Chapter 6
Drake felt odd climbing into the passenger seat of his mother's car. Since the day he finally managed to get his license Drake had made a point of being in the driver's seat whenever possible. Sitting beside his mother in the little car made Drake feel even younger than he was, and brought back memories of riding in the car with his mother after his father had left, and long before she had meet Walter. Drake shook his head and tried to concentrate on where his mother was going. Fifteen minutes later they were parked on the soft shoulder of a winding, cliff-side road watching the sun set over the city.
When the streetlights below began to glow Audrey finally spoke.
"I had just turned eighteen when I found out I was pregnant with you." She began quietly, staring straight ahead.
Drake turned to face his mother when she paused. He knew she had been young when he had been born, but he had never actually done to math to figure out just how young.
"I had been dating Joe, you're father, for just shy of a year at that point. My mother hated him." She laughed wiping away a tear. "She always told me he was nothing but trouble. The musician with the dark hair and the dangerous smile… 'boys in bands will break your heart' she always told me. But I didn't care. I was young and in love. He was a few years older then me, and had a leather jacket and black Ducati, what wasn't to love? He would sing for me when we were alone, and his voice could melt butter. You got that from him you know, you're music." She said looking over at her son, "I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but I loved to listen to him sing."
"I never realized you were, you were so young when you had me. I never really thought about it." Drake said unbuckling his seatbelt and tucking one leg under the other.
Audrey nodded. "Joe freaked when I told him. It was only a few weeks after my birthday, and his band was talking about trying to go on tour. He didn't believe me at first, tried to tell me that I was lying, then that it wasn't his. We argued and he left on his bike. It was nearly a week before I heard from him again."
Drake hung his head in shame, "I panicked when Molly told me, I ran out of The Premier like it was on fire." Drake looked up at his mother, "But I went back, it took me a few hours so calm down, but I went back"
Audrey nodded and reached over to brush her son's hair out of his eyes, "Joe came back too, thought it took him a bit longer to deal with what was going on. He was all apologies and promises when he showed up at my door, flowers in hand. We told my parents that night. I won't bore you with the details, but your grandparents were less then pleased and I moved out that night."
"Gram kicked you out?" Drake asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Not in so many words, but we'll say it was sometime before we had the relationship that we have now."
"So you went to my father's?" Drake asked hesitantly.
"Not at first." Audrey admitted. "I was still made at him for taking off the way he did, and I wasn't quiet ready to let him off the hook yet, so I stayed with my older sister, your Aunt Kelly for a while. She had her own place then, it was a small apartment, but she took me in even helped my find a job. I didn't actually move in with Joe until just after you were born."
Audrey ran her hand over her son's hair and thought about those first few months at her sister's house. She remembered how scared she had been, and how grateful she was that there had been someone for her to turn to.
"I know you're scared Drake." She said taking his chin gently in her hand forcing him to look up at her, "But we'll get through this." She let go of his face, resting her hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you knew that you could come to me with this, and I want you to know that even though we both know you two are too young to be parents, I'm going to help you get through this."
Drake felt a single tear of relief trickle down his cheek. He wasn't going to have to do this alone, and he felt the huge weight of it lift from him shoulders. Drake leaned over and hugged his mother.
"Thank you " he whispered just as his phone chimed.
Glancing down at the read out he saw that it was a text message from Molly.
"Her parents are home." He said, reading the message.
"Lets get over there then." Audrey told him as she pulled the seatbelt across her.
Drake smiled, "Yeah." He breathed, buckling his own seatbelt. "Let's go."
A short time later Audrey pulled into the drive way of the little white house with the yellow door. There were three cars in the driveway, Molly's blue Neon, her mother's black Mercedes and her fathers Green Land Rover.
"Do you want me to come in with you?" Audrey asked as Drake unbuckled his seatbelt.
Drake paused and considered his mother's offer. As much as he would love the support he felt as if it would be a sign of weakness to bring his mother in with him. Drake stared at the yellow door and tried to picture himself standing beside Molly telling her parents what they had done. The thought made him shudder, and weakness or not, he wanted his mother there.
"Yeah," he told her, "I think it would help."
Audrey nodded and climbed out of the car following her son to the front door. Before he knocked Drake pulled his phone out of his pocket and texted Molly, 'I'm here.' He gave her a minute to get the message, and then knocked. A few seconds later Molly opened the door.
"Drake." She said with a wobbly smile, "Mrs. Parker…" she hesitated, "Does she…?"
"I told her." Drake assured his girlfriend, "It's going to be ok. Where are your parents?"
Molly bit her lower lip, "They're in the living room."
Drake reached down and took her hand, "Come on then, lets get this over with." And together they walked into the living room.
Molly's fingers tightened convulsively around Drakes when they entered the living room, and he found himself tracing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb, desperately trying to calm both of them down.
"Hello Drake." A petite woman said looking up away from the television. She stood, "You must be Drake's mother."
"Audrey Parker." Drake's mother filled in stepping forward to shake the woman's hand.
"Sue Fletcher, and that's my husband Rick." She said gesturing to the man behind her. "So what do we owe this visit?"
Molly's hands began to tremble and Drake was forced to swallow hard to clear the lump that was suddenly blocking his throat.
"I think we should all sit down." Audrey said calmly.
Sue looked resentful at being told to sit in her own house but said nothing.
Drake and Molly perched nervously on the edge of the couch across from Molly's parents with Audrey beside them.
Audrey looked at her son and blew out a breath seeing the fear in his eyes began to speak.
"As I'm sure you know Drake and Molly have been dating for a few months."
The look in Rick Fletcher's eyes told Audrey that he was well aware of her son's relationship with her daughter, and did not approve.
Taking a steadying breath she went on. "Well it seems that Drake and Molly have gotten into a… well, a bit of trouble."
Before Audrey could finish her sentence Rick was out of his chair and heading directly for Drake.
"You got my daughter pregnant you little bastard!" he yelled as he lunged for Drake.
"Rick! Don't!" Sue yelled.
Drake shifted himself so his body blocked Molly's and stared up at the man who's face was turning a brilliant shade of red.
"I'll kill you! I swear I will!" Rick shrieked.
"You lay a finger on my son and it will be the last thing you touch." Audrey said in a quiet, lethal voice that had Rick stopping dead in his tracks as Drake's head snapped around to look at his mother.
Without looking away from Rick Audrey continued to speak. "Molly, go upstairs and pack a bag. You're coming home with us. Drake, hunny, why don't you go help her."
Silently Drake and Molly slipped out of the room and up the stairs.
Less than five minutes later Drake and Molly came back down the stairs carrying a black duffle bag a backpack and a pillow. Audrey was waiting for them near the front door, Molly's parents could bee seen sitting together in the living room, silently staring at a spot on the wall six inches above the television set.
Drake loaded the bags into the trunk as Molly situated herself in the back seat of the car. When he slid into the passenger seat beside his mother she shifted gears and backed out of the driveway. As soon as Molly's house was out of sight Audrey looked over at Drake.
"Nobody threatens my son." She said fiercely.
Drake couldn't help it, glancing back at Molly, he tried to stifle a laugh.
"I don't know what you said to them," Drake said as his mother turned towards their house, "But remind me never to make you that angry."
Audrey laughed out loud as they pulled into the driveway.
"Come one guys, lets go see what Walter ordered for dinner." She said as they unloaded the car and made their way to the house. "We'll eat, and after dinner we'll let the rest of them know that Molly is going to be staying with us for a while."
"You're awesome mom." Drake said quietly and kissed her on the check as she held the door open for him.
"Get in there." She said swatting him playfully,
"It's ok Molly." Audrey said quietly as the still trembling girl slipped by her, "It's going to be ok."