet and the walls, along with a chair in the corner and bright yellow walls.
"Like it?" asked Sharon.
"I love it. Thank you so much," I said as I hugged her happily. I felt so lucky to have Sharon for my stepmom, and I shed tears of joy.
"Do you think I could show it to Dad?" I asked.
"Of course," replied Sharon.
I went to Dad, but he was busy unpacking and said he would see what I had to show him later after supper. Unfortunately, he was back to doing paperwork at the time, but he explained to me he had been busy getting caught up with work and that was why he couldn't come to me right away. Once he was done, I showed him the nursery, and he was impressed with the work that had been put into it.
"This is a very nice nursery," said Dad.
"Thanks," I said. "I was very surprised when Sharon showed me."
"They did a nice job," said Dad.
"I think so, too," I smiled.
So far, there were no new baby clothes in the drawers, but Sharon had offered for us to go shopping for some the following day. The next day, we left for Wal-Mart, and April went with us.
"If I tell you the gender, keep it between us," I said as we walked down the baby clothes aisle.
"Okay," said April.
"I'm having a boy, and naming him Cameron Richard," I said.
"That's a cute name," said April.
Sharon liked the name, too.
At Wal-Mart, I found some new pajamas, along with some new pants and shirts. We decided to buy some baby formula and food a bit later when the baby was old enough to wean or eat solid food. Afterwards, we went to Subway for lunch. After lunch, we went back to my house and unpacked the bags. April helped us by putting the clothes in the drawers. April had remembered the shoes, socks, and carriage.
It was definitely the best summer ever, one I would never forget.
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Post by mafan4life on Jul 18, 2011 12:02:42 GMT -5
A month later, it was the first day of my senior year at high school. It came by so fast. I would be in college next year and my son would be a couple months old, which excited me. My stomach had grown much bigger. It would remain like that for the rest of my pregnancy until Cameron was born. I couldn't wait for that day to come. And, I would turn seventeen in a few weeks, which was also exciting.
In one of my classes, my back ached. What else is new? I had to lean back a bit to rest on it.
"Sit up straight please," said the teacher.
"Sorry, my back is hurting a bit," I apologized.
My back ached until the end of the class. In gym, I had to sit out since I couldn't do a lot of strenuous exercising. I had already given the teacher a note to excuse me from gym until after Christmas vacation. The gym teacher, Mrs. Locklair, was nice about it. I don't like gym, as I hate sports, but I was slowly starting to like the class itself. April was better at it than I am, but I didn't care too much, though. I remembered the days when I had class with Kristy, and I realized how much I miss her.
While I was sitting on the bleachers, I began to feel nauseous and fled out of class and straight to the girl's room to be sick. When I came back, April asked if I was feeling all right and I explained to her how I had just been sick. She understood.
I came home after school just in time for Dawn to leave for work. I did my homework sitting up on my bed, and my back continued to bother me. I was still able to move around a bit, which was good. I went downstairs to get a glass of water, and noticed Sharon.
"How was your first day of your senior year?" asked Sharon.
"Fine," I replied as I took a drink.
"That's good," smiled Sharon. "When are you starting shop?"
"Not for another two weeks, I'm in 12-1, which means that I have classes first," I told her.
"I see," said Sharon. "It's almost time to apply for college."
"I know," I said. "I still want to go Stoneybrook Community College to take up Fashion Design."
Just then, the phone rang, and I went to pick up.
"Hello," I said.
"Mary Anne?" asked a voice I recognized. I realized it was Kristy.
"Hi, Kristy, what's happening?" I asked.
"Nothing much," said Kristy.
I sighed, "I miss you girls so much. We should get together some time."
"How about for your birthday?" asked Kristy. "That's why I want to call you a few weeks ahead of time."
"Okay. How about this way? I'll go there for my birthday and you girls can come for either holiday," I said. "It would be over the weekend anyway. It's on a Saturday this year."
"That's a deal," said Kristy. "Are you in any of April's classes?"
"All of them, including gym," I replied.
A few minutes after we talked, Dad came home from work.
"You're home early today," said Sharon.
"I figured I'd take you all out for dinner," said Dad with a grin.
Unfortunately, Meredith and Carlos couldn't join us as they were working. Meredith turned seventeen before spring break and Carlos is sixteen going on seventeen next month. He works at Subway serving sandwiches and Meredith has a job at Shop and Shop as both a cashier and bagger. I've considered finding a job so I can pay for college and support my son. While dad was in the shower, I went to Sharon.
"Sharon, do you know if there's any kind of job I could get at my age?" I asked.
"You could try Walgreens," suggested Sharon. "I'd suggest waiting until after you come back from Stoneybrook, though, before making any final decisions."
Afterwards, the three of us went out to supper at Friendly's. Dad agreed to the idea of my going to see the other girls for my birthday, and also for the idea of them coming for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. While we were at the restaurant, I noticed April with her family. We were surprised to see each other, and got around to talking.
"Do you have plans on your birthday?" asked April.
"Yes, I'll be away on the weekend," I said.
April said she had been hoping to hang out with me on my birthday. We came to the solution to celebrate my birthday with her a few days before I leave. I was glad to arrive at such an easy solution so easily.
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