College mom-to-be

Chapter 15

After Conner and I had our first date we drove back to my dad's house. As I walk up the steps to the front porch, it's like deja vu. I hear yelling on the other side of the door. When I walk in, it's not my dad in the middle of it, it's Lexie and Adam.

"I'M SORRY!" I hear Lexie yell.

"Stop. Right now." I say calmly. Nothing is going to ruin this so far perfect day. "What's going on?"

"This has been going on for a month Lindsey. Since you left for college! Lexie didn't even think to tell us our father is now A DRUNK!" Adam screamed at me.

"A month?" I whispered. I looked over to see Lexie nodding. "Why didn't you tell us?"

She was quiet for a moment and then finally spoke up, "Well, with Adam, I didn't know how to get a hold of him. I mean he's been gone for a while in the military so I didn't know where to call or send letters to or anything... And Lindsey, you just started college. You've taken care of me and dad since mom died. I didn't want you to have to come back and take care of him so I just tried to handle it myself. You're starting your life, you don't need to worry about dad..." My thoughts flashed back to what happened last night.

"Does he hit you?!" I started getting furious. Not at her, but my stupid father. Lexie just looked away. I jogged over to her. I grabbed the bottom of her shirt and lifted it a little bit to reveal a giant purple bruise on her side. I shook my head and felt tears coming into my eyes again, dropping the fabrics to it's previous spot. Just then, the guy who once was my father stumbled down the stairs. I turned around glaring.

"You little..." I said started running towards him. Before I could approach him, hands wrapped around my waist pulling me back. "Lexie you're moving out of here." I told her still looking straight at the man in front of me. "You know, I came back here to tell you that I'm pregnant, not that you care or anything..." Not a single thing changed in his face. No care, sadness, happiness, anger. Nothing. I shook my head and looked at Lexie.

"I can't leave Lindsey. I have to help him. I turn 18 in April, that's 7 and a half months. I'll be okay, he can't stay here alone." she said looking down.

"Lexie, do you see the bruise you have on your side?! You can't stay here alone! Who..." I was cut off by Adam. "I'll move here..." he whispered. I'd hate for him to have to move here. I looked at Kate who was just looking down and staying quiet.

"No, we'll figure something out. Go to Kate's place.." I said giving Adam a knowing look. He nodded and took Kate's hand leading him out the door. Conner handed him the keys and they left. Once they were out of the driveway, I looked at Lexie again. "Rehab." That one word was one I thought I'd never have to say. She nodded and started to cry. I unhooked myself from Conner's arms and hugged her.

"It's going to be okay Lexie. We're going to get dad help." I said looking up to Conner. He sat there looking at us then to my dad. When my sister and I got done I started looking online for rehab centers. I found one that was actually in Del Mar, CA, where we live. I called the place and set up everything. He was going to drive up with us tomorrow and get checked in. Once I was done I checked on my dad who was passed out on the bed in his room. I walked in and sat down on one of the chairs he had in here. My mom would always sit here. I started to laugh as I remembered what she used to always do, she'd sit in this rocking chair and read her books every night. Morning too but she sat on the chair on the back porch so she could see the sun rise. I looked around the room, all the pictures were still there. Her clothes are all in the closet still. Probably hasn't been opened since she died. Her jewelry all in her box on the dresser. I smiled while old memories flushed through my brain. I walked down stairs where Conner and Lexie sat, I push in a movie and plop down onto the couch next to Conner.

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Adam's p.o.v.

"Mr. Canterbury, um, I uh," I stuttered. "I wanted to ask for your blessing on marrying your daughter.." I said finally getting the balls to speak up.

"Adam, I like you. I've known you your whole life and you're a good young man. I wouldn't want any other guy to spend the rest of his life with her," he smiled but got real serious. "But you've been hunting with me, you know I can work a gun real well. So if you hurt her, I'll just have to do the same thing to you." I nodded nervously and we finished up with the talking. I got up and went into the living room where her and her mother were at. They both looked up at me and smiled.

"You uh, read to go?" I asked her. She nodded and hugged her parents goodbye. "We'll probably stop bye tomorrow sometime before we have to go back home." I hugged her mom goodbye and shook her fathers hand. Time for the proposal now. I'm going to take her to the place we met when we were just little kids. I pulled up to the playground at the closed down school we went to.

"What are we doing at our elementary school?"

"Do you remember where we met?" I asked.

She laughed, "I was playing on the the merry-go-round with Lindsey. You started spinning us so fast that when I got off I kept falling over. You know, my head was spinning all night. I thought I'd never recover." I laughed and went around the car to let her out. I leaded her over to the merry-go-round.

"Now you sit there." I said pointing at one of the stripes on the metal. "I couldn't forget. That day you sat on the red stripe that had a star carved into it from some delinquent little teenager probably." I laughed. She sat down on the stripe and I stood in front of her. I took her hand as I began to talk.

"Kate, I love you."

"I love you too." she smiled back.

"Kate, we've only dated for short time, but I love you so much. Baby I knew you were the one the day we were at that amusement park a few years ago. You told me you wanted a big house with a big yard. You said you only want 2 or 3 kids. You definitely want a kitty. And I was just wondering if I could help you along with that. This might not be the best speech but Kate I want to be with you my whole life. I want those 2 or 3 kids with you. I want the big house and yard. You can clean the house and I'll take care of the yard. I want to die an old man by your side. So I just have a simple question for you now." I paused and turned the merry-go-round around staying in the same place while she moves to where her back is facing me. On the ground in front of her, written in the mulch says 'Katelynn Leean Canterbury, Will you marry me?' She turned around with tears in her eyes. I am now kneeling on the ground holding out my mother's ring i had gotten yesterday from her jewelry box. She walked over to me nodding her head, unable to speak. My smile had to have grown 10 times from what it already was. I slid the ring onto her small finger and she stared at it. She looked up and smiled, "I didn't see this coming." I laughed and leaned my face into hers and connected my lips with hers. When we parted I pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. I love this girl so much. If I could, I would marry her this very second.