2 weeks later...
(Charity's P.O.V.)
Joel, Moriah, and Luke are truly incredible people. After Kai and I ran out of time at the home, Joel and Luke worked it out for Kai and I to rent out a room in their parents house. Luke and his wife also offered to watch Kai so I can work. I just dropped off Kai with Courtney (Luke's wife). I'm heading to start my 3rd day working at a cafe, Joel and Moriah know the owner, his son manages this one and they were able to help me get the job. My manager, Levi has been awesome and understanding of my situation even though he only knows the little bit Joel told him. I walked in to Kaffeböna to be greeted by the delicious smell of pastries and coffee. There was someone playing music on the stage in the corner, we have people who are trying to work their way into the industry here all day.
"Hey Charity! Go sign in and come right back here." Levi, my boss, told me.
"Yes sir!" I replied walking off.
"It's Levi or bro or something not sir." He said as a customer walked up to the counter he was working at.
I put my back up and signed in them hurried back to Levi.
"From what I've heard, you've done a great job so far working in the back. For today you will be up front, customer service is very important to me, and I've decided I'm going to train you to work up here." He explained.
"Okay, where do we start?"
He flashed me a small smile before answering, "enthusiasm, I like it. We'll start basic, register."
For the next couple hours I took orders, made drinks, and served people. After a while it business was really slow, Levi decided this would be a good time for me to work on my own. A few minutes after he left a couple came in and lined up at the counter. I took the ladies order, as she walked off to find a seat, the next person stepped up and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped.
"Charity? Charity Nolan?" He said, he had surprise written all over his face. "How have you been."
I was too annoyed by his presence to answer, but eventually, "oh you know, busy with my kid."
"Cool! You kept the baby! How's it doing?"
His answer frustrated me to the point of tears, but I forced them back. "My child is great, but you really have no clue about anything do you?"
"The kid has my last name, I know that."
"Birth certificate says Nolan."
"What? You didn't give it my name?"
"Why would I put your name? You don't even know the gender! You weren't their when I was pregnant, nor when we were homeless and broke. That is not your child, you are just a frigging sperm donor to my child."
"Maybe I'm trying Charity!"
"You should have tried 4 years ago Peyton, when you were actually needed."
"I can give that kid a better life than you ever will be able to, I have a fiancée, a job, money, car, apartment-"
"You lost your chance when you decided it was an inconvenience to have a kid." I interrupted.
"I was 17! I didn't know what I was thinking! My parents would have killed me!"
"Yeah, I was 14, and my parents kicked me out because I wouldn't abort. You had a choice, they would have let you come back, they would still love you despite it."
"Charity, you're wrong. I'll go wherever I need to, I will get permission to see my child."
"And when they ask you the name or the birthday, what will you tell them?"
"That my ex girlfriend is 17 and incapable of caring for a child."
"That's not an answer, I'm 18, I have a job, a home, making money, they'd have no reason to give you any rights."
"Screw you."
"Excuse me, sir? You need to leave right now." Levi said standing next to me.
"I want to speak to the manger about this customer service." He demanded angrily.
"You are, and from what I see, you are holding up the line, as well as harassing my employee. Now please, do not make me ask you again to leave."
He walked out angrily as Levi turned back to me, "go take a break."
I simply nodded and walked thru the shop to the back of the building. I made my way outside and sat down on the curb. I felt hot tears pour down my face, I always hoped to never see him again. Obviously that didn't happen, I sat there a couple minutes before Levi came out. I looked away not wanting him to see my tear stained face. He sat down next to me and just say there for a minute.
"I called Joel, he's coming to pick you up, you need to go relax." He said squinting as he looked straight ahead.
"No, I'm fine, I just need a couple minutes to pull myself together."
"Charity, I've already decided to give you a full days wages, you need to go."
I just nodded thankfully, I want my Kai back.
"Now if you don't mind me asking, who was that?"
"His name is Peyton Hollingston, he um, is the uh, um father to my child, well more like sperm donor, not really a father."
"I see, if he comes in again, let me know, just call for help up front."
"Okay, thank you."
"It's no problem, I think that's Joel." He said hopping up, then helping me to my feet as a car drove up.
Joel got out and walked over to me. "Are you alright?"
I nodded my head, my eyes are still puffy and red, but I was feeling better. Joel hugged me as more tears spilled out of my eyes. He wiped his thumb across my cheek knocking off a stray tear.
"It'll be okay." He whispered rubbing my arm.
Again I just nodded as he lead me to his car, I feel so wimpy crying about an ex.
"Thanks for calling me." Joel said to Levi as he opened my door for me.
"Not a problem-" is all I heard Levi reply before Joel shut the door.
Joel got in a minute later and started up the engine, I had finally stopped my crying, and felt bad he stopped what he was doing to come get me.
"You know you're welcome to come to me if you need anything or someone to talk to." He said after a long silence.
I nodded again just noticing I hadn't said anything since Joel arrived.
"Hey, talk to me, is there anything you need?"
"I want Kai, I just want to hold my baby. I haven't seen Peyton in 4 years, I thought he was out of my life forever." I said starting to cry again.
"It will be okay Charity, he can't do anything to you."
"But he can take Kai! He has the stable life, I don't!"
"He is not going to get Kai, a guy who abandons his pregnant girlfriend and then randomly shows up a few years later isn't going to get custody."
"You don't know that! Peyton has turned his life around! If he finds out anything about Kai, even his name, he can go to court over this."
"Wait, he doesn't know his name?"
"No, he doesn't even know we have a son, just that is a child."
"He won't find out, you and Kai will be okay, you'll make it."
"I want to think that, but, it's so hard."
"You've made it for 3 years by yourself, you've known my family and I for what a month? You told Moriah and I you have no one to depend on in life. You can depend on Moriah, Luke, Courtney, and I, we are here for you. We want to and will help you, you don't have to be so strong, because a wall without support crumbles, we want to be the support that helps you stand strong."
"It's hard to tell people, if you knew the whole story, you probably wouldn't talk to me."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do! I am the anti everything y'all! My life is the exact opposite of how y'all say life should be lived."
"Okay, you lost your purity, but there's a second chance to be pure through Christ, live your life to honor Him and according to His law. It's possible, you can be redeemed through Christ, you just have to give it to all to God and strive to be new in Him."
I sat there in reply, I don't actually have anything to say to that, but purity is only part of it, I've done more than he thinks.
"Are you hungry? It's a little after 1." He eventually asked.
I shook my head even though I am.
"Are you sure? You look like the you haven't eaten in days!"
"I haven't." I mumbled in what I thought was a quiet enough whisper for him to hear.
"You haven't been eating?" He asked as we pulled into a parking lot.
I shook my head, I didn't mean for him to hear.
"Charity, you need to take care of yourself!"
"I need to take care of Kai! He comes first! Not me!" I exclaimed climbing out of the car and walking off.
I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see Joel, I kept walking ignoring him.
"Please turn around Charity."
I eventually did, listening is the only way to get rid of him.
"Charity, you didn't understand-"
"No, you don't understand, it's just you and Moriah, y'all have your own place, jobs, family, everything you need. I don't have anything, my only possession is Kai, and that's because I didn't abort him or give him up to an adoption agency. You don't understand what it is like to be in my situation."
"You're wrong, as I child, after moving here from Australia, my family struggled financially. We didn't have a lot of things, and sometimes didn't eat more than a meal a day, there was 7 of us and my parents, I know the challenges, and I know you'll make it."
(Joel's P.O.V.)
Charity's face softened but a depressed look was still there.
"I'm sorry." She managed, "I didn't know, I shouldn't of said that."
"It's okay, but this now is shaping you and Kai into great people, you just need a little help, and have to be willing to accept that. You can't do it on your own."
Her face fell and she stood there staring at the pavement.
"Tell me, what are you running from?" I asked as I lifted her chin with my hand.
"Peyton, my parents, others, help, depression, anorexia... God."
"And when you stop running from God, it will be so much easier to face those things."
"Are you saying I need to talk to Peyton?"
"Yes, eventually you will need to work that out with him, and if their is any way you think I can help, I will."
"Why are you so willing and wanting to help me? I'm a random person whose kid ran into you, you meet people all the time at your concerts far worse off than me."
"God doesn't call me to be there for them. After Kai approached me at the concert, I couldn't get the two of you off my mind, Moriah will back me up, that night I felt the Lord had laid it on my heart to help you. Finding that buzz lightyear, to me was a sign from God, the fact that Kai's name was on it, and I knew who you were. It was God telling me He has a plan, and it involves being there for you two."
"Thank you Joel, I really do appreciate all you and your family has done."
I smiled at her and lead her back to the car, we ended up going through drive thru before heading to pick up Kai. Charity talked to Courtney for a few minutes as Kai came over to me.
"Hi mister!" He said with a smile from ear to ear across his face.
"Hey Kai!" I replied putting him in the car.
"Momma sad?" He asked, he was a pretty observant kid, especially for being three years old.
"Yes, your mom is sad."
"Why?"
"Work was hard for her today."
"I want momma not sad a lot."
"I know you do."
"I want her happy."
"Me too, but you make your mom happy when you obey and listen to her."
"It do?"
"Yes, it does." I answered him, buckling him in as Charity came over.
"Thanks for giving us a ride!" She said a while later as I pulled into my parents drive way.
"No problem, I need to talk to my dad anyway." I told as we all got out and walked to the house.
Charity brought Kai back to their room, but he came running out not long later. I was sitting in the living room with my parents, we were talking when Kai stood next to me. He whispered to me and I nodded. He smiled and climbed into my lap, he laid his head on my chest to get comfortable. Before long he was asleep, Charity came out and walked over.
"Sorry about him."she apologized picking Kai up off of me.
"It's no problem." I told her as she walked out bringing Kai to bed. "Hey, can you come back here after he's settled in?"
"Yeah, I'll be right back."
She came back in a and sat down, I looked at her intently before speaking. "I've been thinking about and researching something this last week. With that Moriah and I have been praying about how exactly God wants us to continue... continue working with you." She nodded and I continued, "since you are only 18, you are technically on your own, but their is a way Moriah and I can become legal family. Meaning, if anything happens to you, we are called, if anything happens to Kai, we are called. Also meaning, if for some reason CPS takes Kai from you, they would give him to us, not this Peyton guy, we would be his remaining family. This is all theoretical, but I would like for you to think it over."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, it'd be like I'm your estranged 3rd cousin."
She laughed pretty hard at that joke, she looked so relieved, "so are you sure about this?"
"Yes! This means that you can go back to school if you desire to, you can still graduate, despite your situation."
"I honestly haven't thought about school in years."
"If you decide to, there are programs so you can graduate in a year without having to actually go to school. You would also set an amazing example to other girls in your similar situation, that despite having a child, no family or money, they can make it."
"You know, something I've wanted to do since Kai was born was share my story and start a home for teens who are mothers. Let them come and be treated the way I wish I was. I want no girl to have to go through what I did. You don't know an eighth of the struggles faced daily."
"Charity, darling, you are symbol of hope, perseverance, and strength. I love that idea, you would be great at that."
"Thank you, I can't tell you enough how much appreciate what you've done."
"Anytime Charity! I'm gl-"
"Momma!" Interrupted a screaming Kai, Charity was up in no time to get him.
She came back with Kai in her arms, a sleepy look remained on his face, but he still managed to say hi to everyone in the room.
"Why don't you let me take him?" Asked Helen Smallbone, aka my mum, as she rose to take Kai from Charity.
"Uh okay." Charity replied handing off the child.
"If Joel's the estranged 3rd cousin, that means I'm the crazy 2nd cousin!" Exclaimed David, my dad, he and mum had come in later, after I told Charity of my idea.
We all laughed at him and his enthusiasm before I announced I had to leave. I was walking out the door when mum announced Charity had a call. I heard her pick up the phone and the first few words of what she was saying before closing the front door behind me.
"She died?"