Chapter 9: Dawn
I couldn't believe that Mary Anne and Logan were getting married.
Well, no, that's not true. I icould/i believe it; I just couldn't believe that it was going to be a little over a month before the big day. Everything was happening so fast. Mary Anne had told Kristy and she, naturally was thrilled and even agreed to wear whatever dress Mary Anne wanted her to (Kristy's never been a big fan of dresses).
College had certainly been an interesting experience, and now I was looking into law school. It was going to be incredibly difficult. No matter how many times I watch iLegally Blondi, I no it isn't going to be easy, and I have a tough road ahead.
It was a little easier knowing that I would know some people in St. Louis. I'm going to be living with Kristy and one of her friend's from college. I still wasn't sure how this was all going to work out, but it saved money, and law school is expensive enough. And even though Mary Anne and Logan would now be residing in St. Louis as well, I couldn't exactly bunk with them, that wouldn't be fair.
I couldn't help but feel a little envious of Mary Anne. I've never really had any great dating relationships. I've dated, but nothing substantial. I'm not sure I've ever really experienced love. It's not that I don't want those things; it's just that I haven't met the right guys.
Or maybe I'm too picky. I can get a little over-dramatic about my passions, especially the environment. I hoped I would meet some people with those similar interests when I started at Wash U this fall. I am excited, and nervous, but I'm sure it'll be great.
The one thing that I don't like is being so far away from both of my families, especially Jeff. I was worried about him, he had been acting strange lately.
But to be fair, he had been acting strange for awhile. Jeff and I always used to be so close, but in recent years, with both of us away at school and mainly seeing each other when we were home (and not always then, as we didn't always visit dad and mom together, often we had to split it up because our schedules didn't coordinate).
I noticed particularly in this past year, we had become very distant. Jeff had friends in Palo City, but I don't think he ever had a true best friend growing up. In high school there was this group of guys that he hung out with a lot, and he dated a few girls but the only person who I could ever associate as his best friend was Byron Pike.
Jeff met the Pikes when he and I first moved to Stoneybrook. Not really at all surprising to me, he bonded right away with Adam, Bryon and Jordan. They were his age, and the boys all liked to get into trouble.
Jeff has often said that the hardest part about him deciding to move back to California was leaving his friends behind (which, I can certainly attest to. I left behind several great friends as well when I moved back).
So I guess it wasn't a big surprise when I heard Byron was going to the same college as Jeff. I'm glad he has a close friend with him at school. But I guess now that Byron is around more, Jeff hasn't felt the need to contact me as much.
What was weird for me was during dinner, the other night, when Mary Anne announced her engagement to Logan. We are all thrilled for her, but Jeff seemed abnormally uncomfortable during the conversation. Mary Anne thought he was just being a boy, but I knew better than that. Jeff had matured a lot, and we have had friends from home get engaged, recently my friend Maggie got engaged and Jeff was there for the announcement and hugged her and congratulated her and he didn't really say much of anything to Mary Anne, and she's his stepsister! Something was off.
That's why I decided to call Sunny, my childhood best friend. I knew that Sunny saw Jeff more frequently since she lived near the campus, and she has always felt like Jeff was a brother to her, and I know the feeling is mutual. Sunny and I have the same kind of connection.
Sunny answered, "Hello Sunshine!" and I groaned. My dad's nickname for me growing up was Sunshine, and ever since Sunny always liked to tease me with it since it's her name as well.
"Hey Sunny, how is everything?" I asked. "Things are going well, Liz and I are working on opening another daycare center, so we'll be up to 4," she replied. I smiled. I liked Liz, and while I was a bit shocked at first to learn that Sunny was in a relationship with a girl I wasn't that surprised. She and Liz seem really happy together, and that's the important thing.
"That's great! I'm glad to hear that all of your hard work seems to be paying off," I said. "Yeah," Sunny replied, "it's just great knowing that we're able to provide something meaningful to others, and help bring awareness to cancer research," she finished.
I nodded. I know to this day her mother's death still haunts Sunny. While she has long accepted that she is gone, that doesn't make the pain of not being able to be with her any easier. I know Sunny still struggles, and that's why she's put so much effort into this project. And it's great that Liz is so supportive and her family just loves Sunny, so that helps.
"So how are things back in Stoneybrook?" Sunny asked. I smiled. "Well, first off, the good news. Mary Anne and Logan are engaged!" Sunny let out a little shout of glee. "Oh, I knew that was coming. Glad to hear it! When's the wedding?" she asked.
"Soon," I replied. "Logan was recruited by the St. Louis Rams and has to report to training camp in July. So they're having the wedding here before they move to St. Louis," I stated.
"Wow, you're moving to St. Louis and so are Mary Anne and Logan? How ironic is that?" she asked. I laughed. "I know, but it'll be so nice to actually live in the same area as my step-sister. Hopefully we can spend more time together," I replied.
"That would be nice," Sunny replied, then paused. "Dawn, is something wrong?" she asked.
I sighed. I knew Sunny could tell that I had a bit of a lack of enthusiasm to my voice, and it has nothing to do with Mary Anne and Logan's happiness.
"Well, since you mention it, yeah. Jeff reacted awfully weird to Mary Anne's announcement. In fact, he's been a little weird since I've come home after graduation. I was just wondering if you knew anything," I asked.
There was a long pause and I could tell Sunny was hesitating with something. So I decided to throw out my suspicion. "You know he and Byron have been so close, you don't think…" I trailed off.
Sunny started laughing. "No Dawn, your brother is most definitely straight, and so is Byron. Trust me," she stated.
"I didn't really think so, but why else would he act so weird when he was so supportive of Maggie's engagement?" I asked. Sunny sighed. "Dawn, I think you need to talk to Jeff about this, not me."
My eyes widened. "You know something, don't you?" I asked. I was a bit irritated with her. I mean, whatever it was with Jeff couldn't be that big of a deal. Maybe he had issues with Mary Anne for some reason?
"Dawn, even if I did, you know me. Just like I wouldn't tell Jeff the things you confide to me, the same applies for him. I think you should talk to him about this," Sunny advised.
I sighed, knowing she was right. "Okay," I said, giving in. Just then, I heard voices downstairs. I hadn't even heard the door knock.
"Sunny, I better go. It sounds like we have guests downstairs. Thanks for listening," I said. I could feel Sunny smiling. "Of course Dawn, anytime. And please tell Mary Anne and Logan congratulations for me!"
We hung up and I headed downstairs to see what was going on, throwing my worries about Jeff aside. I was sure, whatever it was, that it probably wasn't anything that serious, and I'd talk to him later.
When I got downstairs I cam across a rather interesting site. My mom and Richard were sitting on the loveseat, and Mr. and Mrs. Pike were sitting on the opposite couch. Mary Anne was seated in an easy chair, with curiosity sprinkled across her eyes. I heard some other voices and turned to see Jeff and Mallory Pike walking into the room from the kitchen. I honestly hadn't seen Mal in years, and I had to admit she looked really fantastic, and no longer the awkward girl of her middle school years. There was a certain glow about her.
I looked back and forth, trying to glean some sort of reason for what was going on and finally, looking at my mother said, "What's going on?"
My mom opened her mouth to speak but Jeff cut her off. He put his hand on my shoulder and said "it's okay sis. I'll explain everything. But you might want to sit down first," he said calmly, pointing to an open chair next to Mary Anne.
I sat. I should have known what was coming next but I really wasn't prepared. The Pikes and mom and Richard seemed to know as well…the tension in the room was clearly evident.
It was then that I noticed that Jeff was holding Mallory's hand, and all thoughts of any relationship between him and Byron clearly disappeared. How had I not seen this? Jeff was in love, all of the signs were there. I just had picked the wrong Pike I guess. He never really talked about Mallory, well, I knew they went to school together and hung out but…I needed to stop and pay attention as Jeff looked like he was ready to say something.
"Well, some of you know that Mallory and I have been dating for awhile," Jeff stated and I immediately looked at Mary Anne. She had no idea. Mom knew, I saw, and so did Mr. and Mrs. Pike. Richard appeared to be a bit uncomfortable. I suppose I can't blame him, Jeff is his step-son, and he doesn't see him much. I could tell he was hoping my mom would handle this one.
"I knew it," Mrs. Pike finally stated. She glanced at Mallory. "You're pregnant, aren't you?" she asked. Mallory stiffened and I saw Jeff give her a reassuring squeeze and she smiled at him. Mallory looked her mother in the eyes and nodded.
Richard turned white while mom sank into the couch and put her head in her hands. I felt my stomach drop. Mr. Pike was shooting daggers at my brother, but Jeff remained surprisingly calm. Mrs. Pike just stared at Mallory, as tears began to form in her eyes. Jeff put his arm around Mallory and rubbed her back.
"Oh Mallory," Mrs. Pike said. "How could this happen?" she asked. My mom looked up at Jeff. "Jeffery?" she asked. Mr. Pike just sat still, glaring at my brother.
Jeff began to speak but Mallory stopped him. "No Jeff, let me handle this," she said softly. "Neither of us wanted this to happen," she explained. "Mom," she said, choking back a little sob, "we were so careful! We took every possible precaution; I had been taking birth control pills religiously as the instructions stated. Dr. Parks said sometimes it still happens," she stated.
Mrs. Pike closed her eyes, and Mr. Pike finally spoke. "The only prevention is abstinence Mallory, I thought we taught you that," he stated firmly.
"Dad, I know, and you did. We fell in love and we both had long discussions about any potential consequences before we chose to be together. I guess we didn't think it would really happen," she admitted.
"I thought you were smarter than this Jeff," my mom said. Jeff sighed. "I, we both realize that this is not the ideal situation. However, it is what it is and now there is a child to consider. We didn't come here to tell you about this so you can all take turns telling us how irresponsible we are. We came here because we wanted you to know, and we also wanted you to know what we've decided about our plans for the future," Jeff stated.
I stared at my brother in disbelief. He was so calm, and able to speak so well despite the circumstances. What the hell happened to him?
"Young man," Mr. Pike began but Mrs. Pike cut him off. "John, stop it," she said firmly. Mrs. Pike looked at her. "But Dee, our daughter is pregnant!" he yelled. Mrs. Pike sighed, and looked up at Mallory and Jeff. "Yes, I realize that John but Mallory is 20 years old, not 16. She is an adult and it is quite clear to me that Jeff here plans on taking responsibility so why don't we hear what they have to say before we say anything we might regret?"
Mr. Pike softened, then turned to Mallory and Jeff. "So, are you planning to get married?" he asked.
Mallory and Jeff exchanged glances. "Well, that's the other thing we wanted to talk to you about. We already did," Jeff explained as Mallory showed off a rather impressive ring, and I suddenly noticed the gold band on Jeff's left hand.
"You what!" my mother and I exclaimed at the same time, jumping out of our seats. I glanced at Mallory's ring again. "Is that the Schafer family diamond?" I asked and Jeff nodded. "Does dad know about this?" I demanded.
Jeff sighed. "Dad knew that I was planning to propose in the near future. It just happened quicker than I had anticipated."
"When? Where? How?" Mrs. Pike asked.
"Last night, in Sea City. Byron and Vanessa were there," Mallory stated. I saw Mrs. Pike grab Mr. Pike's arm firmly to keep him grounded.
"I want you to all know that I love Mallory very deeply, and she loves me. I had already been thinking about proposing before we knew about the baby, but I had expected we would wait until we were closer to finishing school before getting married. After hearing about the baby, it didn't make sense to wait. I want this child to have both of its parents around," Jeff stated.
"We both realize that we have a tough road ahead. I have already been in discussion with the university about securing an apartment on campus and it looks like we should be able to secure one for this fall. Mallory is due in late December/early January, so we should both be able to finish the upcoming semester. Sunny and Liz have agreed to help with any baby-sitting at their daycare centers, so that should help us out a bit. We'll obviously have to earn some sort of income; fortunately my internship with the computer consulting company that I'm starting next year is paid which will help some."
"I've already checked with the university and as long as I am at least taking classes part-time, including during the summers, I can keep my scholarship," Mallory replied. "P;us, if I can secure a job with any sort of form of media I can apply it towards my internship credit."
We all stared at them in utter silence. Poor Mr. Pike looked flabbergasted. My mother was looking at Jeff as if she didn't really know him. Then all of a sudden it sank in: Mallory is my sister-in-law, and I'm going to be an aunt!
"Will you at least let us throw you a proper wedding ceremony, with friends and family before you head back to California?" Mr. Pike asked.
Mallory and Jeff looked at each other. "Of course," they said together.
Pandemonium ensued. Suddenly Mr. Pike was shaking my brother's hand, and Mrs. Pike and my mother were fawning over Mallory and rubbing her belly. Richard just watched everything unfold, and Mary Anne and I looked at other screamed, "We're going to be aunts!"
Later that evening, after the events that had unfolded had died down; I heard a knock on my door. "Come in," I called softly.
It was Jeff. "Hey sis, can we talk?" he asked. I nodded and motioned for him to join me on the bed.
For the first time that evening, Jeff actually looked like my younger brother again. He looked frightened and small, not at all the mature looking young man I had saw just hours earlier.
"Jeff, what's wrong?" I asked, even though I pretty much knew what it was. Jeff sighed. "Dawn, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about Mal and I. It just, it happened so fast and we were always missing each other over breaks, and I guess I got so caught up in everything…" he trailed off.
I put my arm around him. "It's okay Jeff, I know now. Besides, I haven't been the greatest at keeping in touch either lately. Though I can't say I wasn't shocked this evening," I added.
Jeff laughed. "I know," he replied. Then he turned serious. "I really do love Mal, she's…great. I can't imagine life without her. I'm just so worried about how we're going to get through all of this. I've tried to cover ever aspect of what we need to do and yet I still feel unsettled," Jeff stated.
I smiled and let out a small laugh. "Jeff you found out that you were going to be a father and got married in a matter of 24 hours! How can you feel settled?" I replied.
Jeff smiled. "I don't know how I made it through this evening. It was Mal and the baby. I knew no matter what everyone's reactions were, I had to be strong for them," he said.
"How did dad take the news?" I asked. Jeff, Mallory and my mom had called dad after the Pikes left. Since Jeff was planning on staying in Stoneybrook with Mallory for the rest of the summer, he had no choice but to tell him via phone. The Pikes wanted to have a wedding ceremony and reception in August, and until then, they insisted Mallory live at home, even though they were already married. Though I don't think they had much choice, Richard would flip if Jeff and Mallory were to live here.
"Well, he took it as well as mom did I guess. He, Carol and Grace are going to come out here for the wedding," he replied.
I thought about the last time my dad was in Stoneybrook – it wasn't pleasant. Hopefully he and my mom can pull it together for one day.
I looked at Jeff. "It's okay to be scared. I would, if I were you," I said. Jeff looked at me gratefully. "I know everything will work out, I just, well I suppose I had to grow up faster than anticipated," he stated.
I just smiled and gave my brother a hug. Jeff may have matured a lot, but one thing would never change. He would always be my baby brother.