Still flashing back to May, 2016, Freddie is visiting the mother of his child

Chapter 20

Freddie and Melanie spent the next couple of days reconnecting as a couple, visiting their child in the hospital and getting to know each other all over again. They hadn't done anything too physical, but had shared lots of couple time snuggling, holding hands and kissing. By Friday, he was all packed and ready to fly back to Washington and was spending the last few hours with Melanie.

"I forgot to ask you, what about your mom?" He asked as they were cuddled up in bed his last morning with her.

"Oh, she knows all about the baby. We've kept in touch ever since I lived at home before. You know, that might be another good reason my sister is so full of hatred toward me, because I actually get along with our mother and she never could."

"Pam knows? And she hasn't hunted me down and done unspeakable things to my male parts?" He scoffed.

"I told her this wasn't your fault and that if she breathed a word of it to you or came after you that I would never speak to her again. She was actually here to see us a couple of times. She was out when the baby was born and last Christmas. Mom was here not long before I called you, too. She was here to get tested to see about donating blood. In fact, she was the one who encouraged me to reach out to you."

"Well, I'm glad you did." He said with a kiss. "It's almost 7:30, we should get up and ready to go. I wanted to stop by the hospital before I have to go to the airport."

"Promise you'll call as soon as you get home. And I'll update you on the baby every day."

"And as soon as she's healthy enough to travel, we'll get you moved back to Seattle." He told her. "I was thinking that maybe instead of trying to fly, I could drive out, load up all your stuff rather than try to send it all with some moving company."

Melanie made another suggestion. "Maybe you could borrow that RV from Spencer's friend again like you did the summer after we got out of high school. Then we wouldn't need to stay in motels or anything. And we'd have plenty of space for my stuff. I don't have that much and that thing was huge if I remember correctly."

"Good idea. You're so smart." He smirked.

"I love you, baby." She said with a kiss.

Freddie arrived back in Seattle later that day. He took a ride share from the airport to Bushwell and had spent the whole flight back trying to figure out a way to tell his mother about the situation he was in. He walked into the apartment and it soon became clear that breaking it to her gently was not an option.

"Fredward!" His mother called, standing up from her freshly steam cleaned and disinfected sofa. As soon as he saw the look on her face he knew she was livid. Somehow she had found out. The woman waved the letter from Sam toward him. "I need you to explain this to me. Right now!"

He, of course, was oblivious as to what that piece of paper might have been. He had no idea Sam sent such a letter, and to his mother of all people. He reached for it and quickly saw it was in Sam's handwriting before he even began to read the meager sentences she wrote about him and her sister.

"Mom, I can explain."

"This had better be some sort of trick that girl is trying to play in order to get me to lose my mind." Marissa steamed.

"Um, no. I actually need to talk to you about all this." This was as good of an opportunity as any to get this conversation over with.

"Well, there's no time like the present, mister. Sit down and explain to me exactly why Samantha thinks you fathered a child with her sister, who broke your heart years ago."

"B-because I did." He tried to play coy but was failing miserably. Inside he was shaking as if he were in third grade and just got caught cheating on a math test.

"HOW COULD YOU!" Marissa screeched. "You gave yourself to one of those trashy Puckett girls, probably both of them! What about the purity pledge in Sunday School?"

"Mom! I was twelve when I did that. Melanie and I dated for months. We are both consenting adults."

"And you weren't even smart enough to be safe when you had . . . , ugh, I can't even say it. How could you do that with some girl like her to begin with. For God's sake, they taught you about condoms and birth control in health class, didn't they? How did you get her pregnant?"

"Yes, mom. They did. And we thought we were careful but nothing is completely fool proof."

"So you don't deny any of this? Fredward, what has gotten into you?" The words no sooner left her mouth than Spencer came in the door.

"Is everything alright, Marissa. I heard shouting."

The look on her face, combined with the words "Get out!" told him what was happening, especially when he saw the letter lying on the coffee table.

"No. Spencer please stay." Freddie begged. "You need to know about this too."

"I already do, Freddo." Spencer answered, standing in the open doorway. "Sam sent me a similar letter. And apparently one to Gibby as well."

"Alright, so to bring us all up to speed. Melanie and I got together before she left to go to away for school. Once she was there she discovered she was pregnant and for whatever reason didn't call and tell me. The baby was born last May and about the time Mels went to go back to school last fall, she got sick. The baby, not Melanie."

"Oh my gosh, what's wrong with her." Suddenly Marissa went from being mad it him to being concerned about her grandchild.

"She wasn't gaining weight. They did tests and found out she was anemic. The doctors needed some health information on me and they discovered that it was something in my genes conflicting with one of the medications the were trying. Long story short, I flew out to donate blood because apparently I have the same genetic marker and a transfusion from me was about the only thing they could do."

Marissa gasped, the same thing happened with him as a baby.

"And while I was out there, Melanie and I decided that we want to raise her together. And as soon as the baby is well enough to travel, I am going to drive out and bring them back to Seattle."

"Didn't you get the job in Chicago?" His mother asked.

"Mom, I lied about the interview. I'm sorry for that. But I still have the internship at Zaplook here in Seattle and I got a message from them three days ago that I am supposed to go in to meet with a couple of the people in human resources next Monday. I'll probably be starting in a week or so."

"Where are you guys going to live?" Spencer asked.

"I don't know. I'll figure something out before she gets here. By the way, do you think I might be able to borrow Socko's RV again in a month or so? I was sort of thinking that instead of flying them, I might just drive out and bring them home."

"Let me text him." The artist replied. "I'm sure he'll be cool with it. He never uses the thing."

"Mom, can I have a little bit, I need to call Melanie and check in. I promised her a call as soon as I got home."

Marissa nodded and Freddie went to his room to talk to Melanie.

End of flashback.

"You mean to tell me that your mom was that calm when she learned you and Melanie had a kid?" Carly asked, shocked.

"I guess she had a little bit of time to let it sink in that it was possible when I was in Chicago. Or maybe it was learning that the baby was sick that kept her from completely going off the deep end. I don't know, I just know that the very next day she was so concerned that she wanted to talk to Mel personally."

Another Flashback to May of 2016

Freddie logged onto the video chat app on his laptop and waited for Melanie to do the same. He had sent her a text, one of probably four dozen since he returned to Seattle, and she agreed to log on to see each other face to face.

"Hey, baby." Melanie greeted before focusing on the screen long enough to see that Freddie was not alone. She blushed at using a pet name for him in front of his mom.

"Hey, Mels. Did you get any rest?" He asked.

"Yeah. A little. I worked late shift yesterday so I have today off and I slept late. I'm covering for one of the other waitresses tomorrow so I'll be on a double. Maybe get a few extra tips. Hello, Mrs. Benson."

"Hello, Melanie." Marissa tried to act cordial. "Freddie tells me your baby is in the hospital. Is she getting any better?"

"A little more, actually. I heard her cry today for the first time in over a month. The doctor said that they might move her out of the Pediatric ICU by the end of the week and into the regular nursery. I'll actually be able to hold her."

"Aww, that's nice, dear." Marissa tried to plaster on a smile. There was no hiding she was not happy about this whole situation but she did her best to act decent toward her grandbaby's mother.

"How about you?" Freddie asked. "How are you?"

"Well, like I said, I got a little rest but I swear I'll be sleep deprived until I'm thirty."

"Once you're back here and we can work together it won't be so much on just you." He tried to sound positive.

Marissa went on to ask Melanie several health related questions about both her and the baby and made several suggestions for things that might help the situation. She then excused herself to give Freddie and Melanie some time to talk privately.

"Have you had a chance to talk to the guy about the R.V.?" Mel asked once Marissa left, not sure if he had mentioned it to his mother or not. "Sock bat or something like that?"

"Socko. And it's all set as soon as you and the baby are ready, I'll be out for you." He grinned.

"But aren't you soon starting the internship at Zaplook? You can't just take off right away can you? I mean, it's not like you're going to be able to drive clear out here, pick us and everything I own up and drive back to Seattle over a weekend."

"Way ahead of you on that one, baby." He smirked. "I called the head of H.R. and explained the whole thing to her. Well, not necessarily all the gory details, but I told her that our baby was sick and in the hospital in another state and as soon as she's released I need to drive out and pick you two up so you don't have to fly."

Melanie was too caught up on something to even hear the rest of his statement. She began to well up and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"She said it would be fine, but I wouldn't get paid for any time I miss. Mel, honey, did you hear me? Listen, I don't care about the paycheck. Sweetheart, what's the matter? Why are you crying?" He was afraid Melanie was having second thoughts about the matter.

"You said our baby." She sniffed. "You're right, she's our baby. Not just mine, ours. You and me, together. We're a family, Freddie, hearing you say that. It's the best thing I've heard in weeks. Do you think we should get married."

Freddie's breath caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say or even think.

"What? Don't you want to marry me?" The girl sniffed, when he did not respond.

"Huh? Yeah, of course. We, uh, wow, it just, are you serious? You're proposing to me? On video chat?"

"I know you're the kind to think guys are the one who should be doing the proposing, and you can come up with some fancy, romantic gesture some time but I think we should do it. So when you get around to asking, the answer will be yes."

"Of course, Baby." He was already formulating a plan in his head. Somehow, he had to sweep this girl off her feet with a proposal.

End of Flashback

"So why didn't you?" Carly asked.

Freddie was confused as to what she meant. "Didn't I what?"

"Get married? I mean, you guys were together for how long after that, two, three years? Couldn't you find a way to ask her or did she change her mind?"

"Um, Carls. We did get married." Freddie confessed. He had never told his brunette friend, he just assumed she knew. He figured Sam knew because Pam would have surely bragged about it and it only stood to reason she would have told Carly.

Carly was his best friend, his confidant, basically his sounding board. Somehow telling her this made him feel better. Sure, there was absolutely nothing about his life to indicate he was a married man. It wasn't like he was dating or even acting single either. She stood silent, mouth open in shock.