No More Mistakes

Chapter 8

The drive back from the hospital was a silent one. Alice refused to talk and had been glaring out of the window the whole time, in between turning her head to check on the baby every now and then.

FP could tell something was plaguing her throughout the journey, but he was more concerned with driving carefully enough to get her and his son back to is trailer in one piece and decided he'd talk to her later.

Alice seemed to snap out of her trance upon noticing the Sunnyside Trailer Park sign as FP pulled into the place. His trailer was literally off the first corner and he pulled up and parked. He stopped for a minute and turned to look at Alice who was glaring at the windshield. She seemed to be in a melancholy state.

He saw his infant son move a little and he seemed to be waking up from his everlasting nap. FP laughed softly under his breath and pulled his finger out to stroke the baby's cheek before looking back up at Alice.

"Ali?" He called, but there was no response from her. He brought his hand up and stroke her shoulder which got her attention and snapped her out of her trance.

"Babe, are you okay?" FP asked softly as he continued to rub her arm. He looked back down at the baby again and he seemed to be wide awake at this rate.

"Huh? Uhm, yeah. I just, I'm still shook up I guess." Alice began to explain.

"Well, come on, let's get him inside." He advised her as he proceeded to exit the vehicle, assuming she was going to take the baby.

"FP? What are we even doing?!" She asked him worriedly, stopping him from exiting the truck.

"I mean, have you even told your Dad? I doubt he took it well. And I'm not even ready for all of this, we're not ready, literally!" She began to ramble worriedly.

"Don't worry about my old man." FP assured her.

"Oh he's the least of my worries!" She blurt out before she began to panic. "What the hell was I thinking? I can't raise a kid! We don't even have anything, not a crib, diapers or any of that stuff. What the hell are we doing, who are we trying to kid?" She continued before FP ran around to the other side of the truck and interrupted her. He opened the truck and grabbed her face, turning her towards him.

"Hey, hey! Alice stop calm down, please!" He begged her softly. "Baby look at me." He asked her as he wiped her tears with the sides of his thumbs.

"What?" Alice asked as she sniffled.

"I know none of this was planned and everything seems to be a blur right now, but I promise you, everything is going to be fine, I promise you. I'm gonna make sure of it." He assured her.

She smiled at him before speaking. "FP, I'm scared." She confessed

"I know, I know you are. I don't blame you, this is al scary, but we're gonna get through it I promise. I don't want you to worry." He said to her. "I'm gonna sort out a crib, and a stroller and all of that stuff as soon as possible." He promised her.

She smiled up at him. She always admired just how caring and considerate he was towards her, it made her question why she even left him in the first place. Suddenly she snapped up and her mouth fell slightly open. "All my stuff is still at Hal's, shit!" She said angrily to him.

"We can get it a little while, but we should get him inside, explain things to my Dad." He said regrettably. He knew his father was going to hit the roof. It would've been one thing having to tell his father he got a girl pregnant but having to bring the baby home to him and surprise him with the news? Forsythe senior would definitely lose his shit.

FP watched as Alice picked the infant up and he put his arm around her waist as they both walked up the porch.

"Prepare for yelling." FP said to Alice before he entered. He held the door open for her and watched her walk in. she remained in the corner holding the baby to her chest.

"Dad?" FP called out. "Could you come in here for a second?"

Forsythe senior came out with a tangled dog lead in his hand, still trying to untangle it as he walked out from the kitchen. "I was just about to take Hot Dog out, you ok..." He stopped when he looked up and noticed the anxious looks on Alice and FP's faces, and then his eyes fell to the infant Alice cradled in her arms.

"Please tell me you've picked up a baby sitting job." Forsythe senior said worriedly with a slight growl in his voice.

"Look, Dad, I know this is a shock and that you're probably raging right about now." FP said calmly before being interrupted by Forsythe.

"Jesus Christ boy! Condoms! Learn how to use them!" He said angrily before letting his head fall in his hands.

"Because just what we need around here is another mouth to feed, like we ain't barely keeping our heads above water!" Forsythe senior continued as he slumped back into his arm chair.

Alice noticed how defeated FP looked as he stared down at the ground as he father yelled at him and decided to jump in. "Please don't get mad at him Mr Jones. If anything, you should be mad at me. I never told him I was pregnant." She began to explain to him.

She turned her head to FP and gestured for him to take the baby. She handed him over and walked over to Forsythe Senior.

"Look, Mr Jones." She began before he moved his head from his hands and looked up at her. "And I'm really sorry for springing this on you." She paused and turned to look over at FP. "Both, of you." She continued.

"How are you two gonna raise a kid?" Forsythe sighed.

"I was, going to give him up for adoption, mainly due to Hal's influence." Alice began to explain. "But the minute I held him in my arms I already fell in love with him and I just couldn't do it. He's my baby, our baby, your grandson, and I want to raise him, I want us to be a family and I want him to have everything FP and I never had." Alice finished.

Forsythe senior looked at Alice and gave her a soft smile.

"So Dad, are we cool?" FP asked nervously.

Forsythe senior sighed at him before looking up at his son. He was disappointed, but he could never stay mad at his boy for too long, especially for something he can't control. He was a grandfather now and his son was a father. He couldn't change that.

"I am too young to be a Grandpa junior." He sighed unamused.

"Now we both know that's a lie." FP mumbled. Alice snickered and Forsythe senior looked over at both of them. He got up and walked over to FP and attempted to hug his son. FP was sceptical at first but then handed the baby to Alice as she walked over and he embraced it.

"Again, I'm sorry Dad." FP apologised

"It's okay." Forsythe senior said to his son. He turned to look over at Alice. "So, let me get a look at my grandson then." He said to Alice. She handed him the baby and walked over to FP. They both looked at each and smiled at their son being stared at and admired by his grandfather. "Yep, he's a Jones alright. He's got the big ears." Forsythe joked and Alice and FP laughed.

"Oh, uhm, Dad? Can you watch him for bit? Alice and I just need to do something." FP told him.

"Why? We're you going?"

FP and Alice shared a look before he began to talk but he was interrupted by Alice.

"Uhm, we've just gotta go get my stuff from where I was living before, but we don't wanna bring him out again, it's a little chilly." She explained.

"Well, okay. I can watch him while you're gone." Forsythe senior said to the two of them and they proceeded to leave.

"But don't make a habit of it!" He yelled out causing them to turn back around. "I'm his Grandpa, not his nanny. You two are his parents, remember that, I won't always be around." He reminded them. And with that, they both left.