for my sister.” I loved hearing Erin call Melanie that. My heart swelled with the thought of my family, that picture now including a baby attached to Melanie’s hip and my arms wrapped around them both.
I felt the shift as my shock gave way to joy, and my anxiety now was at the possibility of a negative test result. I smiled to myself, realizing just how ready I was to take this step with Melanie. We might be young, but there was no love stronger than ours.
“What does it say?” I took turns ringing my fingers together and then running them through my hair as I paced back and forth in the tiny space.
Melanie, on the other hand, sat rigid on the toilet lid and waited for the test to change. After what felt like an hour, she looked up at me. “It’s positive.” Oh, my God, it was positive. I was going to be a dad. I struggled with emotions that swelled inside me. It was overwhelming and entirely consuming, but the best explanation would be a sense of completion. Joy radiated through my body, and I’m sure settled somewhere on my face. I didn’t think my smile could get any bigger.
I had to touch her. I lifted Melanie, holding her close to me. I peppered her with kisses as I told her how happy I was.
“You’re not upset?” she asked as she reached out and touched my face, her fingers leaving a trail of fire across my skin.
Upset? Melanie thought I was going to be upset.
That had to have been why she’d been so apprehensive, barely meeting my eyes when I got home.
“Mel, how could I be upset? There’s nothing I could ever want more than having a family with you.” I had to let her know how committed I was to her and our baby.
“You know the biggest desire in my life has always been to be a dad, even more than being a doctor.” It was true.
There was nothing more important in this world.
A timid smile crept to Melanie’s lips and tears filled her eyes. She had to be so scared. Hell, I was terrified, but I needed to let her know it would be okay.
“Yeah, it’s sooner than we planned. So what?
We’ll just have to work a little harder. You’ll finish your senior year before the baby’s born, and then we’ll get married. We’ll make a home just like we’ve dreamed.” I couldn’t help the huge grin plastered on my face when I pictured Melanie sitting on a porch swing with our child on her lap. I studied her. She had a faraway look in her eyes and a glow that radiated from her skin, and I wondered if she was imagining something similar.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, baby.” She was tucked close to my chest, my hands moving in soothing circles across her back, her hands resting on my hips.
She shook her head as if she were trying to clear her thoughts. She looked up at me. “Well.” She licked her lips. “I know I should be upset, but I’m not.” Her voice held complete conviction, and I knew she felt the same way as I did.
“I mean, I’m scared to death, Daniel.” She stepped back, resting her hand on her belly. “Our child is growing inside me, and I have no idea how we’re going to do this, but I want her.”
I smiled softly at this wonderful creature in front of me. She was perfect when I met her two years ago, and she was perfect today.
“Her?” I had to ask.
Melanie shrugged, and a small laugh escaped her lips. “I think it’s a girl.”
A baby girl. I could only imagine how beautiful she would be. I had to chuckle when I realized the picture in my head was a smaller, chubbier version of Melanie.
If I could only be so lucky to have two of them.
We moved to her bedroom, lying on her bed as we absorbed everything. We talked about all of our fears and all the excitement building in us. Melanie eased every fear I had with a simple solution, and I did the same for her.
We could do this.
Melanie’s face turned serious. “You know my dad’s going to kill you, right?”
Shit.
Steve.
There was a very good chance he was going to cause me bodily harm. There were
I felt the shift as my shock gave way to joy, and my anxiety now was at the possibility of a negative test result. I smiled to myself, realizing just how ready I was to take this step with Melanie. We might be young, but there was no love stronger than ours.
“What does it say?” I took turns ringing my fingers together and then running them through my hair as I paced back and forth in the tiny space.
Melanie, on the other hand, sat rigid on the toilet lid and waited for the test to change. After what felt like an hour, she looked up at me. “It’s positive.” Oh, my God, it was positive. I was going to be a dad. I struggled with emotions that swelled inside me. It was overwhelming and entirely consuming, but the best explanation would be a sense of completion. Joy radiated through my body, and I’m sure settled somewhere on my face. I didn’t think my smile could get any bigger.
I had to touch her. I lifted Melanie, holding her close to me. I peppered her with kisses as I told her how happy I was.
“You’re not upset?” she asked as she reached out and touched my face, her fingers leaving a trail of fire across my skin.
Upset? Melanie thought I was going to be upset.
That had to have been why she’d been so apprehensive, barely meeting my eyes when I got home.
“Mel, how could I be upset? There’s nothing I could ever want more than having a family with you.” I had to let her know how committed I was to her and our baby.
“You know the biggest desire in my life has always been to be a dad, even more than being a doctor.” It was true.
There was nothing more important in this world.
A timid smile crept to Melanie’s lips and tears filled her eyes. She had to be so scared. Hell, I was terrified, but I needed to let her know it would be okay.
“Yeah, it’s sooner than we planned. So what?
We’ll just have to work a little harder. You’ll finish your senior year before the baby’s born, and then we’ll get married. We’ll make a home just like we’ve dreamed.” I couldn’t help the huge grin plastered on my face when I pictured Melanie sitting on a porch swing with our child on her lap. I studied her. She had a faraway look in her eyes and a glow that radiated from her skin, and I wondered if she was imagining something similar.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, baby.” She was tucked close to my chest, my hands moving in soothing circles across her back, her hands resting on my hips.
She shook her head as if she were trying to clear her thoughts. She looked up at me. “Well.” She licked her lips. “I know I should be upset, but I’m not.” Her voice held complete conviction, and I knew she felt the same way as I did.
“I mean, I’m scared to death, Daniel.” She stepped back, resting her hand on her belly. “Our child is growing inside me, and I have no idea how we’re going to do this, but I want her.”
I smiled softly at this wonderful creature in front of me. She was perfect when I met her two years ago, and she was perfect today.
“Her?” I had to ask.
Melanie shrugged, and a small laugh escaped her lips. “I think it’s a girl.”
A baby girl. I could only imagine how beautiful she would be. I had to chuckle when I realized the picture in my head was a smaller, chubbier version of Melanie.
If I could only be so lucky to have two of them.
We moved to her bedroom, lying on her bed as we absorbed everything. We talked about all of our fears and all the excitement building in us. Melanie eased every fear I had with a simple solution, and I did the same for her.
We could do this.
Melanie’s face turned serious. “You know my dad’s going to kill you, right?”
Shit.
Steve.
There was a very good chance he was going to cause me bodily harm. There were
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