I didn't get as good of a response as I would have like for the prologue so I'm going to give it one more try. If you want me to continue then read, review, and then go vote on the poll on my page! I really hope you do so that I can continue writing.
—Devotissimo Suo Aurora
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, or Breaking Dawn. I don't own any of the characters. I do however own my characters, plots, and words.
Summary:Rosalie Lillian Hale is a fifteen year old sophomore in high school. Royce Alexander King II is an eighteen year old senior in high school. They've been dating for a little over a year and Rosalie thinks they'll be together forever. But when Rosalie ends up pregnant and Royce's parents find out before him and then try to keep from him what will she do? Has Rosalie actually found her true love or is it just teenage hormones? R&R to find out.
Chapter 1: Symptoms
I woke to find myself running for the bathroom. Once reaching the toilet I instantly vomited. There was no one in the house except for me, my mom, and my brothers. My dad had already left for work. I heard footsteps then Jasper, my twin brother, came in looking scared and startled to see me on the title of the bathroom floor.
"I think I have stomach bug," I chocked, trying to catch my breath.
"Oh… do you need anything?" he asked sounding quite scared.
"No," but I did need something. I needed Royce.
Suddenly another round of food came up. After about 20 minutes the nausea finally passed. I trudged over to the shower and started the water. I let the water warm and then I stripped and stepped into the shower. After I was done I got out and wrapped a towel around my hair and another around my body. I walked over to my vanity and unwrapped my hair and began to brush through the tangles. After my hair was brushed I turned on my blow dryer and dried my hair. After I did my makeup and then I curled my hair. I walked to my walk-in-closet and browsed through my clothes. I got dressed went downstairs to the kitchen to eat breakfast.
When I walked into the kitchen I saw my Jasper sitting between Max and Will, our little brothers, at the breakfast bar.
"I'm telling you he said it was three feet long," Will said as he demonstrated how long three feet was with his hands.
"And I'm telling you that there's no way it was that long," Jasper replied.
"But Andy said—" Will began to say but was cut off by Jasper.
"I'm telling you, little man, Andy's lying to you. Just like he lied and told you can be sucked down the drain in the bath tub," Jasper said and then ruffled Will's hair.
I looked at my brothers and saw them each taking bites of their omelets. The cheese was still hot enough that it would stretch with each bite. The salsa and cheese flowed out of the omelet like an erupting volcano. It flowed around the plate like a pool of liquid covering the ground.
Eventually Jasper noticed that I was staring and looked at me. "Rose, aren't you going to eat?" he asked.
I tried to find the words to tell him that I didn't feel good but instead of words coming to my mouth warm water began to flow. I knew what was going to happen. It had happened too many times before. I jumped off of the bar stool I was sitting on and ran to the downstairs bathroom.
I threw open the bathroom door and bent down to my knees in front of the toilet. I gripped the edges of the cool porcelain bowl and dry heaved into it. I heard my mom's heels on the wood floor. "Oh Rosalie," she said as I heard the water begin to run in the sink. Just as soon as it had started it stopped and I felt my mom move my hair off the back of my neck replace it with a cold wash cloth. I dry heaved a few more times and then it passed. I sat back on my knees and took a deep breath. "Sweetheart, are you ok?" my mom asked.
"Yeah, I must have that stomach bug that's going around," I replied.
"Well, I want you to stay home from school today," my mom said.
"But Mama-," I said but my mom interrupted.
"No buts you're staying home today," my mom said and then walked out of the bathroom.
"So, you're staying home from school," I heard a voice say. I knew who it was without looking up, but still I looked up and saw Jasper standing in the doorway of the bathroom. "I'll be sure to get your homework for you," he continued.
"Thanks," I said.
"No problem," he said and then walked away.
I walked back to the kitchen and saw that my brothers had already left. My mom turned and saw that I was in the kitchen. "I made you some toast and poured you a glass of orange juice. Eat and drink it and then go up to your room and rest. I want you to rest today. Now I'm going to take Max and Will to school and then I'm going to go to work. I'll call you when I can to check on you," my mom said.
"Ok," I replied and smiled.
My mom walked over to me and said, "Just rest today." She kissed my cheek and then walked out of the door that led to the garage.
I sat down at the breakfast bar where my mom had sat a plate with two pieces of toast on it and a glass of orange juice. I picked up a piece of toast and my mom's words repeated themselves in my ears. Rest. Rest. Rest. Rest. If only my mom knew how much I wanted to rest lately. I finished by breakfast and went back upstairs to my bedroom.
I walked to my closet and changed into a baggy t-shirt and sweat pants. I walked back out into my bedroom and trudged over to my bed. I crawled under the covers and soon fell back to sleep.
That was the first that I had woken up sick. At the time I really thought I just had a stomach virus but little did I know it wasn't a stomach virus. It was actually something very more serious.
A week passed and the nausea continued as did the vomiting. My mom had called my primary doctor, Dr. Jones. Dr. Jones had prescribed me some anti-nausea medicine and said that I probably had the end of the stomach virus that was going around. I was allowed to take one pill every four hours as needed. I usually took three a day. One in the morning, another in the afternoon, and a third one at night. So far this had helped with the nausea.
It was Friday night and after the football game I was going over to my best friend's house for a sleep over. It was routine for us to stay each other's houses on Friday night. It had been a routine since we were old enough to have sleep overs.
I sat on Vera's bed reading a Vogue magazine. "Hey, what do you think of this one?" Vera asked as she walked out of her closet. I looked up and saw that she was wearing a white corset with black flowers printed over it. She had on a short skirt and a pair of black stilettos. She looked like she should be standing on a street corner.
But because I was her best friend I said, "Don't you think you're being a little forward?"
"Oh thank God, I wasn't sure if the message would get across," she said and walked back into the closet. I giggled to myself and went back to reading my magazine.
Vera walked out of the closet wearing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. She walked over and sat next to me on the bed. "So you're really going to go out with Brad tomorrow night?" I asked.
"Rose, I haven't had sex since I went out with Jasper," she said and lied back on the bed.
"Please don't mention that," I said and turned the page.
"Sorry, but it's the truth. I'm not like you," she said.
"What does that mean?" I asked and looked at her.
"I don't have a boyfriend that practically gives me a quickie in the hallway at school," she said.
"Oh," I said and turned back to my magazine. The truth was that Royce and I hadn't had sex in a week. I had been to emotional and when he tried to feel me up I moved away from him because my breasts were so tender.
"Yeah, so how are you and Royce?" she asked.
"Good," I said.
"Really, because Brad said that Royce hasn't had any new stories to tell," Vera said.
"Well, he shouldn't," I said casually.
"What? Why not?" Vera asked.
"Because we haven't done anything in a week," I said.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because I've been sick and emotional and my breasts are tender," I said.
"Oh no," Vera said.
"What?" I asked.
"Have you had your period?" she asked and I froze. I dropped the magazine from my hands. "Oh my god, you haven't, have you," she said.
"I'm only a week late," I said.
"Only a week late? At our age that's like an eternity," Vera said.
"Relax, I'm sure it has something to do with the stomach virus," I said.
"Rose, you didn't have a stomach virus. You're pregnant," Vera said.
"No I'm not, Royce and I are completely safe," I said.
"Think about it, you're nauseous, moody, and your breasts are tender," she said.
"Yeah, but I'm sure it's nothing," I said.
"Rose, just take a test," she said.
"NO," I said and tried to change the subject but Vera kept insisting. "Fine, if I haven't gotten my period by next Friday I'll take a pregnancy test," I said.
"Ok," Vera said and we continued on with our usual Friday night.
It had been a little over two weeks since I started getting sick. The nausea didn't let up any with the passing days, if anything it got worse and on top of that I started to feel very anxious and on edge. It started to seem like any little thing would set me off. From Juanita Starks smacking her gum to the way Travis Williams drug his feet as he walked down the hallways in school. It wasn't just my anger that had gotten stronger over the past days. My sympathy had also grown stronger. I noticed this while watching Legacy, my favorite TV show, one night. Not only had I cried when Karol Johnson and Forest Owen finally realized they had the same feelings for one another but I had also cried during a commercial about Hallmark greeting cards. I maybe a girl but crying over things like that wasn't in my nature. I had also started eating grapefruits like crazy. This was strange because I had hated grapefruits since I was a kid. I always thought that the taste that stayed in my mouth after eating one was the same taste I got after I vomited. I was beginning to drive not only my family and friends crazy but also myself.
I woke to Just the Way You Are playing on the radio. I rolled over and looked at the alarm clock sitting on my bedside table. 6:00 a.m. it read. I groaned at the sight. I had no choice but to get up. I turned off the alarm and got out of bed. I walked into my bathroom and went through my morning routine. When I was done I walked into my closet and got dressed. After I was dressed and went downstairs.
I walked into the kitchen and found my brothers sitting at the breakfast with a bowl sitting in front of each of them. I walked over and poured myself a glass of orange juice. "Well, good morning sleeping beauty," my mom said.
I took a drink of the orange juice and then said, "Good morning."
"I made oatmeal for breakfast," she said and sat another bowl on the breakfast bar.
"Thanks," I said and looked down at the bowl that sat in front of me. The beige color wasn't appealing. I dipped a spoon into the slop and scooped up some. I raised the spoon out of the bowl and watched as some of the oatmeal fell from the spoon and back into the bowl. It landed with a wet sloppy sound. That's when it hit. The nausea that was all too common these days. I put the spoon down in the bowl and just sat there. Warm water flooded my mouth. I thought about being on a beach. I thought about the smell of salt in the air, the feel of the sand in between my toes, the sounds of waves crashing on the shore, and the sound of people enjoying the fun. Eventually the nausea passed. I had gotten good at picturing nice things that would take my mind off the nausea until it passed.
"Rose, are you ok? You look pale," my mom said as she walked over to the breakfast bar. She placed a hand on my forehead and then she felt my cheeks.
"I'm fine," I lied.
"Hmm, you don't feel like you have fever. Are you sure you're ok?" she asked.
"Yes Mama, I'm fine," I said.
"Ok, maybe you just need some rest," she said and then her cell phone rang. She turned and answered it. "Hello," she said to the caller. "Yes. Yes. Ok, I'll be right there," she said and then ended the call. She turned back to the breakfast bar and said, "I have to go. Mrs. Connors has gone into premature labor. Rose, I'll call you when I get a chance. You and Jasper look after Max and Will today. Max and Will, mind your brothers and sister." She grabbed her purse and keys off the counter and went to the door that led to the garage. "Dad and I will see you all when we get home tonight," she said and then walked out of the house.
My mom was an Obstetrician Gynecologist and my dad was an oncology surgeon. With both parents being doctors it was usually up to Andy, Jasper, and I to watch over our younger brothers. Growing up we were closer to our grandparents than we were our parents. But with both being doctors we couldn't expect much more.
Since parent teacher conferences were being held that night at school Andy, Jasper, Max, Will, and I didn't have school. "Hey Jazz," I said.
"Yeah," Jasper replied.
"Do you think you can handle Max and Will for a little while?" I asked.
"Yeah, why?" he asked.
"I just want to go lay back down," I replied.
"Ok, if you need me come get me," I said and went back upstairs. I crawled under the covers and soon fell back to sleep with my hand on my stomach. But while I was sleeping I felt that something was coming.
I woke up at noon to the sun shining through my window. I sat up in my bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I stretched my arms above my head and yawned. I got out of my bed and walked over to my desk. I opened my laptop and turned it on. I waited for it to start. Once I was on my desktop my daily planner popped up. I stared at the calendar and noticed that the ninth was highlighted pink. I couldn't believe it. I was a little over two months late. I couldn't believe that I didn't notice. I opened Internet Explorer and went to Google. I typed in pregnancy symptoms and waited for the results. There were 2,070,000 results. I clicked on the third one down the list and waited for the page to load. Once the page loaded I found the pregnancy symptoms and read them.
I started to make note of the symptoms that I had. Missed period, fatigue, frequent urination, lower abdomen pressure, and bloating. I stared at the screen and went over the symptoms again. There's no way, it was only one time I thought to myself. I read the symptoms yet again. I mean I guess it's possible but it's not likely I thought. It couldn't hurt to check I continued. I looked at the clock on the lower right of the screen. It was 12:20 p.m. I could run to the store and pick up a test and see what it says before my parents would be home. I slipped on my Ugg boots and my coat. I grabbed my purse and phone and went downstairs. I found my four brothers in the living room playing a video game on the big screen TV. "Hey, I'm going out. I'll be back in a few minutes," I said.
"Ok," Andy called from the sofa. I shrugged and walked to the garage.
I walked into the local super market and found the aisle with at home pregnancy tests. I stood in front of the shelves that held them. E.P.T., Clear Blue Easy, First Response, there were so many different brands I didn't know which to choose. I searched through my brain for some sort of answer. I eventually settled on Clear Blue Easy because it was digital and would be easy to read. I grabbed two boxes and bolted for the cash register. After I had paid for the tests I rushed home. Once I was home I ran up to my room and took the tests.
I sat on my bed waiting for the timer to go off. Three minutes had never seemed to take this long. These three minutes seemed like a life time. I kept telling myself that I was crazy. I kept saying that I was just under a lot of stress with school. I kept telling myself that my body was just adjusting to the changes I had made in my love life. I told myself it would all be over in three minutes and I'd never have to think about this again.
The timer rang. I got off of my bed and walked to the bathroom. I picked up one test. Pregnant. I picked up another. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. Four pregnancy tests. All the same. Pregnant. Such a simple word. A simple word that I never thought about. A word that changed my life.
I put the test I was holding back on the counter top. I backed up until my back was against the wall. I saw my reflection in my mirror. I was pale. I was shocked. I was lifeless. I slid down to the floor and just sat there.
I don't know how long I sat there. I don't know how I kept from crying. I don't know how I managed to breathe. I don't know how I managed to actually live.
"Rose! Rose! Rose, are you in here?" I heard Jasper calling out. "Rose! Rose! Ro— oh, there you are," he said as he walked into the bathroom. "What are you doing?" he then asked. I couldn't find the words to answer him. "Rose. Rose. Rose, are you ok?" he asked.
I looked up at him and managed to say, "No."
"What's wrong?" he asked. Concern was written all over his face.
"The counter," I said.
"What about the counter?" he asked.
"Just look at the counter," I said.
"Um, ok," Jasper said and walked over to the counter. I saw him look down. I heard him take a deep breath. He turned back around to face me and said, "Rose, are these yours?"
"Yes," I said.
"Royce?" he asked.
"Yes," I said again and began to cry. For the first time since I read the tests I cried.
Jasper walked over to me and sat down next to me in the floor. "Rose, don't cry," he said and put his arm around me. "Please don't cry," he pleaded. But I couldn't help it. I sobbed into his chest. "What are you going to do?" he asked.
"I don't know," I said.
"You have to do something," he said.
"Yeah, but first I have to gain control of myself," I said.
"Well, I'm here for you. I always will be," he said.
I smiled and said, "Thanks."
Eventually my tears remorse into sobs and eventually the sobs stopped. Jasper and I got up off of the floor and walked back out into my bedroom. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked.
"Yeah," I said.
"Ok, I'm going to go check on Max and Will. There's no telling what Andy's done to them," he said.
I laughed and said, "Ok." Jasper smiled and then walked toward the door.
"Hey Jazz," I said and he turned around. "Will you please not tell anyone about this?" I asked.
"I won't tell anyone," he said and then walked out of my bedroom. I trudged over to my bed and crawled under the blanket and sleep eventually over took me.
I woke up to a knock on my bedroom door. I rolled over and groggily said, "I'm sleeping."
"Well, you need to get up," I heard a familiar female voice say. I rolled over to see Vera walking into my room. "I brought a present," she said as she sat down on my bed.
"What?" I asked.
"Well, I'll give you a hint. It's clear, and blue, and easy," Vera said as she rummaged thru her purse. I moaned as she removed a box. "You said that if you didn't get your period by today you'd take a test. So, I took the liberty of getting you a test," she said and threw the box at me.
"Ugh, Vera," I said.
"Hey, a deal is a deal," she replied.
"Vera, just go in my bathroom and look at the counter," I said. I looked at Vera and noticed she looked confused. I gave her look that said don't ask just go. She got up and walked into my bathroom.
A few seconds later she came back out looking pale. "Oh my god," she said.
"V," I said as I sat up in my bed.
"Oh my god," she repeated.
"V, can you say something else?" I asked.
"Rose, I'm so sorry. I never expected it to be true," she said and rushed over to my bed. She collapsed next to me. "I'm so sorry," she said.
"It's ok, I never expected it to be true either," I said.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"I don't know," I said.
"Who all knows?" she asked.
"Me, you, and Jasper," I said.
"Are you going to tell your parents?" she asked.
"V, I don't exactly have a choice. Eventually everyone around me will know," I said.
"So you're going to have it," she said.
"V, if I were to have an abortion I would be killing someone who never even asked to be born in the first place," I said.
"I guess you're right," she said. "Just know that I'm here for you," she said.
"I know, you're a good friend," I said.
"Thanks, so are you," she replied.
There was another knock on my bedroom door followed by it opening. Vera and I looked over and saw Jasper walk in. "Hey, Mom called and said that she and Dad are working late," he said.
"Ok," I replied.
"She said that the five of us could go grab something to eat or someone could cook. What do you want to do?" he asked.
I thought for a moment and then said, "I've been craving French fries all day."
Jasper laughed and said, "Ok, let's go to the diner. I'll go tell Max, Will, and Andy. Vera, would you like to come with us?"
"Oh, um my mom's sister is in town and we're having a family dinner tonight. I can't exactly get out of it," she said.
"Ok, see you later," he said and walked out of my room closing the door.
"I'd better go. My mom will kill me if I'm let," Vera said and stood up.
"Ok, I'll see you later," I said.
"See you later," Vera said and walked out of the room.
I sat up in my bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I got out of bed and walked to my bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at my reflection. My hair was a mess so I ran my brush through it. I put the brush down on the counter and caught sight of the pregnancy tests. I groaned at the sight and pulled open one of the drawers and pushed them all off into it.
"Hey, are you ready?" I heard Jasper ask. I turned around to see him standing in the doorway.
"Yeah," I said and we walked downstairs.
We walked into the kitchen I saw that Andy, Max, and Will sitting at the breakfast bar. "So, who's driving?" I asked.
"I will," Andy said and the five of us made our way to the garage.
The entire way to the restaurant, thru dinner, and the entire way back to the house I nor Jasper nor said anything about the events of that day. We talked about school and our friends. We talked about movies, music, and TV. We even talked about video games, but neither of us mentioned the pregnancy or the turn all of our lives was about to take.
Once we were back home we all receded back to our rooms. I changed into my pajamas and crawled under the covers on my bed. I thought back to the events of that day and the past few weeks. I could feel the tears burning my eyes but I refused to let them fall. Eventually sleep over took me.
I woke up to it being 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. I groaned and finally got up from bed. I went straight to my bathroom mirror to have a look at myself. "Gah!" I was appalled at how I looked. I was very pale, with dark circles under my eyes. And I was shaking all over. I turned the sink on and splashed cold, soothing water on my face. But I still looked pale. I grabbed a ponytail holder for my hair and I put my hair in a loose ponytail and before going downstairs to get some breakfast.
Jasper was already there sitting on one of the stools. He had some eggs and bacon in front of him on a plate.
"Good Morning, are you feeling any better?" he asked softly. I stopped where I was and just stared at him. Feeling as if something was happening that I just couldn't figure out.
"Yes, much better just a little tired." I scooted over to the refrigerator and got a box of cereal, a bowl, a spoon, and some milk. With that I sat down across from Jasper and started to eat my breakfast.
"That's good," he said, watching me intently. I just continued looking at the counter and eating my breakfast. I soon finished and went to the sink to rinse my bowl out.
"I'm going to take a shower." I told him already walking towards the stairs.
"Ok, just take it easy," he looked back watching me as to make sure I didn't fall.
I went to the bathroom and was suddenly over whelmed with nausea. I barfed up about all of my breakfast before I started feeling normal again.
I walked out to my bedroom and found Jasper sitting on my bed. "So, Mom, Dad, Andy, Will, and Max are downstairs having breakfast," he said.
"Great," I said knowing that I'd have to go downstairs and try to make small talk with my family.
"I told them that you were feeling sick and that I was coming to check on you," he said.
"Thanks," I said as I trudged over to my bed. I lied down on my bed on top of the covers.
"You know eventually you'll have to tell them," he said.
"Yeah, but how am I going to do that," I said.
"Well, Andy got a D on his math test. When he tells Mom and Dad you could say 'but on the bright side I'm only pregnant'," Jasper said.
"That sounds like a terrible idea," I said.
"Yeah, I know," he said.
"I think I'm going to tell Mom and then go from there," I said.
"Tell Mom what?" I heard a female voice say. I looked over and saw my mom standing in the doorway of my room.
"Um, I'm going to go see what Dad, Andy, Max, and Will are doing," Jasper said and practically jumped off of the bed and ran out of my room.
"Well?" she asked.
I sat up in my bed and took a deep breath. "Mom, I'm late," I said.
"Late for what?" she asked.
"My friend that comes once a month is late," I said.
"Oh no, you mean you're late," my mom said and walked over to my bed.
"Yeah," I replied as she sat down.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"Mom, I'm a little over two weeks late. I took four pregnancy tests yesterday and they were all positive," I said.
"Oh my," she said. She controlled her breathing and then said, "Rosalie, don't worry. We'll take care of this. You're going to be ok."
"Ok," I said.
"We'll tell your father together," she said and I nodded yes in compliance. "Now on Monday I'll call Dr. Johnson and get you an appointment to confirm the pregnancy and to start prenatal care," my mom said.
"Ok, when are we going to tell Daddy?" I asked.
"We'll tell him this afternoon," my mom said. "I'll come get you when the time is right. Have you told Royce?" she asked.
"No," I said.
"Well you need to tell him before we tell your father that way your father doesn't hunt him down and start yelling at him and Royce not have a clue what's going on," my mom said.
"Ok, I'll get dressed and go over to his house," I said.
"Good, but first you need to go to confession," my mom said.
"I already confessed to having premarital sex," I replied.
"Yes, but now you have to confess to the premarital sex leading to pregnancy," she replied.
"Oh ok, I'll go to confession then go tell Royce," I said.
"Good, and when you get back we'll set down with your father and tell him," she said and then walked out of my room.
"Ok," I said.
I sat up in my bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I got out of bed and walked to bathroom. After I had brushed my hair I walked to my closet and got dressed. I threw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I slipped into my Ugg boots and went downstairs.
I walked into the kitchen and found my mom filling the dishwasher. "I'm going to confession," I said.
"Ok Sweetheart," she said and I walked out of the house.
It took me about half an hour to get to the church. I parked in the parking lot and then went inside. There weren't many people in the chapel. Only a very few people waited. I went and got in line with Jasper standing behind me. My anxiety calmed as I observed the short lines. I prayed to be last.
MY turn came quickly I slid onto the kneeler and closed the door. I could vaguely here the mumbling of the penitent on the other side of and began to hum quietly. It was not polite to listen to someone else's confession. Alone with a crucifix in the darkened cubbyhole, I fought off the urge to cry.
The priest slid back the screen and began. I made short work of the preliminaries. Getting right to the meat of the problem, I said, "Father, I'm not sure I needed to come again, buy my mom wanted me to. I had sex with my boyfriend. I confessed this a few months ago, but I just found out that I'm pregnant and my mom said that I should come to confess the premarital sex leading to the conceiving of a baby."
"I see," said the priest quietly.
Encouraged by his neutral reaction I continued, "I am not considering abortion." Did I hear him sigh in relief? "I am going to have the baby, but I haven't gotten any farther than that," I said. We both remained silent for a moment. Stifling a sob, I began again. "Father, what bothers me most is the poor baby. It's so horrible to think that people will think he or she is a tragedy. I know it sounds absurd, but I want this baby. I feel sorry for it. I would rather not be pregnant, but it's too late for that. I guess I can't expect anyone to be happy, but do they have to be so depressed? I f a baby is conceived out of a marriage without love is the baby a mistake?" I stopped a waited.
"There is no such thing as a baby that is a mistake. I think you are a wonderful person. Let's start with that." I began to cry in earnest as I took in his words. "It probably feels very good to cry, and you should do that a lot," he said kindly. "I want to tell you a few things. Is that ok?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied trying to stop sniffling.
"At the beginning of time God created us all of us. He took a lot of time because He decided there would be a lot of people. He loved each one of us as though each were the only one He had created. Soon you are going to be a mother. Then you will understand God's love in a special way. You already do, don't you?" he said.
"Yes, Father," I replied solemnly.
"Okay. So each soul was created. He knew each soul intimately. He carefully thought about when each soul should be born. At the beginning of time He created the soul of your little baby. He also decided when would be the perfect time to send that precious, innocent soul down to earth. He carefully looked around at all of the souls and decided you were the only one that could be the mother of this baby. He left nothing to chance. He knew this sin would be committed. He loves you like you are His only child. He thought, 'How can I make something wonderful come form something my little angel should not have done?' This baby is no accident, my dear. Your baby was created by God at the beginning of time and has some very special work to do in this world. Work that only he or she will be able to accomplish. Your baby is no mistake. There is no such thing," he said.
He paused and then continued, "Your baby is a precious gift to our world. For your penance I want you to thank God every day for this child. Thank Him for His mercy and thank Him for His constant love. It may be that you decide to give this baby up for adoption. Even if you do, remember that you'll be a mother for eternity. God will let you know what is best. Never be afraid of what people think of you. God know you better than anyone else. He's filled with joy today because you've accepted the gift of this child. That's all that matters. Is there anything else you want to talk about? You've told your parents?"
"I've told my mom and she said that we would sit down together and tell my dad. I'm not going to get kicked out or anything. My mom said that we were going to go through this together as a family," I said.
"Good, I want you to call the rectory and ask them for the number to Catholic Charities. They can help you to look at all of your options," he hesitated before continuing, "Do you want to tell me your first name?"
"Yes, Father. It's Rosalie," I said. I thought heard him gasp. There was no secret as to who I was now. My family has always been very involved in the church and I was the only current member whose name was Rosalie.
"Okay, Rosalie. I am going to ask God every day to protect you and your child. He'll take special care of you. Incidentally, are you clear on the rules regarding premarital sex? It doesn't become okay because you're pregnant and after you give birth it doesn't become ok because you've already become pregnant," he said.
I held back a laugh and said, "Yes, Father, I know. I don't know how to thank you. I feel happy. Thank you, Father."
"Thank you, Rosalie. You're a brave and courageous girl. Go in peace." he said.
I stumbled out of the confessional. I kneeled down and said my penance. "Thank you, God, for my little baby," I prayed over and over. My heart felt lighter than it had since I had begun having a sex life. The priest did not think I was horrible. On the contrary, he thought my baby was a good thing. "A precious gift," he had called it. I smiled to myself. "Than you, God, for my little baby," I prayed again. Cleansing tears burned my eyelids. I stayed and prayed for thirty minutes. The priest said that it only mattered what God thought. If I only worried about what God thought, my worries were over. God loved me. Of this I was certain. The rest could be dealt with.
With a light heart I skipped out into the sunshine. I walked to my car and got in. I looked at the rosary hanging from the rear view mirror and smiled. I put my car in gear and backed out of the parking place. I pulled into traffic and drove to Royce's house to tell him about the baby.
I drove up to the Kings' house. I parked in front of the garage . I got out of my car and walked to the front door of the house. I rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer. Eventually the front door opened. I stood there on the front porch face to face the Royce's mother, Katherine Marie Thornton-King.
"Hello Rose," Mrs. King said smiling.
"Hello Mrs. King, is Royce home?" I asked returning her smile.
"No, he's taken Laura to a friend's house," she said referring to Royce's little sister.
"Oh, will you tell him I stopped by?" I asked solemnly.
"Of course, is there something wrong?" she asked.
"Oh no, I'm fine," I replied.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
I looked at her and made the mistake of deciding to confide in her. "Well actually I needed to talk to him about something important," I said.
"Well, if you'd like you can come inside and talk to me," she said.
"Ok," I said and followed her inside.
We walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "Now, what's so important?" Mrs. King asked.
"Well, I'm not sure how to tell you this," I said.
"Just tell me," she said.
"Ok, I'm pregnant," I said and her face fell and her color drained. "Mrs. King," I said.
"Oh dear, are you sure?" she asked.
"Well I took four pregnancy tests and they all said the same thing," I said.
"So you haven't been to a doctor yet?" she asked.
"No ma'am," I replied.
"Do you plan on going to a doctor?" she asked.
"Yes, I'll probably go on Monday," I replied.
"Ok, that's when we'll know for sure," she said, but it was like she wasn't talking to me. She looked at me and said, "If you are don't worry because Mr. King and I will handle the expenses."
"Excuse me?" I asked confused.
"The expenses, for the abortion," Mrs. King said. I just sat there. Unable to say anything. The words from the priest rang in my head. "Rose, are you ok?" she asked.
"Mrs. King, I'm not having an abortion," I said.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because having an abortion would be murdering someone who never asked to be born in the first place," I said.
"Dear, this baby will not just affect your life it will also affect your family not mention Royce and our family," she said.
"I know that, but I still feel strongly about this," I said.
"Well, if that's your decision then I must tell you what I want you to do," she said.
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
"I want you to never speak of this to Royce. I want you to break things off with him. I want you to stay away from him," she said.
"What?" I asked more confused than before.
"Rosalie, if Royce does the right thing by this baby then he will ruin all of his chances in life. He will not have the opportunities that he deserves," she said.
"So what you're saying is that you don't want Royce to ever know that he has a child?" I asked.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," she said.
"What about school?" I asked.
"Mr. King and I will pay for you to go see a sick relative while you're pregnant. Then you can come back when Royce goes off to college and pretend like none of this happened," she said.
"You expect me to just put my life on hold so that Royce never knows about this?" I asked.
"Yes," she said.
I sat there with the anger growing inside of me. Eventually I went off. "I can't believe you!" I shouted. "You want your son to go on for the rest of his life without knowing about his own child! If you had gotten pregnant as a teen would you have killed the baby?" I asked.
"I did get pregnant as a teen and I did make an adult decision and I never regretted that decision," she said.
"I can't believe you! You know what? I don't want Royce to know about this baby! I don't Royce to ever be a part of his or her life because he'd probably just ruin it!" I shouted and then rushed out of the house. I ran out to my car and sped out of the driveway. I sped the entire way to my house with tears running down my face.
When I got home I parked in the garage and then ran into the house. I ran straight pass my mom and up the stairs to my bedroom. I slammed my bedroom door and flung myself across the bed. I buried my face in the covers and screamed.
I heard my bedroom open and I heard someone walking across the floor. I felt my bed shift with someone's weight but I didn't have the will to lift my head. I couldn't stand to face any of my family after what had just happened.
"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" I heard my mom ask.
"Nothing," I said muffled by the covers.
"You ran into the house without saying a word. Now what's wrong?" she asked.
"Royce," I replied.
"Oh Sweetheart, what did he say?" she asked she rubbed circles on my back.
"Nothing, he wasn't there," I shouted into my bed.
"Then why are you so upset?" she asked.
"Because I talked to his mom," I said setting up.
"Oh no, what'd she say?" my mom asked concern written all over her face.
"She said that she and Mr. King would pay for me to have an abortion. When I told her that I thought abortion was murder of someone who didn't ask to be born she said that they would pay for me to visit a sick relative until Royce goes off to college, but no matter what I do they don't Royce to ever know about it," I said sniffling.
"Oh Sweetheart," my mom said and I collapsed in her arms.
"Mama, what am I going to do?" I asked.
"Well you're going to hold your head up high. You're going to continue with your life and you're going to have your family by your side every single step of the way," she said.
"But what about Royce?" I asked.
"Well his parents have the right to keep this from him if they wish. We'll just deal with this as we go," she said. "Now are you ready for another confrontation?" she asked.
I leaned back and looked at her. "Daddy?" I asked and she nodded yes.
We got off of my bed and walked downstairs to my dad's office. My mom knocked on the door and heard my father say come in from the other side. My mom walked opened the door and we walked inside. "Honey, are you busy?" my mom asked as she closed the door behind us.
"Never too busy for my girls," my dad replied.
"Good because we have a lot to talk about," my mom said as we sat down in the two chairs that sat in front of my dad's desk.
"What's wrong?" my dad asked as he looked up from his work.
"Rosalie," my mom said.
I took a deep breath and said, "Daddy, I'm pregnant."
"I was hoping this day wouldn't come," he said. "When did you find out?" he asked.
"Yesterday," I replied.
"And you?" he asked and looked at my mom.
"Today," she said.
"Have you told Royce?" he asked.
"No, but I told his mom," I said.
"And?" he asked.
"She said that she and Mr. King would pay for an abortion," I said but my dad interrupted.
"You're not going to have an abortion. I'll let you make any decision other than that one," he said.
"I told her that I think abortion is murder of someone who never asked to be born. So she told me that they would pay for me to visit a sick relative until Royce goes off to college. Bottom line, she never wants Royce to know," I said.
"Ok, on Monday you'll go see Dr. Montgomery and be confirmed pregnant and get started on prenatal care and I'll meet with Mr. King and see what we're going to do," my dad said. My mom and I just sat there not sure what to say. "Now, have you been to confession?" he asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Good, now we tell your brothers," he said and my mom stood up and left the room to get my brothers.
Less than a minute later my entire family was gathered in the living room. "What's going on?" Andy asked as he sat in the armchair.
"Yeah," Max asked. "I was just about to beat Andy in Halo.
"Boys, your sister has something to tell you," my dad said and motioned for me to speak.
"I'm pregnant," I said for what seemed like the millionth time.
"What? Royce got you pregnant? I'll kill him!" Andy exclaimed as he lept from the chair.
"Andrew! You will do no such thing!" my dad shouted.
"Now boys, we're all going to support your sister through this. We're going to let her make the decisions and stand by her one hundred percent, "my mom said.
"What does pregnant?" mean Will asked. Only being six he didn't have a clue.
"It means your sister will have a baby," my mom explained and Will shrugged loosing interest.
"The one thing all of you should know is that Royce's parents don't want him to know so we are going to respect that," my dad said.
"So what are we going to do?" Andy asked.
"We're going to deal with it one day at a time," my dad said. He explained to the boys that we would know more on Monday. When he was done he dismissed us all.
The rest of the weekend passed slowly. I felt that Monday would never come. It came peacefully. My brothers didn't ask many questions. My parents never asked what happened at the confession. On Sunday we attended church as usual. I walked inside burning with shame. I felt like everyone could tell I was pregnant. I hardly spoke and when I did it was barely audible. Royce and his family were there. I avoided them like the plague. I caught eyes with Mrs. King once and if looks could kill I would have been dead. Not only me but also my baby, Royce's baby.
Ok so this is the last I'm posting before I close the poll. So if you want to choose what Rosalie has go vote. I really hope you liked this chapter and will continue to read and review.
—Devotissimo Suo Aurora