1968

Chapter Twenty-Seven: July 25th, 1968

Lorelei's point of view:

News just kept flying through, and I was always expecting something else to come around. This happened when I walked into Jacob's bedroom at ten in the morning. Mai had been awake for a few hours now and I was wondering what had her so off when she came downstairs to eat breakfast. I didn't ask her anything, not having time since I had to get ready for the beach and had to wake Jacob up so he can come with me. He joined in I'm not letting him back out now.

"Jacob, wake up," I whispered to him as I poked my head out of the door. He was asleep in bed, lounging in it like he was some depressed woman unable to get out. He didn't answer me so I went in and stopped at the foot of the bed. I poked his foot to stir him awake.

"Wake up," I demanded. He moaned in his sleep and tried to kick me away. I sighed and moved to the other side of the bed, moving my body onto it as he lay on his side. I laid down beside him, facing his back. I poked him to annoy him enough so he would wake up.

"Lorelei, leave me alone," he said. I sat up and stopped poking him. I leaned my body over his side so I could see his sleeping face.

"I'm meeting Rebekka in an hour. You signed up for this so you have to come. What has you so shitty anyway?" I asked. He sighed and waved me off as if he barely heard a word that I said. I rolled my eyes and flipped him on his back, taking a pillow and whacking him with it so hard that he had to open his eyes.

"Lorelei! Stop! I'm trying to sleep! Go to the beach by yourself!" He scolded, more serious this time than before. I was confused. Why was he behaving like this? Before, he was all about going with me to find answers. Something really bad must have happened to him for him to lose his enthusiasm so quickly.

"What is wrong with you? Seriously, I want to know what happened," I said. He sighed and dug his face into the pillow, trying to block me out. I shook him to try and get him to talk.

"Mai's pregnant," he said through a wide sigh. I stopped pushing him then. Mai was pregnant? I didn't know how to react. Was I surprised? I didn't know what they were like when they were alone. Obviously more effectual than I was with Mihn otherwise I would be the pregnant one. Clearly my brother wasn't very careful.

"That's what your upset about?" I said. I knew it was an amazing thing, but to mope around like that? It didn't add up. Even people that didn't want a baby didn't do this. Was this just my brother's weird way of coping with the fact that he'd be a father so early in life?

"You don't understand. I'm eighteen, and so is she. Do you really think this is the right time for us to be having a baby? Not a damn chance," he replied. I sighed, my mood going sullen with his instead of energetic, which was how I woke up this morning. We still had to meet Rebekka, but I would sit here and listen to him for a while to make him feel better.

"Does mom or dad know?" I asked. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his messy and thick black hair. He looked so much like dad that it was amazing at times. Even though he had been living with me as long as I lived, it still surprised me sometimes.

"No. I just found out last night. Mai and I talked about it a little but we still have some stuff to discuss. I don't want to tell them until we've decided what we want to do," he replied. I nodded, understanding. I took his hand and intertwined my fingers with his to give him all the sisterly support I could offer him. He squeezed my hand with welcome and took a sharp breathe as he took in his information, probably for the fiftieth time since he found out.

"Everything will be alright, Jacob. You can work through this. Plus, you have all these people to help you. Trust me, I will never leave your side, no matter who does or doesn't. I'm always going to be there for you," I explained. Jacob nodded and thanked me, leaning on my shoulder as we both sat against the headboard. Sometimes I had to be the one to hold the person, rather than be the held. Mihn always made me stay in his arms, even when I was the one trying to comfort him. My brother was not the same, not at all. That's why I loved having him around. I had both sides with them both with me.