Their Escape

~5~

~5~



Sixteen Years Ago


After I ran from the armory, I went to the local park and over to the merry-go-round. It was just getting dusk so it wasn’t quite dark. I didn’t care if anyone saw me because the only person I wanted to see was Jason. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me and tell me that everything was going to be okay and that he would stand by my side. I knew from the way Toby talked, I would never get that.



    “Melissa, is that you?” I heard someone ask, walking up to me. I looked up and saw Seth Whitman looking down at me.

    “Yeah, it’s me,” I sniffled.

    “Mind if I take a seat?” he asked, motioning next to me. When I moved over, he sat down. “So, what’s wrong? Isn’t Jason doing some big press conference right now? I figured you would be over there, grinning like the love sick fool you are,’ he said smiling.

    “Things have happened and I think it’s over between me and Jason,” I whispered.

    “Oh, that sucks. Wanna talk about it?” he asked, scooting a little closer.

    “Not really, Seth.”

    “Oh, come on. We may not be close but you can talk to me,” he said. I looked into his eyes and saw something genuine behind them.

    “I found out today that I’m pregnant,” I whispered.

    “What?”

    “Jason and I.. you know...” I started rather uncomfortably. “About two months ago and I went to the doctor and found out. I went to try to talk to him about it and...”

    “He wants nothing to do with you, right?”

    “I didn’t get a chance to tell him. I talked to his manager and he told me that if I loved Jason, I would do one of two things and the one, I just can’t imagine.”

    “Abort it?”

    “I can’t do that,” I said through tears.

    “Melissa, I know I have no right but I’ll be here for you, no matter what.”

    “Really?”

    “Yeah. You know I’ve always liked you so we can just be together and tell people that the baby is mine,” he said.

    “You would do that for me?” I asked.

    “Sure,” he smiled.

    “I can’t go back home,” I told him.

    “Okay, come live with me.”

    “Seth, what about your parents?”

    “I don’t care.”

    “Thank you,” I said, wrapping my arms around him.

    “I’d do anything for you, Melissa,” he said stroking my hair.




When I told my parents that I found someone to help me, daddy had my things packed the next mroning and told me that I had to get out immediately. I called Seth crying and he didn’t hesitate to come and get me and my things. The meeting with his dad didn’t go to great but how else do you think it would have gone when your son tells you that he’s moving a pregnant girl in with him.



    “Is it yours?” his dad asked.

    “It is now, dad and that’s all that matters,” Seth told him.

    “Well young lady, I hope you’re ready to kiss Columbus goodbye,” his dad said, looking me square in the eye.

    “What do you mean?” I asked then looked at Seth for an answer.

    “We’re moving to Fort Worth this weekend,” he said quietly. I stared at him with wide eyes.

    “And you couldn’t tell me this before hand,” I yelled.

    “Melissa, I want to be with you. I want to raise this child as my own,” he said, placing his hand on my belly. “I want you to be in my life. Please, don’t give this up? Marry me,” he pleaded with his eyes. I stood there just staring at him, his hand still on my belly and I saw a spark in his eyes.

    “Okay,” I whispered. When he heard the word slip through my lips, he started laughing and wrapped his arms around me.


I was nowhere ready to be a wife but I wasn’t ready to be a mother either. Seth told me that he didn’t want the babies to be born out of wedlock. He was ecstatic when I found out I was having twins and was making all the decisions on trying to find our own place, how we were going to set up the nursery and even names. I told him that I already had some names picked out and when I told him, he was happy with them.

When I found out that the twins were one of each, I was overwhelmed. I was going to get my Matthew Thomas and Danielle Rae. I knew the meanings behind the names and I was lucky that Seth never figured it out. My son would be named after Jason’s father and my daughter would be named after Jason, whose middle name is Daniel and his mother’s middle name being Rae.

When the twins was born, it was the happiest day of my life but instead of putting Ryder on the birth certificate, I had to put Whitman. I wasn’t to happy about that but I didn’t make it known because I was married to Seth.

Seth on the other hand, knowing that the kids weren’t his, was doting around like the proud father. As he called everyone to brag about his son and daughter, I had an internal battle with myself because all I wanted to do was tell him to screw off and go home to tell Jason. I still loved him and I guess I always would because even if he would never find out, we had children together.

I was released just three days after having the twins but my children had to stay. Danielle had a bad case of jaundice they needed to keep an eye on and Matthew was having difficulty breathing on his own. I only went home when visiting hours were over and then I would sit and mope about until it was time to go back. My in-laws came to pick me and the twins up since Seth was at work. I had already had them changed and in bed before he came home. I went to bed and he flopped right down beside me. I felt like I had just fallen asleep when I heard one twin start crying and then the other. I tried to push myself up but I started to feel my stitches tug from my c-section and I started to shake Seth.



    “What is it, woman?” he moaned.

    “Seth, I need some help getting up. The twins need to be tended to.”

    “Damn it,” he groaned and pushed me up.



I went in and fed the babies, changed theirs diapers and once they were asleep, tucked them back in their bassinets. I tiptoed back through the hallway and into our room. I half expected to see that he rolled over to my side and I would have to resort to the couch but when I didn’t see him, I turned around. I was met by a large hand across my cheek and he went back to bed