DC: I don't own anything but the characters Lyn, Mattie and Shawn Black,
and Alex, Xander, Livia and Lisabeth Landower.
Theresa's POV
Little Ethan was still fussing as I came in with his bottle.
"Little Ethan, come on..." I started as the door opened. I thought it was Livia, because she had my spare key. But it wasn't.
"Alex, what are you doing here?" I asked him.
"Mom let me borrow her key."
"But I'm not even dressed."
He looked down.
"Oh, sorry!" he said, and retreated to the living room. Little Ethan held his bottle on his own as I carried him into my room to change. He was done as I carried him out into the living room. There were three unexpected guests, the two older ones were sitting side by side on the couch, the third in Little Ethan's rocking chair.
"Mama!" I cried, bringing her in for a hug. I did the exact same thing with each of my brother's and Luis took Little Ethan.
"Haven't seen you in months. You're getting so big!" Luis exclaimed.
"You must be doing something right if he's growing up strong," Mama said. Suddenly the phone rang.
"Just a minute, you guys," I said as I took the phone. It was Chief Bennett.
"Theresa? May I speak with Miguel? I was informed he was out in California with you," he said.
"Sure. Miguel!" I called, setting the receiver to my chest. Miguel followed my call to the kitchen and took the phone.
***********
Miguel's POV
"Hello?" I asked.
"Miguel? I have some news for you, and I don't know how you're gonna take it," Chief Bennett started.
"Is anything wrong with Charity? Or Kay?"
"That's the thing. Kay's pregnant."
"What?!"
Chief Bennett took a deep breath.
"Kay thinks its yours."
"Are you sure? Is she sure?"
"Well, she just got back from Doctor Russell's office. She's definately pregnant. Four months, in fact."
"We broke up..."
"You broke up three months ago, last Tuesday."
"So there's no doubt?"
"There's no doubt she's having your child."
"Thank you for telling me, Chief Bennett. I'll be home in a week or two so we can sort this all out."
"I know I can trust you to keep it kind of low? At least until you come home. Kay's not ready to tell anyone quite yet."
"Can I talk to Kay, Chief?"
"I'll ask her." Chief Bennett took his mouth away from the reciever to call for Kay.
"Do you want to talk to him?"
"Do I have to?"
"You're gonna have to talk to him sooner or later. You might as well get it over with."
"Okay..." Kay grumbled as she took the reciever from her father.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Kay?"
"Who wants to know?" she asked, sarcastically.
"Kay... we need to talk about this. Having a baby is a lot of work-"
"You think I don't know that? Charity keeps yelling about diapers and formula. You'd think she was the one who was pregnant."
"How's she taking it?" I asked.
"She's gone mental. She's convinced herself that she's the one having the baby, and not me. Mom and Dad spoke to Doctor Russell about it, and the only thing to do is to have her sent away. That, including the fact that she's been seeing a therapist since you two broke up, added with the premonitions she's always blabbing about, the doctor thinks she should be sent away."
"Send Charity away? I mean, I know her premonitions are a little bit unorthodox, but come on."
"Dad's seriously thinking about it. For her own good. Her therapist said that in cases like hers, it'll get worse when the baby comes. She might even hurt it."
"Charity hurt a defenseless baby?"
"Mom's even thinking about it too."
"Your mother? The most Charity-consious person in existence? She wants to send her away?"
"Look, we can talk about this more when you get home. I'm going to see Simone at the state hospital."
We hung up and I went to break the news to Luis. I took him aside into Little Ethan's room and we talked.
"I don't know what to do," I started.
"About what?"
"It's Kay. She's pregnant."
"What?" he said in a hushed voice.
"How am I supposed to tell Mama? I'm supposed to be the one who gets out of Harmony."
"Mama loves you. She loves all of us. And I bet even now she loves Alex for cryin' out loud. Family means a lot to her, and nothing's gonna change that. Look at how it turned out with Theresa?"
"There's a difference. Theresa was both drunk and married when Little Ethan came."
"There isn't any difference in how much she loves all of us. She loves us differently, but the same amount. You're her youngest child. You can get away with more than Antonio and I or even Theresa did. The point is, she'll be dissapointed, but she'll still love you."
"That's not what I'm looking at. I was the last hope for her children to get out of Harmony. I'll probably end up breaking her heart."
"She blew up when I flunked the gym final at Harmony High last semester."
"But she still loves you."
"I guess you're right. I didn't want Mama to think she'd failed me or something."
"None of us have failed her. If anything, I probably did the most when she found our I was in love with a Craine. Nothing against Little Ethan or Theresa, you know. But if any of us hurt her, it was me."
"Mama loves Sheridan like she was her own, though."
"That was because I let her know how I felt, how she was different. You have to let her know positive things. That's what she wants: for us, her children, to be happy."
"Okay... okay. I'll tell her."
We went back into the living room.
"Can I talk to you, Mama?" I asked.
"Why, of course, mi Miguel. What about?" she asked.
"Alone?"
"Of course."
I led her into Little Ethan's room as I had done with Luis.
"Mama." I took a deep breath. She sat down primly in a rocking chair.
"Mama, Kay's gonna have a baby. My baby."
She blew up, yelling in rapid-fire Spanish. I could only decipher the words.
"Pregnant? You're only eighteen! How could you get a girl pregnant? You obviously didn't know what you were getting into, didn't you?"
"Mama, please."
She calmed down long enough to hear my side.
"We practiced safely, but even that's not perfect. All I'm saying, is that although it was an accident, I'm ready to step up. I'm not gonna give up on it, and you shouldn't either."
"You present logic. But how are you going to pay for Kay's medical bills? And the baby's? For God's sake, you bag groceries for the supermarket back home!"
"In English, please, Mama."
"Well, I just wish you didn't do it until you were married. Just another decision you father should've told you about."
"Mama, Daddy's been... gone since I was three. I wasn't even old enogh for the talk."
"I thought Luis spoke to you."
"He did, Mama. He answered all of my questions, too."
***********
Alex's POV
Pilar was in the bedroom, yelling at Miguel for some reason, and Luis wanted to go for a long walk. He left, and I thought I was ready to ask Theresa.
"Mama? We're going for a walk. If you want to go anywhere, take a spare key. There's one in the bread drawer," she told her mother in between the yelling at her brother.
We walked around the beach. It was getting dark out, and I gave her my jacket to stay warm with. The sun was setting on the water, showing gold and red lights on the clear water. We walked onto a long, deserted dock. I felt like I was ready.
"I know we've only been seeing each other for six months, but I think I'm in love with you," I started.
"I think I love you too, Alex Landower," she replied, a smile emerging on her face. I knelt down on my left knee.
"Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, will you marry me?" I asked. I took the ring box out of my pocket and held her shaking hands in mine.
Before I opened the box, I got my answer.
"Yes!" she exclaimed. I stood up and opened the box. She gasped the same way her mother did earlier as her eyes set on the stone. The moon was emerging on the water, making it even more romantic.
My hands started shaking as I slid the ring on her slender finger.
Theresa's POV
Little Ethan was still fussing as I came in with his bottle.
"Little Ethan, come on..." I started as the door opened. I thought it was Livia, because she had my spare key. But it wasn't.
"Alex, what are you doing here?" I asked him.
"Mom let me borrow her key."
"But I'm not even dressed."
He looked down.
"Oh, sorry!" he said, and retreated to the living room. Little Ethan held his bottle on his own as I carried him into my room to change. He was done as I carried him out into the living room. There were three unexpected guests, the two older ones were sitting side by side on the couch, the third in Little Ethan's rocking chair.
"Mama!" I cried, bringing her in for a hug. I did the exact same thing with each of my brother's and Luis took Little Ethan.
"Haven't seen you in months. You're getting so big!" Luis exclaimed.
"You must be doing something right if he's growing up strong," Mama said. Suddenly the phone rang.
"Just a minute, you guys," I said as I took the phone. It was Chief Bennett.
"Theresa? May I speak with Miguel? I was informed he was out in California with you," he said.
"Sure. Miguel!" I called, setting the receiver to my chest. Miguel followed my call to the kitchen and took the phone.
***********
Miguel's POV
"Hello?" I asked.
"Miguel? I have some news for you, and I don't know how you're gonna take it," Chief Bennett started.
"Is anything wrong with Charity? Or Kay?"
"That's the thing. Kay's pregnant."
"What?!"
Chief Bennett took a deep breath.
"Kay thinks its yours."
"Are you sure? Is she sure?"
"Well, she just got back from Doctor Russell's office. She's definately pregnant. Four months, in fact."
"We broke up..."
"You broke up three months ago, last Tuesday."
"So there's no doubt?"
"There's no doubt she's having your child."
"Thank you for telling me, Chief Bennett. I'll be home in a week or two so we can sort this all out."
"I know I can trust you to keep it kind of low? At least until you come home. Kay's not ready to tell anyone quite yet."
"Can I talk to Kay, Chief?"
"I'll ask her." Chief Bennett took his mouth away from the reciever to call for Kay.
"Do you want to talk to him?"
"Do I have to?"
"You're gonna have to talk to him sooner or later. You might as well get it over with."
"Okay..." Kay grumbled as she took the reciever from her father.
"Hello?" she asked.
"Kay?"
"Who wants to know?" she asked, sarcastically.
"Kay... we need to talk about this. Having a baby is a lot of work-"
"You think I don't know that? Charity keeps yelling about diapers and formula. You'd think she was the one who was pregnant."
"How's she taking it?" I asked.
"She's gone mental. She's convinced herself that she's the one having the baby, and not me. Mom and Dad spoke to Doctor Russell about it, and the only thing to do is to have her sent away. That, including the fact that she's been seeing a therapist since you two broke up, added with the premonitions she's always blabbing about, the doctor thinks she should be sent away."
"Send Charity away? I mean, I know her premonitions are a little bit unorthodox, but come on."
"Dad's seriously thinking about it. For her own good. Her therapist said that in cases like hers, it'll get worse when the baby comes. She might even hurt it."
"Charity hurt a defenseless baby?"
"Mom's even thinking about it too."
"Your mother? The most Charity-consious person in existence? She wants to send her away?"
"Look, we can talk about this more when you get home. I'm going to see Simone at the state hospital."
We hung up and I went to break the news to Luis. I took him aside into Little Ethan's room and we talked.
"I don't know what to do," I started.
"About what?"
"It's Kay. She's pregnant."
"What?" he said in a hushed voice.
"How am I supposed to tell Mama? I'm supposed to be the one who gets out of Harmony."
"Mama loves you. She loves all of us. And I bet even now she loves Alex for cryin' out loud. Family means a lot to her, and nothing's gonna change that. Look at how it turned out with Theresa?"
"There's a difference. Theresa was both drunk and married when Little Ethan came."
"There isn't any difference in how much she loves all of us. She loves us differently, but the same amount. You're her youngest child. You can get away with more than Antonio and I or even Theresa did. The point is, she'll be dissapointed, but she'll still love you."
"That's not what I'm looking at. I was the last hope for her children to get out of Harmony. I'll probably end up breaking her heart."
"She blew up when I flunked the gym final at Harmony High last semester."
"But she still loves you."
"I guess you're right. I didn't want Mama to think she'd failed me or something."
"None of us have failed her. If anything, I probably did the most when she found our I was in love with a Craine. Nothing against Little Ethan or Theresa, you know. But if any of us hurt her, it was me."
"Mama loves Sheridan like she was her own, though."
"That was because I let her know how I felt, how she was different. You have to let her know positive things. That's what she wants: for us, her children, to be happy."
"Okay... okay. I'll tell her."
We went back into the living room.
"Can I talk to you, Mama?" I asked.
"Why, of course, mi Miguel. What about?" she asked.
"Alone?"
"Of course."
I led her into Little Ethan's room as I had done with Luis.
"Mama." I took a deep breath. She sat down primly in a rocking chair.
"Mama, Kay's gonna have a baby. My baby."
She blew up, yelling in rapid-fire Spanish. I could only decipher the words.
"Pregnant? You're only eighteen! How could you get a girl pregnant? You obviously didn't know what you were getting into, didn't you?"
"Mama, please."
She calmed down long enough to hear my side.
"We practiced safely, but even that's not perfect. All I'm saying, is that although it was an accident, I'm ready to step up. I'm not gonna give up on it, and you shouldn't either."
"You present logic. But how are you going to pay for Kay's medical bills? And the baby's? For God's sake, you bag groceries for the supermarket back home!"
"In English, please, Mama."
"Well, I just wish you didn't do it until you were married. Just another decision you father should've told you about."
"Mama, Daddy's been... gone since I was three. I wasn't even old enogh for the talk."
"I thought Luis spoke to you."
"He did, Mama. He answered all of my questions, too."
***********
Alex's POV
Pilar was in the bedroom, yelling at Miguel for some reason, and Luis wanted to go for a long walk. He left, and I thought I was ready to ask Theresa.
"Mama? We're going for a walk. If you want to go anywhere, take a spare key. There's one in the bread drawer," she told her mother in between the yelling at her brother.
We walked around the beach. It was getting dark out, and I gave her my jacket to stay warm with. The sun was setting on the water, showing gold and red lights on the clear water. We walked onto a long, deserted dock. I felt like I was ready.
"I know we've only been seeing each other for six months, but I think I'm in love with you," I started.
"I think I love you too, Alex Landower," she replied, a smile emerging on her face. I knelt down on my left knee.
"Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald, will you marry me?" I asked. I took the ring box out of my pocket and held her shaking hands in mine.
Before I opened the box, I got my answer.
"Yes!" she exclaimed. I stood up and opened the box. She gasped the same way her mother did earlier as her eyes set on the stone. The moon was emerging on the water, making it even more romantic.
My hands started shaking as I slid the ring on her slender finger.