No Time Left To Regret

Chapter 7

"Kevin enough!" Denise whispered then turned to me and Joe. "So, since the baby is already here. How did you two plan on handling things?"

"I want to marry her, it's the right thing to do." Joe answered, squeezing my hand as he looked to me with hopeful eyes.

"That's great that you want to do that but..." Denise began but Kevin, Sr. interrupted again.

"Perfect! That's just great! Your career is finished for sure now! Getting tied down with a baby before your even 20 years old! I still don't know what the hell you were thinking!!!"

Just then Nick and Frankie walked into the kitchen.

"What? Where did the baby come from?" Nick said in shock pointing at the baby carrier.

"Mom, did you finally give me the little brother I've been asking for?" Frankie asked beaming.

"No honey, it's Beth's baby." Denise answered with a smile. Undoubtedly trying to keep up a front for her other two sons.

"So, that's why you guys broke up. She cheated on you and got pregnant." Nick affirmed knowingly, looking to Joe as he folded his arms in front of him. Giving the classic Nick serious stare to his older brother.

"Would everyone stop saying she cheated on me! It's my baby!!!" Joe yelled out, throwing his hands in the air while getting upset.

"Nice going stud. What are you gonna do marry her or something?" Nick said with a laugh.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do!" Joe retorted, giving Nick a dirty look.

"Didn't you kinda do that backwards? I mean, the baby was supposed to come after you were married, not before." Nick stated, pointing to the baby carrier.

"I know that!" Joe said glaring at Nick. His younger brother was starting to annoy him with pointing out the facts and faults of Joe's current situation.

"I can't listen to anymore of this... I don't approve of any of it! I've gotta get outta here!" Kevin, Sr. mumbled, walking out of the kitchen

"But Dad..." Joe began to say but Mr. Jonas put his hand up, looked away and kept on walking.

Joe looked at his mother with hurt in his eyes, looking as if he was about to cry. "Mom... I'm sorry."

Denise got up to comfort Joe. She put an arm around his shoulder and rested her head against his. "Your dad's just upset. He'll come around eventually."

"But what if he doesn't?" Joe asked fearfully.

"He will." Denise said as comfortingly as she could, trying to ease Joe's mind.

"He's going to be mad at me forever, I just know it!" Tears began to fall from Joe's eyes which in turn made Denise start to cry.

"He won't. I promise you." Denise assured Joe, squeezing his shoulder.

"But I screwed up....majorly!" Joe pointed out.

His Mother stood upright and looked Joe square in the eyes.

"Joe, Everyone makes mistakes, your trying to right your wrongs and I respect you for that."

"Thanks Mom, I love you." Joe smiled, wiping a few stray tears away.

"I love you too... now let's see this grandbaby of mine."

Denise gently scooped baby Jonathan out of his car seat and looked at him lovingly.

"Awe, Joe the baby is so precious. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"His name is Jonathan Joseph Jonas." Joe answered, looking down at his son within his Mother's arms. Looking at Jonathan always made Joe smile.

"That's a nice name, who picked it?" Denise asked looking at Joe for a moment before resting her eyes back onto the baby wiggling in her arms.

"Beth picked Jonathan and I picked his middle name."

"If you two aren't married than how does he have our last name?" Denise questioned, looking to Joe confusingly.

"The nurse had me fill out and sign the birth certificate, and that's what I put down." Joe replied.

Denise nodded as she spoke to the baby.

"Hello, Baby Jonathan, this is..." Denise paused, Joe finished her sentence.

"Grandma." Joe smiled widely at his Mother. She shot him a daggered look.

"I know, I just wasn't ready to start calling myself that for a few more years."

"Too late for that Mom." Nick piped in.

Just then Jonathan started crying.

"Time to go back to Daddy." Denise said, as she handed the baby to Joe.

"Hey little guy. Let's see what's wrong... Joe lifted the baby up. "You smell fine, so can't be a diaper change... you hungry?"

"Joseph, you took a babysitting course, how could you not know what the baby needs?" Denise looked at Joe, a little flabbergasted that he was unsure of himself while tending to the baby.

"Mom, I do know, but it's just different when it's your own baby to take care of." Joe replied as he got a bottle out of the diaper bag, beginning to prepare it.

"Yeah bro, you can't give this one back like you could the kids you babysat." Nick pointed out.

"Your so funny, Nick!" Joe replied sarcastically while shooting him a smirking grin from the kitchen sink.

Just then Kevin came in.

"Oh, Hi... I didn't know you guys would be here." Kevin uttered at the sight of Joe, Beth and Jonathan in the family kitchen.

"Joseph brought Jonathan to meet the family, do you want to hold him?" Denise asked, gesturing towards Joe.

"No, I just stopped in to ask Dad something." Kevin replied, looking around quickly.

"He's not here, he left for a while. Is it something I can help you with?" Denise asked, looking to Kevin.

"No, it's alright. I'll just talk to him later" Kevin said then turned to walk away.

"Don't you want to visit with your nephew?" Denise called out to him.

"I've got to go run an errand, I'll be back to visit with him later." Kevin called back. Then we heard the door slam shut.

Joe and I left his parents house a short time later. Neither Kevin had come back by the time we had left.

***Chapter End Notes*** - There's some reads for this story, but little reviews. Please review and tell me what you thought of the story. It does help to motivate in posting new chapters. Thank you for reading.