The next morning Katherine slept until almost noon, she woke up to find that her mum and dad were both gone. She was glad to be alone for awhile; she kept replaying that scene with Kimberly in head. She felt so bad that Kim had found out about the baby the way she had but it was over now and soon everyone would know.
"Come in," Kat said hearing a knock on her bedroom door about an hour later after she had gotten dressed.
"I do believe you've gotten prettier than I remember," a voice said as the person came into the room.
"Aunty Miranda!" Kat exclaimed giving her dad's sister a hug.
"How've you been kid?" Miranda asked sitting on the edge of the bed.
"I'm good, I miss home terribly though but I've made some friends here," Kat said trying to sound cheerful.
"You don't have to pretend with me Kathy, your mom told me everything," Miranda said calling Kat by the nickname that she'd given her as a child.
"Oh Aunt Miranda, I've screwed up everything, I hurt one of my friends terribly and now my own father can't stand to look at me," Kat told her.
"My brother can be at bit harsh but you give him some time and I'm sure it'll all work out," Miranda replied.
"Is that your way of telling me you don't want me moving back to Australia with you," Kat joked.
"You know I'd love to have you with me, but going back home isn't what you want, is it?" her aunt asked.
"No, not if it means I'd have to give up my baby besides Tommy wouldn't let me go anyway," Kat told her.
"Tommy's the father?" Miranda asked.
"Yes, I can't wait for you to meet him, your really going to like him," Kat replied.
"I'm sure I will and you don't worry about your father, I'll see to him," Miranda said.
A few hours later, Katherine walked into the youth center. She wasn't sure she was ready to face the others especially if Kim happened to be around but she couldn't just stay at home hiding.
"Mind if I sit down?" She asked seeing Rocky sitting at a table all alone.
"No, go ahead," Rocky told her.
"I assume you've heard about me and Tommy and I just wanted to say I'm sorry if you thought I led you on or something," Kat began.
"I could never think that Kat, I mean we only went on one date," Rocky told her.
"Does that mean you're still my friend despite everything that's happened?" Kat asked.
"Of course, I'm not just Kim's friend you know, I'm yours and Tommy's too and I think you guys are going to need us now more than ever," Rocky replied.
"I'm lucky to have such a great friend like you," Kat said smiling.
"Thanks, for meeting me guys," Tommy said as Adam and Billy joined him in the park.
"Aisha filled us in about what happened," Adam said.
"I didn't mean to hurt Kim and I'll understand if you're both angry with me," Tommy told them.
"Tommy, Kimberly's one of my oldest friends and I hate seeing her so upset by all this, I really think she needs me to be there for her right now," Billy declared.
"I understand Billy," Tommy told him.
"Kim's my friend too but so are you and I'd like to think that I can be there for you both," Adam spoke up.
"I really appreciate that Adam, and I know it won't be easy but somehow we'll all get through this," Tommy said.
"Have you guys decided what you're going to do about the baby?" Billy asked.
"We're going to keep the baby, neither one of us can stand the thought of giving him or her away to strangers," Tommy explained.
A few days later, Tommy sat at a table in a restaurant with Katherine and her Aunt Miranda.
"It's very sweet of you to include me on your date," Miranda said.
"Anything for Katherine's favorite aunt," Tommy said with a smile.
"Besides it's not exactly like Tommy could come over to the house to meet you," Kat said with a slight frown.
"Look you two, I know the situation seems impossible right now but I'm sure my brother's going to come around," Miranda told them.
"It doesn't matter if he does or not, I'm going to take care of Katherine and this baby with or without his help," Tommy decided.
"It's not going to be easy, you're both still very young," Miranda reminded him.
"We both realize that but we're willing to make it work," Kat told her.
"Well, I may live far away but if you ever need me all you have to do is call," Miranda replied. A few hours later Katherine and her Aunt were in the living room talking with her mother when Kat's dad came home.
"I hope the three of you are talking about Katherine's relocation to Sydney," Jack Hillard said as he entered the room.
"Actually Jackie we were talking about quite the opposite," Miranda told him.
"Don't call me that, we're not teenagers anymore," Jack replied.
"No we're not teenagers but your daughter and her boyfriend are and they're expecting a baby," Miranda followed.
"Exactly, they're too young to raise a baby, that's why I want Kat to return to Australia and give the baby up for adoption," he said.
"Dad, Tommy and I are keeping the baby," Kat interjected.
"The hell you are," Jack said.
"Jack, please she's our daughter and she needs us," Kat's mother told him.
"Marie, we've already discussed this and I won't have my daughter embarrassing us by becoming an unwed mother," he replied.
"So that's why you want to send me away, because you're embarrassed?" Kat questioned.
"Katherine, your mother and I had such high hopes for you, you were going to be an Olympic diving champion," he said.
"But I messed all that up the day I hit my head at the Pan Globals," Kat said.
"Yes but I'm not blaming you, I know I probably pushed you too hard to be the best but I thought us moving here would help us to leave that in the past and now you go and get yourself pregnant and ruin everything," he said.
"I'm sorry that you think I've ruined my life, but I'm keeping this baby," Kat declared.
"Fine, you keep that baby but just don't expect any help from me," her father said as he left the room and Katherine sobbed quietly in her mother's arms.
A week later, Katherine's aunt returned to Australia and Katherine was left to deal with her father alone. He had stopped talking her and wouldn't even look in her direction when they were in the same room. Her mother tried to make the best of the situation but Kat could tell that being in the middle of them was beginning to be too much for her. Katherine didn't want to be the cause of a rift in her parents' marriage and knew that she had to do something to make it easier for all of them.