Paradise - Chapter 4

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Rory didn't go to her usual doctor; he was an old friend of her father's. She went to a free clinic somewhere in the poor districts of Boston. But whoever the doctor was, he confirmed her fears: she was going to have a child.

She received the news with an astonishing calm, but her serenity grew into panic over the hours. She couldn't think about abortion, she couldn't think about adoption. She just couldn't announce to her father she was pregnant; that she was going to be a single mother and, therefore, be the only scandal the Hayden's family ever had to live through. There was only one solution…She took the piece of paper Jess gave her and dialed the number. The man who answered was obviously Jess' father and told her where she could find his son. She headed there and got to a small-town dirty garage. She got out of the car and a dark head lifted to see who was coming.

-Rory, hey. What brings you here?

Instead of looking at her, he was concentrating really hard on removing imaginary dirt under his fingernails. For an unknown reason, Rory felt he knew exactly why she was there.

-Nothing precise…I decided to drive a little, and I got here…But I see that I'm disturbing your work, I better go…

He looked at her and under the intensity of his gaze, Rory stopped talking. Jess knew.

He opened the driver's door, and his eyes urged Rory to jump in the car without a word. He took her to a state park. He turned the car off. Rory was so nervous she could hear the blood rushing in her ears. He went around the car and opened her door. He sat on the car's hood, next to Rory. She couldn't believe that the man who was actually sitting next to her was the same man who made her laugh and made her love six weeks ago. This is a great paragraph! Especially the last sentence...

Jess turned to look at her, interrogation in his eyes. His silence and gaze broke all the self control Rory tried to build since she got off the car. She was pregnant and on the edge of being a single mother, and the only thing he could do was watching her torture herself with mental pain.

-In fact, I had a very precise reason to come over here.

-That's what I thought.

Rory looked at him. Was he supposing something else? His expression was impossible to understand. She looked at the trees surrounding her while burning tears filled her eyes.

-I'm here because…I…I am…

-Pregnant. You're here because you're pregnant.

-How do you know?

-You could only have had two reasons to come over here today. That was one of them.

-What was the other one?

-My dancing skills?

He was joking, trying to relax the atmosphere. Self control completely gone, Rory's tears exploded in a see of panic. She put her face in her hands. She felt Jess' hands on he shoulders and she let him bring her closer.

-Say it. That was really stupid of me to let something like that happen.

-You'll never hear those words coming out of my mouth.

-Thank you. I feel a whole lot better now, she said, ironically.

Jess reacted with a surprising calm and she only made the situation worse with her own behaviour.

-Are you absolutely sure you're having a child?

-Yes. And I'm also absolutely sure it's sure you're the father, in case you're be too polite to ask.

-I'm not that polite. If I didn't ask any question, it's because I have a minimum of biology knowledge. I know I'm responsible.

She was waiting for reproaches: the fact that he reacted with calm and logic was both reassuring and surprising. She let a last tear fall down. Then she heard the question that had been torturing her brain for hours.

-What are you going to do?

-Kill myself?

-Do you have any other solutions?

Under the irony of his voice, Rory lifted her head. What shocked her was the incredible strength she read on his face, and the comprehension she saw in his eyes. Jess communicated his own strength to her, and for the first time of the day, Rory felt able to think clearly.

-All the solutions are horrible. The nurses at the clinic told me that abortion was the only choice I had…

She stopped talking, to see if he would say something. If she hadn't seen his jaw clench, she would have believed he didn't cared. But this reaction couldn't really tell anything about his deep thoughts.

-But I…I don't think I could face such a thing. Not by myself. And even if I did, I don't know if I'll keep on living normally after. I could have the baby and put it up for adoption, but I won't be able to live with it. Every time I'll see a child, I'll be wondering if it's mine, if he's looking for me, what he thinks of a mother who abandoned him…I won't be able to constantly live with this doubt, this culpability. Couldn't you tell me how you feel about the whole thing?

-When you say something I disapprove of, I'll let you know, he said, with an authoritative tone he'd never used with her before.

-My dad divorced my mom because she'd sleep with other men. If I tell him I'm pregnant, he'll probably throw me out. I won't have any money but I'll touch an heritage when I'll be thirty. Until then, I guess I can manage to raise my children by myself…

He finally spoke. Two words. Dry and definitive.

-Our children.

Rory nodded, relieved to see he did care about her problem.

-The last solution…You won't like it and I don't like it either. Jess, would you agree to help me to convince my father we fell in love and got married? We could announce to him that I'm pregnant in a few weeks Of course, we'd divorce after the baby's birth. Would you accept?

-Not without reserves.

His long hesitation and the uncertain ease to accept her offer made Rory's humiliation double.

-Thank you for being so nice. What a nice way to assume your responsibilities. Thanks again, really.

-How did you think I would react? Is it nice of you to tell me you think that the idea of being married with me is horrible and to mention immediate divorce?

She looked a him, ready to burst out in a hysterical laugh, but alarmed by his anger, she decided not to. Then she understood what he meant, and felt ashamed for being this tactless.

-Please excuse me. I didn't meant it was horrible to be married with you. To be married because I'm pregnant was an horrible reason to do a thing that should happen when two people love each other.

Relieved, she saw his expression soften.

-If we get to Law Courts before 5, we might solve this question and get married on Saturday.

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-Where are we going?

-You're coming home.

-Home? she said, noticing he didn't look much happier than she was to get married for this reason.

-I wasn't thinking of your Boston's stone fortress. I meant my home.

As exhausted as she was, she couldn't help but smile at how Jess' words were scorning about her house, her family. Obviously, Jess Mariano wasn't intimidated by anything or anyone.

A couple of minutes later, they got to what Jess called "home". The wooden house, from another age, looked desolated. With scaled painting and bad herbs, this house smelled unhappiness.

Jess had told her while coming home that his mom died seven years ago, after a long fight against cancer. He had stayed with his father and his younger sister, who was sixteen. Anxious to be presented to his family, Rory looked around her, seeing a man on a tractor.

-Is that your father?

-No, That's a neighbour. We sold him our grounds to pay my mom's hospital bill. He noticed how nervous Rory was, Are you okay?

-Yes, just nervous to meet your family.

-You don't have nothing to worry about. My sister will think you're enthralling and sophisticated because you come from Boston. My father drinks, Rory. It began when he learned my mother wouldn't survive. He has a regular job; he's never violent. I only tell this to you so you can understand him and be a little less severe. He has been sober for a couple of months from now, but he can fail anytime.

-I understand, said Rory, even though she had never been in contact with an alcoholic person before and that she absolutely didn't understand.

At this precise moment, the front door opened, and a young brown haired girl came on the porch, only seeing the car.

-Holy crap, Jess, a Porsche! She turned to Rory, amazed. Is that yours ?

Rory nodded, surprised to feel a sincere sympathy for this girl who looked just like her brother.

-Oh, sorry! I forgot to say hi. So, hi. I'm Julia, Jess' sister. Are you guys coming inside? Turning to Jess, she said, Dad woke up an hour ago. He works at 11 tonight. We'll have dinner at seven, is that okay?

-Perfect.

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R&R, please !