The Good Day
Congratualtions!
After the door clicked shut, Kyle ran over to Kelsey, and they cried in each others arms. “I'm so sorry I left you, Kelsey. I never wanted to, I never wanted to leave you and your brother. But your mom, she gave me no choice. I'm so sorry, sweet heart.” Through his, and her own, heavy sobs, she could barely tell that was what he was saying. But when she heard her mother being brought into it, her tears immediately stopped.
“What do you mean, “my mother didn't give you much of a choice”? Mom said you left us by choice.”
Kyle looked very sad, and sounded it too. “I would never leave you by my own wishing, Kelsey. Your mother and I-- We had been fighting for a while.”
“Yeah, I know. She used to hit me.”
“And that's why I was taken away. She said that if I didn't leave, and never see you kids again, she would take me to court for child abuse.” He smiled uneasily. “And what makes a better case? A mother, or father beating their kids? I told her I'd rather go to jail, than leave you kids. She was just pregnant with Brian, I couldn't just leave you, and my unborn son. Well, as it turns out, I did go to jail. For twelve years. I've been looking for you guys for a half a year.” His eyes started to water again, “When your grandmother called and told me you were in the hospital,” He looked down at his hands, “I thought you were dying. Or dead. And I would never get to talk to you like this. I'm so sorry I was never there for you, Kels.”
Kelsey put her hand on his shoulder, and quieted her own sobs. “Dad, I don't blame you for anything.”
He looked up into her eyes, searching for honesty. And she knew he would find it. It was true, she blamed him in the past for how lonely she was, but now, she couldn't blame him for anything. “I love you, Daddy.” She gave him the biggest smile she could manage.
“I love you, too, Kelsey.”
A timid nurse walked into the room, a smile seemed plastered onto her face. “I have some—uh, good news for you. I mean, yeah.” She looked like she just wanted to leave. Must be new. “Congratulations! You're going to be a mother.”
Kyle looked at Kelsey warily. “You didn't tell me you were here for a pregnancy test.
“That's because I'm not.” She looked back to the nurse, “I'm sorry Ma'am, but you must have the wrong room.”
“Well you're Kelsey Baker, aren't you?” She looked down at the clipboard in her hand. “And this is room 123. So you must be the patient.” She looked Kyle up and down, like she wished he were the patient she needed to give a check up. “And you are?”
“Oh, my apologies, Miss. My name is Kyle Baker, I'm Kelsey's father.” He gave her his super-star grin.
She looked confused. “But I just met Kelsey's father outside. Eli.” She looked from Kelsey to Kyle, “Although, you to do have resemblance. I'd expect you to be her older brother or something.” You wish.
Kelsey got on her best bitch face, and started talking to the nurse like she owned the place. She wasn't going to put up with anyone hitting on her dad. “Look, Lady. Isn't there a specific time you have to wait before you know someones pregnant? Like a couple weeks, or something? I can't be pregnant.” Kelsey got out of bed, as if that would prove it somehow. She stood there, one hand on her hip, as the nurse talked in a calm voice.
“Miss Baker, it takes a matter a dozen or so days to know when someone is pregnant. You have been here a few weeks, so you can be pregnant.”
Kelsey burst into tears, her confidence crushed to a million pieces. She couldn't be pregnant. She couldn't possibly carry a baby, she was only seventeen years old. And it was a rapist's baby.
“If you would like, we can terminate the pregnancy.”
Two thought rolled through Kelsey's head. Good God, thank you, and I could never take a life. But what she said was, “I have to think about it.” Kelsey didn't know how she was ever going to tell the others.
“What do you think Mom'll say?” Kelsey asked, when the nurse was out of the room.
“I don't know, sweet heart. But no matter what I'll be here for you. I promise.” Kyle looked Kelsey directly in her eyes, making this moment all the more serious. “Who's the father?”
“I don''t know.”
“What do you mean, “my mother didn't give you much of a choice”? Mom said you left us by choice.”
Kyle looked very sad, and sounded it too. “I would never leave you by my own wishing, Kelsey. Your mother and I-- We had been fighting for a while.”
“Yeah, I know. She used to hit me.”
“And that's why I was taken away. She said that if I didn't leave, and never see you kids again, she would take me to court for child abuse.” He smiled uneasily. “And what makes a better case? A mother, or father beating their kids? I told her I'd rather go to jail, than leave you kids. She was just pregnant with Brian, I couldn't just leave you, and my unborn son. Well, as it turns out, I did go to jail. For twelve years. I've been looking for you guys for a half a year.” His eyes started to water again, “When your grandmother called and told me you were in the hospital,” He looked down at his hands, “I thought you were dying. Or dead. And I would never get to talk to you like this. I'm so sorry I was never there for you, Kels.”
Kelsey put her hand on his shoulder, and quieted her own sobs. “Dad, I don't blame you for anything.”
He looked up into her eyes, searching for honesty. And she knew he would find it. It was true, she blamed him in the past for how lonely she was, but now, she couldn't blame him for anything. “I love you, Daddy.” She gave him the biggest smile she could manage.
“I love you, too, Kelsey.”
A timid nurse walked into the room, a smile seemed plastered onto her face. “I have some—uh, good news for you. I mean, yeah.” She looked like she just wanted to leave. Must be new. “Congratulations! You're going to be a mother.”
Kyle looked at Kelsey warily. “You didn't tell me you were here for a pregnancy test.
“That's because I'm not.” She looked back to the nurse, “I'm sorry Ma'am, but you must have the wrong room.”
“Well you're Kelsey Baker, aren't you?” She looked down at the clipboard in her hand. “And this is room 123. So you must be the patient.” She looked Kyle up and down, like she wished he were the patient she needed to give a check up. “And you are?”
“Oh, my apologies, Miss. My name is Kyle Baker, I'm Kelsey's father.” He gave her his super-star grin.
She looked confused. “But I just met Kelsey's father outside. Eli.” She looked from Kelsey to Kyle, “Although, you to do have resemblance. I'd expect you to be her older brother or something.” You wish.
Kelsey got on her best bitch face, and started talking to the nurse like she owned the place. She wasn't going to put up with anyone hitting on her dad. “Look, Lady. Isn't there a specific time you have to wait before you know someones pregnant? Like a couple weeks, or something? I can't be pregnant.” Kelsey got out of bed, as if that would prove it somehow. She stood there, one hand on her hip, as the nurse talked in a calm voice.
“Miss Baker, it takes a matter a dozen or so days to know when someone is pregnant. You have been here a few weeks, so you can be pregnant.”
Kelsey burst into tears, her confidence crushed to a million pieces. She couldn't be pregnant. She couldn't possibly carry a baby, she was only seventeen years old. And it was a rapist's baby.
“If you would like, we can terminate the pregnancy.”
Two thought rolled through Kelsey's head. Good God, thank you, and I could never take a life. But what she said was, “I have to think about it.” Kelsey didn't know how she was ever going to tell the others.
“What do you think Mom'll say?” Kelsey asked, when the nurse was out of the room.
“I don't know, sweet heart. But no matter what I'll be here for you. I promise.” Kyle looked Kelsey directly in her eyes, making this moment all the more serious. “Who's the father?”
“I don''t know.”