Best of Women

Lin

I couldn't believe Sebastian had gotten Carmen pregnant. Somehow, I wasn't surprised. With this family's luck, it was bound to happen. Now we had a pregnant teenager on our hands and Sebastian was looking to me to tell him what to do. How should I know? I'd never been in this situation.

Pippa luckily finished off dinner. She called us all out to the table and we had a silent meal together. The tension was palpable. Eva and Mia were pissed at each other, Sebastian was stressed, and so was I. As we finished, I decided doing dishes might help me think a little, so I started the sink and added some soap.

The kids went to their rooms as Pippa cleared the table. As I washed, she began to dry.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

"You know, there are lots of programs to help pregnant teens," she pointed out.

"Yeah," I said. "I know."

She nodded. "We should make sure they know that when we talk to them."

We didn't say much as we washed and dried. I was thinking and she was thankfully giving me the space to do so. After we were done, I grabbed a beer from the fridge and we settled on the couch. I cuddled up with her, hoping to calm down. It had been a day.

"My wife and I had Sebastian pretty young," I said out of the blue at a commercial break. "Had him when we were 21."

Pippa looked up at me. "That's pretty young," she commented. He nodded.

"I was scared out of my mind," I admitted. I didn't talk about my wife much with people. "So was Isabel."

I didn't say her name often. It hurt too much.

"I bet," she said softly, rubbing my chest supportively.

"I thought we should give him up for adoption," I admitted. "But when he was born, I knew I never could. He was my son."

"That's a strong bond," she said.

I sighed. "I don't think Sebastian will be able to give his baby up. I don't know how Carmen feels."

"Well, they have a lot to talk about. It's up to them," she said. It was kind of scary, knowing a life was in my son's hands. He wasn't exactly what I'd call responsible.

I cuddled Pippa closer to me, glad she was there. All the parenting decisions had been mine for the past few years, and it was a hard burden to carry. I felt like I was screwing them up. Sebastian had gotten a girl pregnant. It wasn't as scandalous as it once was, but it wasn't good.

We fell asleep there together on the couch. When I woke up, Mia was curled up on the other sofa. Was she really that mad at her sister that she couldn't even sleep in the same room as her? I sighed and gently scooped her up, then carried her into her bedroom. Eva was already out as I tucked Mia in. Someone had put tape in the middle of the room, delineating which side of the room belonged to whom. I rolled my eyes as I left the room.

Pippa had since woken up. I turned out the lights and checked the locks as we wandered back to my room. After we'd changed and brushed our teeth, I scooted my body up close to her, locking her in an embrace. I kissed her neck and breathed in the smell of her hair. It smelled like lavender.

"Thank you for staying," I said quietly. Her hand patted my forearm.

"Always."

____

The next morning, the girls had daggers for each other and steered clear of one another. Sebastian looked stressed and didn't have an appetite for breakfast. I got him to take a breakfast bar with him in case he got hungry.