“Brian, do you think I’m doing the right thing?” he’d asked.
“I don’t know, man. I mean, the Backstreet Boys, will be fine, once the fans get over the shock. But you and Jess? Might not be ready for kids. You’ve gotta figure that out on your own,” Brian had told him.
“I mean, we don’t really mind if you think you're ready. I just think... you guys are so new in your marriage, kids might just get in the way. But you and Jess would know more than I would.” That was when he'd ran out. He couldn't stand when Brian was right. But he knew that he had to figure out if Jess and him could withstand children. His car pulled into the driveway, and he realized Jess had already beaten him home. "Darn, I guess it took her less time than I thought," he mumbled to himself. He heard the water running, and decided not to interrupt her. He walked into the kitchen and crumpled into a chair. That was when he noticed a slip of paper sitting in front of him. He picked it up and looked at the numbers scrawled onto it. "526-9754?" he asked himself, reading the numbers over and over, hoping it would ring a bell. Unfortunately, it didn't. He looked at it one last time before questioning her about it. "Jessica! Can I ask you something?" he asked, still holding the paper, and knocking on the bathroom door.
"Yeah, what's up?" she asked, coming out in a towel. The steam enveloped him, and her standing there almost made him forget why he'd come up. Then he snapped back to reality.
"Jess, what's this phone number mean?" he asked, holding it up. She snatched the paper from his hand and sat down on the bed.
"Nothing," she replied.
"Jess, you aren't seeing another guy, are you?" he asked, trying to lighten the pressure.
"Of course not, silly," she replied.
"Then what is it?" he asked again.
"Nothing, it's really nothing," she said.
"Jessica Marie, if it has anything to do with the baby, don't you think I should know about it? Considering I AM the father," he said, sitting down next to her.
"Nickolas Gene Carter, did it ever occur to you, that maybe, just maybe, we aren't ready for this baby? That we're still too young, and we're still learning?" she asked. Then she burst into tears.
"Oh Jess, don't think that way," he said, leaning in to hug her. She stopped to wipe her tears, then he looked at the phone number. She saw the confusion and explained.
"It's the number of a doctor. Who can do abortions. I was talking to BJ, and I was thinking, I'm still a teen. I'm honestly not ready for this. Me and BJ still have so much to do together, before I want to have kids. And then I went to AJ's. And he was saying that he still loved me, and it hurt him to see me carrying his best friend's baby," she said.
"And what do you think and feel?" Nick asked, covering her hand with his.
"I think, that we may be young, but I'm not about to lose this part of me. I mean, we may have made a mistake, but we should go through with it, no matter what. This baby...it's part of me now. It's that missing bond between us," she said, crying again, "What do you think?" she asked between sobs.
"I don't know. I love you. And I love the baby. But after last night, I'm not sure what to think. I talked to Brian, and he said that we had to figure out if we were ready, not anybody else. If we let everyone else's judgement get in the way, we'll never be happy," he whispered into her ear. He held her close, taking in the smells of her hair shampoo and the remains of her perfume. "I love you Nick," she said, kissing him lightly.
"I love you too Jess," he said.
