Something Unexpected

Chapter Twelve (Edited)

~Laura's POV~

"That is disgusting." Harley complained, screwing his nose at my choice of food.
Two pieces of bread sat in front of me with pickles, peanut butter and jelly. After layering them all on top of one another, I closed the sandwich and took a bite. 

"Mmm," I moaned jokingly. "It's so nice, do you want a bite?" I offered, moving the concoction towards my brother.

"No thank you."

Dad walking into the kitchen, a newspaper held under firmly under his arm. "What are you two doing?"

"Feeding." Harley joked earning him a hard slap from me.

"I can see that, what are you eating Laura?" 

Gazing down at my meal I wasn't quite sure what is was but it tasted amazing. "I don't know really, it's a bit of everything."

He chuckled warmly, "When your mother was pregnant with you she would eat the weirdest things, her favourite was pickles, peanut butter and jelly. I miss those days, when you and your brother were so small and would do what I told you. Now, it's like I'm not even there."

His eyes glazed over as his face filled with sadness, when had I drifted so far away from my parents? That's right, the night I told them I was pregnant. 

"Dad,"

"No it's fine. Anyway, how about you invite that young lad of yours around for dinner? What was his name... Nick was it?"

"Yeah and no thank you. The last thing I need is mom scaring him off with one of her crazy rants."

"She does it because she cares." He defended.

Sighing I slipped off the stool, suddenly losing my appetite. "If that's what you call it then fine but I have a very different way of describing how she reacted."

"What did you expect? She was going to let you make the same mistakes she did?"

It was no secret my parents were the result of an unplanned pregnancy at a young age. Mom got pregnant with Harley when she was eighteen and was married to dad five months later. I came along two years after and that completed our family, for now anyway. 

"Mistakes happen and right now I could really do with the support of my family. If she wants to blame me for a decision I made and will have to live with for the rest of my life, then she can. I don't care." Everything I just said was a complete and utter lie.

Running a hand over his weathered face, he smiled sadly. "We know what you're going through, we just want the best for you."

"And so do I. I would never be able to live with myself if I got rid of my baby and you know why?"

"Why?" Harley and dad asked in unison. 

I ran a hand over my bump, "Because I already love him more than words can describe."

"I remember that feeling all too well." The sound of mom's voice made me jump.

Standing at the entry to the kitchen, mom had her arms crossed with a sad expression on her face. Her hair was in a messy bun, it looked like she hadn't bothered to do her makeup at all today, was she sick?

"I remember the first day I held my baby for the first time. He was so small, so breakable. Like if I squeezed too tight he would shatter into a million pieces." She paused, steadying her breathing before continuing. "Really that feeling never goes away. When you were young you depended on me for everything. I felt loved, wanted, admired even. The older you got the less you needed me, I had to trust you would make the right decisions. Laura I have only ever wanted you to excel in life, to reach the dreams I know you are so capable of achieving."