Life Is Beautiful

Rebecca’s eyes were opening and shutting every few seconds. She was having trouble keeping herself awake due to the little to no sleep she had last night.
Her elbows were on the table, which they should never be in her mother’s opinion and her head rested on her palm.
Her studies were awaiting her just a few small centimeters away but she was too preoccupied trying to find a way of getting away with sleeping for a few more hours and skipping her studies today.
“Rebecca, wake up darling.” Her mother rubbed her back and tried to keep her up.
She didn’t even care that her daughter’s elbows were on the table, she knew she couldn’t sleep last night.
The attacks on Germany were taking their toll on them.
Rebecca couldn’t sleep when she head gunshots outside her window last night.
“Mmm.” Rebecca murmured and kept her eyes shut, hoping she would disappear.
“I’m serious, you need to do your work.” Her mothers voice was soft but it managed to be stern enough to wake up Rebecca.
“Alright.” She mumbled and sat up, rubbing her face with her hands.

She reached over and grabbed her textbook.
“Algebra 2 is torture.” Rebecca grumbled and scribbled down her first few problems neatly.
Her mother lightly laughed and sat down across from her, picking up a book to read quietly.
“Ask Frank for help.” Her mom smiled teasingly at Rebecca and looked back at her book.
Rebecca’s laugh came out of her nose and she concentrated on her work.

-

Frank had begun walking by himself around the house. It was good for him to get him used to his walking senses again. The pain in his side was subsiding every day and soon it would be gone.
He stood over Rebecca, helping her out with the rest of her Algebra 2 work.
“Yes, that’s right.” He smiled down at her.
She looked up and grinned, happy to get the last problem right and over.
“I told you.” She heard her mother whisper and smile from the chair across.
Rebecca blushed and looked down at her paper.
“If you’ll excuse me, your father would like to give me a check up.” Frank said to Rebecca.
She nodded and smiled, telling him it was fine.

He walked away and left Rebecca alone with her mother in the dining room.
Left to wallow in her thoughts she asked her mother a very urgent question.
“So you’re keeping the baby?”
Her mother looked up sharply from her book and stared at Rebecca silently for a few slight seconds.
The question was completely out of the blue and Adalinda had not seen it coming.
“We’re still trying to weigh in our options.” Her mother replied simply and looked back down to her book.
Rebecca sighed and was about to reply but her mother interrupted her.
“I would like too, but it’s too dangerous right now.”

Rebecca shook her head and wanted to throw something.
They couldn’t kill the baby. It was almost three months old now.
Her mother had started to slightly show in her clothes, killing it would be inhumane.
“You’ll be just like a Nazi if you do that.” Rebecca mumbled under her breath.
She hadn’t exactly wanted her mother to hear that, but she managed too.
“Rebecca-Eleanor! How dare you say that to me?’ Her mother raised her voice and stood up, slamming her book down on the table.
Rebecca looked down at her fingers in her lap and then looked back at her mother, the tears ready to spill.
“It’s true! You’re going to kill someone who’s defenseless, just like us in this cruel situation!” Rebecca shouted back, trying to keep her voice leveled with her mother’s.
Adalinda shook her head and put her hand up.
“Don’t you dare even try to compare that.”

Rebecca’s eyes narrowed and for the first time she felt extremely angry with her mother.
“If you kill him, don’t you dare talk to me.” She spat and walked away to her room, her body heating up with more and more angst.
Her mother hurried over to her but the door slammed in her face and locked right before she grabbed the door knob.

David and Frank heard the whole commotion from David and Adalindas room and they both rushed out to see what was going on.
“Oh David!” Adalinda ran to him and hugged him tightly, crying softly.
David looked at Frank, asking him with his eyes if he knew what was going on but Frank shook his head, completely clueless.
Frank left the two alone and walked over to his room.

He knocked softly, awaiting a response, but nothing came.
“Um, Rebecca, it’s me. Frank.” He said softly, trying to get her to open up the door.
The door opened and Rebecca stood in front of him crying softly just like her mother.
Her eyes red and completely filled with tears, her lips quivering.

Again just like her mother she surprised Frank with a hug and cried onto his shoulder.
“Oh Frank!”
He was taken back at the sudden contact physically between them and he hugged back, closing the door with his foot.
“Shh, shh. It’s alright.” He spoke softly into her ear, trying to calm her down.
He sat both of them down on her bed, her on his lap.
He rubbed her back gently, feeling the shaking of her back.
She cried against his shoulder and stained his shirt with her runny nose and tears.
He didn’t mind though, he just wanted her to be alright.
“It’s alright.” He said again, into her ear and brushed down her hair.
She shook her head into his shoulder and looked up.

She hiccupped and looked at him.
“No, it’s not. My mother wants to kill her baby.”
He hated seeing her like this, he didn’t want to glance down at this young vulnerable girl and know she was hurting so deeply inside.
His conscience demanded him to do something but all he could do was talk.
“Maybe she thinks it’s the best choice.” He said softly, trying his best not to butt heads with anyone.
She looked up at him again, her eyebrows scrunching up in confusion.
“What?” She whispered, her lips quivering again.
“I just think maybe she knows what she’s doing.” He said honestly, shrugging his shoulders.
Her mouth slightly opened and she looked straight at him, her eyebrows still knitted together.
“You’re on her side aren’t you?”
“What? No! No. I’m not on anyone’s side!” Frank replied, shaking his head vigorously, his hands holding onto her shoulders.

“But you just said that,” Frank put his finger to her lips, cutting her off.
“It’s your mother’s decision ultimately; she’s the one going through the ordeal. I’m not saying what she wants to do is right but if it’s what’s best you have to understand that.”
Her mouth opened in protest but he shook his head, speaking before her.
“Don’t be mad at me, that would completely kill me inside. Just understand your mother, alright?” He wiped her tears away with his thumb and spoke softly, his voice growing quieter so only she could hear him.

His finger left her lips but she still sat there, her expression the same as before.
“You would be sad if I were mad at you?” She asked, her head swimming in confusion.
Frank’s eyes widened, completely realizing he let something he wasn’t supposed to slip out of his mouth.
He breathed in and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“Yes, I suppose so.”

Rebecca looked into his eyes again, mesmerized by the breathtaking color.
She leaned in, making Frank freeze and placed a small, soft kiss on his cheek.
Just about enough to make his heart race and his palms sweat.
She backed up and looked at him again.
“Thank you.”