Redeem Me

by Jennifer Foor

  Ford’s mother stepped inside and looked around. “I’ve been meanin’ to clean up out here. It’s been sittin’ like this for a while.” She sat a bucket full of cleaners and rags down on the counter. She walked over and hugged Parker’s dad, who I’d learned was her brother. “I’ll make sure these two have everything they need. It will give me a reason to cook real meals again. We’ve been eatin’ TV dinners since Ford moved out.”

  I knew we were throwing ourselves at these people, but they were so welcoming. As upset as I was about what Parker and I were doing, as compulsive as the decision had been, I honestly felt like we were going to be okay staying at this place. “Thank you for letting us stay here. I’m sorry we arrived without much notice.”

  “Honey, you’re family, and we don’t turn our backs on them. Now, since we’ve got a lot of cleanin’ to do, and you need to get off your feet, I’m goin’ to have Parker take you up to the main house. You can sleep in my daughter’s room. The refrigerator has plenty of water bottles, and there’s some lunch meat if you get hungry. Once I get all this cleaned up, I’ll head out to the store. Don’t worry yourself about dinners. I like a reason to cook. We’ll make sure that baby has all the nutrients he or she needs.”

  It almost shocked me to hear that she already knew about my pregnancy. I knew Parker’s dad had made the phone call, and assumed that’s when they learned about our predicament. “Thanks again. It means a lot to have people care for me.” I felt so pathetic admitting that. It was a definite shame that my parents couldn’t let me live my life.

  Parker took me over to the main farmhouse. He got me settled into his late cousin’s room, tucking me under the covers and kissing me before walking out of the room. I’d been in this particular room before at one of the parties they’d thrown. Parker had brought me upstairs so that we could make out. Ford ended up walking in and giving him shit since it was his sister’s room. Parker later told me that for the longest time they left it exactly how it was the day she passed away. Even though it was still decorated the same, his mother had finally let go enough to clean up her personal things and put them away.

  While looking around I put my hand on my stomach. Growing inside of me was a child of my own; a child that would one day become a teenager, and I couldn’t imagine for a second learning that something terrible had happened. It enlightened me on a couple of facts.

  The first was how much my parents had sheltered me from. They’d never made me feel that unconditional love. Both of them had always lived with giving me rules to live by. I had to want to be a lawyer. Nobody had ever come to me and asked if I wanted to be a ballerina, or even a firefighter. For a while now Parker had gotten on me about becoming a lawyer. He said I was only doing it for their benefit, and once I admitted that, my life would open up to other options.

  The second thing was the fact that I’d never been shown what unconditional love was. His aunt had made it clear that they stood by their family, no matter what. My parents didn’t do that either. It was either their way or nothing at all.

  It was so depressing.

  After a short nap, I woke feeling refreshed. I knew my parents had most definitely discovered my absence, and could only assume that they were desperately trying to track us down. There was no doubt in my mind that they knew who I was with. Maryland was the first place they were going to look. From the outside of the apartment the door was large and metal. It seemed to appear more like a storage facility instead what it really was. Parker and I could hide out there without worry. Even if my dad came looking, I was sure they wouldn’t find us.

  Parker walked into the room carrying a tray. He sat it down on my lap. “I brought you some soup, and some orange juice. My mom ran out and got you these vitamins from Peyton. She said you should start takin’ them right away. We’ll get you in to see a doctor so you can have your own prescription. Of course, we’ll have to use a different name, but we’ll figure it out.”

  “I feel like a criminal that’s on the run. This is terrible.”

  “It’s just for a couple months. Once you reach the halfway mark we’ll get back to normal.”

  I looked down at the bowl, unable to face him with what I needed to say. “Parker, I’m so sorry for making you do this.”

  He sat down next to me on the mattress, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead. “You’re not makin’ me do nothin’. It’s my job to be by your side. We’re in this together.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about the way you walked out of the room when you heard the news. I had no idea the doctor was going to tell us what he did. It was like my heart stopped beating for a couple moments.” The news, at first, was so displeasing. It was as if in just a few seconds our lives had been turned upside down.

  “Cam, I’ve got to say that I was in shock. I was so worried about all the blood that I hadn’t even for one minute considered you could be pregnant. What’s worse is the fact that we’d just talked about waiting. From the second that doctor told us about the twins I felt sick, like it was all some dream. I walked out to clear my head, so I could come back and be supportive. I never intended to leave you there all alone. If I could take it back I would. We probably wouldn’t be in this situation.” It warmed my heart to hear his side of what happened.

  “I’m sorry I called them. We should have kept it a secret. I was just so scared.”

  “We’re goin’ to be fine.”

  I looked down at my food again. “I wouldn’t hate you if you didn’t want to be a part of this. I know it’s not what you signed up for.” I was so afraid to look at him and see a reaction of relief. Instead he put his arm around me.

  “Babe, I’m goin’ to marry you. I know it’s not how we would have wanted to plan it, but we’re in this together. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

  “Did you just say you want to marry me? You’ve never talked about it before. I mean, I just assumed it would happen eventually, but…”

  “If we got married you’d be my wife, and your freakin’ parents would have to back off. It’s goin’ to happen no matter when we do it, so why not just elope? What would it be hurtin’?”

  With all of the negative I’d been dealing with, I had to admit that his idea seemed to bring a smile to my face immediately. I love Parker, and even though we’d had problems, I knew he felt the same. Now we were having a child. Things may have been out of order, but I wanted to be a family, and having the same last name as my baby would be ideal. I couldn’t think of a good enough reason to not go through with it. If in the long run it protected us, it was definitely a good decision. “Well, we’re both adults. It’s not like anyone can stop us.”

  “We’re goin’ to have to act fast. I’m sure your dad will be one step ahead of us, looking at marriage licenses in both states. It might be better for us to travel to another area to tie the knot. If they can’t find us, then they can’t stop it from takin’ place.”

  We looked into each other’s eyes. For something that felt like a catastrophe at first, it was only leading us into a deeper commitment to each other. I didn’t know if I’d use the term grateful to explain it out loud, but it was certainly how I felt about our unplanned pregnancy.

  Chapter 23

  Parker

  When Cameron laid down to rest I sat in the kitchen with my parents to discuss what was next for us. They weren’t just going to leave without addressing their own concerns regarding the situation.

  I folded my hands and prepared for the wrath of my father, knowing how disappointed he was at me, yet again. He whispered something in my mother’s ear, assumedly speaking of how hard it was to keep his composure around Cameron.

  One could only assume.

  “Your mother and I have been discussing this situation. We both agree that we’re going to make sure Cameron is safe, and your mom is going to get her medical care while she’s here. Since you won’t be attending school every day, you’ll need to either work for your uncle, or with me at the custom shop. I’ll leave that up to you. A
lso an option would be to float between the two, when both of us need an extra set of hands. Your uncle won’t be charging you rent. The place hasn’t been used in a long time, and you’re family.”

  “That seems fair. I’ve got no problem havin’ a job. I don’t expect any handouts, even though I know you’re all puttin’ a lot out for us already.”

  “With the exception of the couch and some groceries, we aren’t doing much. The apartment is vacant. It’s not ideal to raise a baby, but it’s perfect for the two of you until you get on your feet.”

  I folded my hands and placed them on the table. “You can give it to me straight. I know you’re pissed off.”

  My mom reached across the table and touched my hands. “We just want you to make good choices.” She looked at my dad before continuing. “Taking care of Cameron, and being responsible is a step in the right direction. We’re just worried about you being with Cameron long-term. What are you going to do when her parents get involved? You’ve got no hold on her Parker. She could go to them at any time, and we’re afraid that when she has the baby they’ll keep he or she away from you. After everything we’ve all been through with the twins, it’s hard for us to see you with a similar situation. Your father and I respect that you’ve made the decision to be there for Cameron, but you also need to consider how this affects the future. Have you thought about marriage?”

  I pulled my hands away and immediately began rubbing my eyes. They made me feel uncomfortable. It was as if they were pushing me to make another leap, after already accepting that I was going to be a father, technically for the third time. “Not really. I mean, I know I’m going to marry, Cam. We’ve mentioned it, but there’s no date or anything like that.”

  “Perhaps it’s time you started thinking about it. If you were married her parents couldn’t do anything about it. It would be a legal binding contract.” My father sighed and showed the palms of both hands as he spoke, like he was out of options. I wasn’t used to seeing this side of him, who was obviously concerned for me. “I’m not trying to push you into doing something you don’t want to do. We’ve been down that road, and I’m learning that it gets me nowhere. I’m just stating an obvious resolution that you could consider. The choice is yours, and we want you to be sure before making it. I don’t think anyone in this family can go through what happened with the twins again, Parker. We’re just concerned that you’ll change your mind. In this case, we won’t have an opportunity to know our grandchild; not if her parents have anything to do with it.”

  “Okay, first, I’d never let them take my kid. They’d have the nanny raise it, and force Cam to complete her studies. It’s not what either of us want. As far as marriage, well if she wants to elope then I’d do it. There’s no sense of waitin’ when we both know it’s what we want. I think at this point she’s willin’ to do whatever it takes to get away from her parents. If havin’ my name helps then I say let’s do it, and not because it’s a good idea, but because I love her.” I chuckled to myself realizing that in just two short days so much had changed. “Look, I’ve told you this before, and I’ll say it again, that night with Ashley was a mistake. We barely remember it happenin’. Shayne’s a great father, and he’s my brother. I’ve got no regrets. That being said, I know you have reservations about me being a father. I don’t know the first thing about raisin’ a kid, but I do know that ever since I found out last night, I’ve felt like I had to protect it. I can’t explain the way I feel, but it’s there, and it’s strong enough to make me want to do whatever it takes to protect he or she from being terminated. Her parents will have to go through me before they do anything, and I’m sure as hell not goin’ to let them near Cameron.”

  “Let’s assume that what you’re saying is true. How do you plan on supporting your family?”

  “I’m goin’ to play professional football. I don’t give a shit if I’m signed by some Canadian league. As long as I’m makin’ money I’ll be happy. If the football doesn’t pan out, I’ll take my degree and use it to get a job. I’ll work two or three jobs if I have to. All I care about is takin’ care of Cam. She needs me more than anyone ever has. I’m all she has.”

  “She has us too,” my mother added.

  I don’t know why, but hearing my mother saying that got to me. I felt like I was getting choked up. “That means a lot to me. For a while I’ve felt like you were never goin’ to want to be around me again.”

  “We felt like you were making bad choices, and we just didn’t want the past coming back to haunt you.”

  “It won’t, not if we all agree to never discuss it again.” I wanted nothing more than to bury that secret so far into the ground that it would never be recovered. I was tired of it haunting me, and being reminded of it every time I was around them. Decisions had been made, and they were going to have a great future. I had no regrets.

  “That’s fine by me,” my mother said.

  “For now I will agree to keep the peace. I just worry that somewhere down the road the truth will come out. I don’t want you or your brother to have to deal with the repercussions of that.”

  “Dad, let’s just worry about today, please. I can’t take much more. In two days my whole life has changed. I’m tryin’ to be positive for Cameron, but inside I’m scared to death that I’m goin’ to fail.”

  “You’re not going to fail, Parker. Your dad and I won’t let you. We’re going to help you through this, and we’ll figure it out. Her parents will come around. Once they see that baby for the first time they’ll fall right in love.” I hoped that my mother was right, otherwise we were in for a long road ahead of us.

  Before making Cam some soup, I sat at the table talking to my parents as if we hadn’t already been through hell and back. I told them that I’d called Shayne and asked for advice. My mom seemed pleased that the two of us were getting along, while my father remained conflicted. I could understand why he was reluctant to trust my choices this time, but hoped that eventually he’d see my feelings were genuine.

  All in all it had turned out to be a good day. For the time being I could work and make some extra money to save up for the arrival of a new baby. Cameron would be safe from her parents, and I wouldn’t have to worry about what their next move would be. Since she’d left both her phone and her vehicle in Pennsylvania, they wouldn’t have much to go on. I’d turned off my phone and removed the battery when we arrived at my parents. God only knew if they could find a way to trace my whereabouts, and I wasn’t about to make stupid mistakes.

  It was obvious they didn’t want us together, so I was determined to make it my life’s mission to take care of Cameron and our unborn child. I’d made a ton of mistakes, and I knew I had a lot of work to do, but her being a part of my life was so important that it was worth any changes I’d have to make to better myself.

  Chapter 24

  Cameron

  Married.

  Parker wanted to marry me.

  I think I always assumed that it would happen, but this fast, for all of the wrong reasons? Okay, maybe the reasons were justifiable, and assumedly the timing couldn’t be better. Respectively I could have looked at it with an optimistic perspective, instead of negative. It was hard to do when I’d been let down so many times.

  Still, I couldn’t deny that my love for Parker, or the fact that I wanted us to be a family, even if there wasn’t a bunch of planning involved. The idea of being his wife allowed me to accept his proposal without second guessing consequences. Parker left me alone while I ate my soup. It had gotten cold during our discussion, but I was so hungry that I didn’t even mind.

  A little later I walked downstairs to find the house empty. I headed to the front door and looked out to see the guys carrying a large sofa up the steep steps to the apartment. After grabbing a jacket, I took the walk across the field to check it out for myself. By the time I made it inside they’d already replaced it where the old one once sat. The old area rugs had been replaced with two new ones, and the place smelled f
resh. Parker smiled when he spotted me standing in the doorway. “We were goin’ to surprise you.”

  “It’s so different in here from earlier. You guys did all of this while I was resting?”

  “The couch is from my mom and dad’s house. It’s been in the bonus room for years, and since us kids moved out nobody uses it. It’s got a mattress that is adjustable with air. We can get it set to how we like it and leave it set up.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  “My mom just ran out to get us a couple things for the refrigerator. She’s also going to pick up stuff for the bathroom. I wasn’t sure what we’d need. If she forgets somethin’ we’ll run out later and grab it.”

  I turned my attention to Parker’s dad. “Thanks for all of this. I’m really sorry we put all this on you, sir.”

  He put his hand on my shoulder. “Sweetie, you’re family to us. If you need anything else you just let us know. You’ll get through this.”

  I tried to smile to the best of my ability. It wasn’t like I had a ton of things to be thankful for. To feel like you’re a burden was difficult. It was also apparent that Parker and I needed them. We were running as if our lives were in danger, when in fact we were just hiding from my overbearing parents.

  “I appreciate that.”

  “I’ll let you two get settled. Son, get with me on the job situation.” His dad walked out leaving us all alone.

  Parker threw his hands in the air. “So welcome home, for now of course.”

  I walked over and sat down on the couch. “It’s great.”

  “There’s plenty of room for the two of us, I think. I can set up a desk over there in the corner so we can both do our homework. I already have my uncle’s Wi-Fi password so we’re good on that. I think this will work, don’t you?” He sat down next to me, brushing the hair away from my face. It was little attentive details that made me appreciate how Parker cared for me.