What's Done is Done

Chapter 25

Eight weeks later...

It's now halfway through June; Daphne and Jared are now two months old; it's summer break and I had finished my junior year with straight A's (I've been doing online school ever since I hit week thirty of my pregnancy); Brandon and I continue to be involved in a fantastic relationship; and I discover something very major about Delilah!

Delilah is eighteen weeks pregnant with a baby boy. The due date is on December 23. 

"Oh my God, Del!" I exclaim when she tells me.

"I know, I know." She sighs heavily.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because you were pregnant at the time when I found out and as I gotten further along into the pregnancy, Daphne and Jared were born and you were busy taking care of them. I didn't want to bother you until there's a right time..."

I shake my head and sigh in disappointment. "Oh, Delilah. I wouldn't have minded if you told me at the very beginning of your pregnancy! I deeply care about you no matter what I'M going through..."

"Yeah, I should've known," She sighs and smiles wearily. "I'm sorry, Al."

"It's all right, Del," I reply, giving her a tight and warm hug. "I'm not mad at you or anything. I've been in your shoes, somewhat anyway...I got pregnant at a young age too. I know what pregnancy is like, so I'll guide you through, okay?"

Delilah nods her head and smiles. "Okay. Thanks, Allison. Love ya."

"Love ya, too."

I'm interrupted by a cry from one of the babies. I know right away it's Jared. He's a big crier; always crying about everything! It's annoying, but I still love him anyway.

I go upstairs to the nursery, which is the other guest room located next to mine. (Yes, I'm still living with Delilah and Erin and John.)

I go up to Jared's side of the nursery (he and Daphne share it because there's no other guest rooms). Jared is lying in his crib, crying, and kicking his legs in the air.

I shake my head with slight amusement and with quite a bit of annoyance. I pick him up.

"What's wrong, hmm, buddy?" I ask him in a baby talking manner. 

A funky smell comes from his full diaper.

"Aah, I know what's wrong, buddy!" I say, figuring it out.

I quickly and expertly changes his diaper while softly singing him a lullaby. (It always stops him from crying.)

I put him back in his crib and he falls asleep after twenty minutes of singing him that lullaby "Hush Little Baby". (He takes forever falling asleep.)

As soon as I'm done dealing with Jared, Daphne wakes up, crying.

I groan. These babies never gives me a break!

I mean, I still love them and everything, and I actually enjoy being a mom, but I have to admit that I miss being a normal teenager.

If I never got pregnant and those babies had never been born, I wouldn't been hitting the mall with Delilah and my old friends, hanging out at the pizza place, going on road trips to the country, and most of all - living with my parents and my little sister.

I get drowned into thoughts about Mom and Dad and Isabelle. Man, I miss them terribly. I wish Mom and Dad hadn't disowned me and I wish they had come around and had eventually been on my side (which never happened, unfortunately); I wish they didn't have to miss out on being grandparents to the greatest kids in the whole wide world. I miss hanging out with Isabelle; watching movies with her, pigging out on junk food, etc. I even miss our squabbles; her stealing my stuff from my room, me making fun of her, etc. I miss our sisterly relationship in general. I had seen Isabelle a couple of times in the last several months, but Mom and Dad doesn't allow her to see me because in their eyes I'm a terrible person who committed a terrible sin. 

My thoughts are interrupted by another cry from Daphne. It turns out that she needs to be fed. I carry her in my arms, sit down on the rocking chair, and breastfeed her. Ten minutes later, she's full, and I put her back in the crib; then she cries again after a few moments because she needs a diaper change. 

Finally a half hour later, she is back to sleep.

I stand in the nursery, making sure that Jared doesn't wake up, crying again. He luckily stays sound asleep. I leave the nursery and finally return to the living room.

"Geez, mothering them gotta be fucking exhausting!" Delilah remarks when I tiredly plop down on the couch next to her.

"It is," I say with a weary sigh and smile.

"Luckily I won't be mothering them."

"What do you mean, Del?"

"I'm giving them up for adoption."

"Ohhh."

"Yeah. I'm not ready to be a mom. I mean, I'm not as responsible and levelheaded as you, Al. I want to be a normal teenager and have fun and I want to go to college then medical school to be a doctor...it'd be tough with a baby around. You know what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I get it. The baby deserves older, more responsible parents."

"Exactly!"

"So...have you told Evan and your parents?"

"I told Evan as soon as I got pregnant because he was already expecting it - the condom broke when we had sex, so yeah. But I hadn't told Mom and Dad yet. I'm planning to tell them tonight, though...that is if you'd be on my side and help me out."

I  smile and hold her hand. "Of course, Delilah. I'm sure they'll handle it well. They'll be disappointed for sure but they won't react as strongly as my mom and dad did. They're kind and caring and understanding and sensible and sensitive people. They've done nothing but have been so kind towards me and had cared for me ever since I moved in."

"That's true. I'm just really nervous." She chuckles awkwardly.

"That's understandable, completely understandable."

~ ~ ~

The evening is now here. We're seated at the kitchen table, eating dinner. 

As soon as everyone finishes eating  dinner, Delilah tells them the big news - rather abruptly without any warning whatsoever.

Just as I expect, they're shocked and disappointed but they aren't angry and they don't blow things out of proportion. They assure her that they'd be on her side the entire time and they'll be her rock. Then she, Erin, and John form a group hug.

I smile at them contently. Delilah is lucky to have such awesome parents.

I then join their hug fest, and the four of giggle hysterically.