"Against the Odds"
Life changed in a flash.
One moment Rose McNeil was a fresh eight-teen-year-old with a full scholarship to college, great parents, and a loving boyfriend. Her life was going well, she was on top of the world, and all that she had planned turned into what-ifs by three positive pregnancy tests.
Three.
All positive.
Now she was worried about what her parents would say, if her boyfriend would break up with her and if college was worth pursuing?
Could she be a student and a mom?
Could she even be a mother at all?
Abortion wasn't a part of her back-up plan, but did she have the guts to give her baby away for adoption?
Only three months of no longer being a virgin, and she ends up pregnant?
Rose couldn't help but think her luck was horrible, and suddenly the world was out to get her.
She kept the secret for three days, crying herself to sleep about the possible outcomes of her life now.
Keeping it to herself wasn't going to get her anywhere, however. She had to tell someone, most importantly, her parents and her boyfriend, Jonah.
Rose decided it would be best to tell Jonah and his parents first. She knew wholeheartedly that their reaction would be ten times better than her conservative parents.
Rose's parents believed that her relationship with Jonah was just a phase, so learning that she was having his baby was like telling them she would die.
Rose's parents didn't like Jonah from the start. While they were conservative, Jonah had a laid back hippie upbringing. His parents were free spirits, weed heads, vegetarians, open-minded, not all confined by society morals - the complete opposite of Rose's parents.
Jonah wasn't exactly like his parents. He wasn't into weed and definetly loved himself a burger. Still, he wasn't conservative enough for Rose's parents.
He was twenty years old and not in college, nor was he planning to go. Jonah was the lead guitarist in an indie band who played locally all-around town.
Music was his life and not considered a real job to Rose's father.
He hated that Jonah was laid back and lived life freely without plans or real goals.
He hated everything that Rose loved about him.
Jonah was the opposite of her. From her upbringing, she could be uptight, anxious, always feeling the need to plan everything out and control things that she couldn't.
Jonah taught her how to have fun and live in the moment.
When she was with his parents, Rose could just be and relax, and she liked that.
That's why she was so afraid of telling them the news. It could ruin their relationship if Jonah wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. Jonah was the first man she's ever loved, and though Rose was so young, she believed they had a future together.
But no matter her fears, she had to tell him sooner rather than later.
Luckily, she had already planned to go over to his apartment Saturday night to have dinner with him and his parents.
Rose was so nervous the entire time that she wasn't acting like herself.
She sat quietly next to Jonah at the dinner table, his parents sitting across from them.
As they went on about his parents' couples yoga sessions, Rose stabbed at her Kale Pesto Pasta with her fork.
"Rose, sweetheart?" said Jonah's mother, Astrid.
Rose looks up to see the three of them staring at her.
"Yeah?" her voice squeaked.
"Are you okay?" asked his father, Blaze.
"Yeah, babe," Jonah rubbed her back, "you're quiet tonight."
Rose gulped, opening her mouth to speak.
Unfortunately, nothing came out.
"Did something -"
"I'm pregnant," Rose blurted out before Jonah's next question.
"You're pregnant?" Jonah's eyebrows rose.
Rose nodded, gulping again.
"Wait a minute. Are you sure?" Blaze asked.
"Yes, I took three pregnancy tests."
"And all positive?" Jonah asked.
Rose nods again.
"Do your parents know?"
"No, I thought I'd tell you guys first."
Silence fell over the table, and Rose felt like she would hurl from how nervous she was. She'd rather them say something - anything - even if they were angry.
Rose wasn't expecting them to be ecstatic, but she surely wasn't prepared for Astrid to leap out of her seat, jumping and crying happy tears. "I'm going to be a grandmother!"
Rose's jaw dropped to the floor as Blaze stood up and hugged his wife, "we're going to be grandparents!"
Rose looks at Jonah, who was keeping in happy tears.
She frowns, "are you crying?"
"How can I not?" Jonah wipes a tear that spilled. "We're going to be parents!"
He hugs a shocked Rose.
"What is happening?" she said out loud.
"Are you not happy?" Jonah pulls back.
His question caused silence to fall over the room again.
"Am I happy?" Rose scoffed. "Jonah, I'm scared for my life. I'm only eighteen. I'm supposed to start school in two months. I have a full ride."
"Aw hun," said Astrid, "you don't have to quit school because you're pregnant. Your world doesn't have to stop."
"It's not that easy, Astrid," Rose teared up. "That's so much stress. A student and a mom. How am I supposed to manage that?"
Jonah chuckles, "why are you talking as if you're alone?"
Rose raised her eyebrows at him as if he was crazy.
"Babe," he took her hands and kissed them. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be in my child's life."
"Jonah -"
"Marry me."
"Marry - I'm sorry, what?"
"I was going to ask you when you finished college, but if we're already having a baby, why wait?"
"Oh my god, Blaze, get the camera, get the camera," Astrid gushed.
"Wait," Rose stood. "No, no cameras. This is insane. This is not practical."
"When have I ever been practical?" Jonah got out of his seat and on one knee.
"Oh my god," Rose covered her face, "Jonah, please get up."
"No," Jonah took her hand, "marry me, Rose."
"Jonah -"
"You love me, don't you?"
"Of course I do."
"Then you know I would never neglect you. I didn't neglect you when your parents disapproved of me, and I won't now."
"Jonah, what are you saying?"
Jonah shrugs nonchalantly. "I'm saying it might not be easy, but we can do this parenting thing together."
Rose's breath hitched as tears streamed down her face. She didn't know what to expect, but she never assumed a proposal.
Rose's main issue of getting married would be that they were so young. She was just about to start college, and she hadn't planned to start as a married freshman.
Yet when she thought about it, Rose hated the thought of being someone's baby mama - even more so playing house.
If they were going to have a baby and live with each other, what was the point of shacking up? Even more so when they obviously loved and cared for each other?
Having seen her parents go through tough times, Rose knew marriage wasn't for the weak. But she and Jonah had proved to one another that they were willing to work on themselves and issues that threatened to pull them apart.
The biggest challenge of their relationship so far was her parents. Their disdain for Jonah often caused an argument between him and Rose. They didn't respect him and didn't try to hide it.
But if he were Rose's husband, in addition to being the father of her child, they would have no choice but to learn how to respect him. They didn't have to like Jonah.
All Rose wanted from her parents was to see the love and commitment Jonah had toward hers.
Married or not, Rose and Jonah were bonded for life now. If her parents wanted to be in their baby's life, they'd have to make an effort to accept and get along with him.
"Rose?" Jonah brought her out of her thoughts. "What do you say? Will you marry me?" he asked her with his eyes full of hope.
"Yes!" Rose nod excitedly.
Excited cheers filled the room as the young engaged couple hugged tightly.
"Oh my god, this is so beautiful!" Astrid was in tears, just like her daughter-in-law to be.
She hugged Rose tightly, "welcome to the family, Rosie!"
"Thanks," Rose smiled, getting a hug and kiss on the forehead from Blaze.
"Welcome to the family, kiddo," he told her.
"Oh, my," Astrid gasped, "there is so much to do! We have to find you a dress, figure out when and where we will have the ceremony. There's the bridal shower, the baby shower and -"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait," Jonah could tell that Rose was getting overwhelmed. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet, mom."
"Oh, right," Astrid could see the look of stress on Rose's face. "I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay; it's okay," Rose sighed. "You're right. There is so much to do. Including tell my parents that I'm pregnant . . . and getting married."
The four exchanged uncomfortable glances as a tense silence fell over the room at the daunting realization.