Blooming

Later that night, Darren came over to Riley’s house. Riley wasn’t happy about it, but we all knew we needed to sort this whole thing out. There were so many questions to be answered. Would we keep the baby? If so, how would we work out childcare? On what weekends would the baby be with me? When would it be with Darren? It was all so confusing.
“Hey,” Darren said when Riley answered the door. I hadn’t exactly told him that I’d chosen Riley but he’d seen us together again at school and around town, so I knew he knew.
“Come in,” Riley said with a tone of bitterness in his voice. I wondered if the two would ever be what could be considered as friends.
“Thanks,” Darren replied, though I could tell he was nervous. He walked through the door and together the three of us sat down in Riley’s living room, Darren on the recliner, Riley and I on the sofa.
“So,” Darren said, bringing his hands together.
“So,” Riley repeated.
There was a long, awkward silence before I couldn’t take the tension anymore.
“So, Darren. What did you want to talk about?” It didn’t come out quite as nicely as I would’ve hoped but this seemed to have pleased Riley.
“Savannah,” Darren started. “You’re carrying our baby....”
I could see Riley tense. I told hold of his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“....And I love that baby just as much as you do whether you know it or not. We may have made a mistake that night, but I’m not sure I would have it any other way.”
At this, Riley tensed even more.
“So you’re saying you’re glad you got her pregnant? You’re glad you took away her future and your own? You’re happy that now she has to raise a child at sixteen years old?” he yelled, almost standing. This time, I didn’t even attempt to calm him.
Despite Riley’s rage, Darren’s face remained calm.
“No. he said and turned his gaze to me. “ I’m sorry we weren’t more careful, Savannah, but I don’t think that our future has been taken away from us. I just think it has to be a little bit more different from most kids our age. And if I could, if you wanted, I would take it all back because I love you and that little baby whether you want me to or not. But I can’t take it back, and for right now, I think we should just try and figure it out together.” He looked up at Riley. “The three of us.”
Once more, there was a long pause but this time, there was no tension, no awkward stares at each other. No, this time, we all sat there with a common purpose: a baby. Our baby.
“So, I’d like to go to the doctor visits with you and your parents and Riley. I’d like to help you make a decision on what’s best for our baby. And, if we decide to keep it, I’d like to help take of it. I’m not saying we have to be together, because clearly you’re in love with somebody else,” he motioned to Riley who had the hint of a smile on his face. “But maybe we could all raise the baby....together.”
It was only then that I was aware of the tears in my eyes and the ones streaming down my face. I brushed my hand across my cheek and sniffed.
“I’d like that.” I said and stood. Darren did the same and we found ourselves in a long embrace. At that moment in time, it seemed that every emotion a person could feel in their lifetime had lifted over us and soon I felt Riley’s hand on my back, the three of us together, for once.
We were all so different, Darren, Riley, and me. Darren was the jock and the heartthrob that had gotten himself into quite a fix. Riley was the writer who wanted to help take part in cleaning up the little mess that Darren and I had made. And me, the girl who went from invisible, to popular, back to invisible, then to pregnant all in the passage of a year. But together, we made one solid person, impossible to defeat. Together we were invincible, someone who could withstand anything.
Together, we were parents.