Caroline & Michael & Scott

Chapter 18

Instead of the usual hamburger joint, Scott had taken Caroline to a nice sit-down restaurant. Both he and Caroline were dressed nicely, though casually.

After dinner, Scott cleared his throat and hesitantly began to speak. "Caroline?"

Caroline smiled expectantly at him. "Yes, Scott?"

"I want to talk to you about something important, something serious."

"Uh-huh?"

His voice weakened. "Oh… gosh, this is hard to say…"

She reached out and put her hands in his. Tenderly, she nudged him. "Just go ahead and say it, darling."

"I uh… I – I met another woman."

"Oh Scott, y - … WHAT??!!"

"I uh… met another woman. I want to break up with you."

"But Scott, why? I love you."

"I love…" Scott stopped in mid-sentence and hung his head. Fighting back tears, Scott continued "Caroline… Care… I've made a horrible mistake… We can't go on together."

Desperate, Caroline queried "Is it sex? That's it, isn't it? I've been thinking about this a lot. If you've strayed, I understand, I forgive you. I know there're a lot of temptations at college. But can't you feel it…? We belong together. I mean, like forever… So, I no longer believe that sex for us would be wrong… Please don't throw what we have away, Scott."

Scott sadly shook his head. "Caroline… Please stop."

"Please Scott… There has to be something I can say, something I can do to convince you." But Scott just shook his head.

"Scott… How did this happen? When? Where? I know you… A girl isn't just a warm body to you, sex isn't everything, you believe in love… I can't believe you fell in love with someone and I didn't know about it. I mean, we don't just love each other, we're great friends, we tell each other everything."

"Not… everything."

"I see that now… even so, I can't believe you found another woman and love her more than me. Not without me at least sensing that something was wrong. Scott, look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me."

Scott gazed directly into Caroline's eyes, then shook his head, averted his gaze, and uttered his tortured reply. "I… I – I can't."

"Then why are you breaking up with me??!! I just don't understand!!" This last outburst resulted in glances from around the restaurant.

Slowly, Scott answered softly "Because… she's pregnant."

"Oh."

Several seconds of awkward silence followed the devastating revelation. Then Caroline said something which she hated herself for, from the moment the words came out of her mouth. "Couldn't she… fix it?"

"No…! No, Caroline… Abortion may be okay for some people… But… the mother and I don't believe we should punish an innocent child for our mistake… Caroline, we never discussed this before… But I assumed you felt the same way."

"I… I – I do, Scott… I am so sorry I ever mentioned it. Can you forgive me?"

"Oh course, sweetheart… I mean, Caroline… I feel so bad… I mean, I'm the one that messed up, but you're being punished."

After several seconds, Caroline asked "Who is this girl?"

"It doesn't matter, Caroline."

"It does. I mean, how do you know she's really pregnant?"

"She wouldn't lie to me about this. I know her. She's a nice girl."

Angry, Caroline retorted "Right! She would fuck another girl's boyfriend, but she wouldn't lie."

"Caroline…!" Scott exclaimed in shock, never having heard Caroline use such language before. "It wasn't like that! It just happened. I'm sure she's just as sorry as I am."

"Yeah, right…! If she's really knocked up, I bet she got pregnant on purpose, just to trap you… That whore…! Tell me who she is, I'm gonna drive to Madison right now and give her a piece of my mind!"

Scott gazed into Caroline's eyes. "Caroline…! That's not how it was…! Really, Caroline… we were just talking… she had just broken up with her boyfriend and was crying on my shoulder... one thing led to another…now both of us… all three of us… have to live with the consequences… I'm so ashamed… and so sorry…" Scott could no longer repress his tears and started sobbing uncontrollably.

Caroline was shaken. She had seen stoic Scott misty-eyed before, but never crying. And now… this. And then it hit her, as it had hit Scott. Like all children from loving homes, until a certain age is reached, there is an unspoken assumption that all things are possible. There may be bumps in the road, but anything, with enough effort and determination, could be accomplished. Suddenly, Caroline realized that this was no longer true…That no matter how hard she tried, no matter what she did, her vision for her path in life would never come true. She saw… she heard… she felt Scott's tears and knew he was truly sorry. Caroline also knew Scott realized that no matter what and how much he wanted to, he couldn't make things right. He could only make things less bad. Caroline's anger faded… to be replaced by sadness and acceptance.

She sighed and asked "So… what are you gonna do?"

"We're gonna get married… I have to support her and my child. I'm gonna quit school and get a job."

"Scott…! Your scholarship… Your dream of being an engineer…"

"I know… but I'm gonna be a husband and father now… I have responsibilities."

Caroline just sadly shook her head.

"You must hate me Caroline. Do you think you can ever forgive me?"

Fighting back tears, she replied "You're human Scott. You made a mistake. And the way you're responding… you're acting like the man I love."

"Thank you… I love you, Caroline." After sighing and taking a deep breath, Scott added "But I'll learn to love my future wife. And I will love my son or daughter."

"You'll make a great dad."

"Thanks, Caroline… I promise, I'll never forget you… Caroline, please promise me something."

"I promise I'll never forget you either, Scott."

"Thank you… But, promise me something else, Caroline."

"What?"

"I have to give up my dream. Promise me that you'll follow yours."

"I promise."

******

Shortly afterwards, a dejected and exhausted Caroline walked through the front door.

She was immediately greeted by her exuberant mother. "Congratulations, honey!"

Caroline put up her hand to stop her. "No congratulations are in order, Mom."

Puzzled, Margaret asked "Why? What happened?"

"Scott and I broke up." Just as her stunned mother was about to shoot a barrage of questions, Caroline again put up her hand to stop her. "Please Mom. I don't want to discuss this with you… Not yet anyway."

"Well, okay dear."

Caroline trudged up the stairs into her room. She fought off her sobs long enough to dial her best friend. "Sally…? Could you please come over? I need you?"

******

Sally knocked on the Duffy's door. Margaret opened it.

Somberly, she greeted "Hello, Mrs. Duffy."

"Hello, Sally." Margaret gestured with her head upstairs. "She's in her room… crying."

Sally ascended the stairs and knocked. "Caroline. It's Sally. Can I come in?"

Caroline opened the door and stopped crying for a moment. "Oh Sally…" she wailed, as she started crying again and hugged Sally. While still hugging Caroline, Sally managed to close the door and get them both sitting on the bed.

Through her sobs, Caroline managed to slowly get her story out.

"Oh Sally… Scott broke up with me…"

Through it all, Sally continued to hug and console Caroline. "I know, I know…"

"He met… another woman… she's pregnant…"

"I know, I know…"

"He still loves me… but he's gonna marry her… and quit school… and get a job…"

"I know, I know…"

Then, Caroline broke the hug, as her sadness suddenly turned to anger. Caroline, railing against her fate, cried bitterly "Who is this girl? Didn't she know Scott had a girlfriend? That slut! Doing it with somebody else's boyfriend. She purposely led Scott astray to trap him! She's probably only going to the university to get her 'M.R.S.' degree!"

"You don't know that Caroline. And how do you know she goes to the university?"

"I don't know her and I didn't see it happen, but I know Scott. That's what must've happened. As for her being at the university, where else could he have met her…? It's so unfair. Now Scott has to quit school and give up his dreams for that slut."

At that, Sally started crying. She hugged Caroline again. "I know, I know…"

"Poor Sally… You care so much about the two of us, it's really affecting you, isn't it?"

Sally looked straight into Caroline's eyes and through her sobs answered "Oh Caroline… when I say 'I know, I know', I'm not just saying 'I know' to console you… I'm saying 'I know'".

Caroline looked at Sally, confused for a second… and then she understood. "It all makes sense now… the sickness, the weight gain…"

Caroline turned her anger from a faceless bimbo towards her best friend. As she wrenched herself from Sally's embrace, she raged "Sally…??!! You…??!! You…??!! We've been best friends forever and ever… How could you…? I know, you couldn't stand to see little old serious Caroline find some real happiness with a boy, while 'party girl' Sally didn't have a boyfriend, so you had to go and ruin it…! Our friendship is over…! I can't stand the sight of you! Get out of here!"

Sally held out her arms to Caroline in supplication "Care… please…"

Caroline, her face a mask of anger, raised her arm and pointed towards the door. "Go!"

Sally got up, took one faltering step towards the door… but her knees buckled, she fell to her knees and started weeping uncontrollably. Now it was Sally who could barely get her words out between sobs. "Oh Caroline… You're right to be mad at me… I deserve it… I'm so sorry… You have to believe me… You have to…! I never meant for this to happen… Scott never meant for this to happen… Scott was consoling me after I broke up with Joey… One thing led to another… As soon as we did it, we knew it was a mistake… Swore it would never happen again… Swore no one would ever know… But then… but then… but then the baby…" she bawled.

Seeing the heartbreaking pain of her friend, Caroline relented. "I… I – I believe you Sally… You wouldn't do this… Not on purpose, I mean…"

"Oh Caroline… I'm so scared… What's gonna happen to me…?"

Now it was Caroline who was doing the consoling. "There, there… Scott's a good man, he'll be there for you… When's the baby due?"

"In May."

"It happened in August" Caroline calculated. "When I was in ballet summer camp. I practically forced them together for six weeks."

Caroline's sadness and anger were replaced by calm understanding. "The only thing I can do now is keep my promise."

Epilogue

It was May, once again time for the annual Peshtigo School of Ballet performance in the high school auditorium. Madame Petrovsky, in her thick Russian accent, stepped in front of the closed curtains to the mike to address the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: Thank you for attending this year's performance by the Peshtigo School of Ballet." She paused briefly for a smattering of applause. "My name is Madame Petrovsky. I hope you will enjoy the students performing this year under my tutelage as much as you have enjoyed previous students under Miss Morgan – now Mrs. Potter. This year, we will be performing scenes from the beloved ballet "The Nutcracker". This may be the most popular of ballets, it certainly is in America. Traditionally, it's usually performed just before Christmas, but since we give but one performance a year, I hope you'll make an allowance. "The Nutcracker" tells the story of a young girl, Clara, who dreams of dancing dolls, candy, toy soldiers, and fairies. It's a showcase for a variety of different fanciful dances and costumes, none more so than the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy"."

"This year, you will have a special treat. When I first came to Peshtigo, Mrs. Potter introduced to me a student she described as the most promising dancer she has ever taught. Of course I, being from Mee-soo-ri…" Madame paused while the audience chuckled. "…Did I pronounce it correctly…? Of course I, being from Mee-soo-ri, said "Show me". And show me she did… Tonight, ladies and gentlemen, you will be privileged to watch, in her final performance as a member of the Peshtigo School of Ballet, Miss Caroline Duffy, our first student to win a dance scholarship. Hopefully, she will be able to display her talents for a long time in a fruitful career. She will be dancing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Ladies and gentlemen, scenes from "The Nutcracker"."

There was a smattering of applause as the curtains opened. As the program progressed, even the members of the audience who knew little of ballet (which was almost everybody) recognized that they were witnessing something special.

When it was over, as Caroline and the rest of the students took their bows, the audience rose and gave a thunderous standing ovation.

But none were prouder, clapped harder, or cheered louder than Scott and his heavy with child wife, Sally Aldrich.

The end