I woke up the next morning with a blanket thrown over me and Brennan. I carefully got off of the couch and started towards the kitchen. I heard someone and turned the corner to find my mother, getting herself a cup of coffee. I cleared my throat and she jumped as she turned around to face me. She quickly turned away from me, adding a spoonful to her coffee. "Hey, Mom," I said softly as I walked into the kitchen. She mumbled back a greeting, stirring her coffee. I sat at the island, my arms resting on the countertop. She turned around, her back against the sink as she drank her coffee.
"How are you?" she asked carefully. I shifted uncomfortably in the seat.
"Good. How about you?" She shrugged her shoulders.
"Busy, I guess." She sighed heavily and she took another long drink of her coffee.
"How's school?" I shrugged my shoulders. 'Why are we being total strangers?' I thought to myself.
"Pretty good." She nodded her head. Another drink.
"How are you and...whatever his name is?" I looked up at her as she stared into her coffee.
"His name is Brennan, and we're doing great." My mom looked up at me, our eyes meeting.
"So how long have you two been together?" I ran my fingers through my hair.
"Almost a month."
"Do you think that he's going to stay?" I furrowed a brow at her.
"What do you mean by that?" She shrugged her shoulders, taking a large gulp of her hot coffee.
"Does he have plans to stay with you after the baby is born?" She raised a brow at me as she looked over me. I shrugged my shoulders and stared down at the granite countertop.
"I don't know honestly...we haven't talked about it to be honest." She hummed something to herself.
"Well, Lindsay, I hate to tell you this, but when he leaves you because he can't handle the responsibility of being a father, don't come crying to me or your father for help," she said harshly. I rolled my eyes and rose from my seat.
"Can't believe I thought that we could actually talk for once! You're so impossible, Mom!" I shouted as I walked out of the kitchen. I walked into the living room and shook Brennan awake. His eyes fluttered open and he sat up.
"What's wrong, honey?" he asked as he wiped at his eyes. Suddenly, I felt a chronic pain in my stomach and I screamed in pain. He jumped to his feet and held onto me so that I didn't fall over. "Lindsay, what's wrong?" I bit my lip as tears began to fall down my cheeks.
"I-I don't know!" I screamed as I latched onto his arm. I heard the front door open, and I started yelling again. "Karen, help! Karen!" I heard something fall and someone ran into the room. Karen was at my side, hunched over with me. I felt something drip down my legs and my eyes widened.
"Lindsay, what is it?" Karen asked, her voice high in fright. I pressed my hand into my stomach, feeling the baby's outline.
"I think my water just broke," I whispered, scared. I felt Karen's hand tense on my arm and she rose back up to her full height.
"Brennan, she needs to go to the hospital, she's going into labor," she said calmly. I felt Brennan began to shake and I felt another sharp pain, making me scream in vain.
"But she can't be! She isn't due for another month!" he protested. Karen shook her head, obviously not in the mood to argue.
"Some times a woman can go into labor earlier than she should. I went into labor with Angela after only seven months." I gritted my teeth as the pain got more severe and I dug my nails into Karen's hand as my knees began to feel like jelly. She squeezed my hand back. "Lindsay, you have to calm down, this will all be over soon. I promise."
"Get me to the hospital!" I screamed back and she started to walk away with me under her arm. We got out the door and Karen loaded us into her car. I swear she had to have broken several speeding violations just to get me to the hospital. I gripped Brennan's hand and my back arched in pain. They rushed me into the ER and I was pushed down into a wheelchair and wheeled towards the maternity ward.
"Lindsay, I'm going to call your father!" Karen shouted as they pushed me through the doors. Brennan never left my side, not once. He stayed with me, holding my hand through the pain. The doctor came in, dressed in dark blue scrubs. He held his hand out to me.
"Hi, Lindsay, my name is Dr. Chang. Your mother told me that you are going into labor?" he greeted, a small smile on his face. I took his hand and tried my best to not crush it and I nodded my head.
"Yeah." Brennan started to rub a circle on my belly, trying to soothe my pain. Dr. Chang cleared his throat.
"How old are you again, Lindsay?" He was looking down at his clipboard, a pen at the ready.
"I'm sixteen." He nodded his head and jotted something down.
"Alright and your mom wants you to have an Epidural? She says that it'll make things easier for you since this is your first child."
"What is it?" He withdrew a syringe from his pocket.
"It's this little shot. I just inject it into your back and you go numb from your lower back down." I nodded my head fervently.
"Yes, yes. Give me it now!" He smiled as he walked over to me, and Brennan helped me lean forward. I felt a slight pinch as he inserted the needle into my back and then it was bliss. The pain started to wear off and I was laid on my back again. My grip on Brennan's hand loosened. "Thank you," I said in a relax voice. He nodded his head, still gripping his clipboard in his hands.
"Alrighty well then I am going to have a nurse come in here and see how dilated you are, and once you have dilated to ten centimeters, you'll be ready to go. Okay?" I nodded my head and he walked out. Another nurse came in a few minutes later, and did some tests. She gave me a sweet smile as she touched my arm.
"You are dilated at eight centimeters right now. So, you should be ready in a few more minutes, okay?" I nodded my head and she left the room. I looked over at Brennan and he gave me a sweet smile.
"Brennan?" I whispered, tears threatening to flow down my cheeks. He scooted his chair closer to mine.
"What is it, honey?" His grip tightened on my hand.
"What are you going to do once I have my baby?" I held back the tears as he gave me a confused expression.
"I'm not following."
"Are you going to leave me after he is born?" His eyes widened and he started to shake his head.
"Lindsay, I could never do that to you! Of course, I'll stay!" He kissed my hand.
"But he isn't your child, Brennan, and I don't want you to feel like I'm trapping you." He shook his head and started to rub my stomach with his free hand.
"Lindsay, I don't care about any of that. I WANT to stay with you. Not just for the baby, but because, Lindsay...I...I.." he trailed off.
"Because what, Brennan?" I asked. He looked into my eyes.
"Because, Lindsay, I love you with all of my heart. I won't leave you, because I love you, and when you love someone you don't let them go. EVER." I blinked as my vision became blurry from the tears. "I LOVE you, Lindsay." I reached out and cupped his face in my hands.
"I love you too, Brennan," I said softly and he leaned in, kissing my lips gently. The doctor came back in after I had reached ten centimeters and I was whisked away to the delivery room.
