From Emma's POV
~~~~~~~******~~~~~~
I finished cleaning my house, thankful that I had the day off work. Then I tip-toed upstairs and looked at my daughter, who was taking a nap in her bed. I smiled and leaned against the doorframe. *****Flashback*****
I was so young when I had her, I was only seventeen. And her dad was leaving to study photography in America. I loved him, I couldn't tell him, because I knew he would stay and I couldn't let him do that. I wouldn't ruin his life like that. So I hid my pregnancy from him for as long as I could and it worked. He left never knowing that he had a beautiful daughter.
Caitlin had gotten me a job working with her, which helped a lot. But even she didn't know who the father was; the only person who knew was Mom
Mom understood: she knew how easily it was for a girl to get swept off her feet by a guy. So Mom and Snake helped out but they could only do so much, they babysat while I was at work. Which helped them out with Jack; it gave him someone to play with. *****flashback*****
Breanna had begun to ask about her father, and I don't know what I'm going to tell her. Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts. I went downstairs to answer it.
I opened the door, and I froze. There he was, tall, dark hair, charming smile, everything I had loved about him had now returned, and was standing on my doorstep.
"Craig." I said, shocked, relieved, scared and confused.
"Hi, Emma," he said. "It's been along time."
"Four years," I said.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too," I said. "Um, come in, we have a lot of catching up to do."
~~~~~~******~~~~~~
"Do you want something to drink? Like some hot cocoa or tea or something?" I asked.
"Tea would be good," he said. "It's a nice place you have here."
"Thanks," I said. He followed me to the kitchen. I poured two glasses of ice tea and sat down at the kitchen table. He sat down across from me.
"So are you going to college?" he asked.
"No, uh.there were some.circumstances that kept me from going. But Caitlin helped me get a job working with her and it pays pretty well so." I said nervously.
"Oh, that's cool. I graduated a few months ago. I wanted to see you again, I'm moving back in with Joey and Caitlin."
"That's cool," I said. I twirled a strand of hair nervously around my finger.
"Mommy," a tiny voice said from behind me. I turned to see my little girl with curly black hair.just like her dad. She grabbed my arm, hugging it and trying to hide behind it.
"Oh.you have a daughter?" Craig asked.
"Yeah.she's."
"Are you married?"
"No but.."
"How old is she?"
I took a deep breath, knowing as soon as he heard this he would know she was his. "She's four," I said.
He looked like he stopped breathing, his eyes widened, his mouth dropped. "She's uh.."
"Breanna, honey, why don't you go watch television? The Lon King is in the VCR." I said.
She ran into the living room, her curly hair bobbing up and down. "Craig.I can explain."
"Is she mine?" he asked.
"Craig, I couldn't tell you. You would have stayed here and not gone to college. I had to let you go, I couldn't let you know about her.I'm so sorry."
"You couldn't even call me when you had her? When's her birthday?"
"July 25, the summer after you left," I said.
"Emma! Does she know about me?"
"Craig, what was I supposed to tell her?" I asked. "I was seventeen, I was scared and confused and stupid."
"Stupid, being with me was stupid?"
"That's not what I meant," I said.
"Emma, how could you do this? You could have told me, I would have taken you with me, instead of leaving you here to face this alone!" He got up and walked out. *****Flashback*****
"I'm going to miss you, Emma," Craig said. We were standing in line waiting for his plane.
"I'll miss you, too." I said, wanting so much to tell him about our baby and to ask him to stay. But I couldn't be that selfish, I wouldn't do that to him. I sucked up my pain and decided it was time to grow up. It was time to be a mother.
Craig had left, waving goodbye to me and saying that he would call. He never did. *****end of flashback*****
I sat at the table, my face buried in my hands to hide my tears. I know what I did was wrong, but if he knew how much I had loved him he would understand. But now I am being judged for making a mistake.
~~~~~~~******~~~~~~
I finished cleaning my house, thankful that I had the day off work. Then I tip-toed upstairs and looked at my daughter, who was taking a nap in her bed. I smiled and leaned against the doorframe. *****Flashback*****
I was so young when I had her, I was only seventeen. And her dad was leaving to study photography in America. I loved him, I couldn't tell him, because I knew he would stay and I couldn't let him do that. I wouldn't ruin his life like that. So I hid my pregnancy from him for as long as I could and it worked. He left never knowing that he had a beautiful daughter.
Caitlin had gotten me a job working with her, which helped a lot. But even she didn't know who the father was; the only person who knew was Mom
Mom understood: she knew how easily it was for a girl to get swept off her feet by a guy. So Mom and Snake helped out but they could only do so much, they babysat while I was at work. Which helped them out with Jack; it gave him someone to play with. *****flashback*****
Breanna had begun to ask about her father, and I don't know what I'm going to tell her. Just then, the doorbell rang, interrupting my thoughts. I went downstairs to answer it.
I opened the door, and I froze. There he was, tall, dark hair, charming smile, everything I had loved about him had now returned, and was standing on my doorstep.
"Craig." I said, shocked, relieved, scared and confused.
"Hi, Emma," he said. "It's been along time."
"Four years," I said.
"I missed you."
"I missed you too," I said. "Um, come in, we have a lot of catching up to do."
~~~~~~******~~~~~~
"Do you want something to drink? Like some hot cocoa or tea or something?" I asked.
"Tea would be good," he said. "It's a nice place you have here."
"Thanks," I said. He followed me to the kitchen. I poured two glasses of ice tea and sat down at the kitchen table. He sat down across from me.
"So are you going to college?" he asked.
"No, uh.there were some.circumstances that kept me from going. But Caitlin helped me get a job working with her and it pays pretty well so." I said nervously.
"Oh, that's cool. I graduated a few months ago. I wanted to see you again, I'm moving back in with Joey and Caitlin."
"That's cool," I said. I twirled a strand of hair nervously around my finger.
"Mommy," a tiny voice said from behind me. I turned to see my little girl with curly black hair.just like her dad. She grabbed my arm, hugging it and trying to hide behind it.
"Oh.you have a daughter?" Craig asked.
"Yeah.she's."
"Are you married?"
"No but.."
"How old is she?"
I took a deep breath, knowing as soon as he heard this he would know she was his. "She's four," I said.
He looked like he stopped breathing, his eyes widened, his mouth dropped. "She's uh.."
"Breanna, honey, why don't you go watch television? The Lon King is in the VCR." I said.
She ran into the living room, her curly hair bobbing up and down. "Craig.I can explain."
"Is she mine?" he asked.
"Craig, I couldn't tell you. You would have stayed here and not gone to college. I had to let you go, I couldn't let you know about her.I'm so sorry."
"You couldn't even call me when you had her? When's her birthday?"
"July 25, the summer after you left," I said.
"Emma! Does she know about me?"
"Craig, what was I supposed to tell her?" I asked. "I was seventeen, I was scared and confused and stupid."
"Stupid, being with me was stupid?"
"That's not what I meant," I said.
"Emma, how could you do this? You could have told me, I would have taken you with me, instead of leaving you here to face this alone!" He got up and walked out. *****Flashback*****
"I'm going to miss you, Emma," Craig said. We were standing in line waiting for his plane.
"I'll miss you, too." I said, wanting so much to tell him about our baby and to ask him to stay. But I couldn't be that selfish, I wouldn't do that to him. I sucked up my pain and decided it was time to grow up. It was time to be a mother.
Craig had left, waving goodbye to me and saying that he would call. He never did. *****end of flashback*****
I sat at the table, my face buried in my hands to hide my tears. I know what I did was wrong, but if he knew how much I had loved him he would understand. But now I am being judged for making a mistake.