Show Me the Scary Part, page 5
I looked over at Whitney, and she honestly looked terrified. She’s probably never defied her mother before. I’m sure that’s scary for her.
I put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. She looked at me but didn’t say anything, but her eyes conveyed a lot. She was grateful.
I backed the car out of the parking spot and drove away.
I called Heather to see where she was so that we could meet her, since we wouldn’t be at the hospital.
She was confused as to why we weren’t at the hospital, and I explained it to her once we met up. She got plenty of things for the baby, everything he would need for right now. I spoke to Heather for a moment, telling her goodbye and thanking her for her help.
“I don’t know if you’re up for a drive. How about we stop at a hotel, so you can rest. We can leave for my house in the morning.” I said once I got back into the car.
“This isn’t your problem, Nadine. I can’t believe I dragged you into this.” She started to cry again.
Hormones.
“Please don’t cry, you didn’t drag me into this. I’m happy to be here, I’m happy to help. Please just let me help.”
She wiped the tears from her face and looked at me. She seemed so pitiful, and I didn’t know what to do for her.
“What’s in it for you? I don’t understand why you would want to help me.”
She thought I had an ulterior motive.
I took a breath and turned a little in my seat so that I was facing her.
“There’s honestly no reason or explanation why I inserted myself into your situation. I just did, it’s as simple as that. I feel this pull toward you, and I can’t explain it. I couldn’t walk away even if I wanted to. You want to know what’s in it for me?” I looked her right in the eyes so she knew I was serious. “Knowing that you’re alright is what I’m in it for. That’s all.”
Another tear fell from her eye before she wiped it away.
“Okay,” she accepted.
I smiled at her. “Okay,” I repeated. “Now, what do you want to do? Rest up at a nice hotel or take the trip to my house?”
“Um, a hotel would be nice. I don’t think I’m up for meeting your parents today.”
I nod. “Totally understand. I’m just going to see what’s in the area, and that’s where we’ll head.”
I found a nice hotel with great reviews, and I booked it online. I left Whitney and the baby in the car while I ran into the store to get some things for Whitney and me. Toiletries and whatnot. Apparently, Whitney would be bleeding a few weeks after having the baby, so she needed pads. I was happy to get her anything she needed to be comfortable.
Once I got everything I thought we needed, we left for the hotel.
Soon, we were in a cozy hotel room, and I could see some of that tension in Whitney start to die down. Not completely, but some.
I suggested she take a shower while I held the baby; she took me up on that offer.
When she came out of the bathroom, wearing the nightclothes I had bought for her, she seemed refreshed.
“How are you feeling?” I asked.
She took a breath. “I feel better. I didn’t get to clean myself after having him. I felt yucky, so a shower was nice.”
“I’m glad, hopefully you can relax a little bit,” I said.
“I don’t know if I can be relaxed with everything going on. My mother is ruthless; she won’t stop until I’m back in her possession.”
I watched as she walked over to sit beside me, and she winced a little in pain when she did.
“Are you okay?” I was concerned about her.
She closed her eyes, shifting a little.
“The doctor said that I teared when I pushed him out.” She pointed to the baby in my arms. “They had to stitch me up; it’s just a little tender.”
I frowned. “Ouch,” I looked at the baby, who was wide awake, looking around. “You broke your mommy’s vagina, Marshmallow.” I joked, cooing at the baby.
Then I heard a sound, a wonderful sound. I turned to see Whitney laughing.
I smiled widely at her. “You’re laughing?”
She hummed, calming from her laughter. “You’re funny.”
Whitney had the most amazing laugh; it felt so innocent and cute. It was downright adorable, and my immediate goal was to hear it again and again.
“It’s one of my many charms, if you haven’t noticed,” I smirked at her.
“Oh, I’ve noticed,” she smiles back.
“Are you hungry? I was going to order some room service.”
She nods. “Yes, starving actually.”
“The menu is right there, pick what you want.”
She picks the menu off the bed, and I watch her eyes scan it. Her eyes lit up when she saw something on the menu.
“What is it?” I asked.
“They have cheesecake.”
I can honestly say that I’ve never seen someone get happy about cheesecake before.
“You can have cheesecake,” I told her, with an amused smile.
She looks at me. “I know, I just haven’t had sweets since I found out I was pregnant. I have been craving cheesecake my whole pregnancy.”
That confused me. “Why haven’t you eaten any sweets?”
“I didn’t indulge in cravings because I didn’t want to gain unnecessary weight; it would have drawn attention.”
Her confession made me sad.
“You can have as much cheesecake as you want,” I said.
“I think one slice will suffice, but thank you.” A small smile played on her lips.
She eventually decided what she wanted to eat, I handed the baby back to her, and ordered our food.
After we ate, Whitney fed the baby and decided to turn in for the night. She slept with the baby beside her while I put together the baby’s car seat. I struggled with putting the car seat base in my car, but I figured it out after fighting with it.
Before I went back to the hotel room, I called my parents. I didn’t exactly tell them about Whitney and the baby; I would just deal with that when I saw them tomorrow.
I entered the room quietly. I didn’t want to wake Whitney up. She was sleeping soundly, her hand placed protectively over the swaddled baby.
I sat on my bed and looked at her.
She seemed so helpless, and all I wanted to do was help her.
I glanced at her a little longer before I decided to turn in myself. We will see what tomorrow brings.
* * *
On the way to my house the next morning, Whitney sat in the back with the baby. She was quiet for most of the ride, and I didn’t bother her until I heard her sniffles.
“You’re crying,” I stated.
I guess she’s going to be doing that a lot.
“Is it selfish of me to keep him? I don’t have anything. My parents are going to cut me off from everything,” she wept.
I looked at the rear view mirror to catch a glimpse of her, she was so beautiful even when she cried, but god was she pitiful. I have no idea the amount of abuse her parents put on her, but they have ripped out any spine this girl has. She has no idea, but the baby may just be the best thing that’s ever happened to her. It’s going to take a while before she breaks the bondage of her parents, but I hope that she gets there one day.
“You’re not selfish for wanting your son,” I said.
“I don’t know how this is going to work.”
“Anything can work if you want it to. It’s not too late to make another decision if this isn’t what you want. If you’re not ready to be a mother and think he would be better off with someone else, that’s okay too.”
I believe that being upfront and truthful would be the best route for her.
She started sniffling again. “I love him so much, I don’t want to lose him.”
“Then let him be your focus, and you’re going to be fine, Whitney. It’s not going to be easy, but you and Marshall will be just fine,” I said.
She sighs. “I hope so.”
I took another glance at her in the rear-view mirror before looking back at the road.
Whitney
I ran away from my mother; she’ll hunt me down no doubt, but when Nadine offered to get away, I couldn’t say no. There was something about her. I trusted her. Every word out of her mouth, I believed. I don’t know if I would have been able to walk away from my mother if it weren’t for her. Yesterday could have been the last day I saw my son.
I also knew that I couldn’t fool myself into thinking I was free of my mother. She will come after me. If I don’t come home, people will start asking questions, and my mother won’t be depicted as the perfect mother people perceive her to be.
So her number one priority right now is to track me down and get me back home. Appearances are everything, and she can’t use the excuse that I’m going to boarding school because I heard her telling a colleague that she’d never send her kids to boarding school. She liked to keep an eye on us; she would never send one of her children off.
If she were to ever get me back into that house, there would be hell to pay. I just hope I never have to go back.
“Alright, we’re here,” Nadine said, pulling up to a gate.
She lives in a gated community like I do or did. I should have known she had to be rich to afford the school we went to, and she paid for my hospital bill like it was nothing.
Once we got passed the gate, we drove through the neighborhood that was littered with gorgeous homes. The house I grew up in was beautiful, but it lacked character and warmth.
Then we pulled up to Nadine’s house, and it was the most beautiful of all. Just looking at it, I could feel the warmth. This was a home and not just a house; it looked like nothing bad would ever happen here. It was the complete opposite of my house, which was cold and unwelcoming.
Nadine parked her car, then turned off the ignition.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
“I’m a little nervous, honestly. Your parents may not want us here.”
“It’ll be fine, my parents are chill. There is nothing to worry about.” She reassured with a warm smile.
I never knew that a smile could set you so at ease because that’s what hers did to me.
“Alright.”
“Okay, let’s go.”
We got out of the car, and she offered to carry Marshall, which was nice of her, I thought. Nadine unlocked the front door, and we walked into her house.
“So this is my home,” she says.
I looked around, and I was right, this house has such a warm presence. There were colors, fun family pictures, and plants. This looked like a house that was lived in, not the sterile home I came from, which looked more like an institution than a home.
“This is a beautiful home.”
“Thanks, my parents put a lot into it.”
“What is it your parents do?” I asked.
“My mom is a lawyer and, partner in her firm. My dad is the Honorable Judge Alexander Thornton,” she smiles.
So her parents were in high-profile careers. I would think a lawyer and a judge were very pragmatic people. What would they think when they saw me?
“Yeah, you should come and meet them now.”
My nerves immediately took over.
“My parents are very understanding, they’ll know how to help,” Nadine assured.
“Wait,”
“You just had a baby all by yourself. This will not be the hardest thing you have to do,” she says with a small grin.
I chuckled. “You’re right.”
She takes my hand and leads me to the living room. The TV was on, and the sofa was occupied by, I assume, Nadine’s parents.
Their eyes immediately turned from the TV to us, and they both smiled. Then, confusion turned their expression as they saw the baby in the carrier.
“You said that there were perks to our daughter being a lesbian, like she’ll never bring a baby home. You were so wrong, Teresa.” Nadine’s dad joked.
I froze, unsure if I should laugh. The joke was harmless, but my family never joked about anything especially not like that
“Hush, Alex, I’m glad you’re home, sweetie. Who’s your friend?” Her mother asked.
“This is Whitney and her son Marshall. She has no place to stay, and I thought that she could stay with us,” she says.
Her mother looked at me curiously for a moment before she smiled at me.
“It’s nice to meet you, Whitney. I’m Teresa, the mother of that one, and this is Alex, my husband,” she introduced.
“It’s nice to meet you both.” I smiled at them.
“You and Marshall are welcome here. I would like to know more about what’s going on, but I’ll let you settle,” she says sweetly before looking at Nadine. “Why don’t you get Whitney and the little one settled in one of the spare rooms—anyone, it doesn’t matter. Once you’re done with that, I would like to talk to you privately.”
“Okay,” Nadine says. “Follow me, Whitney.”
I followed Nadine up the stairs and down a long hall.
“So, your room won’t be too far from mine. That’s my room right there.” She pointed to a closed door. “This one is yours.”
She opens the door, revealing the beautifully decorated room.
“The linings are fresh; Lenny changes out the sheets every week.” She says, then placed the baby in his carrier on the bed.
“I know that this is going to take some getting used to, but I’ll help,” she assured.
I look at her. “I had no idea how this would have turned out. My parents may be horrible, but I still put myself in this situation. I have to take some type of responsibility for this. Thank you for all that you’re doing, but this isn’t your problem, Nadine.”
“You’re right, it isn’t, and you know what, you may be more trouble than you’re worth, but that won’t keep me from helping you,” she stated.
I didn’t say anything, I just looked at my son.
“Everything happens for a reason, Whitney. I’m never forgetful, and I know it wasn’t just a coincidence that I left my glasses in the locker room yesterday. I don’t believe in happenstances. I was meant to find you last night. Let’s face it, if I hadn’t found you last night, you would be in a different situation right now,” she voiced.
I turn my gaze back towards her. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. I’m very grateful for what you’ve done for me. I just don’t want to drag you into my mess.”
She takes a step closer to me, then she touches my arm briefly.
“Don’t apologize, Whitney, and for the record, nobody drags me anywhere. I do things by choice, or I don’t do them at all. I want to help you, but I don’t feel obligated to do it. I need you to understand that I do this because I genuinely care about you and Marshall’s well-being. If you don’t want this, I’m sure my parents would be more than happy to help you find an alternative. I think you have a lot to gain by staying with us, but you’ll never know what’s in store for you if you leave.”
“You’re very kind, Nadine. Thank you for letting us stay here.”
“You’re welcome, Whitney,” she smiles. “I’m going to get the rest of the stuff out of my car so you can settle in. Then I’ll bring you something to eat.”
As the door closed, I looked down at my son. For the first time in what felt like forever, the air didn’t feel suffocating. Maybe safety could feel like this.
* * *
Nadine
Whitney decided to take a nap after she got settled in. I’m sure she was very tired after the last couple of days. While she slept, I went to talk to my mom. I knew she’d want to know what was going on.
I found my mother in her home office; she was looking over a case.
“Mom,”
My mother looked up from what she was doing.
She smiles at me. “Hello, sweetie, come and take a seat.”
I took a seat in the chair in front of her desk.
“How’s your friend? Is she okay?” she asked.
“She’s been through a lot; she’s sleeping now,” I told her.
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on? How did all of this happen?” she says, leaning her elbows on the desk and looking at me.
“I don’t know, Mom, I only went to get my glasses.” I feigned innocence.
“Then you come home two days later with a girl and a baby,” she raises her eyebrows.
I shrugged and smiled at her.
“Is she in trouble?” she asked.
“She’s a teenage mom, of course, she’s in trouble. To make it worse, her parents are rich snobs who are more concerned with their reputation than the well-being of their daughter.”
“You two must be good friends, I mean, you’ve invited her to stay without running it by your parents first,” she says sarcastically.
“It’s better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.” I gave her my biggest smile.
She looked disapproving.
“I love you, mommy,” I said, giving her my puppy dog eyes.
She couldn’t say no to me when I did that.
She takes a breath and shakes her head. “Oh my darling daughter, you know I’d give you the world. This is serious, however. I need to know more, and I need to know that I’m not harboring a runaway because that’s illegal.”
I could see that she was serious now.
I decided not to mention that I practically kidnapped her.
“Harboring a runaway?” I questioned.
“Yes, your dad and I could end up in a legal situation if she’s staying here without her parents’ consent,” she explained.
“She’s seventeen and she has a child, can’t she make her own decisions?” I wondered.
“Her parents are responsible for her until she turns eighteen; it’s just how it is. Unless she gets emancipated or gets married, she doesn’t have a choice,” she said.
That was disheartening.
“I didn’t know that, but what can I do, Mom? There are teens out there who exaggerate about how intense their parents can be. I would have encouraged her to stay with her parents, and I would have told her it wouldn’t be that bad. I couldn’t do that; her mother came to the hospital, and this woman was cold as ice. Whitney just had a baby, and she didn’t show any concern for her. She immediately told her she would be putting the child up for adoption, and that they would forget any of it ever happened. Besides that, before I even met her mother, I could see the abuse in her personality. She has absolutely no self-esteem, she’s self-loathing, and she’s so freaking quiet. Whitney has been trying to push me away the moment I found her in the shower stall holding her newborn baby.” I voiced.
