Hiya, hope you all like this- it's different :D
Alex
I walk out of my room and stand in the door way, watching them laugh and chat together. It's too perfect, too clean. They set the table; still laughing then Luka looks up and sees me.
"Alex, dinners ready." He says, softly beckoning.
I move from the gloomy hall into the bright kitchenette, sit down and watch him and mom pour juice, get out cutlery and finally bring over the plates. We eat silently, the noiselessness oppressing me to keep it that way- not break it. But suddenly it's almost too much. My mouth moves as of its own accord and the dirty words spill into this tranquil room to poison the air and break the innocence.
"Danni…is..."
Sam
My hand stops moving as the word drops from my son's mouth. The one word I've always hated.
"…pregnant."
I blink, not believing he just said that. He…they…no way! He's 16.
"She's what?" I force my voice to keep level.
"She's, we're having a baby." He averts his eyes, the eyes I stared into 16 years ago as I felt my wishes fading.
"But she's not keeping it. Right?" Afraid to look but knowing I have to; I raise my head to stare at him. Slowly, regretfully, he nods and something inside snaps.
"How could have been so stupid?" I scream across the table.
"We used protection nearly every time!" He yells back.
"Nearly? Alex nearly isn't good enough!"
"I know that now don't I! What is it to you anyway- it's not like you care."
"Alex Taggart, if Danni keeps that baby, you're going to be a father! Do you understand? That means diapers and crying and bottles and sleepless nights."
"I know."
"No Alex, you don't know. You think you know what it's like to have a child- you think it won't cry very much and changing its diaper will be easy but it isn't like that."
"I know, you've told me enough times that having a baby is hard. That I cried too much, that you had no money but dad left you! I'm staying with Danni." He yells and I nod.
"Seriously, how could you have been so stupid?"
"The same way you could!"
Luka
I can't move. I watch the whole scene unfold, Alex's last comment, his departure. And I can't move a muscle.
We thought he understood, thought Sam had explained.
She's madder than I am, I can see his pain too. He looks like he is really sorry and I know it wasn't purposeful, things happen. But her heart is breaking all over again, and I see the look in her eyes that she probably had the night she found out she was going to be a mom. Now she's going to be a grandma at 31.
As he yelled the only thing he really felt, he knew he'd gone too far. And he flew. Out of the kitchen, the apartment. The doors still swing on their hinges; neither of us can move to shut them.
"How…he can't. He doesn't understand."
"Sam, you underestimate him. You did it, you grew up in 9 months and you took care of that baby. Just cos his father didn't help doesn't mean Alex wont. He's not happy but he's ready. Give him a chance to show you he can be mature about this." I look at her, square in the face. "Give him a chance to be someone."
Sam
After Luka said that, I couldn't argue anymore. Alex didn't come home for two days, and when he did return he only spoke to Luka then left again. That was 3 months ago now, and he finally came home last night.
He showed me the scan picture and as I gazed down at my unborn-grandchild I felt a difference in Alex. He talked like an adult, walked like an adult. He even spoke of marrying Danni someday when they were old enough. Until then, he said, we're finding a flat.
They have it planned; Alex has found a job and Danni spoke to social services. They've looked at 3 flats already and they have another two to see this week. I promised him he could stay here til they decide, and he accepted.
Luka
I have a step-grand daughter.
Sam
My baby has a baby.
Alex
I'm a daddy.