Another Heart Calls

“What’s wrong?” Meredith asked Patrick as he came through the front door looking particularly upset. He threw his coat on the chair and walked over to where Meredith was sitting.

“I just got off the phone with my parents,” he told her.

“And?” she questioned. She didn’t know what the problem was. Patrick got along exceptionally well with his parents.

“I haven’t told them about Janelle yet,” he said.

“Oh,” Meredith said. “Have you not told them about the baby or about sleeping with her?” she asked him.

“Both,” he admitted, putting his head in his hands. “Meredith, what am I going to do? My parents are going to disown me!”

“Patrick, your parents are going to love you no matter what,” Meredith smiled. “Plus, if I can get over it, I’m sure they can get over it.”

“No, Mer, they’re going to want to kill me. They love you, and when they find out what I did to you, they’re going to want to kill me.”

Meredith started laughing. “Patrick, I won’t let them kill you,” she promised.

Patrick’s mother and father arrived the following day, and Patrick was pacing the living room, trying to figure out the best way to tell his parents what had happened.

“Patrick!” his mother, Linda, exclaimed, pulling her son into a bear hug. “I’ve missed you so much!” She pulled away and saw Meredith standing there. She ran over to her, and pulled into a huge hug, too. “Meredith!” she cried. “I’ve missed you, too!”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Meredith said, looking over at Patrick’s father, Jerry, who was laughing at his wife. “It’s nice to see you, too, Jerry,” Meredith told him.

“You, too, Meredith,” Jerry smiled.

“Uh, Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you,” Patrick began, walking over to the chair and sitting down while his parents sat down on the couch.

“What is it, dear?” Linda asked.

“Um…” Patrick stuttered.

“Are you two engaged?” Linda asked, beaming from ear to ear.

“No, Mom, we’re not,” Patrick replied.

“Oh, Meredith, you’re not pregnant, are you?” Linda questioned.

“She’s not,” Patrick told his parents.

“What do you mean ‘she’s not’?” Jerry asked.

“Um, Dad, I messed up badly,” Patrick told him as Meredith sat down on the arm of his chair and laced her fingers with his, squeezing his hand to remind him that she was there for him.

“What did you do, Patrick?” Jerry asked.

“Do you guys remember Janelle Myers?” Patrick asked.

“The girl you used to hang out with all the time?” Linda said.

“Yeah,” Patrick said. “Well, she came back, and Meredith and I ended up getting into a fight over her,” he began.

“But, you two are fine now, aren’t you?” Linda asked, looking at Patrick and Meredith.

“Yeah, we’re fine now, but we ended up fighting over Janelle, and somehow I ended up going on a date with her,” Patrick said, Linda’s eyes going wide. “And, well, one thing led to another, and well…you know,” Patrick said, hoping they could figure out the rest of the sentence.

“Patrick!” Linda scolded.

“That’s not all,” Patrick said. “Janelle’s pregnant,” he blurted out.

“What?” Jerry yelled. “I thought I taught you better than that. I told you to always use protection!”

Patrick groaned, not needing to hear another lecture from his parents on the practice of safe sex. “I did,” Patrick told him. “But, somehow she still ended up pregnant.”

“Patrick, how could you do this? How could you do this to Meredith?” Linda asked him.

“It’s not all Patrick’s fault,” Meredith piped up. “I forced him into going on that date with Janelle.”

“But, you didn’t force him to do what he did with her,” Linda pointed out.

“Linda, Jerry, I’m already over it. It took us a while, but we’ve gotten through it,” she said, squeezing Patrick’s hand a little tighter. “Don’t be upset with him. We just want your support through all of this.”

“I understand, dear,” Linda told Meredith. “We’re just disappointed in the decisions you made,” she said looking at Patrick. “But, you know that we’re going to support you one hundred percent.”

“Of course we will!” Jerry yelled. “Patrick, you’re our son, and we’re here for you no matter what.”

“But, if you hurt this girl one more time,” Linda began, pointing at Meredith. “Well, I don’t know how forgiving we’ll be of that.”

Patrick looked up at Meredith. “I told you,” he whispered, and Meredith pushed his shoulder a bit. He looked back over at his parents. “Thank you guys,” he said.

“Of course, Patrick. We love you,” Linda said.

“I love you guys, too,” Patrick said.