Worth Waiting For

“This is unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable!” Dad exclaimed. Joe and I were hiding on the staircase in my parents’ house while his parents and my parents had a… discussion.

“I feel sick.” Mom sobbed.

“Everything’s gone. It’s been tossed right out the window.” Dad said, pacing the living room. “Stop crying.” He pleaded with Mom.

“Here Marie, drink your water, we all need to calm down.” Denise said. “Getting upset isn’t going to get us anywhere.”

“What do we tell people?” Mom asked, setting her glass of water on the table.

“Well, who needs to know?” Denise asked.

“What do you mean who needs to know?” Dad asked, stopping his pacing and staring open mouthed at Denise.

“You don’t have to yell at me Clark.” She said sternly.

“Everybody has to know Denise. Everybody will know. We can’t pretend this didn’t happen.”

“I can’t handle this.” Mom said. “I can’t handle this at all.”

“Stop crying damn it!”

“Look, neither of them is to blame.” Denise said. “We know this. We know the paparazzi did something!”

“We don’t have any proof!” Dad retaliated.

“Denise, you know we love Joseph, you know that. But Melissa is so young, she’s a baby.” Mom said.

“Well, Joseph isn’t exactly collecting social security.”

“So what do you suggest Denise? What’s the great solution to this problem?” Dad asked.

“They will get married.” Kevin Sr. said, speaking for the first time. “They will live close by. Joseph will start doing more important things for the record company. That is the solution. Now we have a plan so we can all stop talking about this. Please excuse me, I have work to do.” He said, leaving the room.

“I think Kevin’s plan sounds very sensible.” Denise said.

“I know we’re all upset here folks but maybe we should ask the kids what they think. Melissa, Joseph, anything to add here?” I hissed.

“Lyss, quiet. They’ll here you.” Joe said, placing his arm over my shoulders.

“Not likely. I don’t know how much longer I can just sit here like this.” I sighed.

“It’s okay. Let them talk.”

“They’re talking about us.” I said.

“They’re trying to figure out what to do.” He said, trying to calm me down.

“What to do with our lives, our lives. Yours and mine and… its.”

“We’re going to need their help.”

“We can take care of ourselves.” I said.

“How?”

“We’ll figure it out.”

“It’s okay, it sounds okay.” He said, shrugging his shoulders.

“What sounds okay?”

“You know, doing more for the label, living on our own, close to your parents and mine. It sounds okay.”

“Joe, no. What about the band?”

“I can still do the band. It’s okay… really.” He said, kissing the side of my head.

“Are you sure? Are you sure we can do this?” I asked, looking him in the eyes.

"I can do this. You can do this. Lyss, we can do this. You and me, together, raising our baby. Our baby Lyss, can you believe it?”

****

“Joe… I’m… pregnant.” I said, not looking him in the eyes. He was silent. I finally got the courage to look at him and his eyes were set straight ahead and his breath came faster and sharper and his face was losing color. Neither of us spoke… then the phone rang. I let the machine get it…

“Hey it’s Lauren… and Melissa! We’re not here right now. Make it short, make it sweet and we’ll get back to you… maybe.”

“Melissa Douglas, get your ass over to the Jonas house right now. And bring Joe with you; Frankie said he left for there about fifteen minutes ago. If you’re not in the apartment right now I sound like an idiot and I’m rambling to no one so I’ll call your cell too. Hurry!”

Some may say I need to be afraid… of losing everything…

“Hello?” I answered. Joe was looking at me now. Our eyes never broke contact. “Yeah we’re still at the apartment… yeah just give me five minutes and then we’ll leave. Okay. Bye.” I said, and then I hung up the phone. “Joe…”

“You’re… pregnant?” he choked out; still never breaking eye contact with me. I nodded my head. “With… a baby?”

“Well, that is the general concept.” I said.

“Mine?”

“Of course it’s yours!” I exclaimed.

“Sorry, just… checking.” He said, putting his hands over his face and leaning against the back of the couch. “Oh my God… you’re positive?”

“I came here straight from the doctor.” I said, sitting down next to him.

“Does anyone else know?”

“Lauren knows it’s a possibility. She left to meet Kevin before the doctor was ready for me. So, we should go to your house.”

“Do you want to tell them?” he asked, turning to look at me. I thought about it.

“Yes. No secrets anymore. We need to tell them what we suspect.”

“Alright. Let’s go.” He said, standing up.

****

“We’re here.” I called into the Jonas household when Joe and I got there.

“Living room!” Lauren called.

“Hey,” I said, putting the best smile on my face as I could. “What’s going on?” I asked sitting on the couch next to Nick, Joe next to me. Lauren eyed me suspiciously but I pretended not to notice.

“We have news.” Kevin said.

“Big news!” Lauren said.

“We’re engaged!” they said together, Lauren squealing.

“Oh my God!” I exclaimed, standing up and hugging Kevin then Lauren.

“Do you have news?” she whispered. I pulled away from the hug and turned to Joe. He stood up and wrapped one of his arms around my waist.

“Everyone, we have news too.” I said.

“You’re engaged too!” Denise exclaimed, standing up and hugging Joe.

“No… Mom… we’re not engaged.” Joe said solemnly.

“Oh…” she said, sitting back down next to Kevin Sr. “Then… what’s the news?” Joe glanced at me and I gulped and nodded my head.

“I’m… pregnant.” I half-whispered.

It was dead silent throughout the entire room. Everyone had the same surprised look on their faces… except for Lauren.

“Now… would be the time to say something.” Joe said nervously.

“Frankie, go upstairs.” Kevin Sr. said.

“But Dad…” he whined.

“Upstairs, now.” He said in his ’dad voice’. Once Frankie was upstairs his attention went straight to Joe and I. “Explain.” He said calmly.

“Okay… at the release party… we did have sex. I’m sorry we lied Dad.” Joe said. “But, it’s not like we meant to. We have reason to believe that our drinks were spiked with… something. I don’t think it was alcohol… some kind of… drug maybe. And… we have reason to believe it was paparazzi.”

“But… Rob had so much security. It’s not possible…” Denise said.

“Anything’s possible Denise.” I said, a single tear falling down my cheek.

“Oh honey,” she said, standing up and hugging me.

“I don’t want you all to hate me.” I sobbed into her shirt. She pulled away and held me by my shoulders at arms’ length.

“Melissa, you listen to me. We could never hate you. This wasn’t your fault, this wasn’t Joe’s fault. This baby will be welcomed into this family and so will you if you and Joe decide to get married. Have you told your parents?”

“You’re the first people who we’ve told.” Joe answered.

“Alright, tomorrow, the two of you, your father and I will go to your parents’ house, Melissa, and we will talk to them. It will all be alright.” She said.

“I hope so.” I said.

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Kevin Sr. still hadn’t said anything. He looked deep in thought.

“So… can I tell Lana?” Nick asked. I laughed.

“Yes Nick, you can tell Lana.”

****

“Lyss?” Joe asked.

“Hm?” I asked, shaking my head back to present time.

“Do you believe that we can do this?” he asked again, looking me in the eyes. I thought about it.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” I asked. He took my hand in is and held it up so I could see the sparkling ring on it.

“You see this ring. It’s the promise ring I gave you and when I gave it to you I promised that I will love you forever and ever and a day. I don’t break my promises. We can do this.”

I nodded my head and put my head on his shoulder, a few tears slipping down. He pulled me closer to him and kissed the top of my head. I lifted my head and gave him a kiss and rest my back against the wall. I placed my hand on my stomach and he put his hand on top of mine and smiled at me. This will work.

“Melissa, Joseph. Come down here please.” Mom called from the bottom of the stairs. Joe sighed and stood up and held his hand out for mine. I took it and he helped me up and we walked downstairs where my mother and Denise were waiting for us.

“Where’s Dad?” I asked.

“Your father left to take a walk around the block… clear his head.” Mom said. “Please, sit down. Now, knowing you Melissa, I assume the two of you were sitting on the stairs listening to everything we said.”

I grinned sheepishly at her and I saw Denise laugh silently. Joe took my hand in his and cleared his throat. My mother and Denise both looked at him and he looked at me. I nodded my head.

“We’ll do it.” he said.

“You’ll…” Denise said.

“We’ll get married. I’ll start doing things at Hollywood Records. We’ll move in together. We’ll do whatever it takes to turn this into a family.” He said. Denise smiled at her son and my mother looked at him.

“You’re sure about this young man?” she asked.

“Mrs. Douglas,” he said, standing up to talk to her, “I love your daughter more than anything else on this planet. I want to marry your daughter.” He said confidently.

She stood there, staring at him. Slowly, a smile graced her lips. She opened her arms and pulled him into a hug.

“Welcome to the family.”

“You know what I think?” I asked.

“What would that be?” Denise asked.

“I think we could turn two weddings… into one.” I said, grinning at Joe. He smiled at me and his eyes sparkled.

“Lauren will be thrilled.” He said.