Chapter Thirty-Seven

The Final Straw

Sorry it's short, but next chapter is when Melissa finally moves out! So...it's kind of a filler chapter.

The days passed by, but they felt so much longer to Melissa. Each day felt like a week had gone by. Her parents hadn't spoken to her much since she had broken the news that she was pregnant – that was four days ago.

She couldn't help but feel like she had done something wrong. Melissa rarely fought with her parents, and now, they weren't speaking to her at all! She knew that she hadn't done anything wrong. Maybe that's what confused her the most – they had no reason to not be speaking to her! She was doing the right thing by keeping it and having the father involved in it.

Through the week, Melissa had packed everything that they would need for her and Jack's house, like their clothes and pictures, along with her jewelry and mementos. She had gotten disposable plates and cups at the store on her way home on Friday. And, as a result, she knew her parents were home before her.

Melissa turned off the car and remained sitting inside with Jack. She saw a rain start to come down. It was best that it started to rain now. They wouldn't have to leave the car to go inside. She didn't want to talk to her parents. Couldn't they just put everything behind them? They were about to have a grandchild in March!

"My incredibly intuitive sense o' th' female mind tells me that ye're troubled," Jack said.

He always was good with females. Jack knew her too well. Then again, she did let everything show, just like Jack said the night of the party when she said that she wasn't nervous about drinking for the first time. She was nervous – and he knew.

"I'm going to talk to them," Melissa said.

"Ah!" Jack exclaimed. "Nerves. Nasty things, aren't they?"

"I want you to go downstairs and say nothing. Understand? I need to talk to them myself."

"No, I thought it'd be wonderful t' me t' shout t' yer parents while I'm downstairs in yer bedroom. Wonderful way t' 'ave a conversation."

"Just do what I say," she said.

"Moody, are we?"

"Shut up! I'll have you know that pregnant women have mood swings."

A nervous smile came on Jack's face. "Wonderful. So I have to put up with yer moodiness 'n' th' occasional slap or two?"

Melissa was growing short with his wit lately. She wasn't in the mood for it, not when she was about to talk to her parents.

"It'll be more than a slap and very soon if you don't shut up," she muttered, getting out of the car and meeting the cool August rain. It met her skin and sprinkled onto her hair as she quickly went inside. Jack came in shortly behind her. Melissa took off her black flats in the foyer, then turned around to face Jack.

"Go!" she mouthed. Jack then put his hands up and went downstairs. She took a deep breath in to calm herself, then went upstairs. She saw her mother was in the kitchen in pink sweat pants and a white shirt, her blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her father looked to be browning the hamburger on the stove. She wondered if they were talking about her before she came in. They were both quiet.

She suddenly wanted Jack by her side, even if he were to say something, it wouldn't help her. If would deter them of ever approving, probably.

"Please talk to me," she said to her parents. "I did nothing wrong!"

There was a brief silence before her father spoke first. "Melissa, we're not mad at you. We're in shock and a bit disappointed, but not angry at you."

Shock? It had been four days since she told them! And why were they disappointed in her? She was doing the right thing by keeping the baby!

"For eighteen years, I haven't disappointed you once," she said. "I always came home on time, I never got anything below a B, and you're disappointed in me for wanting to raise the child?"

"We're disappointed because you didn't speak to us about it," her mother said. "You lied to us, Melissa. You kept that man a secret from us and you got pregnant before you spoke to us about it –"

"I didn't have a choice to tell you about Jack!" Melissa said. "I knew that you wouldn't think about approving of him because he's not what you're used to. Heaven forbid you think outside of the box, Mom. And I didn't tell you that I was going to..."

Give him my flower, she thought delicately.

"Because I want to live my own life," she finished.

Melissa felt a bit of adrenaline go through her. She wasn't used to being outspoken, and here she was, finally speaking her mind!

"Melissa, how do you expect to take care of a child yourself when you're still one?" her father asked.

That sentence infuriated her more than she thought it could. She was not a child! Melissa was an adult who could make her own decisions!

Never before had she wanted to slam the front door and drive away like she had at that moment. She was obviously not who they thought she was. Melissa could take care of her child – and she would!

"Don't talk to me like that," she said through gritted teeth. "I am an adult, and I have a right to make my own decisions."

"You're eighteen, you don't know what you want!" her father said.

Tears stung her eyes to hear them talk like this, but refused to let them out. She did know what she wanted! Melissa wanted their child to be born, to go through college, and be a vet in four years!

She couldn't take them anymore. Melissa was thankful that they found a good house already.

"Jack and I are moving in tomorrow," she said softly, looking at both of them. "Just remember that it wouldn't be fair to separate yourself from my child for something that I did."

With no response, Melissa went down the stairs to her room and sat on the bed next to Jack. This is the last night that she would be sleeping in this bed – in this room. After tonight, she was on her own with Jack.

Would her parents want to talk with their grandchild? Of course!

Right?

"'Ow'd it go?" he asked.

"Take a guess," she said softly. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"Tomorrow is th' beginnin' o' th' proverbial new chapter fer ya, love," he said.

"It's about time," she said.

Melissa remembered the day of July 7 when she knew that she was starting a new chapter in life, with loving someone like she never had before. And now, on August 18, she was going to start yet again starting another chapter.