(A/N: This is the last chapter of this story. The next story in this probable trilogy will be up Friday the earliest, and will be titled "Time to Flee the Nest".)
Two weeks had passed, and Ruthie nervously awaited Mary's arrival. She hadn't told her parents yet about being pregnant, but she also remembered that Mary never said anything about being married to Wilson either. Her old instincts were coming through- today might actually be a fun thing to witness. These were the kind of days that Ruthie used to live for. It would probably be more "fun", however, if she herself was not pregnant.
Mary drove down the streets of GlenOak from her airport to her house crying hysterically. She dialed her cell phone nervously, her hand shaking as she pressed the white buttons so that she could reach Wilson.
The line rang twice before Wilson answered. "Hello?" Wilson heard someone say something on the other end, but they were crying to hard to understand what they had said to him. "Mary?"
"Hi," she said with more composure.
"Did you get her yet?"
"No I'm on my way there."
"Are you OK?"
Mary began to loose it again. "No, I'm not. Are you sure that this is the right thing to do? What if we're hurting her more than we're helping?"
"Look, she's going to be hurt either way. I don't know if we're doing the right thing, but we're not doing the wrong thing."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Wilson suspired. "All I can tell you is go to the house, and if she still wants to come bring her here. Then call me when you're done."
"You're still picking us up at the airport, right?"
"Yup, Billy and I will be there."
A few stray tears fell from Mary's eyes. "Good."
Mary was quiet, but still stayed on the phone.
"Is something else bothering you?"
"I'm scared…of abducting Ruthie and of telling my parent's we've been married for nearly a month. You're better than I am with this type of stuff. You should be here, not me."
"Unfortunately, I'm not the one who is a flight attendant and gets to make numerous trips out to GlenOak."
Mary got choked up once more. "I just wish you were here with me. You have no idea how much I need you right now."
"I might," Wilson said making light of the situation.
A faint smile grew on Mary's face. "I love you."
"I love you, too." Wilson paused for a second, letting the gravity of those four words sink in before he continued. "And Mare…you're doing the right thing. Follow your heart."
With that Wilson hung up the phone, leaving Mary to fend for herself. She started to cry once again, but quickly stopped. If she was going to do this, she had to be able to force out a sentence without bursting into tears. She didn't know if that was possible, but she was sure going to try.
As she approached the house, Mary's focus began to turn away from Wilson and shift toward Ruthie. She must be going insane over there by now, and, as Mary saw it, it was her job to rescue Ruthie from the endless scrutiny that comes with living with her parents. It was her job to get everything she could to take her away from there.
Mary pulled into the Camden driveway and peered into the rear view mirror. She ran her fingers through her hair, wiped away her running mascara, and gave her face one final once over. Satisfied enough with her appearance to be able to walk into the house, Mary opened the car door and rang the doorbell. Ruthie answered it, immediately dragging Mary inside and up to the attic without saying a word to her. When they got up there, Ruthie reached into her back pocket ad pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Mary read it over, something from a doctor's office she concluded.
"How did you get this?"
"I went to the free clinic, they took tests, and gave me that."
"How did you get to the free clinic?"
"Peter."
"So you didn't tell Mom and Dad?"
"I was kind of hoping that you would."
"Well, I'll help you tell them but that's about it." Mary flopped down on the bed that used to be Lucy's. "So, you're really pregnant?"
"I guess. If the doctor says so it has to be true."
"How are you doing?" Mary asked. "Are you feeling all right?"
"Well, I'm a little queasy but I think it's just because I'm so nervous."
Mary nodded sullenly. "So Ruthie, sit down. Let's talk."
Ruthie sat on her bed and faced Mary. "Talk about what?"
"About you coming with me. Are you really and truly sure that you want to do this? Because if you're not, it wouldn't bother me any. You could just stay right here and that would be OK, too."
"I don't want to stay here," Ruthie said earnestly. "I want to go with you. I'd much rather live with you and Wilson and Billy than here with Mom and Dad."
"Are you positive? Because once we do this there is no turning back. You're stuck in Florida for at least nine months."
"I'm sure," Ruthie responded. "But Mary, what happens after I have the baby?"
"I don't know, but you don't worry about that. Everything will work out. It has to." Mary got up off the bed and looked around the room. "Did you pack?"
Ruthie pointed to the small navy suitcase in the corner of the room.
"What did you bring?"
"My clothes, hairbrush, tooth brush, two pairs of sneakers, and my two jackets."
Mary's eyes popped out of her head. "You have all of that in that tiny carry-on duffle bag?"
"Is that bad?"
"No, not at all. I'm impressed."
Ruthie's eyes lit up at the praise. Mary took note of that realizing she had probably had been miserable since she learned that she was pregnant. Mary walked to the door. "Are you ready to this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
The two women made their way to the kitchen by way of the back staircase. Annie, Lucy, and Kevin were in the kitchen when they came in.
"Mary?" Annie said rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing here?" Annie walked over to her daughter and gave her a hug. "Are you staying?"
"No, I just, um…came to do something."
"Do what?" Lucy asked.
"Talk to Mom and Dad and help Ruthie with something."
"Talk to us about what?" Annie asked.
Mary looked down at the watch on her wrist. They were running kind of low on time- it was now or never. "Could I talk to you and Dad in the living room? Then I have to go, I have another flight to catch."
"Sure, I'll go get your father. Why don't you wait in the living room for us?"
Mary nodded and she and Ruthie left to go to the living room. Once inside, Mary turned to Ruthie one more time.
"Are you sure you're sure?"
"Yes, I am sure. If you ask me that one more time I'm going to scream."
"OK, OK," Mary said. "Sorry."
"How are we going to do this then?"
"I'll go first," Mary instructed, "then you'll tell them. And then we'll run."
Ruthie laughed, but she knew that she was serious. This whole situation was pathetic, but this was the way they felt it had to be- whether it was the right thing to do or not.
Eric entered the living room with Annie, greeting his daughter with a warm hug. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Well, uh, sit down. We have some stuff to tell you."
Eric and Annie hesitantly obliged. "I don't like the way this is going."
"Neither do I," Mary thought.
"So, what's up?" Annie said.
"Me first," Mary spoke up. "About a week after Lucy's wedding…a month ago tomorrow actually, I…uh…" tears welled up in Mary's eyes as she tried desperately to continue. She really needed Wilson by her side. She shouldn't be doing this without him.
"What did you do now?" Eric spat out without thinking.
"I eloped. I married Wilson. We've been living together in a townhouse in Florida."
Eric was in shock, but Annie stayed a little more levelheaded. "That explains why he was here a couple of weeks ago." Mary nodded. "Why didn't you tell us this then?"
"Well, I was going to, but something kind of came up and I ran out of time."
"What do you mean you ran out of time?" Annie said perplexed.
"Wait a second," Eric said, "what does Ruthie have to do with all of this."
Ruthie looked up at Mary and she nodded, telling her to tell their parents. "About a month ago, actually around the same time marry got married now that I think of it," Ruthie said stalling, "I was over Peter's house and, we, uh…" Ruthie closed her eyes tightly, not able to look at her parent's faces anymore, and continued. "We had sex. I had gotten my period before then but I never told you. And I don't have it now- it was a diversion. The truth is…I'm pregnant."
Eric and Annie both started laughing. "Here, sit down. Let us explain to you where babies come from. You're not pregnant," Annie said making a space for her on the couch.
Ruthie took her test results from the doctor's out of her pocket once more and handed it to her mother. "I wish I wasn't, either, but the truth is I am."
Annie skimmed the piece of paper. "Eric," she said pointing at the sheet, "she really is pregnant. I think I'm going to be sick."
"Mom," Mary said in a quavering voice as she reached for Ruthie's hand. "Wilson and I offered to let Ruthie live with us during her pregnancy, and she accepted. She's going to come to Florida with me when I leave in a few minutes."
"Y-you're leaving us?"
Tears ran down Ruthie's face. "Yeah. Bye Mom," Ruthie hugged her mother and then her father, "Bye Dad."
Annie and Eric sat dumbfounded on the couch as Ruthie and Mary picked up their things, crying hysterically, and walked out of the door. They heard them close the car doors outside, and then moments later drive away. God only knew when they would come back.
Last chapter! Don't forget to review.
