Juniper cried. "Dagwood took my pencils!"
"That's not nice." Betty looked at her nephew and held out her hand. "Dagwood , give her back the pencils."
"She didn't share!" he protested and kept the pencils close to him.
"Did you ask her if you could take them before?"
"No.." He lowered his head.
"Then give them back to your sister and ask her next time you want to draw something, okay?"
"Okay, Auntie."
Babysitting Juniper and Dagwood, her sister's five year-old twins, always made Betty's heart ache. She felt so happy watching them play, cooking Spaghetti for them and reading them bedtime stories. It was wonderful, like she was made to be a mother and even though Betty only got to see them on weekends, she tried everything to give these two a better childhood than she and her sister had. She supported them with all their hobbies and explained to them that mistakes were okay.
The more she took care of her niece and nephew, the more Betty's desire grew to have her own children. She was young but she had a stable job, a nice apartment with room for one more person and a wonderful husband of two years. Jughead Jones, her high school sweetheart, had just successfully published his first novel and was seen on TV channels all around the US. As a journalist she wasn't as known as him but definitely successful enough.
One night, after Betty came home from babysitting, her and Jughead sat on their couch, watching old movies. She rested her head on his shoulders and played with his hair. When a particular scene came where the protagonist cuddled with her baby, Betty murmured "I want something like this too."
"Some day," Jughead answered.
"What if I want something like this... this year?"
"What?" He turned off the TV and stared at her.
"Well," Betty started and sat straight, "I've thought about this for a while now... and I think I want a baby."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. Why not? We're responsible adults, we earn good money, our apartment has enough space for it and we're in a healthy, stable relationship. Why shouldn't we?"
"Betty, we're barely in our 20s!" Jughead stood up and went through his hair. "My career as an author just started! People start to recognize me! Why do you want to ruin this for me?"
" Ruin? You think having a child would ruin your fun? We'd be a family!"
"And what if I don't want to have a family? We have a dog! Isn't that enough?"
"Jughead, what are you talking about? Don't you want a little you running around playing with Hot Dog? Don't you want to hold something in your arms you created?"
"If I want something I created, I'll cuddle my book!"
Tears gathered in Betty's eyes. The man she loved with all her heart suddenly became a stranger in her eyes. She couldn't believe that he had such an aversion against babies. Not only babies but their babies. Why was he like this?
"Okay." She rubbed her eyes to prevent the tears from escaping. "Well, then, I think - I think I should go and - and talk to my mom."
"Betty, come on. It's not that bad. We have enough time for that later on. Just not now!"
"No no no, it's okay. You don't want children and I understand that. I just - I just need time to think." She didn't dare looking into his eyes in fear of breaking down, so she just took her coat and left.
A week has passed since Betty had last seen Jughead. Her mother tried everything to convince her to go back but she couldn't. Not yet. Not after what she had just found out this morning.
"Mom, you know how I felt weird a few days ago and went to Doctor Schwartz?" she asked and played with her shirt. She was nervous and confused and sad.
"Of course I do." Alice Cooper sat down next to her daughter and took her hand. "What is it?"
"The results came in today and Mom... I'm pregnant." Betty broke down into the arms of her mother. "I'm pregnant with the baby of a man who doesn't want it."
"Oh Elizabeth. Of course he wants it, he just doesn't know it yet. And if he doesn't, you dodged a bullet with him."
"Mom! I love him! How shall I raise a child without my husband?"
"You have me and Polly and Hal! You will not go through the same thing I had to. You will birth this child and you will raise it. It will grow and have the best childhood ever, with Jughead or without him." Alice stroked her hair. "You are a Cooper and a Cooper will never be alone."
"Thank you." The future was still scary and Betty still had no idea what to do but with her mother holding her like this, she felt less alone.
"I'm going out with your father tonight," Alice said the same day, already halfway out the door, "Rest and enjoy the evening. I love you"
"I love you too. Tell him I said hi!"
"I will! Good night!"
It wasn't long until the doorbell rang and Betty had to face her husband, no beanie and swollen eyes.
"Hey," he greeted her with an insecure look.
"What are you doing here, Jughead?" Betty wasn't ready to face her husband yet, especially not without her mother supporting her.
"Your mom called me. Said it was important. Can I come in?"
She sighed. Of course her mother would do something like this without her knowledge. She couldn't say she was surprised, so she just nodded and took a step back for him to come in.
It was weird, sitting on the kitchen table with him with such a distance between them. Normally they'd sit next to each other, always finding away to touch each other but now they both sat on different ends of the table, not knowing where to begin.
Finally, after a few moments, Jughead raised his voice. "When I was younger, JB just started school and mom was working, I came home earlier and dad was drinking again. He tried to make some eggs but was too drunk to get the oven to work. He got angry and threw around the eggs. And when they were empty, he took the pan. He... He didn't see me coming, I know that, but -" He took a deep breath - "the pan hit me. I only had a blue eye and he immediately apologized, so we forgot about it. But it wasn't the first time he was drunk and did stupid shit and it definitely wasn't the last time. It's just.. I don't want to do the same mistakes my father did. I don't want to fuck up our child. I'm scared, Betty. Really scared."
Betty couldn't stand the distance any more and kneeled in front of him while taking his hand. "I understand that, Jughead but you would be a better father than yours could have ever been. You don't drink and I would never let you do this to our baby. Also.. I have to tell you something." She sat down next to him. "Juggie, I'm - I'm pregnant.
Silence. His eyes fixated hers. Her heart beat faster than ever waiting for a response. Suddenly he lifted her up and kissed her happily.
"Jug!" Betty screamed laughing. "I thought you were scared!"
When he let her down, he cupped her face with his hands. "I am but it's our baby. We'll be a family. I get the chance to make everything better. With you . No book could ever replace that."
