Chapter 5: Mommy and Daddy Are Gone
(David's POV)
I cried and begged Mommy not to leave, but she did anyway. She said she was worried about Mary. What about me? Wasn't she worried about me? She can't just leave me alone. And Daddy is going too. Mommy and Daddy are gone. They left me. I'm very upset by this.
"Do I have to go to school?" I whined.
"Yes you do David," Lucy sighed.
"But Sammie doesn't have to go," I started to cry.
"That's because she's too young. You have to go to school. I know you miss Mom and Dad, but they'll be home in a week or so. Trust me, go to school and you'll be fine. You will have a good day and maybe you'll have so much fun you'll forget that Mom and Dad are gone for a little while," Lucy explained.
"Fine," I pouted and crossed my arms.
Lucy practically had to drag me out the door. She kept saying I was going to be late. I didn't care. If I got in trouble, they'd call Mommy and she'd have to come home. I finally got in the car and went to school. This girl I didn't like came and started calling me names, so I hit her. My teacher got really upset, called Lucy and sent me home.
"David," Lucy looked down at me," what am I going to do with you?"
"Call Mommy. Tell her I was bad. then she'll come home," I smiled.
"Is that what this is about?" Lucy almost laughed," David, sweetie, you know it's wrong to hit other kids. Did you think that if you got in trouble at school, Mom would have to come home?"
"Yes," I pouted.
"That was wrong. You know better than that. Mommy has to go take care of Mary for a little while and she won't forget about you. Sometimes Mommys have to take care of their grown up kids too. Mary needs Mommy and Daddy right now. They'll come home soon and you will get to spend lots of time with them. Getting yourself in trouble won't make Mom come home. I think you can behave yourself now, so Mommy doesn't have to worry while she's gone, sound like a deal?" she asked.
"I guess so," I said.
"So you'll be good now?" she asked.
"Yes Lucy," I promised.
"Okay. Well, since you're out of school and Mom and Dad aren't here, you want to get some ice cream?" Lucy asked.
"Yes! I love ice cream," I smiled.
"It's our little secret, okay," she winked at me," and Sammie can't talk, so we know she won't tell."
"Cool!" I said. I was happy now.
(Eric's POV)
I knocked on the door to Mary's apartment. There was no answer for a minute, but then I heard movement from inside. Annie grabbed my hand, likely out of nervousness. Mary opened the door, seemed shocked for a moment, then grabbed Annie, and burst into tears.
"Mary, what's wrong?" I asked with concern.
"Adam left me," Mary sobbed, " I'm so scared, I can't raise a child by myself. I'm so stupid."
"No Mary, don't say that," Annie soothed, " sometimes, we do things without really thinking them through. That doesn't mean we're stupid."
"But I am Mom," Mary sobbed," I always do stupid things. I have screwed my life up so much."
"Mary," I started, "I don't know what to say."
She left Annie's embrace and clung to me," Daddy, help me."
"What do you need?" I asked.
"I don't know what to do with this baby. I can't raise it on my own. I'm not responsible enough. I don't want an abortion, but I don't want to raise a child all by myself," she sobbed quietly.
"I'll tell you what, you come back to Glen Oak with your mother and I and we'll help you. If you move back home, we'll be there to help you raise your daughter," I explained.
"Really?" this time she glanced at Annie.
"Of course. You're our daughter. We love you no matter what you do," Annie sighed.
She knew this was the best course of action. I hadn't discussed this option with her, but inside she too knew it was right. Our daughter needed our help and the best way for us to help her was if she was at home again. Neither of us had probably thought of this before, but of course we didn't realize how much distress Mary was in.
"Come on. We'll help you pack up your things," I said.
"Now? I didn't think we would leave so soon," Mary said, surprised.
"Well, we don't have to leave right away, but packing your whole life up takes a few days at least," Annie explained.
"Okay," she dried her eyes on a tissue," I have the best parents in the world. No matter what stupid thing I do, you always try to help me pick up the scattered pieces of my life."
(Kevin's POV)
I was at the Camden's house when Lucy picked up the phone.
"It's Mom and Dad," she whispered, "Hello Mom. How's it going?"
I watched her face as she listned to her mother.
"That bad?" she asked.
Her expression was growing less concerned and more shocked. Her eyes got huge and she dropped the phone.
"LUCY??" I heard Annie call out.
I picked up the phone," Mom."
"Oh Kevin. Is Lucy okay?" she asked, worry in her voice.
"Yes, whatever you said just surprised her," I replied, putting a hand on Lucy's shoulder.
Lucy's face cleared and she sat on the couch, muttering to herself.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Well, Mary is coming back home. She's going to move back into the house," Annie explained.
"Oh. I see," I said.
"I just called to let everyone know and to tell you that we'll be home in two days," Annie finished.
"Okay, thanks for calling, I'll tell everyone," I said, " goodbye and see you in a few days."
I hung up," Don't worry Luce, I'm shocked too."
"I just didn't expect it to be so bad," she said as I took a seat next to her," you know Mary was always in trouble, but she never knew when to ask for help before. I couldn't imagine being pregnant and by myself."
"I could never leave a woman pregnant and by herself," I said," I don't see how anyone could."
"Well, we should tell the kids and get the house cleaned up for their arrival. When will they be here?" Lucy asked.
"Two days. That's what your Mom said," I told her.
"Well that's plenty of time to get this place nice and clean. Not that it's really dirty, but I'd like it to be cleaner than when we got here," Lucy smiled.
(David's POV)
I cried and begged Mommy not to leave, but she did anyway. She said she was worried about Mary. What about me? Wasn't she worried about me? She can't just leave me alone. And Daddy is going too. Mommy and Daddy are gone. They left me. I'm very upset by this.
"Do I have to go to school?" I whined.
"Yes you do David," Lucy sighed.
"But Sammie doesn't have to go," I started to cry.
"That's because she's too young. You have to go to school. I know you miss Mom and Dad, but they'll be home in a week or so. Trust me, go to school and you'll be fine. You will have a good day and maybe you'll have so much fun you'll forget that Mom and Dad are gone for a little while," Lucy explained.
"Fine," I pouted and crossed my arms.
Lucy practically had to drag me out the door. She kept saying I was going to be late. I didn't care. If I got in trouble, they'd call Mommy and she'd have to come home. I finally got in the car and went to school. This girl I didn't like came and started calling me names, so I hit her. My teacher got really upset, called Lucy and sent me home.
"David," Lucy looked down at me," what am I going to do with you?"
"Call Mommy. Tell her I was bad. then she'll come home," I smiled.
"Is that what this is about?" Lucy almost laughed," David, sweetie, you know it's wrong to hit other kids. Did you think that if you got in trouble at school, Mom would have to come home?"
"Yes," I pouted.
"That was wrong. You know better than that. Mommy has to go take care of Mary for a little while and she won't forget about you. Sometimes Mommys have to take care of their grown up kids too. Mary needs Mommy and Daddy right now. They'll come home soon and you will get to spend lots of time with them. Getting yourself in trouble won't make Mom come home. I think you can behave yourself now, so Mommy doesn't have to worry while she's gone, sound like a deal?" she asked.
"I guess so," I said.
"So you'll be good now?" she asked.
"Yes Lucy," I promised.
"Okay. Well, since you're out of school and Mom and Dad aren't here, you want to get some ice cream?" Lucy asked.
"Yes! I love ice cream," I smiled.
"It's our little secret, okay," she winked at me," and Sammie can't talk, so we know she won't tell."
"Cool!" I said. I was happy now.
(Eric's POV)
I knocked on the door to Mary's apartment. There was no answer for a minute, but then I heard movement from inside. Annie grabbed my hand, likely out of nervousness. Mary opened the door, seemed shocked for a moment, then grabbed Annie, and burst into tears.
"Mary, what's wrong?" I asked with concern.
"Adam left me," Mary sobbed, " I'm so scared, I can't raise a child by myself. I'm so stupid."
"No Mary, don't say that," Annie soothed, " sometimes, we do things without really thinking them through. That doesn't mean we're stupid."
"But I am Mom," Mary sobbed," I always do stupid things. I have screwed my life up so much."
"Mary," I started, "I don't know what to say."
She left Annie's embrace and clung to me," Daddy, help me."
"What do you need?" I asked.
"I don't know what to do with this baby. I can't raise it on my own. I'm not responsible enough. I don't want an abortion, but I don't want to raise a child all by myself," she sobbed quietly.
"I'll tell you what, you come back to Glen Oak with your mother and I and we'll help you. If you move back home, we'll be there to help you raise your daughter," I explained.
"Really?" this time she glanced at Annie.
"Of course. You're our daughter. We love you no matter what you do," Annie sighed.
She knew this was the best course of action. I hadn't discussed this option with her, but inside she too knew it was right. Our daughter needed our help and the best way for us to help her was if she was at home again. Neither of us had probably thought of this before, but of course we didn't realize how much distress Mary was in.
"Come on. We'll help you pack up your things," I said.
"Now? I didn't think we would leave so soon," Mary said, surprised.
"Well, we don't have to leave right away, but packing your whole life up takes a few days at least," Annie explained.
"Okay," she dried her eyes on a tissue," I have the best parents in the world. No matter what stupid thing I do, you always try to help me pick up the scattered pieces of my life."
(Kevin's POV)
I was at the Camden's house when Lucy picked up the phone.
"It's Mom and Dad," she whispered, "Hello Mom. How's it going?"
I watched her face as she listned to her mother.
"That bad?" she asked.
Her expression was growing less concerned and more shocked. Her eyes got huge and she dropped the phone.
"LUCY??" I heard Annie call out.
I picked up the phone," Mom."
"Oh Kevin. Is Lucy okay?" she asked, worry in her voice.
"Yes, whatever you said just surprised her," I replied, putting a hand on Lucy's shoulder.
Lucy's face cleared and she sat on the couch, muttering to herself.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"Well, Mary is coming back home. She's going to move back into the house," Annie explained.
"Oh. I see," I said.
"I just called to let everyone know and to tell you that we'll be home in two days," Annie finished.
"Okay, thanks for calling, I'll tell everyone," I said, " goodbye and see you in a few days."
I hung up," Don't worry Luce, I'm shocked too."
"I just didn't expect it to be so bad," she said as I took a seat next to her," you know Mary was always in trouble, but she never knew when to ask for help before. I couldn't imagine being pregnant and by myself."
"I could never leave a woman pregnant and by herself," I said," I don't see how anyone could."
"Well, we should tell the kids and get the house cleaned up for their arrival. When will they be here?" Lucy asked.
"Two days. That's what your Mom said," I told her.
"Well that's plenty of time to get this place nice and clean. Not that it's really dirty, but I'd like it to be cleaner than when we got here," Lucy smiled.