I glanced over at the clock from my spot at the window. I looked at the bed where my girlfriend slept peacefully. She had a smile on her face and her blond hair like a halo spread out behind her. I still can't believe that me, Tim Riggins, has her, Julie Taylor, as a girlfriend. She gave me the most wonderful, scar news earlier today and it changed my life. I hope it's for the better, I hope this isn't a disaster.
"Tim?" Julie asked walking into their apartment. Tim was a senior at Texas University were she was a junior. "Babe, you home."
"In the bedroom." He yelled to her.
Julie walked into their bedroom. Tim was on the bed watching TV. She looked at the TV and saw that he was watching Sports Center. "Cowboys win?" She asked him lying on the bed with him. Since she started dating him her junior year of high school, she's gotten use to football a lot more.
"Yup. Where were you? You were gone before I woke up." Tim said. Julie had left earlier that morning, leaving Tim to wake up to a small note from his girlfriend.
"Oh, umm…I had to do something."
"What were you doing?"
"Umm…" Julie trailed off. She got up from the bed, pacing the room."
"Julie is everything okay?" Tim asked
Julie looked up at Tim. "I'm pregnant."
I ran a hand through my hair and down my face. Pulling away at something wet, I discovered I was crying. "Please God…you have to help with this."
Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is gonna change
I close my eyes begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face
"I don't if I'm ready to become a dad. Look at what I had for an example. I don't want screw this up. Hell I not even grown up. How in the hell can I be a man for her and for that baby." I stared up at the moon. Hopping that somehow, I would get a sign that everything would be okay.
"Tim?" Julie said rising up from the bed. Her eyes searching for me. She found me by the window. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"Just thinking." I said
Julie got out of bed and made her way over to me. "Are you alright?" I started to laugh. "What?" She asked
"Ain't I the one who's supposed to ask you that? Yur the pregnant." I said
"I'm fine." Julie said
I pulled her to my side, placing my hand on her stomach. "We created a baby." I said in disbelief.
"We did." She said
Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath I'll take her by my side
We'll stand in awe, we created life
"Come back to bed." Julie said pulling on his arm.
"I'm coming." I said letting her pull me. She curled into my side and I watched as her hand unconsciously fell to her still flat belly. "I love you." I whispered into her hair
"I love you too." She whispered back.
After she had fallen back to sleep, I scouted down a little bit and very gently lifted her shirt. "There's a baby in there." I mumbled to myself. I rested my hand on her stomach and Julie's covered mine. I looked up to see if she was awake but she wasn't. "I hope you know that I love you very much. And I'm gonna try my hardest to protect you from everything. I hope that you take after your mother and you're not like me. I screwed a lot and I hurt people I cared about, and I don't want that for you. I want you take this life and get everything you can out of it. Don't settle for less, god help me if your girl. I guess I finally know what Coach went through with Julie, is going through with Gracie Belle. If you're a boy, I want you to know that you will always be good enough, no matter what you do. If you like football that great, if you don't, that's great too. I promise you I will never become my father. I will never leave you like my father did to me. And if you ever have a problem, I want you to always know, that you can always come to me. I love you." Tim placed a gently kiss on her stomach. He pulled her shirt back down and cuddled behind her, placing his hand over her belly.
If I had just one wish,
Only one demand,
I hope he's not like me
I hope he understands
That he can take this life
And hold it by the hand
And he can greet the world with arms wide open
"Daddy!"
Tim caught his flying son in his arms. "Hey buddy. Where's your other half."
"DADDY!" His son's, younger by 3 minutes, twin sister came running at him.
"Hey baby." Tim said lifting both of is children into his arms. "Where's your mama?"
"In the kitchen." His son, Jake, said
"She's makin' dinner." His daughter, Ella, said
"Right." Tim put them down on the floor. "Go play." They scattered to their room.
--
"Daddy…"
Tim looked up to see Ella standing there. "What's up baby?"
"Umm…there's this guy…"
"No." Tim said. "You aren't going on a date."
"Daddy you didn't even let me talk." Ella complained
"No." Tim said
"MOM!" Ella yelled running into the kitchen.
"Who is this guy?" Tim asked his son who was sitting next to him
"Mike Thomas. I though I scared the dude off when I 'talked' to him. Guess he's a little hard headed."
"How did you 'talk' to him?"
"Once with my fist and the rest with words. I told him that Ella was my little sister and I don't like people messing with my little sister."
"That's my boy." Tim said slapping his son's hands.
--
"That's my son!" Tim yelled proudly watching his son score the winning touchdown for the Dillon Panther.
"I think everyone knows that by now Tim." Julie said to her husband.
"Shut up. I'm aloud to be proud."
"RIGGINS!" Coach Taylor yelled
Tim's head snapped towards Eric's. "He's not calling you babe; I think he's calling Jake." Julie said laughing.
"Ha ha you're so funny." Tim said
--
"We did a good job."
"We did." Julie agreed with her husband.
"I didn't screw them up." Tim said. "They're happy and healthy. They have a good roof over their head, two parents who love them and each other. Jules I so worried that I couldn't give them that. Look at what I came from."
"Look at where you are." Julie said. "Look at what you've become. Your nothing like your father and you never and never will be. Your kids adore you and your adore them. Mistakes are made but that's life." Julie said
Tim looked over at his two sleeping children. Another 2 hours and they would be 18. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Changing my life."
TJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJTJ
That's the end. I hope that you enjoyed it. I loved writing 'Under the Lights' so much I decided to try another stab at it. I have this song on my iPod and when I heard it, I just immediately thought about Tim and what kind of father he would be. I'm planning to write another one-shot for Tuile. Don't know when I'll post but it's in the works. Please review and tell me what you think, I love hearing from people.
--SexyPunk54--