Redeem Me (Kin #6)(34)
Author: Jennifer Foor

While looking around I put my hand on my stomach. Growing inside of me was a child of my own; a child that would one day become a teenager, and I couldn’t imagine for a second learning that something terrible had happened. It enlightened me on a couple of facts.

The first was how much my parents had sheltered me from. They’d never made me feel that unconditional love. Both of them had always lived with giving me rules to live by. I had to want to be a lawyer. Nobody had ever come to me and asked if I wanted to be a ballerina, or even a firefighter. For a while now Parker had gotten on me about becoming a lawyer. He said I was only doing it for their benefit, and once I admitted that, my life would open up to other options.

The second thing was the fact that I’d never been shown what unconditional love was. His aunt had made it clear that they stood by their family, no matter what. My parents didn’t do that either. It was either their way or nothing at all.

It was so depressing.

After a short nap, I woke feeling refreshed. I knew my parents had most definitely discovered my absence, and could only assume that they were desperately trying to track us down. There was no doubt in my mind that they knew who I was with. Maryland was the first place they were going to look. From the outside of the apartment the door was large and metal. It seemed to appear more like a storage facility instead what it really was. Parker and I could hide out there without worry. Even if my dad came looking, I was sure they wouldn’t find us.

Parker walked into the room carrying a tray. He sat it down on my lap. “I brought you some soup, and some orange juice. My mom ran out and got you these vitamins from Peyton. She said you should start takin’ them right away. We’ll get you in to see a doctor so you can have your own prescription. Of course, we’ll have to use a different name, but we’ll figure it out.”

“I feel like a criminal that’s on the run. This is terrible.”

“It’s just for a couple months. Once you reach the halfway mark we’ll get back to normal.”

I looked down at the bowl, unable to face him with what I needed to say. “Parker, I’m so sorry for making you do this.”

He sat down next to me on the mattress, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. “You’re not makin’ me do nothin’. It’s my job to be by your side. We’re in this together.”

“I can’t stop thinking about the way you walked out of the room when you heard the news. I had no idea the doctor was going to tell us what he did. It was like my heart stopped beating for a couple moments.” The news, at first, was so displeasing. It was as if in just a few seconds our lives had been turned upside down.

“Cam, I’ve got to say that I was in shock. I was so worried about all the blood that I hadn’t even for one minute considered you could be pregnant. What’s worse is the fact that we’d just talked about waiting. From the second that doctor told us about the twins I felt sick, like it was all some dream. I walked out to clear my head, so I could come back and be supportive. I never intended to leave you there all alone. If I could take it back I would. We probably wouldn’t be in this situation.” It warmed my heart to hear his side of what happened.

“I’m sorry I called them. We should have kept it a secret. I was just so scared.”

“We’re goin’ to be fine.”

I looked down at my food again. “I wouldn’t hate you if you didn’t want to be a part of this. I know it’s not what you signed up for.” I was so afraid to look at him and see a reaction of relief. Instead he put his arm around me.

“Babe, I’m goin’ to marry you. I know it’s not how we would have wanted to plan it, but we’re in this together. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

“Did you just say you want to marry me? You’ve never talked about it before. I mean, I just assumed it would happen eventually, but…”

“If we got married you’d be my wife, and your freakin’ parents would have to back off. It’s goin’ to happen no matter when we do it, so why not just elope? What would it be hurtin’?”

With all of the negative I’d been dealing with, I had to admit that his idea seemed to bring a smile to my face immediately. I love Parker, and even though we’d had problems, I knew he felt the same. Now we were having a child. Things may have been out of order, but I wanted to be a family, and having the same last name as my baby would be ideal. I couldn’t think of a good enough reason to not go through with it. If in the long run it protected us, it was definitely a good decision. “Well, we’re both adults. It’s not like anyone can stop us.”

“We’re goin’ to have to act fast. I’m sure your dad will be one step ahead of us, looking at marriage licenses in both states. It might be better for us to travel to another area to tie the knot. If they can’t find us, then they can’t stop it from takin’ place.”

We looked into each other’s eyes. For something that felt like a catastrophe at first, it was only leading us into a deeper commitment to each other. I didn’t know if I’d use the term grateful to explain it out loud, but it was certainly how I felt about our unplanned pregnancy.

Chapter 23

Parker

When Cameron laid down to rest I sat in the kitchen with my parents to discuss what was next for us. They weren’t just going to leave without addressing their own concerns regarding the situation.

I folded my hands and prepared for the wrath of my father, knowing how disappointed he was at me, yet again. He whispered something in my mother’s ear, assumedly speaking of how hard it was to keep his composure around Cameron.

One could only assume.

“Your mother and I have been discussing this situation. We both agree that we’re going to make sure Cameron is safe, and your mom is going to get her medical care while she’s here. Since you won’t be attending school every day, you’ll need to either work for your uncle, or with me at the custom shop. I’ll leave that up to you. Also an option would be to float between the two, when both of us need an extra set of hands. Your uncle won’t be charging you rent. The place hasn’t been used in a long time, and you’re family.”

“That seems fair. I’ve got no problem havin’ a job. I don’t expect any handouts, even though I know you’re all puttin’ a lot out for us already.”

“With the exception of the couch and some groceries, we aren’t doing much. The apartment is vacant. It’s not ideal to raise a baby, but it’s perfect for the two of you until you get on your feet.”