Coffee Shop | Elizabeth Olsen

44: Future

I lied to Lizzie to get out of the house to come here and now I'm regretting my choices because what am I meant to say to him other than scream at him for being a huge DICK! Colin was a nice guy he was sweet and caring and attentive. He made her happy and now this.

I knocked on the door of the townhouse and took a step back waiting for him to answer. "Nell, Hi." He seemed shocked. "I'm coming in," I tell him moving past him. "I assume you've spoken to Scarlett?" "Spoken to? I've been to her 8-week scan and her 12-week scan and her 18-week scan. Something you was meant to do." I say turning back to face him he scratched the back of his neck. "Look, Nell." "No, you look," I tell him. "Scarlett is a fantastic woman and she adores you and she is carrying your child. Yours, not anyone else's yours therefore it is your responsibility to take care of her and that baby for the rest of your life. See how that works?" He nodded. "I get you're probably scared but so is she. She was terrified, she made me hold her pee sticks!" I exclaim. "She needs your support and you don't just get to hop off the train now buddy. So pull your big boy pants up and get kissing ass."

"We've not even been together a year." He walked off so I followed him. "It's a lot." "You told her you couldn't do this and let her leave at 3 in the morning to walk the streets of New York. Alone, your pregnant girlfriend. At three in the morning in New York City." I break it down for him. "She left." "You could have stopped her. Easily. She just needed you to tell her that it was going to be okay. That you're scared but you'll figure it out. That you still love her." "Of course I love her!" "She's cried herself to sleep every night since she left. She's heartbroken and it's not good for the baby for her to be so stressed and overwhelmed." "I'm terrified." "So is she. It took her 10 weeks to pluck up the courage to tell you and you threw it back in her face and told her you couldn't do this. Ever think that maybe she couldn't do this alone?" "10 weeks?" "Yeah, she found out she was pregnant just before 8 weeks we went for the scan and everything was okay." "Is everything okay with the baby now? Are they healthy growing okay?" "Everything is perfect, they have a really strong heartbeat and is growing at the right rate." I go into my purse and pull out the most recent scan and hold it out.

"Oh wow." He says looking at it. "It's like a proper baby, it looks like an alien." I nodded. "May I?" "Go ahead." I let him take it and his eyes glazed over. "You created that Colin," I tell him as he took in every detail of the ultrasound. "Does she know the sex?" "No, she didn't want to find out in case you changed your mind... You know you got really lucky with her. She's amazing. And she's going to be the best mum with or without you by her side." "I know she is." We made eyecontact briefly. "Is she okay?" "No, Colin she's not okay." I deadpan. "She's so heartbroken. She's scared she has no clue what's she going to do and she only leaves the bedroom to get food and water." "I need to see her." "No." "You come around here and lecture me and then don't want me to see her." "You can't see her today." "Why not?" "She's spending the day with Hunter so you can see her tomorrow. You know the address."

"I don't know what I'm going to do? Or say?" "Give her a big hug, tell her your sorry and you're going to support her through this and that you'll figure it out together. That you love her unconditionally and you made the biggest mistake of your entire life because you were scared. And you continue to apologise until she forgives you. And you make it up to her you be the perfect boyfriend." He nodded. "What about the baby?" "What about the baby?" I asked confused. "I don't know how to be a dad." "No one knows how to be a parent... it's like a known fact no one knows what they're doing." "But what if I ruin them?" "My dad was the best dad in the world and I'm starting to see that not everyone had a dad like mine... I was his third kid and he had plenty of practice at that point but all he did was love me and guide me in the right way. He was my best friend and he taught me so much about the world but mostly he loved me, that was the thing that stands out to me when I think back... His love was consistent and unconditional and that's all you have to do Colin. Love this baby unconditionally and support it. Be there. You walk away now you're already failing them more than you would by being present." "I'm scared." "It's scary, bringing a precious life into the world but imagine how rewarding it'll be how much joy their little smile brings you or how warming their tiny giggles will be."