Chapter Nine
A Close Second
ONE MONTH LATER…………
Elizabeth Wakefield
I can't believe that I'm two months pregnant. I think I'm still in
shock. Things aren't any better with my dad, even now. I've tried to talk
to him at various occasions, but it's not helping. He won't even talk to
me. Mom's been as supportive as she can, without getting in a fight
with dad. I've talked to Jess about it, and she said that things are
really strained between them, and they've had some fights. Mrs. Sandborn has
been great about everything. Conner and I talked with her about the
decisions that we'd made, and she's behind us all the way. Thank God for
that. All of our friends know by now, and Mom said that it was just a
matter of time until we had to tell the school what's going on. I also
need to tell my boss at Sedona what's going on. I've been sick all the
time, so it's getting harder to hide, plus I've gained quite a bit of
weight. Conner's been really sweet about everything. I don't know how I'd
get through this without him. But I know that we have avoided one !
subject. Neither one of us has mentioned that we didn't use protection.
I told Jess about it, but that's it. I know that it bothers Conner,
because this all could have been prevented.
Conner McDermott
Liz is two months pregnant. In only seven months we are going to be
parents. I'm scared out of my mind. I'm not really worried about Liz as a
mom, because I know that she'll be a great one. She's been really sick,
and I feel bad that she even has to go through it. I still can't
believe that this is happening.
************************************************************
Elizabeth walked across the foyer of Conner's house one afternoon.
She'd went straight from school to a nightmare shift at Sedona. The place
had been really busy, and she'd felt sick the whole time. At least
school was out for Christmas break. They had two and a half weeks off that
year, and Elizabeth was thankful. She'd gotten sick almost every day for
the last month, and it was getting hard to hide that during school.
Elizabeth knew that she wouldn't be able to hide it much longer, either.
She'd already began to gain weight.
Won't that be interesting? Elizabeth thought, smiling slightly. She
could just imagine the looks on her teacher's faces as she broke the news.
"Megan, is that you?" she heard a voice call. Mrs. Sandborn walked down
the staircase, and smiled when she saw Elizabeth. "Hello Liz. How are you doing?"
"Oh, okay I guess." Elizabeth replied.
Mrs. Sandborn looked concerned. "Are you feeling sick?"
Elizabeth nodded. "Since early this afternoon."
"I know what that's like, I was sick all the time when I was pregnant
with Conner." Mrs. Sandborn said in understanding, "It'll get better."
"I hope so." Elizabeth sighed.
"So, have you told any of your teachers yet?" Mrs. Sandborn asked,
walking over to the refrigerator.
"No." Elizabeth admitted. "I know that I need to, and soon. I'm already
starting to gain weight."
Mrs. Sandborn looked over to her, and pulled at soda out of the fridge.
"It's not too noticeable."
"Sure that you're telling the truth?"
"Positive. Trust me, you look fine." Mrs. Sandborn laughed, and gave
Elizabeth a hug. "You know? I glad that Conner found you. Things might
not be the greatest, but I'm sure everything will work out."
**********************************************************
Elizabeth heard the door to Conner's room shut, so she cut across the
bathroom, and walked into his room. He was laying down on his bed. "Hey
Conner." She said, sitting down on the edge.
Conner sat up, and gave her a kiss. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.
He knew that she'd felt sick earlier at school.
"Not much, but I don't think I'm going to throw up again."
Conner smiled. "Thank God for the small things."
"Yeah."
Conner pulled her into his lap. "So, what's going on?"
"Nothing, really. I'm glad it's Christmas break." She said, lying her
head on his shoulder. "But when we go back, I know that it's time to
tell our teachers."
"Well, let's not worry about that now. Let's just enjoy our time off."
Conner agreed. "Did you have another chance to talk to your dad?"
Elizabeth sighed. "I wish. I tried calling him about ten minutes ago.
He hung up on me. I wish he could just understand what I'm going
through." She bit her lip. "I knew that he'd be upset, but I didn't think that
he'd go so far as to kick me out of the house. The one time in my life
when I need him the most, he completely abandons me."
Conner nodded, and studied her face. He could tell that she was about
ready to cry. She'd been trying to make things okay with her father, but
he wasn't willing to.
"Liz, don't cry. You'll work something out, I'm sure." Conner said
reassuringly, wrapping his arms tighter around her.
"I guess you're right." Elizabeth said quietly, trying to believe it.
"I guess it just seems to make everything that's going on so much
harder."
Conner nodded. "I'm sure that your dad will realize that you're already
paying enough for what happened."
"I hope so. I just want his support more than anything." Elizabeth said.
"I know." Conner gave her a quick kiss.
Elizabeth smiled slightly. "You don't know how much I appreciate your
mom letting me stay here. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for her."
"She likes having you here. Actually, I think that she just likes you.
Thinks your good for me or something." Conner gave her a wry smile. "So
I guess that you might just have to stay."
Elizabeth laughed, and smiled at him. "Nice to know that."
********************************************
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way," Megan sang out
happily the next day, as she brought up another box of tree ornaments from
the basement.
"Oh what fun it is to ride on one horse open sleigh!" Elizabeth chimed
in, laughing. They were trying to set up the Sandborn's Christmas tree.
Megan had asked if she and Conner wanted to help, and since Elizabeth
wasn't feeling sick, she'd said yes. Conner said that it was girl's work
and had retreated to his room.
Megan sat the box down, and smiled at Elizabeth. "Okay, that's the last
box. Do you want to tackle putting up the tree?"
"Sure." Elizabeth looked around the room. "And what box would that be in?"
Megan smiled. "I think that it's that one over… there!" She pointed to
a long, narrow box. "We have to assemble it."
"Great. I happen to be great at assembling Christmas trees." Elizabeth
replied sarcastically.
Thirty minutes later, Megan pushed the last branch into place. She
looked over and smiled at Elizabeth. "Okay, we're done with that. Now,"
Megan looked around, "We need to find the one with the lights."
"For the tree?"
"Yeah." Megan replied. "We used to put them up on the house, but the
Christmas Conner was fourteen, he and Tia were putting them up, and he
fell off the ladder and broke his ankle."
Elizabeth couldn't help giggling slightly at the image.
"Hey, I didn't fall- Tia pushed me." And indignant male voice complained.
Elizabeth turned around to see Conner leaning against the doorframe.
He crossed the room, and picked up a large blue box. "They're in here
Sandy." He handed it to her.
Megan smiled. "Want to help?"
Conner shrugged. "Nothing better to do." He sat down, opened the box,
and began to untangle strings of lights. "Hey, Liz, can you plug that
in?" He tossed her and extension cord.
Elizabeth smiled, looking at Conner and Megan happily argue over
whether to put white lights or colored lights on the tree. It wasn't home,
but it did come in a close second.
A Close Second
ONE MONTH LATER…………
Elizabeth Wakefield
I can't believe that I'm two months pregnant. I think I'm still in
shock. Things aren't any better with my dad, even now. I've tried to talk
to him at various occasions, but it's not helping. He won't even talk to
me. Mom's been as supportive as she can, without getting in a fight
with dad. I've talked to Jess about it, and she said that things are
really strained between them, and they've had some fights. Mrs. Sandborn has
been great about everything. Conner and I talked with her about the
decisions that we'd made, and she's behind us all the way. Thank God for
that. All of our friends know by now, and Mom said that it was just a
matter of time until we had to tell the school what's going on. I also
need to tell my boss at Sedona what's going on. I've been sick all the
time, so it's getting harder to hide, plus I've gained quite a bit of
weight. Conner's been really sweet about everything. I don't know how I'd
get through this without him. But I know that we have avoided one !
subject. Neither one of us has mentioned that we didn't use protection.
I told Jess about it, but that's it. I know that it bothers Conner,
because this all could have been prevented.
Conner McDermott
Liz is two months pregnant. In only seven months we are going to be
parents. I'm scared out of my mind. I'm not really worried about Liz as a
mom, because I know that she'll be a great one. She's been really sick,
and I feel bad that she even has to go through it. I still can't
believe that this is happening.
************************************************************
Elizabeth walked across the foyer of Conner's house one afternoon.
She'd went straight from school to a nightmare shift at Sedona. The place
had been really busy, and she'd felt sick the whole time. At least
school was out for Christmas break. They had two and a half weeks off that
year, and Elizabeth was thankful. She'd gotten sick almost every day for
the last month, and it was getting hard to hide that during school.
Elizabeth knew that she wouldn't be able to hide it much longer, either.
She'd already began to gain weight.
Won't that be interesting? Elizabeth thought, smiling slightly. She
could just imagine the looks on her teacher's faces as she broke the news.
"Megan, is that you?" she heard a voice call. Mrs. Sandborn walked down
the staircase, and smiled when she saw Elizabeth. "Hello Liz. How are you doing?"
"Oh, okay I guess." Elizabeth replied.
Mrs. Sandborn looked concerned. "Are you feeling sick?"
Elizabeth nodded. "Since early this afternoon."
"I know what that's like, I was sick all the time when I was pregnant
with Conner." Mrs. Sandborn said in understanding, "It'll get better."
"I hope so." Elizabeth sighed.
"So, have you told any of your teachers yet?" Mrs. Sandborn asked,
walking over to the refrigerator.
"No." Elizabeth admitted. "I know that I need to, and soon. I'm already
starting to gain weight."
Mrs. Sandborn looked over to her, and pulled at soda out of the fridge.
"It's not too noticeable."
"Sure that you're telling the truth?"
"Positive. Trust me, you look fine." Mrs. Sandborn laughed, and gave
Elizabeth a hug. "You know? I glad that Conner found you. Things might
not be the greatest, but I'm sure everything will work out."
**********************************************************
Elizabeth heard the door to Conner's room shut, so she cut across the
bathroom, and walked into his room. He was laying down on his bed. "Hey
Conner." She said, sitting down on the edge.
Conner sat up, and gave her a kiss. "Are you feeling better?" he asked.
He knew that she'd felt sick earlier at school.
"Not much, but I don't think I'm going to throw up again."
Conner smiled. "Thank God for the small things."
"Yeah."
Conner pulled her into his lap. "So, what's going on?"
"Nothing, really. I'm glad it's Christmas break." She said, lying her
head on his shoulder. "But when we go back, I know that it's time to
tell our teachers."
"Well, let's not worry about that now. Let's just enjoy our time off."
Conner agreed. "Did you have another chance to talk to your dad?"
Elizabeth sighed. "I wish. I tried calling him about ten minutes ago.
He hung up on me. I wish he could just understand what I'm going
through." She bit her lip. "I knew that he'd be upset, but I didn't think that
he'd go so far as to kick me out of the house. The one time in my life
when I need him the most, he completely abandons me."
Conner nodded, and studied her face. He could tell that she was about
ready to cry. She'd been trying to make things okay with her father, but
he wasn't willing to.
"Liz, don't cry. You'll work something out, I'm sure." Conner said
reassuringly, wrapping his arms tighter around her.
"I guess you're right." Elizabeth said quietly, trying to believe it.
"I guess it just seems to make everything that's going on so much
harder."
Conner nodded. "I'm sure that your dad will realize that you're already
paying enough for what happened."
"I hope so. I just want his support more than anything." Elizabeth said.
"I know." Conner gave her a quick kiss.
Elizabeth smiled slightly. "You don't know how much I appreciate your
mom letting me stay here. I don't know where I'd be if it wasn't for her."
"She likes having you here. Actually, I think that she just likes you.
Thinks your good for me or something." Conner gave her a wry smile. "So
I guess that you might just have to stay."
Elizabeth laughed, and smiled at him. "Nice to know that."
********************************************
"Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way," Megan sang out
happily the next day, as she brought up another box of tree ornaments from
the basement.
"Oh what fun it is to ride on one horse open sleigh!" Elizabeth chimed
in, laughing. They were trying to set up the Sandborn's Christmas tree.
Megan had asked if she and Conner wanted to help, and since Elizabeth
wasn't feeling sick, she'd said yes. Conner said that it was girl's work
and had retreated to his room.
Megan sat the box down, and smiled at Elizabeth. "Okay, that's the last
box. Do you want to tackle putting up the tree?"
"Sure." Elizabeth looked around the room. "And what box would that be in?"
Megan smiled. "I think that it's that one over… there!" She pointed to
a long, narrow box. "We have to assemble it."
"Great. I happen to be great at assembling Christmas trees." Elizabeth
replied sarcastically.
Thirty minutes later, Megan pushed the last branch into place. She
looked over and smiled at Elizabeth. "Okay, we're done with that. Now,"
Megan looked around, "We need to find the one with the lights."
"For the tree?"
"Yeah." Megan replied. "We used to put them up on the house, but the
Christmas Conner was fourteen, he and Tia were putting them up, and he
fell off the ladder and broke his ankle."
Elizabeth couldn't help giggling slightly at the image.
"Hey, I didn't fall- Tia pushed me." And indignant male voice complained.
Elizabeth turned around to see Conner leaning against the doorframe.
He crossed the room, and picked up a large blue box. "They're in here
Sandy." He handed it to her.
Megan smiled. "Want to help?"
Conner shrugged. "Nothing better to do." He sat down, opened the box,
and began to untangle strings of lights. "Hey, Liz, can you plug that
in?" He tossed her and extension cord.
Elizabeth smiled, looking at Conner and Megan happily argue over
whether to put white lights or colored lights on the tree. It wasn't home,
but it did come in a close second.