"Hey, Eli, remember when we sat on this bench five years ago?" Clare giggled. Now, at age 22, and Eli at age 24, they were still together through all the rough patches.
"Yeah, I actually do. You backed me up right to that pole right there." Eli smiled and leaning down for a kiss. Then a wailing occurred.
"Aw, man. Hey, Erica, what's the matter?" Clare lifted up her baby girl and Eli gazed at the two with awe. That was his whole world. His whole family. Eli and Clare had gotten married when she was 19 and since it was nothing but hills. They had their problems like any other couple. When they found out Clare was pregnant everything changed. Financially, emotionally, and physically.
The day before Clare found out she was pregnant
Clare rolled over on her stomach, turning her face inward in the bed. Eli's eyes stared at Clare. He knew he had it made. He was never going to leave his love. Clare opened her eyes and saw Eli staring into her eyes. His green eyes were unbelievably green.
"Morning."
"Morning. How was last night?" Eli leaned over and tried to kiss her but she dashed out of the bed and headed for the bathroom. He heard her regurgitate and rushed into there to see her kneeling beside the toilet.
"Clare you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine. It's just that I've been feeling sick the last couple of weeks and I don't know why. It's almost as if… Oh shit." Eli stumbled up and looked at her in shock. He was shocked she had cussed but not as shocked as the thought of her suggesting what he thought she was suggesting.
"But we used protection…And and you took the pill and and and…Oh God." Eli finger brushed his hair in frustration.
"Eli, it's okay. I'll go to the doctor. He takes walk-ins." Clare gathered herself together and stood up. After she brushed her teeth, she leaned against the door frame of the bathroom.
"You can go with me you know." Eli was sitting on the bed, bent over covering his head with his hands. He was breathing heavily and barely whispering to himself.
"Eli? Eli, are you okay?" She sat down beside him and started roaming his back with her hand, trying to comfort him.
"Clare…I just… I…I don't know. I thought we'd wait 'til we were older to have kids, and the idea is kind of terrifying. I mean I know we got married at a young age but…"
"Eli, Eli, Eli calm down! It's going to be okay. This is also terrifying to me. Come on let's get dressed and go to the doctors." Clare picked up his chin and kissed him. She didn't feel him back but she knew it was a shock. She stood up and walked away. He sighed heavily and stood.
"I have to be a man. I have to be there for Clare. I have to be here." He straightened up and Clare and he left after a while. They arrived at the clinic just a few minutes before noon. It was unearthly white. White walls, white tile, white check in counter white everything. It counter acted Eli's appearance greatly.
"Mrs. Goldsworthy, please file out this paperwork and the doctor will see you shortly." The nurse behind the counter said. Clare and Eli took a seat near the door and started filling out the paperwork.
"Name…Date…SS#...Birthday…See Eli, it's going to be okay." She was grasping straws but she was trying to comfort her.
"Yeah, okay let's look at question…Question #33. "When was the end of your menstrual cycle? Ugh…" Just then the doctor came in.
"Mrs. Goldsworthy, please come back here." Eli and Clare stood.
"Mrs. Goldsworthy."
"I am Mrs. Goldsworthy's husband." Eli held up his left hand and pointed to his ring finger with a single gold band.
"It's okay doctor. Can he come back here with us?" The doctor looked skeptical but said okay.
"Let's go back here. To this room." They went in and Clare took a seat on the examination table and Eli took a seat on the chair next to her and held her hand.
"So, Mrs. Goldsworthy, may I see your paper work?" Clare handed him the paperwork and he looked at it.
"Since you've marked yes on a couple of questions, I'm going to have to take a sample of you your urine." The doctor handed her a glass cup with a lid and a label attached.
"Thank you." Clare grabbed it, smiled at Eli, then left the room.
"So doctor, what do think about her paperwork?" Eli said. He looked up and the doctor had a shocked look.
"Her results show everything is normal. The only thing I see unique is the date of the last of her menstrual cycle. It was about two and a half months ago when she finished. Also she listed the symptoms about regurgitating, real bad cravings." Eli dropped his jaw.
"Shit." He said.
"What else is on there?"
"She also listed she was having mood swings and other stuff." Eli and the doctor sat quietly for 15 minutes before she came back.
"Alright I gave it to the nurse. She said they'll be back before long."
"Yes, we have our own lab here so the results will take shorter time. Please excuse me." The doctor nodded towards Eli and Clare and walked out.
"Well?" Eli asked. He grabbed Clare's hand and kissed it gently.
"Eli, if I am pregnant, you won't leave me will you?" Clare asked. Eli slumped out of his chair in front of Clare, who was back sitting on the examination table.
"Never. I'm here until I can't be no longer. Which means I'll be here forever. Until my last breath." Clare had a tear stream down her face.
"Clare why are you crying?"
"I'm scared Eli. I'm really really scared." Eli stood and hugged Clare and whispered in her ear.
"I'm here for you Clare. I'm not going anywhere."
A couple of hours later
"Mr. and Mrs. Goldsworthy…you're having a baby!" Clare and Eli's jaw dropped to the floor.
"Are you serious?" Eli said. Clare grasped Eli and held on for dear life. She was so excited, nervous and terrified all at the same time. She was excited she was having a kid, but then she was nervous because she thought she would be a bad parent and terrified because you spend your whole teenage years trying not to get pregnant then you are and it's nerve racking. Clare thought of only how Eli felt though.
"Do you know how far along Clare is?" Eli asked. He looked up and grasped Clare's hand and held it close to his chest.
"I am making an appointment with an O.B.G.Y.N for next week. I'll give you two a moment." The doctor left the room and close the door gently. Eli wasn't going to start talking until he did close the door.
"Clare, oh my God!"
"You're not mad at me are you?" Clare asked. She looked down into Eli's face looking for comfort.
"Oh my God I'm not Clare! We did this together and we're going to get through it together. Now, I want you to be perfectly honest with me. Do you want to keep the baby?" Eli asked her. She was in shock she didn't answer him for a while.
"I want to keep the baby." She finally said.
"Okay, you're going to be a great mother. I know it." Eli smiled and hugged her tightly.
"You're going to be a great Daddy." Clare smiled a wicked smile and grabbed Eli's hand. She gave a nervous giggle and tightened her grip on his hands.
"It's okay. We're going to make it through."