Pregnant At Sixteen

Reed Max - I'm Going to be a Father

4:39p.m. - Reena: Hey. How soon can you get here?

4:50p.m. - Me: On my way.

I get up from my bed and get to my car. I don't think Reena has ever texted me before so I know for certain that she really needs me. Hopefully she's decided to talk to me about the pregnancy because I want to but I won't force her, I'll give her time.

As I pull up to her house and run up the stairs, I'm shocked to see Reena sitting outside by the door. Her face is wet from crying and her eyes, her eyes have never looked more dead.

"Reena?" She takes some time to acknowledge me and I know whatever the problem is, it must be big. "What's wrong?"

"I'm pregnant." She starts crying again and I wrap my arms around her, rubbing her back and whispering it's okay. "I know."

She pulls from me and wipes her face, "I know that."

"So why didn't you say anything?"

She drops her head and shakes it, "I don't know."

She bites her lips and fidgets with her leg but somehow I'm getting that this isn't the real reason she wanted to see me, "Okay, what's wrong?"

She sniffles and wipes at her eye, "My mom still thinks I should have an abortion." Her hands tighten into fists and she trembles, "Apparently I destroyed her life and she doesn't want the same thing happening to me."

My brows pop up and I drop beside her, "She said that?"

She turns her head up, "Yeah."

I don't say anything because I don't know what to say to something like that, so I reverse to the original topic, "So how long have you known, you were pregnant that is?"

"When I woke up in the hospital, the first time."

More than three months ago...

My mind flashes back to that moment when I thought she was going to die, there was just so much blood and the way she looked lifeless in my arms only cemented that fear even more. I never want to see that again, as long as I live, "So that didn't do anything to it?"

"I could've lost it, but I didn't." She bites her cheek as she looks down at her belly and places a hand on it.

I take in the sight of her hand on her stomach and a feeling to protect her rises up in me, burning through my chest. "If you're certain this is what you want then−"

She spins her head to look me dead in the eye, "I want the baby but I need you too."

I catch her hands with mine, and stare her in the eyes, "Of course I want you, and our baby."

Her face drops and she looks at me with wide eyes, "This isn't freaking you out?"

Her question stops me and I start to think of what this really means, I'm going to become a father, and she'll be a mother and no matter what we do in life we'll always be connected to each other, no matter if either of us wants to or not. This child she's carrying will become my biggest priority, and everything will no longer be about me. I'll have to get a good job to support them both and make them happy.

Should I marry her? After all, it is the right thing to do but it's not like we're living in the seventies anymore, plus I don't even know if that's what she wants. I really need to have a talk with my parents.

I release her hands and drop my head, scratching the middle, "Of course, who wouldn't be freaking out. You're sixteen and I'm just seventeen, still in high school, and I know you had dreams of going to college and doing, other stuff."

She smiles at me a little, "I'm still going to college."

I return her smile and cup the side of her face, "I know you are."

She stares into my eyes, then I see them travel down to my lips, so I pull her face closer to mine and, at first, kiss her gently before I start behaving as if all the oxygen is gone from the world and this is the only way I can get any. I trail my hands down her arms and around her back until I bring them to her small rounded stomach, and stop. She's staring at me, eyes wide with fright, I look down and place another and on her belly.

"I'm going to be a father."

***

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