"I can't answer that."
"I understand why they're disappointed, why they're angry. They have every right to feel that way, but..."
"You need them to support you?"
"Yes," Alexis nods.
"I know."
"I'm having a baby."
"Yes, you are."
"And..." she trails off.
"You're scared?" Kate supplies.
She simply nods as the tears continue to stream down her face.
"That's okay," Kate reassures her.
"What if it's not? What if I do something wrong? What if there is something wrong with the baby? What if nobody wants it? What if this baby grows up, and feels like no one wants it, or loves it? What if I am responsible for making it feel that way? I mean how is a child supposed to understand? I don't know how to make this okay. I don't know how to fix this."
"Alexis you can't fix this, and you can't change it. You have to learn to live with whatever choice you make."
"I feel like no matter what choice I have, or could make, it won't be the right one. How do I know what the right thing is? What if this isn't the right choice?"
"Alexis you are the only person who can decide what the right thing is. Every choice that you make for this child is going to be a difficult one."
"How will I know when I've made the right one?"
"I don't think that you will, not until he's here, and you know that it's okay."
"What did you just say?"
Kate furrows her brow, "What do you mean?"
"You said he."
"No, I didn't," she shakes her head.
Richard looks over at his mother, she sits at the table, motionless as she stares at her plate. He can see that her appetite has completely vanished. He clears his throat.
"Mom?"
She looks up at him, and exhales, "Richard how did this happen?"
He shakes his head, and replies softly, "I don't know."
"She has always been such a good kid. She's always made the right choices, and now..."
He nods, "I know."
"What is her plan? Does she think that she is going to get married, and live happily ever after?"
"No. Pi left, they aren't together anymore."
"Oh," she answers, flatly, "So she's planning on doing this on her own?"
"She's not planning on doing it at all."
"What do you mean?"
"She's giving the baby up for adoption."
"Oh."
"And, I don't know what I am supposed to say, or do to show that I support her. Honestly, I don't know that I do."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't even wrap my head around the idea of my child having a child. She is too young. She is still just a kid herself. She shouldn't have to deal with something like this."
"I can't believe that she hid it from us. Are we really that bad?"
"I can understand her reservations," Richard admits.
"She's already in her second trimester," Martha points out.
"Please don't remind me."
"I can't believe that she went to Beckett first."
"I know."
"So what are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to pretend like this isn't happening?"
He shrugs, "I don't know what we're supposed to do."
"As much as I would like to ignore it, I don't think that I can now that I know. The problem is only going to grow larger."
"Don't call it that," he chides her.
"What do you want me to call it? The bastard?"
"Mother!"
"I'm sorry. Heat of the moment."
"Technically I am a..."
She cuts him off, "I didn't mean it."
"It's a baby."
"I know," she groans.
"And I'm not okay with it."
"Our precious little Alexis is pregnant. I just can't believe this. How did this happen? She knew better. Didn't you have the talk with her?"
"A million times."
"Why didn't she listen?"
"She did."
"Obviously she missed something."
"She made a mistake. She is only human. If you hadn't..."
"You were not a mistake. You were meant to be."
"Maybe this baby is too."
"She is smarter than I am. She is smarter than either one of this. I simply do not understand how something like this could happen in today's world."
"Young people still get caught up in the moment."
"It's no excuse."
"We have to love her anyway," he realizes.
"I didn't say I was going to stop."
"If she heard what you just said..." he begins.
"What either of us have just said," she argues.
"I don't know how to be okay with this," he admits.
He hears footsteps approaching. He looks up, and finds his daughter staring at him.
"I never said that you have to be okay with this, either one of you."
"I am sorry for my reaction," Martha apologizes.
"Why? It was genuine."
"I never meant to hurt you. I just don't understand, I guess."
"I am not perfect. I made a mistake, and I have to live with it. I don't except either of you to accept this, because I still haven't really accepted it myself."
"We will support you in whatever way that we can," Richard insists.
"I wish you had come to me," Martha adds.
"You didn't trust us?" Richard questions.
"It wasn't that," she shakes her head, "I just needed someone who would listen, and wouldn't judge me."