Losing Love

Thankfully that week passed by quickly for Mandy. The usual morning sickness and mother daughter bickering's kept her busy.

She decorated the house for Halloween for the kids that came around trick-or-treating. It was fun watching them in there costumes. They were so young, so innocent.

Kate and Mike called a few times to check up on her, see if she needed anything. She was happy they were there for her. She needed their support.

She understood their wanting to keep the baby in their life, it was only natural. They wanted to keep a part of Nick with them, Mandy could see that. But she needed them to also understand how painful it was for her. Like she said before, "normal", if it even existed, was her number one priority for the baby. And one thing was for sure, her life was far from normal.

Of course, like any other person who had a bug decision to make, she had doubts. She was only human. There was some morning when she would wake up and cringe at the thought of giving away the baby growing inside her. She wondered if it really would be happy in the life she chose to give it?

She prayed it would.

"Mandy, go get dressed. Matt phoned, he should be here in about forty minutes." Her mother interrupted her thoughts.

She switched off the t.v., and headed upstairs to do as her mother told her.

Ruth had been cleaning the house ever since her Matt had told her he was coming home with his girlfriend. It practically hurt her eye's to look at the tiled floor in the kitchen, they shone so brightly.

And she had done as Matt requested, warned her mother until she finally gave her verbal evidence that she would be nice to the girl. Mandy was shocked her mother had actually said the words. When Ruth said something she meant them, meaning she would have to stick by what she said.

"Hurry up now." Ruth gestured, doing everything but physically push Mandy up the stairs.

She grunted loudly rolled her eye's.

She showered quickly and dressed into a dark pair of skinny jeans, a long red t-shirt and black boots. She needed to be comfortable.

She turned side ways to look in the mirror. "Nope, no bump yet." She muttered to herself. Her clothes still fit her. She dreaded the thought of having to buy pants with elastic in the waist.

She dried her hair carefully, letting the natural curly kink set into it. She applied some light make up, topped off with, mascara, eyeliner and some of her favorite cherry lip gloss.

She was excited to see Matt. She got used to having him around the house and when he left everything seemed so quiet. And he was her person to talk to. He warned her to ring any time she needed him, day or night but she couldn't stop feeling like she was burdening him with her troubles. So, when he did ring after he left she always told him she was fine and kept her troubles to herself.

That, she knew wouldn't last long. Matt could read her like a book, she was sure of it and when he saw her he would make her tell him everything. No matter how small her worry.

The loud ring of the doorbell snapped her out of her trance-like daydream.

He smiled jumping from her bed and running down the stairs.

"Will you watch yourself, you could fall!" Her mother ordered through gritted teeth but she didn't take any notice. She never did.

Slowly, she opened the door to the smiling but yet worried looking face of her brother. She could just about make out the blonde flowing hair of the girl standing behind him.

"Come here." He said, sounding excited, holding out his arms.

She quickly wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. She knew she missed him but it wasn't until she saw him did she realize how much.

"Missed you, Mand." He said, holding her at arms length.

"Missed you too." She replied. "You must be, Suzie." Mandy smiled, looking behind Matt, to the small blonde. She hugged her petite frame. Her long hair was flowing down her back and over her shoulders, her short layers blowing onto her face. "I have heard so much about you!"

"You too." She smiled back. Mandy could see some of her nerves drain from her face.

She was very pretty. Her blue eye's seemed to pop against her natural sandy blonde hair. Her bottom lip was a little too big for the top, making her look like she was pouting slightly. Her black dress flowed to her knee, showing off her tanned skin.

"Come in." Mandy gestured. "Mom and Dad are waiting in the kitchen." She told them, closing the door. Mandy smiled watching her brother grip Suzie's hand supportively.

Then, he turned to look at her as if he was asking her something he was worried about. She knew exactly what it was. He wanted to know if she had warned their mother to be nice.

She nodded, easing his tension and smiled widely.

"Hey Mom. Dad." She heard Matt greet them as he entered the kitchen. Suzie's small feet following close behind.

"Don't worry. You will be fine." Mandy whispered in her ear. Suzie smiled back at her gratefully. The worry she carried seemed too big for her small shoulders.

"Hello son." They both said in unison. Mandy wanted to throw up, they sounded so perfect.

"Hey." He hugged them both, his voice reflecting what Mandy felt.

He went through the introducing process. Suzie seemed nice but Mandy couldn't help but notice the pink leather handbag she carried in her hand.

"Come on let's get you settled in." Mandy interrupted, noticing her mother was starting to eye the girl with suspicion floating in her eye's. Next would come the dirty looks and that was not a way to feel comfortable. "You need help with anything?" She turned to Matt.

"No, everything is fine."

"Come on then," He took Suzie's hand. "We will get the bags from the car and bring them upstairs."

"Oh Suzie, sweetheart." Ruth cut in. "The spare room in to the right."

Mandy had to lower her head and place her hand over her face to stop her quiet hysterics escaping her mouth. But she couldn't help it. Her shoulders shook as her silent laughter made her stomach ache in pain.

"I will show you your room." Mandy managed to say, wiping away the moisture that was threatening to fall from her eye's.

"Thanks." Suzie smiled softly, not really knowing how to react.

As Matt went outside to bring in the bags Mandy guided Suzie to the guest room. It was a spacious room, painted cream with a blue and brown colour scheme.

"Sorry about my mother, she can be a bit protective." Mandy smiled apologetically, trying not picture Matt's face when her mother told him they had to sleep in separate bedrooms. She wanted to curl into a ball and die laughing.

"That's ok. I have a younger brother at home, my Mom does the same thing with him." She explained, completely unfazed by the situation.

"Oh. Well, I will go and let you get settled. Mom is cooking dinner it should be ready soon. Oh and by the way nice meeting you."

"You too Mandy." Suzie grinned widely, exposing her perfect white teeth.

She walked towards Matt's room and fell against the door frame, folding her arms to try and stop the ache she got when she laughed. "I told you it would happen. Mommy's little boy isn't allowed out to play this weekend." She teased, trying her best to say the sentence without laughing.

He responded by letting out a loud huff and throwing a pillow at her.

"Sorry, but I warned you." She said sitting on the bed next him. "Besides Suzie doesn't seem to mind too much."

"I mind." He almost shouted and she couldn't help but laugh at how totally distraught he looked.

"Well, you should have told Mom that. You scared of her or something?" Mandy teased.

He just glared at her.

"It's ok. I am scared of her too." She assured him. "I thought you said she wasn't a Barbie!" Mandy continued after a few moments silence.

"What?" He breathed, looking lost.

"Blonde hair, sun kissed tan and freakin' pink leather bag. She is the definition of Barbie." Mandy whispered so Suzie wouldn't be able to hear her.

"She is not." He defended her.

"Ok, she may not have the personality of a Barbie...... So far but she does look like one."

"I always found Barbie rather attractive." He joked, nudging her.

She just nodded her head and rolled her eye's.

"I will call you for dinner." She told him, lifting herself from the bed and walking towards the door.

"Dinner?" He exclaimed, sounding horrified.

"Yeah, Mom is cooking dinner."

He threw back his head and sighed. "Oh can things get any worse?" He moaned.

"I know, it should be fun." Mandy smirked, smugly before turning to walk away.

"Mandy." He called after her. She turned on her heels to look at him. "You and I." He send waving his finger between them both. "Are going to talk later."

"We always do." She said softly before turning to leave.