Chapter Eleven
Melody
My eyes slowly opened, immediately seeing Luke still sleeping. I curled in closer to him and closed my eyes, feeling a bit nauseous. I started hoping if what I found out yesterday was just a dream.
Luke stirred for a bit before waking up. "You awake, Mel?" he asked softly.
"Yeah," I replied.
"How are you feeling?"
"........It wasn't a dream, was it?"
Luke sighed. "No, it wasn't. So how are you feeling?"
"A bit sick," I replied honestly as I sat up. "And starving."
"Well, you are eating for two now," Luke said, sitting up. "I'll make you some breakfast, okay?"
I nodded before we got out of bed. Luke gave me a hug before we walked out of my room. Everyone else was up, talking about something in the living room. They all stopped when they saw us. Matt got up from the couch and walked over to me. "Mel, I'm sorry about the things I said yesterday," Matt said. "I was just shocked and a little bit angry."
"It's fine," I said. "I don't blame you for caring."
Luke walked into the kitchen and started making breakfast, so Matt pulled me to the couch. "We've been talking," he said. "The thing is that I'm starting university soon so I won't be living at home anymore."
I frowned. I forgot all about that. "And?"
"Well, if you're planning on keeping the baby, we have to find out the living arrangements," Uncle Daryl said. "Have you decided what to do with the baby?"
I sighed. "Not yet. It's either going to be to keep it or put it through adoption."
"No abortion?" Matt asked.
I shook my head. "That one has been and will stay ruled out."
Someone knocked on the door, but instead of waiting for someome to answer, they walked in. And by they, I meant my aunts Celia and Jamie and my cousins Jasmine, Infinity, and Flynn. "We booked the first flight as soon as you told us to, Daryl," Aunt Celia said. "Is everything okay?"
Uncle Daryl sighed. "As someone once said, it depends how you look at it."
"Wise words," Crystal agreed, mostly because she was the one who said it.
"Go ahead, Melody," Matt said. "Tell them."
"Do I have to?" I asked, to which Matt nodded to. "Luke?!"
"Not this time, Melody!" Luke called from the kitchen. "I told my dad, my mom, and your uncle!"
I sighed and shook my head as Flynn bounced down beside me. "Come on, cuz. You can tell us."
"No, I really can't," I said, suddenly feeling more nauseous. "I don't feel so good......." I placed my hand over my mouth and ran to the bathroom, which was luckily close by. I got there just in time. Great.......Now the bathroom smelt like vomit.
I walked out of the bathroom, seeing sympathetic faces on my family. "Oh, Melody, do you have the flu?" Aunt Jamie asked.
I shook my head. "Uh, no......Not that."
"So why are we here exactly?" Infinity asked. "Not that I don't like being with my family, but still."
"Come on, Melody," Matt said. "Tell them."
Luke walked over to me with a glass of water. "Here," he said. "I know I said I won't tell them this time, but do you need me to?"
I nodded, but before Luke could say anything, Matt said, "No, I can do it. My dear family, what you just witnessed is an example of morning sickness. Melody is carrying a child inside of her."
"Thanks for that, Matt," I said sarcastically.
"Woah woah woah," Aunt Celia said. "What do you mean 'carrying a child inside'?" Out of everyone we told, I'd say she was the most furious. Even more than Matt was.
"I mean that Melody darling is pregnant," Matt simplified, though I was pretty sure it was a rhetorical question.
"Pregnant?" Infinity asked, sound shocked rather than mad, thank goodness. I couldn't deal with anybody else getting mad. "How did that happen?"
"Well, there's this thing called sex," Flynn answered.
Infinity glared at her brother. "I know that, idiot."
"So my niece is pregnant?" Aunt Celia asked.
Uncle Daryl stood up from the chair he was on and walked over to his wife. "Celia, Melody told me what happened and it's not as bad as it seems," he assured.
"Not as bad?" Aunt Celia repeated. "What is she doing having sex at seventeen?!"
"Hey, at least she never did it at thirteen," Matt defended.
"Hold on," Crystal said. "Melody, you told me it happened in June, right? Was it by any chance June seventh?" I looked down when Crystal said that dreadful date. I hated June seventh.
"What's on June seventh?" Flynn asked.
Matt sighed. "Last year on June seventh, our parents passed away. I'm guessing Melody was feeling depressed that day and Luke tried cheering her up and one thing led to another. Am I right, Mel?"
"Yeah," I replied quietly. "Spot on."
"Celia, I assure you it never meant to happen," Luke promised. "Really."
Aunt Celia still seemed pretty pissed off. "We need to have a serious discussion."
"So everyone keeps saying," I muttered.
"We're waiting for Luke's mom to show up," Uncle Daryl said. "I called her a few minutes ago and she's eating breakfast."
"Speaking of, I should go back in the kitchen before I burn the food," Luke said before he walked back into the kitchen.
Suddenly, I started feeling nauseous again. "Not again!" I whined before running back into the vomit-smelling bathroom and throwing up again.
By the time I got out of the bathroom, Sandy was in the hotel room, as well as John which honestly confused me a bit. But I didn't mind, since he's so willing to help out and to get involved in Luke's life.
I sat back on the couch, feeling very awkward. "Matt," Uncle Daryl said. "Would you mind finishing up for Luke in the kitchen? We need him in here."
"Sure," Matt said as he stood up. Flynn followed him into the kitchen, claiming that he didn't want to be involved and because he was hungry.
Luke walked into the living room, stopping as soon as he saw John. "What are you doing here, John?" Luke asked. "You know, not that I don't appreciate you helping out."
"He gets to help with the decision making," Sandy replied.
Luke nodded and sat down beside me. "So.......Discussion time. Fun."
"Having a baby is a huge life changing event," Uncle Daryl began. "So you ruled out abortion. Adoption and keeping the baby is all that's left. If you keep the baby, we have to talk about living arrangements. Clearly, it's best if both parents are involved."
"Very important," Luke agreed, looking at his mom.
"Luke," she warned. "Don't start."
"Sorry......." Luke muttered as he looked away.
"Like I was saying," Uncle Daryl continued, "keeping the baby is a huge decision, as well as putting it up for adoption."
"And then there's schooling," Sandy spoke up. "You're going into your senior year and I doubt you would want to show up to school pregnant. You'll probably need a personal tutor."
I sighed. "I didn't even think about that........"
"There's a lot more two think about than there seems, Melody," John said. "Not just what to do with the baby."
"Right," Aunt Jamie agreed. "We're not saying you have to choose whether to keep it or put it up for adoption right now, but......."
"I wanna keep the baby," I interrupted quietly. I knew it was a big decision, but that was what I wanted.
Aunt Celia sighed. "Like Jamie said, you don't have to choose right away." Figures. She still seemed pissed at me, so she'd probably disagree with me.
"I want to keep him or her," I repeated. "I know it will be tough, but I already lost my parents. I don't want to give away my future child."
"Melody," Aunt Celia said. "It's more than keeping it. You'll also need the proper funding, full-time attention, and the willingness. Keeping it is probably not the best thing."
I couldn't belive what I was hearing. Aunt Celia always was on my side and helped me through anything, not disagree with everything. "Aunt. Celia, it will be the best thing for me. It's what I want."
"But it's probably not the best," Aunt Celia disagreed.
"I'll get a job," Luke said. "I'll help pay for everything. If she wants to keep the baby, then she should. It's hers. It's ours."
I smiled at Luke for defending me. The way he said it's ours made my heart leap.
Unfortunately, Aunt Celia completely ignored Luke. "Melody, as your legal guardian, it's of my best interest to choose what happens."
"No, it's not!" I objected. "And Matt is my legal guardian! If I want to keep the baby, then I should be able to damn keep it!"
"Don't raise your tone at me, young lady," Aunt Celia snapped. "You're seventeen and shouldn't be having a baby!"
"I'll be eighteen in October," I said. "I'll be an adult."
"That doesn't change the fact that you're seventeen and pregnant now!" Aunt Celia told me.
Luckily, and thankfully, Sandy decided to jump in. "Celia, with all due respect, I think Melody is perfectly capable of raising a child, even at her age."
"I think I know what my niece is capable of," Aunt Celia scoffed. I was shocked. I have never ever seen Aunt Celia with this attitude, ever. She was always so helpful and peaceful. Not the complete opposite.
"True," Sandy agreed, "but I also know what my son is capable of. Whenever I'm at work, he's the one watching my four year old daughter ever since she was a baby."
"That's different," Aunt Celia said. "I presume he didn't get up at nights when she woke up or raised her as his own? Melody should give the baby up for adoption. End of discussion."
"It's my choice!" I objected. "Like I said, Matt is my legal guardian and I will be eighteen before the baby is born, so I don't have to do anything you say!" Being pissed off couldn't even describe how I felt. No way was I letting someone choose for me.
"Celia, Melody is mature enough to make her own decision," Uncle Daryl said. "I know she's only seventeen, but we have to support what she chooses."
Aunt Celia gave Uncle Daryl a look. "Seventeen. She's seventeen, still in high school, and won't be able to complete her studies! It will be best for her to put it up through adoption."
I couldn't take it anymore. I got up and hurried to the kicthen where Matt was serving scrambled eggs and sausages onto a plate. "Matt, please help me..."
"What's wrong?" he asked as he put the spatula down.
"I need you to support my decision," I said. "You will, right?"
Matt nodded. "Of course I will. Why?"
"Aunt Celia won't listen to a word I say," I said. "She keeps saying adoption is the best thing, but I want my baby to be, well, my baby. I don't want to give away my child after loosing Mom and Dad..."
Matt pulled me into a hug. "It's okay, Mel. I'll make sure you could keep the baby."