House of the Scotts
As expected my parents were instantly all for it when I asked them if Ben, Izzy, and I could have dinner with them. I had informed my mom about the reason for our visit and she was utterly delighted about the news that Brooke would finally tell Julian the truth. As much as I wanted to let Izzy in on it as well, who was, apart from Sawyer, one of my best friends after all, I still kept the secret from her. Brooke should talk to Julian first before the others would learn about it. The welcome was hearty. Mom and even Dad both hugged me and smiled happily. Our relationship, especially between Mom and me, had become better since Ben's birth. Forgotten were the fights we had a year ago, when she found out that I was pregnant with Davis' kid. By now, she was proud of me and of how well I had managed it all. I had even graduated from high school; I was particularly proud of that. And now the wedding was imminent with the boy my mom had used to warn me about.
"You go ahead and sit down! Dinner's almost ready." She reached out her arms to Ben and I couldn't help a smile about her comment. "Oh dear! He grew some more."
"Look forward to the time he starts crawling and walking," my dad gave with a smirk. "We need to make everything here childproof then."
Mom proudly gestured to the playpen standing in the middle of the room. "Look, Lydia! We bought it so he's safe here while we eat." She carefully lay Ben down on the blanket in the playpen and then turned to us. "Now we can eat without needing to fear that he does something stupid."
Izzy nudged my ribs. "The kid's only a few weeks old. What does your mom think he can do?" She rolled her eyes.
"Shhh!" I hissed at Izzy. "She only means well. And look… he likes it. He looks all pleased."
We all sat down at the dining table and my mom brought dinner. "What's new, guys?" she asked, while dealing out the food on our plates.
I made an effort making my face look neutral, hoping that I wouldn't spill the beans. Izzy still had no clue and it had to stay that way for now. "All good," I lied and threw my mom a warning glance, so she wouldn't dare to mention Brooke's pregnancy in front of Izzy. "It's all about the wedding lately," I hurried to say instead. "We're all pretty nervous about it."
"Don't worry, Dear," Mom said with a smile. "We'll make sure it's gonna be a nice festivity. We haven't found a location yet, though." She frowned. "But we still got a little time left."
"Davis wants to go with Justin and Jude to buy suits," I continued. "The groomsmen still need some as well."
"I still need one, too," my dad piped up, then took a fork of his vegetables.
"Why? You could wear your old wedding suit," my mom suggested.
"You're not serious, Haley!" Dad put down his fork and shook his head. "Do you know how old that suit is? More than 20 years! I doubt that I still have the same figure as back then. I was 19 then!"
Izzy giggled. "You aged really well, considering that you're almost 40, Mr. Scott."
"Thanks, Izzy." He grinned widely and tapped on his stomach. "I work out regularly and eat consciously."
"We completely lost the topic," my mom threw in and rolled her eyes. "Maybe you try on the suit first, before you decide whether to buy a new one," she said to Dad.
"I'm sure you'll buy yourself a new dress for this occasion," he muttered and poked his fork into a piece of meat.
"I could hardly go in my old wedding dress to my daughter's wedding!" Mom said, outraged.
"By all means, I'm excited about wearing a dress to the wedding," Izzy cut both of them off. "I looked at several bridesmaid dresses on the internet already." She enthusiastically rolled her eyes. "I'd like a strapless cocktail dress with a deep neckline, so the boobs are accentuated specially well…"
"Izzy!" I shook my head disapprovingly. "You're only 16! I hardly believe that Brooke and Julian will allow you to run around like a tramp."
"Look who's talking!" she countered, throwing me a look just as disapproving. "You had sex with my brother when you were 16 and ended up pregnant! I think that's way worse than wearing a dress with a deep neckline!"
"Kids, please!" my mom cut in, realizing that the whole thing was about to escalate.
I was right about relieved not having to answer, when my phone buzzed. I had kept it turned on for the case that Brooke would need me. "I need to pick that up," I said and rose hastily. I quickly ran upstairs and went to my old room. Nothing reminded of my old kids room anymore, I discovered then in surprise. My mom and dad had turned it into a guest room and all the furniture and even the floor was brand new. I sat down into a chair and opened my phone. It was Sawyer, not Brooke, who called me. "Hello?" I said.
"Lydia? You have… you have some time right now? My mom and dad are out and I'm alone here, and I don't wanna be alone right now, cause…"
She trailed off and I clenched tighter to the phone. "What is it?" I asked in alarm.
"Justin is still at his training and actually, I'm kinda glad, cause I don't want him to… to…"
Silence again, and I felt my heart starting to beat uneasily. "Are you sick? Do you need help?"
"Can you come over?"
Her voice sounded whiny and scared, and I nodded mechanically. "Sure. I'm at my parents' right now. We're having dinner. But I think I could go for a bit and come to you." I looked at the clock. "I'm there in ten minutes, okay? Don't do anything stupid!" I didn't know why I had added that last sentence, but I was relieved when Sawyer quietly said, "I promise." I shut my phone and ran back downstairs. In little words I told Izzy and my parents about what Sawyer had said and asked them to look after Ben for an hour, until I would be back.
"Oh, poor Sawyer," my mom said compassionately. "Of course you need to go when she's sick and alone. Maybe I should try and call Peyton and Lucas?"
"No, it's all right," I said hastily, because I was almost sure that Sawyer didn't want her parents to find out about what she was upset about. She could have called them herself, but she had asked me for help, which was a sign for me that she needed a friend by her side and not her parents. "I'll take care of her."
"You want me to come with?" Izzy offered her help.
I shook my head. "No, you stay here. You can play with Ben a little until I'm back." I could tell by Izzy's sour expression that she didn't like it to be left out. But I needed to know what was going on with Sawyer first, before I would get Izzy to her. I kept my word. In no more than ten minutes I made it to Sawyer's house and then stood outside the door. After my knocking she opened and instantly pulled me inside.
"Let's go upstairs," she said shortly and without any further hello.
Hesitantly, I followed her upstairs, the whole time wondering why she was acting that strange. But my question would be answered soon, for Sawyer pushed me into the bathroom and handed me a longish object without any word, with further observation it turned out to be a pregnancy test. "Wow…," I blurted, when I had read the result. "Just… wow!"
"You have nothing else to say to that?" Sawyer asked with a slightly shacking voice, while frowning at me.
"You're… pregnant," I repeated.
Sawyer nodded and wrapped her arms around her body. "Isn't that terrible?" Tears suddenly ran down her cheeks and I looked at her, confused.
"Terrible?" I echoed puzzled. "I thought you wanted to have a baby."
"I did," she sobbed. "But now… now that I'm pregnant I'm just not sure anymore if…" Her voice broke and I pulled her into my arms.
"Shhh," I said calmingly, pulling her against me. "Don't cry! Does Justin know yet?"
She shook her head. "No, I did the test only just now." She pressed her tear-streaked face against my shoulder. "Why?" she sobbed.
"Oh, Sawyer…" Sighing, I ran a hand over her long blonde curls. What was she expecting what would happen when she had unprotected sex for weeks? Again and again she had said how badly she wanted a baby; especially after Ben had been born. I couldn't really understand her desperation. After all, she had accomplished what she and Justin had worked for. "I can tell you first-hand that it's the most wonderful thing to be a mother. When you hold that tiny being that's a part of you and Justin in your arms for the first time, everything else around you will be unimportant." Sawyer nodded, but I could sense that she was still not convinced. "Justin will be over the moon when he learns about it," I continued. "I'm sure he'll want to marry you right away." I laughed quietly. "I can't believe it! You and Brooke, you'll both…" I fell silent abruptly and bit my lips. Oh shit! I had almost spilled the beans! But Sawyer didn't seem to be surprised by my words.
"I know," she said quietly. "My mom told me in private. That's why I think the timing's so bad. Brooke and I are pregnant at the same time and Justin will be a father and an uncle at once!"
"Maybe I should try and get pregnant again as well," I joked. "Wouldn't that be funny if we all were pregnant and then get our babies shortly after one another?"
Sawyer threw me a sour glance. "I don't think that's funny at all, Lydia! No idea how I should go on now. Somehow I've hoped that I wouldn't get pregnant before my 18th birthday." She moved a long strand of hair behind her ear, sighing. "Justin doesn't wanna marry before I turn 18. I do understand that, cause he wants to wait until I'm of legal age. And I've hoped that I'd get pregnant after the wedding. But should I really wait three months before marrying?"
I could hear the desperation in her voice and now I understood her a little better. "I'm sure Justin would marry you sooner," I said softly. "You just need to talk with him."
"Yeah, about that and… this…" She touched her flat stomach with both hands. "And then I need to tell my parents, too. Oh man!" She moaned quietly. "I'm scared shitless of that, you know that?"
I nodded. "I felt the same way back then. But you should see my mom now, how much she adores Ben." I smiled. "At least you don't have the problem that your parents hate the father of your baby. They love Justin. They couldn't imagine a better man for you. But it was a whole different thing with Davis."
"I remember." Sawyer nodded. "Is it really only one year ago? Feels much longer to me."
I looked at the clock. "Oh damn!" I exclaimed. "It's already late. I need to go back. Ben's surely crying down the whole house because he's hungry." I looked at her worriedly. "You gonna be okay on your own? You know if you need anything, you can call me anytime."
"I'll be fine." Sawyer forced herself to smile. "Now go to your son!"
I hugged her once again and then got into my car and drove back to my parents' house.
