Expect the Unexpected

I'm Here When You Need Me

Tatum was lying across her bed crying.  She knew they weren't going to take it well, but it still hurt to know that her family was that upset.  There was a knock on the door.  The person opened it before she said come in.  She knew it was Scott before he said a word.

Scott laid down next to her and pulled her into his arms.  He told her, "I'm sorry.  I'm your big brother.  I'm here if you need me.  You just surprised me.  You were supposed to be the good one of the three of us.  You had all of these big plans ahead of you.  I'm not going to press you to tell me anything you aren't ready to tell me.  I'm here whenever you want to talk."

"Thank you.  I'm sorry."

"Stop.  It's going to all be okay."

"You are going to be the best uncle.  I don't know what I am going to do.  I'm going to have the baby, that's for sure, but I don't know if I am going to be able to keep it."

"You are going to be fine.  We'll be here for you.  When do you think my niece or nephew is going to be here?  I have to be prepared."

Tatum chuckled.  "I would estimate July.  Probably the beginning of the month."

"That party?  That's when it happened?"

"Yes."

"I never should have made you go to that party.  You didn't want to go in the first place.  I should have just left you alone."

"It's okay.  It happened for a reason.  I just don't know what that reason is yet."

"You don't have to tell me who the dad is.  Have you told him yet?  What did he say?"

"I told him.  Right now it seems like it is going to be me and the baby.  The guy didn't seem all too willing to step up.  Either way it's going to be okay.  I haven't decided on adoption or raising the baby yet."

Scott growled.  "Jerk.  He isn't going to leave you to do this alone. That is ridiculous.  He is partially to blame for this, too.   You'll have Uncle Scott, too."

"It will be okay.  I just have to keep telling myself that.  Thanks for being here, S.  That's what I needed to hear."

"Get some rest, T.  You need it.  I'm going out for a bit.  Let me know if you need anything."

Scott kissed her head and left.  He hated to see her in this position.  It wasn't fair.  She took so much on her shoulders.  She had always been that way.

Dempsey was sitting in the living room.  His mind was reeling.  He was going to be a father and he had already messed up.  He couldn't have told her that he was going to be there and support her through all of this.  There was a knock on the door that brought him out of his thoughts.

He opened the door to see Scott, his best friend and uncle to his child.  He said, "Hey man."

"Hey."

"What's up?"

"Some dirt bag got my little sister pregnant.  She went to her first high school party, lost her virginity and got pregnant.  The jerk is leaving her to do it alone.   I hate this for her.  She always puts everything on her shoulders.  She won't let people help her.  I know it is going to be hard to get her to let us help her if she does keep the baby.  I just hate this for her."

Dempsey sat up a little straighter.  "She's thinking about not keeping the baby?"

"She's still on the fence of adoption or keeping the baby.  She isn't sure what she is going to do yet.  Knowing my sister though, she is going to keep the baby.  I can't see her giving her baby up after carrying them for nine months."

Dempsey couldn't imagine her giving up the baby either.  "Did she tell you who the father is?"

"No.  She won't tell us.  I have a feeling she told Sophie, but she won't tell the rest of us.  She's determined.  She is going to her first appointment Tuesday.  I'm going to ask her to go with her, but I know she is going to tell me not to.  I'm just hoping she will let Soph or mom go with her.  She is going to need someone.  She is only 17 years old.  She has her whole life ahead of her.  This is not going to be easy."

"Tatum is going to be a mom."

"Yeah.  It's crazy, huh?  Soph and I begged her to go to the party.  Look where it got her.  I should have just let her stay home like she wanted to.  She's always been shy and reserved as it is.  This is going to make it even harder for her."

Dempsey now couldn't have imagined what that party would have been like had Tatum not been there.  He didn't want to.  Who knows what would have happened to him that night if she hadn't been there.  He wouldn't be having a baby with her, but he could have been having a baby with someone else.  The thought alone made him shiver.  He told Scott, "She's Tatum.  She's strong.  She's always been the strong one."

"I don't know this time."

"She's going to be a great mom."

"She is.  She's caring, loving and has the biggest heart of anyone that I know.  I'm going to be an uncle.  Wow.  That's just so unreal to me.  I'm sorry I'm laying this all out on you.  I don't know where else to go."

"It's all good."

"I just couldn't take her tears anymore.  She is always the happy one.  I probably need to get home in case she needs me.  Thanks for listening.  I know you were planning on this tonight."

"Any time.  I'm here if you need me."  Scott left.

Dempsey felt terrible.  He was the cause of it all.  He was the cause of Tatum's tears and stress.  Tatum was the good girl with all the promise in the world.  He had messed up everything and he hated himself for it.  He knew that he had to talk to Tatum on Monday.  He also knew that it wasn't going to be easy or pretty after the way he had let her walk away yesterday.