Deaf & Dumb

Peter Decides What to Do

Peter and Rosemary stared at eachother. "Who are we going to tell?" He asked.
Rosemary shrugged her shoulders. She asked him if he was going to tell his family.
Peter sighed. "I have a feeling they won't be so pleased that I've gotten a woman pregnant before marrying her..."
Rosemary's eyes widened. She signed that she didn't want to get married. Peter's brow furrowed.
"Why not?" Peter asked.
Rosemary frowned and messed with the hem of her dress. She finally looked up at him. She signed that she wasn't ready for marriage. She shook her head slightly as she tried to think of a way to explain it for him, but she didn't know how.
Peter touched Rosemary's hand and smiled. "I get it," He said.
Rosemary smiled a nervous little smile.
"Here's a question. What are we going to do about the baby?" Peter asked. "You have a big apartment, but how will Carolina feel about a baby?"
Rosemary thought for a few minutes. She signed that she hadn't thought about that yet. Maybe she could move out and give Carolina more room. She wasn't sure.
"You aren't going to put it up for adoption are you?" Peter asked suddenly thinking about it.
Rosemary shook her head quickly. Her hand went to her stomach then her eyes to him. Peter smiled at her and quickly kissed her on the cheek. "Good," He said when she could see his lips.
Rosemary smiled them frowned. She asked him what he was going to do to help support the baby. Peter thought for a few minutes. He frowned.
"I don't really have any skills besides music," He said finally.
Rosemary asked him if there was any way he could get a steady job with music.
"I could be a session musician or um... I could go on tour with these guys that asked me to join their band. It pays well, but I won't be around..." Peter said slowly.
Rosemary frowned. She asked which of the jobs would pay better.
"The tour," Peter said. He bit his lip for a moment as she stared at him contemplating both situations.
Rosemary shook her head slowly. She didn't want him to leave her, not even for just a tour.
"I'll do some session work then," Peter said. "Maybe I can get one of my friends to help me out."
Peter stared at Rosemary. He kept thinking about the baby that just started to form inside of her. He was already wondering what the baby would look like. Would the baby be beautiful? Would the baby be a boy or a girl? Would it look more like him or Rosemary?
That next day Peter went to see Stephen. Stephen was extremely happy to see him which made Peter feel terrible. The two men sat down and drank a little. Peter finally worked up the courage to tell Stephen the situation.
"So... I can't go on tour with your band," Peter said.
Stephen's brow furrowed. "Why not?" He asked.
"My girlfriend is pregnant and she wants me to be with her," Peter said.
"The tour won't take nine months," Stephen said slowly trying to figure out a way to talk him into the tour.
"I know it won't, but she wants me to stay with her," Peter said. "I was thinking of getting work as a session musician."
Stephen nodded thinking. "I can offer you a lot more money for the tour than you'd ever get as a session musician," He said. "I mean so much more, and it'd be so much better for you."
Peter was quiet for a few minutes. "I'd have to talk with her about it..." He said. "How long will the tour be?"
"Four months," Stephen said.
Peter's eyes widened for a moment. "That's a long time to be away from Rosemary," He said.
"It is, but separation makes the heart grow fonder," Stephen said.
Peter shook his head slightly. "I don't know..." He said. "She really didn't want me to go on tour."
"I'm sure she'll be fine with it once she knows how well it pays. Four months isn't so long," Stephen said, "and the money's for her and the baby in the end."
Peter thought about what Stephen was saying. He was right. Peter had to get as much as he could for Rosemary and the baby. He wanted a good life for both of them... He looked at Stephen.
"I'll do it," Peter said. As the words slipped from his lips he knew he couldn't take them back.

(Short chapter. I'm sorry!)