Tim's Baby Girl Chapter 5.
"Who the hell did this?" Tim Riggins yelled from Principal Taylor's office. The office was jam packed full of people. Billy and Mindy had been with Tim when he got the call, Julie and Matt rushed over from their respective work places and Coach Taylor had just happened to be seeing his wife at the right time.
Noah was chomping at the bit to punch someone and Chloe looked like she was about to pass out. Tami tried to explain about how the culprit would be found and punished but that no-one in this room was to do the finding and/or punishing. The two teens were given the rest of the week off to cool down and let the rumour fizzle out. Billy slung his arm over his niece and pulled her in close. "It's all your fault you know, she wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for you," Billy spat. At that point Matt's protectiveness over his son beat out his better judgement, "Yeah well we all know her own mother abandoned her, father was a play boy and you married a stripper? Tell me who's family is conventional in this scenario because all I see is a lot of pot calling kettle." No one said anything, the damage was done. Chloe broke away from the group and ran outside, leaning against the back of her dad's truck.
She was miserable, her dad knew but had nothing to say that would make her feel better. She was like him in that way; didn't want to be comforted by cliches. They sat side by side in cold, quiet silence. It was interrupted by a very upset and confused young boy who had no idea what he was doing. No words were exchanged but both got the message. Noah took the place of Tim, and attempted to fix what his father had done in the heat of the moment, "You know, no-one blames any of this on you. More likely me but I deserve it. I really love you and I get it if you don't want to be around me or my family for a while." Chloe leaned against him and sighed, breathing deep and letting out a long extended breath. "I don't think my dad knows that I know who my mom is...But I do and I even looked her up. She's pretty cool, guess you get to be when you give up your baby and go back to being a single woman with no worries. I thought she would eventually come back and when I was 13, I tried really hard to look good for her so I stopped eating and took up aggressive running. She never did and I thought it was because of me." Chloe's tears were a heavy stream now and Noah got why. "I'd never abandon you or our baby. You're amazing and I'm one of the lucky people who gets to see it. You're carrying our baby, that's fucking cool. Who cares, what other people including my dad, think? Sure it's nice if their on our side but they are just going to miss out on meeting the most amazing kid." Laughs echoed out from the two teens. They got off the ground and dusted off. Noah pulled her in for a long hug that helped the pain from the day be eased for a moment. Chloe climbed into the truck and Noah shut the door.
He walked over to Billy, extending a hand and an apology. "I'm trying my hardest here and I know that this is all my fault but we both want what's best for Chloe and the baby so can we call a truce just until the baby's here or until I screw up again?" He received a nod from Billy and a smile from Mindy. He continued, "My father had no right to say what he did. That was extremely rude and inappropriate so please know that I do not agree with anything he said. I respect all three of you immensely for the amazing job you did raising that brilliant young woman and I hope I can do at least half the job you did." With that he walked away with his head held high. Another win for Team Noah.
He wrenched the car door open, sunk low in the seat and slammed the door closed. He was fuming, the way he had spoken to his girlfriend and her family was inexcusable. He no longer felt like listening to whatever his father's excuse was. The car trip back to their house was silent but toxic with everyone becoming more bitter the further the car went. Julie jumped out leaving just Noah and Matt. "How could you say that to her? To her Uncle and Aunt who she loves very much and to her Dad who is practically her entire world?" Noah regretted even speaking, what was the point of talking to a man who had already said unforgivable things. "You never got to meet my father but he always seemed to want to be somewhere else whenever he was with me. The only reason I joined football was because of him and never once did he actually say 'good job' or 'I'm proud of you'. He also said some pretty awful things to his mentally ill mother. Your whole life I've tried my hardest to be nothing like him. I've never left for a job or just because and I always support you even when you've done wrong. But today, I was him and you and most certainly Chloe did not deserve that and I'm deeply sorry for everything that I said and you have to know that I did not mean any of it." He repented for everything he had done and for the first time Noah saw him as a human not some unachievable being who was perfect but as a human that made mistakes, big ones and knew that he did. Noah got out of the car silently and walked to the driver's side. He opened the door and pulled his father in for a long, forgiving hug; all resentment and anger had left replaced by love and hope.
Julie ran out the door yelling; "We have to go to the hospital, something's wrong with Chloe and the baby."
SOO... what do we want to happen, share your thoughts. Also do we want a boy, a girl or maybe both?