Fan Fiction ❯ Life, Love, and Waiting ❯ One Step At A Time ( Chapter 7 )

I looked at the tests, and didn't know what to do… I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to do everything except take back what had gotten me here in the first place. I loved Jeremy, and we had done something to profess that love. Maybe it was too soon, but it was done, I couldn't go back and change that, and even I could I didn't want to. That thought just kept running through my mind. My knees gave out, and I found myself kneeling. Tears were coming and I did nothing to stop them. Katie kneeled down beside me and gave me one of those comforting hugs, that only the people close to us can give.

"So, what now?" Katie asked.

I gave a little laugh, and smiled through my tears, "you know, that's what Jeremy asked me when we talked earlier." Katie nodded and I added, "I guess we clean up, and then go downstairs before your parents get home." Parents… that's what Jeremy and me were going to be. It's amazing how one choice will lead you down a road that is so very different then the one you could see before. When I was little I thought I would stay that way, then I grew up to who I was a few months ago… I never would have thought I'd be thinking about a child… now… I have a few decisions to make.

Katie got up and I followed, we grabbed all the tests and put them back into their boxes, then we wrapped them in the plastic bag the clerk had put them in. As if that wasn't enough, Katie put them in their house garbage, which she proceeded to take out to the outside garbage. We figured we'd covered our bases, so that there would be no questions… at least, until I was ready for them.

"Wanna go set up sleeping bags and watch a movie," Katie offered as she watched me stare out into the night sky. She was worried about me, and I knew she wanted to talk, but I also knew that she would wait. She was good at that, the whole, hey I'm your friend you can tell me anything bit, while still understanding that I would talk only when I was ready to talk, and not a moment sooner.

Heading downstairs we brought with us the chips and salsa and sat down in front of the TV. Katie popped in The Faculty, a movie certain to get my mind off of life at the moment. I figured anything was worth a try, though I was kind of a zombie right about now. I curled up hugging my pillow and sipping the Pepsi she had handed me. Even as out of it as I was I could feel the caffeine rushing through my system, awakening me to the reality at hand.

The movie was over before we finally started talking. Katie's parents had long since been home and had called down only to tell us they were back, then went upstairs. That was definitely the good thing about being at Katie's, her parents pretty much left us alone. Now was the time that I had been anticipating, while I knew that Katie would leave me be until I was ready to talk, I knew that she was anxious to discuss what I was going to do. I wouldn't have to worry about the parents for a little while, but eventually they would notice whether I told them or not. For now all that kept running through my mind was Jeremy.

"I have to tell him," I came out with it, I was surprised at how easily the words had come.

"I know, but when," she asked, trying to prompt me into figuring things out. There were so many questions, so much to think about. One step at a time.

"Tomorrow, as soon as possible… just… not tonight… other things tonight…" I rambled on, my mind going a mile a minute. Must slow down, take one step at a time, all in sequence. I had this really bad habit of taking on too much at once, even when I didn't mean to.

"It's ok, everything in time."

"Yes… everything in time." Katie waited for me to continue. "There is so much… so very much…"

"I know, but I'll help you through this, and so will Jeremy, he loves you," she smiled.

"I know," I smiled, I loved him so much, and this is what our love had brought. It was a choice we both made.

"He'll still love you, if he didn't he wouldn't have brought up that conversation you two had today," she was trying to comfort my fears. Sometimes I wondered if she knew me too well. Both of them.

"I'm keeping it," I declared, answering the question I knew she longed to ask. "Whatever happens, I'm not giving the child up, I want to be there for my baby," I continued looking down at my stomach. My stomach wasn't going to be flat anymore; it would swell as the child inside grew.

"I had no doubt that you wouldn't keep the child," she told me, "just as I have no doubt that Jeremy will be there for you." I nodded in response. We stayed up the rest of the night talking about how I was going to approach the subject with my parents, what I would do about school… then as a way to cheer me up Katie talked about names and maternity clothes, and how I had to let my baby call her Aunt Katie. I smiled at this last one, and told her that I would do just that. The talking helped… some of this was stuff I would have wanted to talk about with Jeremy first, but I think it was good that Katie was there.

I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep until somebody was stroking my hair. I opened my eyes to find Jeremy there. He'd told me he'd pick me up about two, so I was confused to see him so early. At least I thought it was early. Katie was there too, apparently I'd been asleep for a while.

"My parents are at the grocery store, they don't know we slept so long, hell, I didn't even know until Jeremy started ringing the doorbell so insistently," she glared over in Jeremy's direction, but I knew she was only joking. I nodded still in a groggy state. "Well," she began, "you two have things to talk about and such so I'm going to go upstairs and fix a late lunch, are you staying Jeremy?"

"That depends, what are you making?" he responded trying to lighten the mood, he knew that a very serious discussion was on it's way, and didn't like the tension that was in the room, coming mostly from me.

"I think I'll surprise you two," she said going up the stairs, leaving Jeremy and I to talk about everything that had been discovered in a little less then twenty-four hours.

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How will Dinah's conversation with Jeremy go? Wanna find out? You'll have to keep reading.