Forbidden

One year later

"Shh Kenzi." I said, trying to sooth my one year old son as I switched him from hip to hip. I walked over to the sink and sighed as I realized that all of his cups were dirty. When I told my parents that I was pregnant they kicked me out the same day and within the same hour, and I haven't talked to them since. Frank kept his word and gave me a call when he had all the money I would need to raise our son by myself.

I didn't think raising a year one old would be so hard, but I knew it wouldn't be easy. I dropped out of high school when Kenzi was born because the cost of daycare was just to much, and all of the money Frank gave me went to pay for Kenzi's hospital bills. My son was born two and half months premature so I couldn't even save up money to buy him any clothes or diapers, but luckily the hospital helped me out a lot. I tried to contact Frank to ask if he could loan me some but he changed all of contact information, and even moved out his office at his law firm. I haven't kept a stable job since I have no one to babysit for me and he's always coming down sick. I never thought this would be my life, I never thought I'd be this person struggling for money to keep a roof over our heads, and food on the table.

I walked over to my sons crib and placed him gently in there, thanking the lord that he finally went to sleep. I finally had a chance to wash some of his sippy cups and gather all of dirty laundry. I threw my hair into a messy ponytail and began to wash dishes while Kenzi slept for a little. I knew that running on less than ten hours of sleep for the whole week was bad, but it was more important that my son sleep and have something to eat than my sleeping. I was down to one last cup when a knock on the door startled me out of trance and woke up my sleeping son. His cries wailed through the apartment at the some moment the people who lived underneath me began to bang on their roof, screaming at me to quiet my son. The knocks on the door become more frequent and louder and so did Kenzi's cries.

I finally reached my sons crib and pulled him out, and handed him a binky from his diaper bag. He took it peacefully and rested his head against my shoulder, as I walked over to the door. "Who is it?" I asked. I owed back pay on the rent to the apartment I was scared it was the landlord at my door here to kick me out. I pushed my ear to the door as I close as I could get it, but I heard nothing on the other side. Kenzi began to squirm around in my arms when he dropped his binky from his mouth.

"Winky! Mama winky!" He cried.

I sighed as I put him down on the floor so he could get his binky, but I knew better than to let him put back in his mouth. I caught him just in time and snatched it out of his hands, which caused him to scream and wail at the top of his lungs. The knock on the door started again startling Kenzi and making him cry even louder. Between his crying and the constant knocking I about lost my mind. "Kenzi, baby, please stop crying." I begged as I picked my son back up, and rested him on my left hip. I unlocked my door and slowly opened it, scared to death of who it could be on the other side.

"Alyssa Bryant?" A woman asked and I knew this meant trouble.

"Yes." I whispered as Kenzi began to babble random words. She smiled at waved hello to my son while she handed a pink paper and went about her way. I walked out of my apartment and chased her down, Kenzi intow with me. "Ms. Marshall please don't do this, I have no where to go and Kenzi has to have a safe place to stay. Please I promise I'll get you this money soon, I just need some extra time." I begged.

"Alyssa, sweetheart, I know what it's like to be a teen mom and to be doing it all alone, but sweetie I can't let this continue. You are more than three months behind, the neighbors have been complaining about the noise in the middle of the night."

"All the noise? He's a child Ms. Marshall, a child who doesn't know that he's keeping up neighbors. Please, I have no where to go and I can't take my one year old in a shelter. CPS will take him from and I couldn't handle losing my son, please I'm begging you." Tears streamed down my face as she walked away from me and reminded that I needed to be out of there by next week. I walked back to my apartment and quietly shut my door as I slide down the wall and let out a gut wrenching sob. Kenzi sat next to me and played with his toes just like any normal one year old would do. I knew what I had to do but that meant I would be showing signs of weakness, but if it meant keeping my son safe I would do it.

I wallowed in my self pity for a little while longer till Kenzi started to cry that he was hungry. "Baba! Baba." He chanted. I pulled myself up off the ground and helped my son stand up on his own and watched as he tried to walk more than five steps without falling down. My heart swelled with love as Kenzi took his first sixth step all by himself, and I smiled as he took his first seventh step and then his eighth. I quickly grabbed my recorder and began to record his very first walk all by himself. Tears of happiness rolled my down my cheeks as Kenzi took his eleventh step before falling down.

===*===

I carefully closed the car door with my foot as I held Kenzi's carseat with all my strength in hopes that I wouldn't drop it with my handsome son in there. I always knew deep down that if things ever got this bad, and I couldn't get ahold of him that I could always come here. I walked up the front door and knocked on the door, while placing the carseat right next to me on the floor while I adjudges his diaper bag on my shoulder. The door slowly creaked open and there stood the man who ruined my life, who forced me to go through this all by myself.

"Alyssa? What the hell are you doing here?" He said in a hushed tone.

"I'm here for money Frank. All the money you gave me went to our sons hospitable bill, he was a very sick baby Frank. If you would have stuck around like a true man would've you would have known this. I've tried to get ahold of by other ways, but you changed your numbers and moved out of all your law firms I didn't have any other options.

"Hun who's at the door?" I heard Justine from the kitchen. "No one important, they were just leaving." He yelled back in the house.

"Frank please I'm about to lose my apartment, and Kenzi has so many doctor appointments coming up and I don't have any insurance on him yet. I'm waiting for the government to help me, but they keep saying they need more information. Please Frankie." I begged.

"I can't help you Alyssa, and I can't help the baby either."

"He has name Frank, his name is Mackenzi Bryant and he is a year old and six months. He has your green eyes and my brown hair, he has your dimples and my nose. He's our baby whether you would like to admit it or not, this child is ours. I haven't asked for anything expect to be a part of his life and since you don't want to do that, please just give me the money so he has a place to sleep tonight. He's all I have left in this world since I made the choice to become a teen mom. I'm eighteen Frank and I've picked up a lot more responsibilities than people half my age, and I'm just asking you the smallest favor."

"I'll call when I get some money to give to you. Now please leave before Justine comes here and sees your son."

"Our son!" I yelled in a hushed tone. "He is your son too Frank, please just accept that."

"Get off my property before Justine comes out here and sees our son, I'll contact when I have the money." He said, slamming the door in my face. I walked away with my son in hand and a smug smile on my face.

===*===

After the visit I payed to Frank at his house, he sends us nine hundred dollars a month and it helps a little. I knew that being a teen mom would be hard but when you picture it, the picture does not compare to real life thing. I don't regret my son and I never will I just wish I could have someone to lean on when times got to hard. Kenzi is the best thing that could have happened to me, and when the time is right I'll teach him how to be a better man than his Father is. Being a single teen mom is no cake walk, but when I see my son smile at me and when he gives me a hug it makes everything worth it. When I see that my son is happy and enjoying his life it makes all the hard times seem like another life time ago. Who knows what the future holds me and Kenzi, but I know that we'll make it through it whether it be rough times or good times.