"So tell us Darry. What was it that you where doing last night?" Soda asked
the next morning as he put his DX shirt on.
"Yeah, Darry. Where were you last night?" Two-Bit asked, who had no idea what we were even talking about.
I rolled my eyes. "Where's Pony?"
"PONY!" Soda yelled.
"What?" Pony yelled back and came tumbling out of his room two seconds later, hopping up and down on one foot while he tried to put his other shoe on. He tripped and fell down on the living room carpet. "Owe." He moaned. I stifled a laugh and helped him up.
"Now that he's out here will you tell us?" Soda asked, hopefully.
"Tell you what?" I asked.
"What happened last night obviously." Soda said, getting a little annoyed.
"Not now. You and me gotta get to work. It's late." I said and grabbed my keys. "Pony what are you doing today?" I asked.
"Going to a movie with Two-Bit?" He asked.
I nodded. "C'mon Soda we gotta go." I had decided not to tell them until we had the blood tests done and I was positive. We were getting them done that afternoon, so if it was for sure I'd tell my brothers that night. How? I didn't know. Right then I just had to find out if I was really a father.
I met Brooke and little Katherine in front of the hospital. We had scheduled an appointment the night before. She didn't think it was necessary but I had demanded it. I needed to be sure and after I was I could figure out what I was going to do. Brooke greeted me and we went up to the second floor to the doctors. We had to wait for a while before they were ready for us but we finally got it done and over with and I was glad of that.
I was nervous the whole rest of that day. Most of me wanted Brooke to be mistaken. I hoped that the father was someone else. I knew that wasn't likely though and I doubt that Brooke was lying when she said she wasn't sleeping with anybody else. But I kind of hoped that she was. Another small part of me wanted her to be right though. I was beginning to like the idea of having a little girl. I was beginning to like it a lot in fact but I was still scared.
That night the doctor called. I had been waiting by the phone the whole time. I picked it up immediately and answered.
"Hello, Mr. Curtis?"
"Yeah, did you get the results back yet?" I asked quickly.
"Yes, 99.9 Mr. Curtis."
I swallowed hard. So now I knew. She was my little girl, all-right. It was for sure. "Thank you." I said softly and hung up. Now that I knew I felt relieved. I fell down on the couch and laid my head on one of the pillows. Now came the next hardest part. telling my brothers. I thought about how I would tell them and tried to think out a speech. As hard as I tried I couldn't come up with one so I called them both into the living room.
"What's going on?" Pony asked.
"I need to talk to you guys about something." I said. "Something real important."
"What'd we do?" Pony asked.
"Nothing, I just need to talk to you." I said. They both sat down on the couch and looked at me, waiting. I sighed. "Listen I'm just gonna cut right to the chase. Sodapop remember that girl I told you about? Brooke? My old high school girlfriend?" Soda nodded. "Well she called the other day."
Soda raised his eye brows. "What'd she want?"
"Who's Brooke? You never told me about any Brooke." Ponyboy said. "How come nobody ever tells me anything?"
"I will tell you that story another time but for now would you both just listen?" They didn't say anything so I continued. "I apparently have a child." I said, plainly. I then paused waiting for a response. For several moments they just stared at me blankly. Oh boy. I thought
"What?" Soda asked.
"I'm a father. I have a little girl. She's one and half."
"You're kidding right?" Pony asked.
"No." I said. Both of my brothers looked at each other and then back at me. "I found out yesterday. She met me at the Dingo and told me all about her." I continued.
Once again they didn't say anything. Then Soda spoke up. "How come she's telling you all this now? Why didn't she just tell you when she got pregnant? I don't get it."
I sighed. "Neither do I."
"Well, what're you gonna do?" Pony asked.
I shrugged. "I dunno right now, kiddo. Brooke's gonna be in town with the baby for a while so I guess I'll spend some time with her but I'm not really sure what's gonna happen."
"You gonna marry the mom?" Pony asked.
I sighed. "I dunno."
"I still don't even know who Brooke is." Pony said. "Would somebody please tell me?"
I took a few minutes to explain to my youngest brother what had happened with the love of my life and he listened intently to ever word I said. Then just as I had expected he went on to ask a million more questions and get all the details of the situation. Soda who hadn't said anything for a while now was beginning to worry me. "Soda, you ok?" I asked him.
He nodded. "Yeah Darry. I'm fine but I'm worried about you. Golly, this is all really out of the blue. I mean it's one of the last things I had expected you wanted to tell us."
I studied him for a minute. He wasn't fine. I knew better than to believe that. He was upset and I could see it in his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I'm still taking it all in too."
They were both looking kind of upset and shocked. "Don't look so glum guys." I said. "I'll work everything out."
"What do you want us to say?" Soda asked. "Congratulations? I mean truth is Darry it ain't that great of news. And how the heck are you gonna work all this out?"
I sighed. "You're mad at me, ain't yah?" Soda just looked away and stared at the wall. I groaned inwardly. I had figured one of them would be. I didn't blame him. I'd only told him a million times to be careful and not to get involved before he was ready but that whole time I guess it really wasn't my place to talk.
"Have you seen the baby yet?" Pony asked, softly.
"Yeah, last night I went over to where Brooke is staying and I got to spend some time with her."
"What's her name?"
"Katherine Marie Curtis." I answered.
"Well, what's she look like?" Soda asked, still looking away.
"Real light blond hair, green eyes, pink cheeks, your smile."
"My smile?" Soda asked, finally looking at me.
"Yeah, the second she smiled it reminded me of you."
"What about me?" Pony asked. "Does she look anything like me?"
I laughed. "Not really kiddo but we'll see."
"I wanna see her." Soda said.
"You will."
"When?" Pony asked.
That question was answered for Ponyboy later on that night when Brooke called and asked me to watch the baby the next day. "I have work tomorrow." I said.
"Please, Darry. Please. It's important."
"What do you have to do that's so important?" I asked.
"I have some things to do. Lots of them and I couldn't find a sitter." She said.
"Take her with you." I suggested. I would've watched her but I could hardly afford to miss even one day of work. Ok fine, you got me. I have absolutely no idea how to take care of a one year old!
"I can't taker her. Please?" Brooke begged. I gave in and agreed. I did want to see Katherine but believe me when I tell you I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into.
"Yeah, Darry. Where were you last night?" Two-Bit asked, who had no idea what we were even talking about.
I rolled my eyes. "Where's Pony?"
"PONY!" Soda yelled.
"What?" Pony yelled back and came tumbling out of his room two seconds later, hopping up and down on one foot while he tried to put his other shoe on. He tripped and fell down on the living room carpet. "Owe." He moaned. I stifled a laugh and helped him up.
"Now that he's out here will you tell us?" Soda asked, hopefully.
"Tell you what?" I asked.
"What happened last night obviously." Soda said, getting a little annoyed.
"Not now. You and me gotta get to work. It's late." I said and grabbed my keys. "Pony what are you doing today?" I asked.
"Going to a movie with Two-Bit?" He asked.
I nodded. "C'mon Soda we gotta go." I had decided not to tell them until we had the blood tests done and I was positive. We were getting them done that afternoon, so if it was for sure I'd tell my brothers that night. How? I didn't know. Right then I just had to find out if I was really a father.
I met Brooke and little Katherine in front of the hospital. We had scheduled an appointment the night before. She didn't think it was necessary but I had demanded it. I needed to be sure and after I was I could figure out what I was going to do. Brooke greeted me and we went up to the second floor to the doctors. We had to wait for a while before they were ready for us but we finally got it done and over with and I was glad of that.
I was nervous the whole rest of that day. Most of me wanted Brooke to be mistaken. I hoped that the father was someone else. I knew that wasn't likely though and I doubt that Brooke was lying when she said she wasn't sleeping with anybody else. But I kind of hoped that she was. Another small part of me wanted her to be right though. I was beginning to like the idea of having a little girl. I was beginning to like it a lot in fact but I was still scared.
That night the doctor called. I had been waiting by the phone the whole time. I picked it up immediately and answered.
"Hello, Mr. Curtis?"
"Yeah, did you get the results back yet?" I asked quickly.
"Yes, 99.9 Mr. Curtis."
I swallowed hard. So now I knew. She was my little girl, all-right. It was for sure. "Thank you." I said softly and hung up. Now that I knew I felt relieved. I fell down on the couch and laid my head on one of the pillows. Now came the next hardest part. telling my brothers. I thought about how I would tell them and tried to think out a speech. As hard as I tried I couldn't come up with one so I called them both into the living room.
"What's going on?" Pony asked.
"I need to talk to you guys about something." I said. "Something real important."
"What'd we do?" Pony asked.
"Nothing, I just need to talk to you." I said. They both sat down on the couch and looked at me, waiting. I sighed. "Listen I'm just gonna cut right to the chase. Sodapop remember that girl I told you about? Brooke? My old high school girlfriend?" Soda nodded. "Well she called the other day."
Soda raised his eye brows. "What'd she want?"
"Who's Brooke? You never told me about any Brooke." Ponyboy said. "How come nobody ever tells me anything?"
"I will tell you that story another time but for now would you both just listen?" They didn't say anything so I continued. "I apparently have a child." I said, plainly. I then paused waiting for a response. For several moments they just stared at me blankly. Oh boy. I thought
"What?" Soda asked.
"I'm a father. I have a little girl. She's one and half."
"You're kidding right?" Pony asked.
"No." I said. Both of my brothers looked at each other and then back at me. "I found out yesterday. She met me at the Dingo and told me all about her." I continued.
Once again they didn't say anything. Then Soda spoke up. "How come she's telling you all this now? Why didn't she just tell you when she got pregnant? I don't get it."
I sighed. "Neither do I."
"Well, what're you gonna do?" Pony asked.
I shrugged. "I dunno right now, kiddo. Brooke's gonna be in town with the baby for a while so I guess I'll spend some time with her but I'm not really sure what's gonna happen."
"You gonna marry the mom?" Pony asked.
I sighed. "I dunno."
"I still don't even know who Brooke is." Pony said. "Would somebody please tell me?"
I took a few minutes to explain to my youngest brother what had happened with the love of my life and he listened intently to ever word I said. Then just as I had expected he went on to ask a million more questions and get all the details of the situation. Soda who hadn't said anything for a while now was beginning to worry me. "Soda, you ok?" I asked him.
He nodded. "Yeah Darry. I'm fine but I'm worried about you. Golly, this is all really out of the blue. I mean it's one of the last things I had expected you wanted to tell us."
I studied him for a minute. He wasn't fine. I knew better than to believe that. He was upset and I could see it in his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I'm still taking it all in too."
They were both looking kind of upset and shocked. "Don't look so glum guys." I said. "I'll work everything out."
"What do you want us to say?" Soda asked. "Congratulations? I mean truth is Darry it ain't that great of news. And how the heck are you gonna work all this out?"
I sighed. "You're mad at me, ain't yah?" Soda just looked away and stared at the wall. I groaned inwardly. I had figured one of them would be. I didn't blame him. I'd only told him a million times to be careful and not to get involved before he was ready but that whole time I guess it really wasn't my place to talk.
"Have you seen the baby yet?" Pony asked, softly.
"Yeah, last night I went over to where Brooke is staying and I got to spend some time with her."
"What's her name?"
"Katherine Marie Curtis." I answered.
"Well, what's she look like?" Soda asked, still looking away.
"Real light blond hair, green eyes, pink cheeks, your smile."
"My smile?" Soda asked, finally looking at me.
"Yeah, the second she smiled it reminded me of you."
"What about me?" Pony asked. "Does she look anything like me?"
I laughed. "Not really kiddo but we'll see."
"I wanna see her." Soda said.
"You will."
"When?" Pony asked.
That question was answered for Ponyboy later on that night when Brooke called and asked me to watch the baby the next day. "I have work tomorrow." I said.
"Please, Darry. Please. It's important."
"What do you have to do that's so important?" I asked.
"I have some things to do. Lots of them and I couldn't find a sitter." She said.
"Take her with you." I suggested. I would've watched her but I could hardly afford to miss even one day of work. Ok fine, you got me. I have absolutely no idea how to take care of a one year old!
"I can't taker her. Please?" Brooke begged. I gave in and agreed. I did want to see Katherine but believe me when I tell you I had no idea what I had just gotten myself into.