A little note for all of you, if you'd like to help name "Baby Goldsworthy" (Thank you samantha1102 for this title) you can go on my profile and vote on my poll. I really want to see what you guys think!

Now…on with the chapter.

Ready

"To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the ultimate tragedy." ~Leonardo DiCaprio

Clare and Eli sat in the doctor's office while he looked at the newest ultra-sound picture. Both of them were trying hard to hide their anticipation, but were failing miserably. Whenever the doctor would move an inch, one of them would jump, ready to hear the information.

He finally set down the picture and smiled at them. "Your baby is healthy as ever. It's clear that you've been very concerned with his health. And your own…"

Clare nodded and smiled, relieved. "Yeah…I've been taking vitamins and following the diet you gave me at the beginning."

He leaned back in his chair and nodded. He looked the two teenagers in front of him up and down curiously. "Concerning your ages…do you have a plan for what you want to do?"

Eli looked over at Clare. They hadn't really discussed what they wanted to do once the baby was born. They were so wrapped up in the drama of their real lives they hadn't even thought about the baby that it all revolved around.

Clare looked down at her large belly and ran her hand down it. It wasn't that she wasn't ready for the baby. She was definitely ready to have him. She wanted to stop walking around in the fat suit she had on everyday for 8 months. What she wasn't ready for was what she wanted to decide for his life.

She didn't know if she and Eli could be parents. They were only in high school and she didn't even have a job. How were they going to pay for him? How were they going to take care of him? How were they going to make it so his life was a good one?

"We haven't really talked about it," she confessed after clearing her thoughts. The doctor nodded yet again and sat up, folding his hands on his desk.

"Well first you have to consider…is keeping him still at option?"

They both looked at each other. Eli shrugged slightly. "Whatever Clare wants to do."

"I was really thinking that that was what we were going to do," she told, looking at her hands.

"You know that it will be one of the hardest things you'll ever do if you keep this child," the doctor pointed out.

"We'll try," Eli said, kind of defensively.

The older man continued, "Is adoption on the table as well?"

"Um…I haven't really thought about it," Clare answered.

"Well…it is your choice," he concluded, "But just make sure you consider all your options."

The two of them sat on a bench at the park. Clare was eating a hot dog she'd bought from a street vendor, though she wasn't focused on it. She was more looking at Eli who looked completely spaced out.

"Are you okay?" Clare asked, after chewing completely. Eli looked over at her.

"Yeah…I'm fine…never better," he responded, using his index finger to wipe a bit of mustard off of Clare's chin. She smiled and wiped it herself.

"You just seem a little…out of it," she pressed on.

He exhaled, "It's just that…that doctor acts like we can't handle this…he's basically telling us to give our baby up."

Clare sighed and set her food down, "Look at me," she grabbed his chin and turned his head, "It's gonna be so hard for us. Heck, it already is. But we're ready for this."

"So you're saying that we're going to keep it?"

"Yeah…we are…"