Chapter 6

By week 30, Beck and Jade had pretty much everything they needed for the baby. They'd bought the matching crib, rocking chair, and changing table set, as well as a small dresser, plenty of clothes ranging in sizes from newborn to 10-12 months. They'd bought toys and a few enrichment activities, that most likely wouldn't be used until the baby was at least 6 months old, but were still good to have. They'd bought plenty of blankets and burping clothes, probably more than they'd realistically need, but it's not like anyone was exactly coaching them on what to buy. Their last major and most recent purchase was a breast pump, bottles, and pacifiers. Jade was planning on breastfeeding, but when she couldn't, or when Beck wanted to feed, she'd pump.

Now that they were as prepared as possible, all they had to do was wait for the baby to actually get there, or so they thought. They were convinced they were done preparing for the baby, but they couldn't have been more wrong.

They were shown just how wrong they were when they went over to Jade's mom's house for dinner one night when Jade was almost 31 weeks.

"So, how've you two been?" Hera asked, as everyone sat down for dinner. Everyone included Beck, Jade, Hera, Lane, Jessa, and Jaxon.

"We're fine mom. Just like how we were fine the other 5 times you've asked us." Jade answered, in her normal snarky way.

"How much have you bought for the baby?"

"We've bough everything. We're completely prepared. Now we just have to wait for the actual baby."

"You think preparing for a baby only means buying some things?"

"Uh, yeah. Isn't that exactly what it means?" Now it was Beck's turn to be snarky. He was usually very nice and polite, thanks to his Canadian ways, but he just couldn't stand Jade's mother.

"Ha, I wish. Buying things is just barely scratching the surface of what you'll need to do to prepare. Have you thought at all about how you're going to go to school once the baby's born? Or childcare once you finish maternity leave? Or what about Lamaze classes? Have you looked into pediatricians in the area? Have you written a will? Who will the baby go to if you die? Have you thought about what happens if your never-ending love for each other suddenly ends?" Hera shot off rapid fire questions.

Beck and Jade had no idea which question to answer first. Truth be told, they didn't have an answer to any of Hera's questions. They'd been so wrapped up in day dreaming about their baby, they hadn't actually thought about the reality of their situation. They were only 17. They were still in high school. They had no real plans for what was to happen after the baby was born.

Hera took their lack of noise as an answer to all of her questions: we have no fucking clue.

"These are serious things you still need to figure out. I'm not trying to scare you, but I need you both to see the reality of the situation."

That comment sent Jade over the edge. Her mother was in fact trying to scare them, contrary to what she'd said. Jade knew deep down that her mother didn't support their decision to keep the baby. Jade knew her mother believed she and Beck would fail at parenthood. This bombardment of questions was one of her mother's many tests. She made the test impossibly hard, just to see Beck and Jade fail miserably.

"How the hell are we supposed to figure out any of those things when we get no support? From the minute I told you I was pregnant, all you did was judge me and us and our decision to keep the baby. You think I don't notice these impossibly hard tests you give us. You asked us all those questions just to prove your ridiculous point of just how unprepared we are." Jade was practically yelling. She probably would've yelled had it not been for the 11 year old and 6 year old sitting across the table from her.

"Jade Marie, that is no way to speak to your mother." Hera feigned hurt.

"Do you really think I care?"

"I'm sorry, Jade, but you got yourself into this mess. I told you from the very beginning to not come crying to me when shit hits the fan. I'm not gonna help you."

Jade was speechless. She'd known her mother to be cold at times, but never like this.

"Fine, I don't want your help anyway. I never needed it before and I sure as hell don't need it now." Jade said, before getting up from her seat and storming out of the dinning room.

The rest of the table had no idea what to think or say. Lane, clearly nervous, used an insane amount of lotion from an emergency supply he had in his pocket. Hera was obviously mad, her face showed as much. Jessa was looking between Lane and her mother, trying to figure out what had just happened. Jax seemed to be unfazed, and continued eating his dinner.

Beck picked at his dinner for a few moments, trying to give Jade some time to cool down, but after about 5 minutes, he decided to check on her.

He found her outside, sitting on the porch swing, rocking back and forth ever so slightly. Beck say down next to her, but didn't say anything for awhile, hoping she'd talk first.

"I don't know why I thought her feelings on the baby had changed." Jade said, barely above a whisper.

Beck didn't say anything in response, hoping she'd continue talking.

"I never told you this, but the night we told my mom I was pregnant, after you left, she kicked me out. She actually put my clothes in a garbage bag and threw it outside. I slept at Cat's for a week, until I'd finally begged my mom enough, and she let me back into the house."

Beck let that information sinking in before responding.

"Why didn't you ever tell me? You know you could've stayed with me." Beck sounded almost hurt.

"I think part of me was not only ashamed of my own mother for kicking me, her pregnant daughter out, but also mad at you. I was mad that you got me pregnant in the first place. I know it's seems stupid now, because it's just as much my fault as it is yours, but at the time, I was just mad."

"I don't really know what the proper response to that is. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm not sorry about getting you pregnant. Our baby isn't even here yet and I already love them so much. Even if given the chance, I wouldn't go back and change things."

"Yeah, I'm not sorry either. I don't feel that way anymore, but at first, I did."

"I am sorry that your mom doesn't support you. You don't deserve what she does to you."

"I know I don't, which is a why I'm not gonna take it anymore. I'm done with her. If she wants to act that way, then she can, but I'm done. I'm not gonna subject our baby to a lifetime of resentment from their own grandmother, which is why she isn't gonna be our baby's grandma. It hurts me to have to cut off ties with my siblings, but if it means not seeing her, then I'll do it."

"Ok, if that's really what you want, then I'll support. I mean, you already know I don't like her anyway."

"And now I officially don't like her either, so."

The couple sat on the swing for a few more minutes, before deciding it was time to leave.

While on their way back to their apartment, Beck decided to bring up some of what Hera had brought up at their failed attempt at dinner.

"You know, as much as you and I both hate to admit, your mom was kinda right." Beck said, approaching the subject as cautiously as possible.

Jade sighed. "You're right. She did have some good points. The truth is, we still have a lot more to do to prepare for the baby."

"Yeah. Everything made sense to me except for one thing. What the hell are Lamaze classes?"

"They're birthing classes. They're offered to pregnant women and they're supposed to teach techniques to handle labor. There are also ones specifically for women who want to do a natural, drug-free birth."

"Are you supposed to go to them?"

"It's recommended. And it wouldn't just be me going. Most birthing classes involve the father just as much as the mother."

"But what am I supposed to do? All I'll be able to do is hold your hand and get you ice chips."

"I think they teach massage techniques to the father. I'm not really sure."

"Have you thought about what kind of birth you want?" Beck asked, slightly changing the subject.

They hadn't actually discussed the birth yet. They knew it would happen eventually, hopefully within a couple weeks before or after Jade's due date. They just hadn't talked about what Jade wanted to do to be the most comfortable during the labor and delivery process.

"I'm not really sure. I try not to think about it too often. As much as I do enjoy pain, I don't think I will enjoy something the size of a watermelon coming out of my vagina."

Beck really did not need that graphic image in his head.

"Uh, right." How was he supposed to answer that?

"I do want to deliver vaginally if possible, though. I really don't want to have to go through a brutal recovery from a surgery with a newborn."

"So no c-section?"

"Right, no c-section."

"So that just means now you just have to decide if you want drugs or not, right?"

"No. Now I decide where I want to give birth. I could do a home birth, which I think would be messy, but it doesn't cost as much. Or I could give birth at the hospital. Then there's the happy medium known as the birth center."

"Which one do you want?"

"I don't know yet. It's a big decision to make. There's a lot of pros and cons to every option. Plus even when I decide, I still have to decide if I want a water birth or not. If I don't have a water birth, then I have to decide what position I want to give birth in."

"Whoa. Why are there so many different options?"

"Beck, women have been giving birth since literally the beginning of mankind. I'd be a little worried if there weren't so many options."

"Ok, that is a fair point, but how are you supposed to choose what kind of birth you want when there are so many options?"

"I don't know. I'm just supposed to choose whatever feels the most natural and comfortable. Luckily, we still have about 8 weeks until I should really start worrying too much about the birth."

"Ok. So what about those classes? Are we gonna go?"

"Yeah, I guess. We could at least try one class, and if we hate it, we won't have to do it again. I'm gonna try to find a Lamaze class specifically for young parents, because I don't want to be judge by 40 year old moms of 4."

At that, Beck chuckled.

"How bad do you really think it would be? What could they say?"

"I don't know, Beck. It doesn't really matter what they say, it's more how they say it. Normally, I wouldn't care. As you know, I normally don't care what people think, but I'm not exactly normal right now. I'm extra emotional, which is extremely annoying, by something I'm learning to live with. And they wouldn't just be insulting me or us, they'd be insulting our baby. A baby who's done nothing wrong and who is completely innocent. Call it my maternal instincts kicking in; I'm not gonna let our baby be insulted."

Beck loved Jade's new maternal side. He'd seen it a little before, when she'd be with her younger siblings, specifically her brother, but this was different. This was their child. All theirs. Jade was only 30 weeks pregnant and already a great mom; Beck couldn't imagine how amazing she'd be once their baby was actually born.