The Delinquent's Daughter {An Outsiders Fanfiction - Sequel to Hope}

12

When my mom finished getting sick, she gave Faith and I both a weak smile before excusing herself to go back to her room. She'd been in there for awhile, alone, before she finally came to us. We didn't want to interrupt her, and didn't even think about the fact that we'd be late to meet Faith's mom.

"Girls," my mom said, coming into my room. Faith and I both looked up at her. We'd been worried about her, it had been an hour since the fight with my dad, and after she locked him out of the room they shared, he went out and hadn't come back yet.

"Can I talk to you two?" She asked, sitting down on my bed. We nodded, sliding over to make room for her.

"What if I told you guys that I'm pregnant again?" She asked. Faith and I already knew it, had put two and two together a little while ago, but I was suddenly speechless. The room was spinning at the thought of not being an only child anymore. The idea that my own baby brother or sister wouldn't look anything like me. That he or she would only be half mine. I said nothing, but Faith did. She was smiling.

"Well, first, I would ask you if you want another one, but it's probably a little late for that... so, congratulations, Aunt Lydia." She reached over and gave my mom a little squeeze, which my mom returned, and put a hand on her stomach afterwords. Her baby bump was just barely showing, and I only noticed it now for the first time.

"How far along are you?" Faith asked. I still couldn't think clearly enough to give them an answer to the first question. Did I want a sibling? I'd spent so long as an only child, and I was completely content with it. I was never lonely, I had never wished for a sibling. I had Faith if I needed someone, and later on Nora and Johnny.

"Two or three months, I think. I'm seeing the doctor soon," my mom explained.

Two or three  months?! I thought to myself. By the time the baby's born, I'd be 17.  I couldn't imagine having such an age difference. Faith's siblings, Johnny and Nora are 8 years younger than her, and I always thought that was a big age difference. Now, that seems pretty small and I can't seem to get the thought that my parents giving up on me for a little baby that'll be taking up all of their time through my head.

"Hope, honey, say something. What do you think?" My mom asked. I stared into nothing, trying to figure out what to say.

"I... I'm not sure." I thought about Eli, and how he'd always wanted a sibling, but couldn't have one because of his parent's ages. How if I could give this baby to them, I would. Then he would be happy, and so would the rest of my family. Nothing would change. But that was a stupid, and kind of creepy idea.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" She asked. I shrugged. This was the first time I'd ever thought about a sibling. Even before Faith, I'd had enough people in my life that I'd never been exactly lonely. I'd never wished for a sibling, or another playmate or friend or anything. I was happy.

"I don't want a sibling," I blurted out, without thinking it through. I instantly regretted saying it, no matter how true it was. Faith kicked me in the shin, where my mom couldn't see. She was looking at her lap, holding her just barely swollen belly, anyways.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," my mom mumbled. Faith put an arm around her.

"What do you mean?" I asked her. "No matter what you're gonna keep it, right?" She shook her head.

"I... I don't know. My whole life you've been my priority, honey. You and Ponyboy. And if you two don't want the baby, aren't going to be happy with him or her around... I'm going to need some time to think this through," she explained to me. My heart raced, and I felt sick with guilt as I looked to Faith for help.

"Aunt Lydia," she said, her words ahead of her thoughts. She was the person that always needed to calm people down and make them feel better, no matter the situation, or if she even knew how to deal with it.

"I said it a few minutes ago without expecting an answer, but now we really need to know. Do you want this baby?" Anxiety rose in my stomach and in my chest, and the whole world was quiet for a minute.

"Yes."

"Yes," she said. "I want this baby. Girls, I want a second chance. I want this baby to come into the world and I want to raise it and love it just as much as I've always loved you both, and I want to spend all of the time with them that I missed out with you. And it breaks my heart that you and your father don't understand that, Hope." She spoke passionately, like it really was the most important thing in the world to her, and I felt immense guilt for not wanting a sibling. I was lucky to be getting one.

"I... I understand it mom," I said. Not completely anyways, but at least sort of. I didn't want to be the cause of my moms broken heart, and I knew my father wouldn't either, so we'd find a way to make this work. I knew how much she'd sacrificed again over the years, and seeing that she would do it all again in a heartbeat, I would do anything to take the pain and guilt she was feeling away from her.

When I was young, she did miss out on a lot with me. When she decided she would keep me, Uncle Darry decided that it was fine, but no matter what, she and Ponyboy would both stay in school. A babysitter was rarely, if ever hired. Up until I was four years old, and my mom skipped out on college to stay with me, Uncle Darry got me up every morning at the same time while he got ready for work. He'd feed me, get me in clothes, and wait to leave until someone was there with me. On days that Uncle Soda had off, he'd stay with me. Uncle Steve would take some extra days off sometimes too to stay with me, but Darry and Soda tried to work as much as they could. Uncle Two-Bit stayed with me on the other days, skipping a lot of school so no one would have to pay for a babysitter for me. In the afternoons, my mom and dad would come home from school, I would spend time with them. Even if it meant not finishing homework for the day, my mom put me to bed every night. She rocked me to sleep, or sang to me, or read me a book, and then stayed with me until my eyes closed. And she chose not to go to college for me. For me. My dad went, so we could make money, and became a lawyer, but my mom made it her job after she graduated when I was four years old to stay with Faith and I all day and night.

The least I could do was tell her she had my blessing.

A/N: because my favorites elizabeth_reads and Fangirl2256 tell me it takes forever to update, but they're still addicted to my stories, I decided to post something. I love you guys!! (And I also love CutieCurtis. You make me really happy, okay?) Hope you love this chapter. :)

Oh, and Faith's going to see her mom in the next chapter. Predictions on that? -Katy