A Little Something Unexpected (Mother at Seventeen)

Chapter 6- The Break-Up (Rewritten)

Chapter 6- The Break-Up

Caleb was surprised to see me. I hadn't called to notify him of my arrival.  I was afraid if I talked to him first, I'd spill everything. This needed to be done in person. He couldn't hang up on me in person. 

He was sitting in his room, reading when I showed up. 

"Your mom let me in," I told him. 

He stood up and left his book on the bed. He pulled me to him and kissed me slowly. "I'm glad you're here. I thought you were going to be busy all day?"

I walk to his bed and sat down. He sat with me. "I was. I finished up a while ago." 

"Good. I wanted to talk to you."

Well, that threw a wrench in my plans. I scrunched up my eyebrows in confusion."You did?"

He nodded. "About what happened this week. What I said about need time-"

Oh. That. 

"No. Don't apologize. That was a lot to put on someone before they had breakfast." He couldn't be sorry when I still had even more unsettling news to share with him. 

He chuckled. "I'm serious. I've thought about it, and I'm okay. I don't want time away from you. I've missed you a lot this week. And I still want to meet that daughter of yours." 

I looked at the floor. This was not what I had expected when I came here.

"What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy."

I forced myself to look at him. "I am happy. So happy. But..."

He frowned. "But what?

I really didn't know how to start this, so I went for the bandied option. Just rip it off. I stood up and faced him. He looked confused and a little worried. That was my fault. All of this was. 

"I have to tell you something. It's not a good something either. You're probably going to be mad and you might breakup with me, but I just want you to know it was never to hurt you. What I did...what I'm going to do, it's all for Bree."

"I don't understand." His forehead creased and he ran a had roughly though his blonde hair. 

I looked him directly in the eyes unblinking and said, "I'm moving in with Jake. Me and Brianna are?"

He stood up, eyes blazing. "What the hell, Abby. You come in here, let me apologize to you and then tell me something like this?"

"I'm sorr-"

"No." He held up his hand. "I don't want your apologies. What I want is an explanation. How did this even happen? This isn't a decision you come to overnight. Is something going on with you and Jake?"

I shook my head. "No. I told you it was for Bree. As her parents, Jake and I felt like we needed to do this for her. It's for the best that-"

He was looking at me in completed disbelief. "You're joking right? Your not seriously trying to sell me on the 'because we share a kid e have to live together' crap. There are plenty of families in the world that don't live together Abby. Mine don't!" 

"This isn't about that!" I shouted. I didn't like this at all. Caleb and I had an easy relationship. We were happy. We never fought. And he certainly never raised his voice to me. This was a royal mess. 

He tried to control himself. "Then what is it about because I'm failing to understand here?"

"We're doing this so we can keep Bree. This whole thing with her is so fragile. You have no idea." I rubbed my head and paced the floor in front of him. I was starting to get a headache. "I am still a minor for the next thirty days and Jake and I both still live at home. We both have a lot to prove to the court and social services if we want to make the adoption official. We have to prove we are adults, that we can handle raising a child together. If we are both still living and acting like children, what does that prove to them?"