Me a teen mum, wait what?!

Family (9)

We spend the entirety of dinner catching up and for a while I completely forget about mine and Luke's issues, my head is too caught up in the present. The entire situation is surreal - if I'd known it would be this easy to re-assemble my family I would have done it a long time ago. I never thought I would sit round a table with my parents again. The oak slab between us isn't a barrier, it's a bridge. "So what brought you here hunny?" My mum asks, I know the response I'm about to give isn't the one she wants to hear. She wants me to say I realized my mistake or I missed them too much to stay away or that I'm just so unbelievably grateful for the wedding dress but she's not going to get it.

"I've had an argument with Luke." I whisper. My mother's head snaps up from her plate, her eyes widen and she tilts her head to the side.

"What?!" She says stiffly. The word lingers in the air between us. I quickly try and back track to avoid the situation escalating.

"It's nothing major, just a small misunderstanding." I gabble, turning to look at my dad pleadingly. To start with he looks away and if I had any other options I would get up and leave but I take a deep breath and continue looking at my dad for support, eventually the silence is too much for even him. He breaks.

"I'm sure it will be alright - all couples have squabbles." He mutters. I beam at him and he shifts uncomfortably , my mother glares at him but after a while she softens.

"As long as it's resolvable... after all it's so close to the wedding." My mother says, dropping her usual facade and seeming genuinely worried.

"It is." I say. "We just need some time apart."

"You... you want to stay here?"

"Yes. Please." My parents both look at each other and then nod. I relax, everything's going to be okay. Things are falling into place. "Also." I start. "There's something else I need help with." I explain my school predicament to them whilst I clear the dishes and take them into the kitchen. Then I get permission to wander upstairs whilst they talk arrangements over.

My room hasn't been touched since I left, most of my old things are still here as I didn't have time to pack. I walk over to my bed and just fall on it, my eyes fill with tears as everything rushes back to me - this is where I was when I found out I was pregnant. The moment my life changed I was here. Every step of my early life revolves in a whirlwind inside these four walls. It hits me that I want the twins to have the same kind of stability I had when I was a kid.

Without my phone I can't text Luke so I'll have to ring him from the house phone. I sneak out and grab the one from the hook on the landing then close my door, wipe the tears away and dial. It rings for a long time and with each dial tone my heart slowly sinks - he isn't going to pick up. I sigh and just as I'm about to put it down I hear a crackling noise. "Hello?" Comes a muffled voice from the other end.

"Hi Luke." I say and hear him go to put the phone down. "Wait!" I plead, he sighs so I decide to get to the point quickly. "I've made a huge mistake, I know. I've been asked to leave school and it threw me off, I can't leave I've got to get my qualifications so I can provide for the twins. For our family. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did though. It was stupid and foolish. Luke I love you and I'm so sorry, I regret it so much but..." I can hear the rhythm of his breathing down the line and it's helping me to focus. He's listening intently. "We've been through worse than this and survived together, I'm not justifying my actions - it's just we are so strong together and I don't want to throw all our hard work away. Please consider your next move carefully, if not for me, for the twins. I'm staying at my parents for the night. I hope to hear from you soon."

With that I hang up and give him time to think. My heart is racing and the tears have started up again, the phone falls out of my hand and drops to the floor. For one person I sure as hell have made a lot of mistakes in my time. The decision of our future is up to Luke now, there is nothing more I can do. For once I long to have the twins with me - screaming and crying, at least it would drown out this harrowing sadness.

Downstairs I can hear my parents discussing calmly what to do, I was expecting them to erupt into a huge argument as soon as I was out of earshot but maybe things really have changed since the last time I was here.