Power Rangers Turbo Adventure - My Baby
2. Telling Mom and Dad...
Ashley and Carlos stopped outside of the Hammond house.
"What do we do, Carlos?" Ashley asked quietly.
"We tell them," Carlos said in reply quietly. Ashley took out her keys, unlocked the front door, and they walked in, closing the door behind them.
"Mom! Dad!" Ashley called.
"Can I use the phone?" Carlos asked.
"Yeah, let me take James then," Ashley said, setting the baby bag and her backpack on the ground. Carlos held the basket out to Ashley. She took it and went into the den. Carlos called his parents and hung up. "What'd they say?"
"They're on their way," Carlos said and the doorbell rang. Carlos answered it and let his parents inside.
"Mom! Dad!" Ashley called again her parents again.
"Carlos..." his father started. Mr. and Mrs. Hammond came downstairs.
"Dad, wait for the Hammonds to..."
"They're here, Carlos," Ashley said. "You four may want to sit down."
"Ashley..." her mother started.
"Mrs. Hammond, I assure you nothing bad has happened to Ashley, I think," Carlos said. The four parents sat down. Ashley gently picked James up out of the basket and stood up, directing James to the parents.
"Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Vallerte, this is James Stefan Vallerte," Ashley said.
"Ashley Miranda Hammond!" her father exclaimed. Carlos stood next to her and took her loosely hanging hand.
"Mr. Hammond, we did nothing wrong!" Carlos defended his best friend and himself.
"Then where did he come from, Carlos Jose Vallerte?" his mother asked, venom dripping in her voice.
"He was behind the opened door at the Youth Center," Ashley said. Carlos looked in her eyes and saw the tears on the rims of each eyelid.
"Ashley, you and Carlos can't support a child!" Her father exclaimed.
"Carlos, you know better then to pick up children off the streets!" Carlos's father shouted. Ashley looked horrified at the adults. She let go of Carlos's hand, pushed James into his arms, and ran upstairs to her room, crying.
"Ashley!" Carlos called after her. He turned to the adults and started to yell at them harshly, "You four went too far! You have no right to tell us what to do with James! Or that we can't support him! Ashley and I can do this! And what would have happened if we left James there? He would have died! Ashley and I made a decision! We just wanted to tell you! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go after Ashley, because of you four!" Carlos ran upstairs to Ashley's room with James in his arms. He knocked on her door. "Ashley?" He opened it and walked inside. He laid next to her. "Hey, don't cry, Sweetie." Ashley turned to him, her face and eyes were bright red from crying.
"Oh, Carlos," Ashley whispered, tears dare continue to fall down her cheeks.
"Shhh," he whispered, wiping her tears away, "Don't cry, Ash." She stopped crying and smiled.
"I like the newer Carlos," Ashley whispered.
"You know what?" Carlos asked.
"What?" Ashley asked.
"So do I," Carlos whispered. James yawned. Ashley and Carlos laughed a little. "Looks like someone's tired." Carlos covered his mouth with his hand, so Ashley didn't see him yawn too. She yawned after him.
"Looks like we're all tired," she whispered. Carlos smiled at her. He put his left arm around Ashley and held James in his right arm. The three fell asleep together on her yellow sheeted bed.