Chapter 4 (The test that changed her life)
The ticking of the clock was the only sound that could be heard in the small upstairs bathroom. Maria sat on the floor, her eyes trained on a certain spot of the wall while holding tightly onto Alex's hand.
He felt her squeeze his hand again and knew that she must be scared to death. Five minutes, the test said five minutes and Alex marvelled at the way Maria had been able to hold it together. Since the breakdown in the backroom of the Crashdown, she had been quiet but hadn't cried. He himself was terrified and he wasn't even the one pregnant. Not that he could be but still. He turned to see her still staring at the wall.
"If it turns out that you are," he said quietly, "I will do anything that I can to help you. You won't be in his alone, ever," he said. "I'll be unky Alex."
Maria smiled faintly and he hugged her. "I won't leave you Maria. I'll always be here."
She nodded. "Thank you Alex, thank you for being there for me when I needed someone, thank you for being such a great friend." Alex smiled and rubbed her back. They stayed that way for a minute then jumped as the timer went off. Alex grabbed it and turned it off then sat back against the wall.
"It's time," he stated and she nodded but still didn't move to get it. "Do you want me to look at it?" he asked and she again nodded. He stood and grabbed the stick off the sink. Looking at it he asked, "What do two blue lines mean?" He watched as her face crumpled and she started to cry. As she buried her face in her hands, he sat back on the floor and brought her body to his, rocking her slowly. "I guess that means I'm going to be an Uncle," he said as Maria held onto him for dear life. His heart broke when she let out a long-suffering wail. He didn't know what to say that would comfort her so he settled for just rocking her, hoping that she'd eventually calm down or fall asleep out of sheer exhaustion.
An hour later Alex held her in his arms as they lay on her bed. He'd managed to convince her to move from her position on the cold hard floor of the bathroom into the nice warm confines of her bed. "Maria?" he asked softly seeing if she was still awake and hadn't drifted off.
"Yeah," she replied weakly.
Alex sighed, he didn't want to have to bring it up but he needed to. "Maria you have to tell Amy." He felt Maria still from beneath him then pull away until she was sitting upright in the bed, leaning on the headboard.
"She'll kill me," she said in a broken voice and Alex slung an arm over her shoulders. He hated seeing her so weak and broken. Usually she was the strong one holding them all together. He once again damned Michael Guerin for doing this to her.
"Maybe she won't. You won't know until you tell her."
Maria raised her eyebrow at him. "If your 17-year-old daughter was pregnant, what would you do?"
Thinking it over, he sighed. "Yeah I'd probably kill her."
Maria rolled her eyes. "Thanks Alex, really," she said sarcastically. "The least you could have done was lie to me."
Alex shook his head but both stilled when they heard the front door slam and Amy call out Maria's name. "It's now or never," he told her and she nodded. They left the room and headed downstairs.
Placing her bags on the table, Amy smiled. "You'll never guess who I bumped into today. Joan Harland. I haven't seen her in years. She told me…" she trailed off upon seeing the look on her daughters face. "Maria?"
"Mom, could you sit please?" she asked and Amy sat down, not at all liking the seriousness of Maria's voice. "Mom I have to tell you something," Maria told her as her and Alex joined her at the table.
"What is it?" Amy asked getting worried. She looked towards Alex who had his eyes set on the table.
Taking a deep breath, Maria faced the woman who had given her everything she could ask for. "I won't beat around the bush on this and I only found out for myself an hour or so ago." Maria sighed and closed her eyes. "Mom I'm pregnant," she whispered.
Amy started to laugh then caught the look that Maria gave Alex. "Oh god," she whispered as she brought her hand to her mouth. "You're telling me the truth aren't you?"
Nodding, Maria stood and started to pace the small kitchen. "I'm so sorry Mom," she said, tears sliding down her face. "I'm so sorry for everything. I know that you wanted more for me, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being such a disappointment," she whispered with a strangled cry.
Amy felt the tears start to rise at Maria's statement but blinked them away. "You're right," she said and Maria started to cry harder. "I did want more for you. I had hoped that you would never have to endure what I did but now that's not possible," she said, then stood and walked over to her daughter. She grasped Maria's upper arms and made her look at her. "But you could never, and I mean never be a disappointment. I love you with all my heart, you are my daughter and I love you." She enveloped Maria in a hug to which Maria held onto her tightly.
"I'm so sorry Mom," she whispered and Amy stroked her hair lightly.
"Shhh, sweetie. Everything is going to be okay. I take it that you want to keep it?" she asked and Maria nodded. Amy sighed. "Maria, who's the father?" Maria didn't answer so Amy looked towards Alex.
"Michael," was all he said and Amy seethed. She knew that boy would be trouble. She hugged Maria tighter and kissed her forehead. Maria had told her a few months ago that they had broken up so she knew that he probably wouldn't be around.
"Don't worry baby, I'm here for you okay. You won't be in this alone," she promised. She wasn't going to be like her mother who had thrown her out. She was going to take care of her daughter and grandchild.
Maria smiled through her tears and pulled back. "Thank you." Amy smiled too and the two hugged once more. Alex glanced up from the table and sighed in relief that Amy had taken the news so well.
"You think I could get in on this action?" he asked and the two women laughed, opening their arms for him to join. Amy lifted her head and looked into Alex's eyes. She mouthed a 'Thank you' and Alex nodded. He knew that she was thanking him for being there for Maria.
After a few minutes the three pulled apart and Maria wiped her eyes. Amy licked her lips them sat them all at the table. "Maria, I have a suggestion to make and I want you to hear me out." Maria nodded and listened to what Amy had to say. "Sweetie, I think that maybe it would be better for you to go to Europe to live with your Aunt Kayla until the baby is born." Maria was about to object when Amy continued. "It's not that I don't want you here baby because I do, it's just that being in a small town, it's going to be hard on you, not only the people but with school as well and since Aunt Kayla is a teacher, she could home school you and then, when the baby is born, you can come back. Now I'll visit you regularly and I'll be there when my grandchild is born but I really do think that it's for the best."
Maria thought about what Amy had suggested and realised that it might just be the best thing. "I think you're right Mom, it might be for the best."
"What? Maria you can't leave," Alex said loudly. He didn't want Maria to move to another country.
"Alex I have to, it makes sense," she said and gave Alex a pleading look. She needed him to understand.
"Fine then I'm coming with you," he stated and Maria shook her head.
"No Alex, you will stay here and you can visit me when Mom does. Alex I need this." Alex finally nodded. He knew that she would probably be better off somewhere other than Roswell but told her that he'd visit her all the time.
Amy stood and started to walk out of the kitchen. "I'll go and ring her now to see if it's okay." Maria nodded and Amy left the room, shut the door, then leant on it holding her hand up to her mouth and letting the tears fall. She couldn't believe that her baby girl was pregnant. She wiped the tears away and tried to compose herself. She had to be strong for her daughter. She had to be everything she wished her own mother was.
Back in the kitchen Alex asked her if she was going to tell the others. "Yeah, they need to know," she said. "Could you ring them all and tell them that we need to have a meeting tomorrow afternoon?" Alex nodded and Amy walked back into the room.
"Kayla said she would be happy to have you and that she would set everything up for us. She's going to find out when a flight tomorrow night leaves and she'll ring. She said that she's excited to see you and will do everything she can to make sure you feel comfortable there and she'll help you with the pregnancy and to get your high school diploma at home." Maria nodded and then looked at Alex.
"Alex could you go and ring them, I need to spend some time with Mom." Alex smiled, stood, kissed her on the forehead then left, but not before making her promise to call him later. Both women watched as he left then Amy sat.
Maria opened her mouth to once again apologise when Amy lifted her hand to silence her. "Don't apologise baby. You made a mistake but I forgave you. I love you Maria, you're my daughter and I love you. I also love that child you are carrying. Nothing you do could make me hate you so don't ever think that okay? Now how about we go into the lounge room, whack in 'Steel Magnolias' and cry in front of the TV with a huge bowl of popcorn?"
Maria laughed. "Thank you Mom," she said then got up to hug her.
Kissing her cheek, Amy pushed her away. "You go put the video in while I make the popcorn." Maria laughed and headed out to find the video while Amy rustled through the cabinet for the popcorn. She didn't want to send her daughter away but knew that being a pregnant teen in a small town would break her. She was doing what she thought was best, and just prayed that Maria would be strong enough to handle everything. Amy knew her daughter was strong but didn't know how much more she could handle. After all the crap that Michael had put her through and now this well…she was surprised that Maria hadn't completely broken down yet.
Thinking of Michael Guerin made Amy fume. That boy would be lucky to see his 18th birthday when she got a hold of him. He did this to her daughter, and he was going to pay. Maria came back into the kitchen and watched as her mother tore open the popcorn packet with anger.
"Mom? You okay?" she asked.
"I'm going to kill Michael Guerin, I hope that you know that."
Maria sighed. "No Mom, you won't," she said and Amy turned to face her. "Michael doesn't even know and as far as I am concerned he never will. Mom if you go around there and yell at him he'll know."
Pursing her lips together, Amy shook her head. "Maria he is the father, he should know."
"Alex and I are going to tell everyone tomorrow and depending on his initial reaction, then I will decide whether or not to tell him. Anyway, he's a 17-year-old boy. He's not going to want to be a father," she said dejectedly. Amy's features softened and she hugged Maria to her.
"Alright, I won't kill him…yet," she said. "But even if he won't be there for you or your child, you know that both Alex and I will be okay?" Maria nodded. "You'll always have me Maria. Always," she promised then let Maria go. "Now let's go watch the movie." The two sat on the couch and watched the first scene while eating. "You know," Amy started, "I'll never understand why she wanted to cut all her hair off. It was so long and beautiful."
Maria nodded. "I know. I wish my hair was long. What do you think about extensions?" she asked while grabbing more popcorn and watching as Dolly Parton graced the screen with Julia Roberts. The two sat and watched the movie, temporarily forgetting the problems and heartache from before. Tonight was for them and neither wanted to waste any minute of it.
TBC…