"Mr. and Mrs. Hanson?" a young doctor asked, peeking his head out from the door.
"We're not married, but yes?" Isaac asked, standing up. Leigh stood up beside him and they both followed the doctor into his office. He sat down in his chair placing his hands behind his head, leaning back.
"Leigh, your now eighteen if I'm correct?"
"Correct," Leigh said.
"Okay," he said, shuffling around in some folders. "Well, the tests are back. Everything is fine, except for one thing," the doctor said.
Isaac and Leigh exchanged worried glances. "What's that?" Leigh asked, confused.
"Leigh, the reason why you have been feeling sick is because you're pregnant. Congratulations," the doctor said.
"I'M WHAT?!!!!" Leigh screamed. Isaac didn't hear her because he had already fallen out of his chair and onto the floor, unconscious.
"You know where Autumn is. She's with me," Leigh said.
"I want to see her," Isaac said sternly.
"Would you like me to go home and get her?" Leigh asked.
"The time will come. Leigh, I'm going to ask you something. You can take it or leave it. Will you join me tonight over dinner?"
Leigh thought. "I'd love to, Isaac."
"I'll pick you-"
"No, why don't we meet?" Leigh offered.
"Where?"
"At The Meadows," Leigh said.
"Sure, alright," Isaac said.
Leigh stood up. "Well, I should get home now. I need to check up on Autumn and Kyle anyway. They must be wondering where I am."
Isaac stood up and followed her to the door. "I'll see you tonight at seven, okay?"
"Okay," Leigh said and opened the door.
"Until then," Isaac said and kissed her check.
Leigh smiled and turned to leave the house. Isaac closed the door firmly behind her. Walking to her car, Leigh played over and over Kyle's words and the conversation that she just had. Turning the directional, she turned and headed home.
Unlocking the door, Leigh was suprised to see six year-old Autumn Skye sitting on the floor playing with her barbies. Smiling and setting her car keys on the counter she sat on the floor with her daughter.
"Hello, sweetheart," she cooed.
Autumn looked up, "Mommy, you're home."
"I'm here baby," she said. "Whatcha doing?"
"Playing with my barbies."
"Don't play too rough with them honey. Where's Kyle?" she asked.
"Upstairs," Autumn said.
"Thanks, honey," Leigh said, heading up the stairs.
"Where have you been all day?" Kyle Matthews asked.
"Out," Leigh said. "And a girlfriend of mine asked me out for dinner tonight."
"You're not going," Kyle said.
"I already promised and yes I am," Leigh said.
"I'm the man of the house and I say no. You're staying home with me and our daughter," Kyle said, taking a step towards her.
Leigh backed away in fear. "She is not your daughter, Kyle!"
"She's close to it," Kyle spat back. "Where's my kiss?"
"Not here," Leigh said. She glanced at her ring and then thought of Isaac. "In fact, you know what? You can leave me and Autumn alone. I want you out of my house tomorrow. And I never want to see you around me or Autumn again. The abuse has gone far enough and now it's stopping, right now!" Leigh said, removing the engagement ring and throwing it at Kyle.
"You’ll be sorry," Kyle yelled, running towards her. She screamed as his fist connected to her jaw.
"Bastard!" Leigh yelled as her head made a big thud against the wall of their bedroom. She went over to him and roughly pushed him. Kyle stumbled backwards and onto the bed.
"Why you little-" and off they went.
Leigh ran out of the room and down the stairs. She grabbed Autumn in her arms and quickly grabbed her car keys and ran from the house with Autumn bouncing in her arms.
"Mommy, where are we going?" Autumn began to cry in fear as Leigh placed her into her car seat.
"Just be quiet," Leigh said, closing the door and opening hers. Getting in she started the car seeing Kyle running from the house and to the car. Quickly, she slammed on the gas and backed out of the driveway and headed to safety.
"Isaac, I needed somewhere to go and I figured here we'd be safe here," Leigh said, panting as she carried Autumn into Isaac's house.
"Is this-" Isaac stared at the baby with wonder.
"It is. Autumn, remember I told you stories about daddy?" the girl nodded. "Well, this is your daddy," Leigh said.
"Hello there Autumn baby," Isaac cooed, sticking his hand to her. She shyly touches his. Isaac smiled. "Her hands are little," he said.
"That they are. Baby, why don't you go talk to your daddy?" Leigh said.
"Okay, hi daddy," the little girl said.
"Hello, Autumn. How are you, honey?"
"Okay. Kyle made us run out of the house really fast. But I always wanted to meet my real daddy."
"And I've been waiting to meet you," Isaac said, a tear forming in his eye.
"Group hug," Leigh said as Isaac picked his daughter up and the three formed a circle and hugged.
"I'm so glad to finally see my baby and to see you, Leigh," Isaac said.
"Me too. But I can tell you one thing, we are never going back to that house again. Autumn and I are on our own again, huh baby?" Leigh asked, looking at
her daughter.
"Yep," Autumn said.
"You both can stay here the night. Autumn and I have catching up to do anyway," Isaac said.
"I wouldn't want to-"
"It's okay, I don't want you going back there anyway," Isaac said.
Leigh smiled. "Thanks," she said.
Isaac leaned down and kissed her. "Any time."
"Isaac, what are we gonna do now? I can't have this baby," Leigh said that night sitting in the apartment.
"Honey, we'll take care of it. Nothing to worry about," Isaac said, kissing her forehead lightly.
"Oh yeah. That's real intelligent. Coming from someone who fainted in the doctor's office," Leigh laughed nervously.
"I panicked. What do you expect me to do when I find out my girlfriend is pregnant?"
"Be scared," Leigh said.
"That I am," Isaac drew in a breath as he surveyed the room. "Where on earth are we gonna put the crib?"
"How on earth are we gonna tell our parents that two eighteen year olds are having a baby?"
Isaac brushed her hair out of her face. "We'll get by, don't you worry. We'll make it."
"I sure hope you have a plan cause I sure don't," Leigh said, lifting the newspaper up from the coffee table. "Want ads, want ads," she mumbled, shuffling through the paper.
Isaac sat next to her and gently took the paper from her hands and placed it back on the coffee table. "Baby, don't you worry about a thing. I'll be
taking care of you and our baby. We'll make it," Isaac said. Famous last words.
Chapter 5
Chapter Index
Back to Stories
Home
