Soulmates and Exceptions #Wattys2016

A Mother's Love

     Spencer gently shook Brea. "Brea? Are you feeling okay?"

     "How long was I asleep?"

     Spencer bit his lip. "Dinner's ready."

     "Why did you let me sleep that long?"

     "I wanted to make sure you got enough rest." Brea stood from her bed, shaking her head in the process. "Are you alright?"

     "I feel off. I don't know why. Probably got more rest than usual." She leaned against Spencer.

     Jackson was entering the house as Spencer helped Brea into her seat. "Hey! How are you feeling?" He kissed Brea.

     "I'll be fine. I got plenty of rest. Spence just woke me up." She gave a half-smile.

     "She said she 'feels off.'" Spencer whispered to his brother. Jackson nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

      Brea pushed the food around on her plate, barely taking a bite.

     "Gabriella?" Rose asked.

     "Huh?'

     "Are you alright?"

      Brea looked down for a moment. "Uh, yeah. I'm okay. Excuse me, please." She left the table and fled towards the bathroom.

     "It's just as well she stays home. She needs to learn how to take care of that baby." John grunted between bites. "She doesn't need to give anyone else there any ideas."

     Spencer's fist curled. "You do know that there were adults watching from the office windows. Adults that did NOTHING..."

     "I figured. I worried something like that would happen." Michael replied.

      The table fell silent as they continued eating until their meal was interrupted by panicked sobs. "No! No! No! No! No! Please no!"

    "Rose..." John motioned for his wife to check on their daughter.

    "Brea!" Jackson leapt from his seat and raced to the bathroom, Spencer close behind him, before Rose could make it out of her chair.

     John grunted.

     "Let them," Rose looked at John and Michael. "We need to let them grow up, and this is part of it."

     The three parents stayed at the table, watching as Spencer raced back out, keys in hand, Jackson following with Brea in his arms.

     Rose began to cry for her kids.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

     The trip to the hospital was the worst Brea had ever experienced. She was very obviously curled over and miscarrying, but the nurses were focused on knowing if their under-aged patient's parents and match knew. Spencer needed to call Rose and John for the staff, while Jackson reassured them that he was her soulmate and father of the baby. Once they were satisfied with the answers, Brea was finally taken into a room with Jackson by her side. Spencer had been forced to stay in the waiting room - making him feel even more helpless. The doctors quickly confirmed what the three had already known. They examined and cleaned Brea before sending her on her way past hushed voices saying, "It's for the best...she's still young – not even eighteen."

     It was several hours later when the Prestons' door opened. Rose, John, and Michael were seated quietly on the couch. Jackson gingerly lead Brea to her room as the parents looked to Spencer for an answer. His eyes filled with tears as he shook his head and went to Brea's room.