The next day, Isaac and Nikki got everyone together to share with them the
news that they were having a baby. Everyone was thrilled to hear it, and they
were now celebrating. But as happy as Arielle was for them, she wasn't really
enjoying herself. She only wished she had someone to be there for her the way
her uncle was there for Nikki. It made her sad that she was on her own, and only
had family to lean on. No one loved her the way he loved his wife enough to
stick by her side.
Zac looked over at Arielle from across the room, and saw the tears forming in
her eyes as she watched Isaac and Nikki so happy together. He walked up to her,
and gave her a big hug. " It's okay, Arielle. There is someone out there for
you, who will love you as much as you deserve to be loved."
" But it's not just that, uncle Zac. She has a husband to be there one
hundred percent for her as she goes through her pregnancy. I have no one." Tears
rolled down her face. " I may have family, but it's just not the same."
He nodded to say he understood what she meant. " I know it isn't. But some
women have no one, sweetie. I would take what you have and focus on having a
relationship later."
His words weren't very comforting. They just upset her more. She didn't think
he really understood what she was going through. Running out of the room, she
caught Nikki's attention.
Following her out to the back yard, Nikki took her into her arms and held her
as she cried. " I know you are having a very hard time right now, Arielle. But
it really will be okay."
" How can it be? I have... no way to find out... who the father is, and even
if I could... it wouldn't matter. I'm doing this by myself." She sobbed.
" I... I shouldn't have... decided to have this baby."
" There is still adoption if you feel like you can't do it, honey. This whole
family will continue to back you up, even if you decide to give this baby
away."
" Would you raise my baby, Nikki? If I decide to give the baby up, would you
take care of him or her?"
This surprised Nikki. She had not expected for her to ask her to raise the
baby. " Wow. I... I don't... you would want me and your uncle to... raise your
baby?"
" You are amazing parents. I don't see why not." Arielle told her.
Wiping away Arielle's tears, she smiled. " I am very flattered you would ask.
But I think if there is anyone to really ask, you should look at Natalie and
your dad first."
" I suppose. But it may be easier if you do it. They already have more than
enough kids to look after." She calmed down a little. " Will you at least think
about it?"
Nikki nodded. " Yes, for you I will." She hugged her again. " Now come back
in with me and I will fix us a snack."
" Alright. I am kind of hungry." Arielle followed her back inside, and they
found her dad in the kitchen grabbing another bottle of sparkling cider from the
fridge.
Taylor looked up at them, and noticed that she had been crying. He set the
bottle down on the counter and gave her a big hug.
_________________________________________________
Later on that evening, Rachel showed up at Taylor's and Natalie's to surprise
Arielle. They hadn't seen each other since she had gotten into town. Introducing
herself to Natalie, who had been the one to answer the door, she asked to please
see her. Natalie told her which bedroom upstairs was her's, and she ran up
there, knocking excitedly at the door.
When Arielle saw her, she nearly knocked her over by throwing her arms around
her." I am so happy to see you." Arielle smiled, pulling out of the hug a moment
later. " You have no idea."
" I missed you too, Arielle. It hasn't been the same." Rachel smiled back. "
Which is why I am moving here to Tulsa."
" That is so awesome! You are just... so full of surprises, Rachel." She
hugged her again.
" I know how much you could use someone who understands what you are going
through." Rachel told her.
Rachel knew all too well just waht she was going through. She had gotten
pregnant at age fifteen with her boyfriend's baby. It had been a tough decision
for her, but in the end she had adopted out her baby. Ashley's rarely seen
brother took her daughter in, and then took off to California with her.
With a nod and a sigh, Arielle sat down on her bed. " I know you wonder about
her."
" All the time. But I think I did what was best for her. I was young, and
just couldn't do it." She sat beside her on the bed. " You just have to do what
feels right to you, Arielle. If having the baby is what you want, then go for
it. But there is nothing wrong with changing your mind either. You just... you
have to follow your heart. What is it telling you?"
" Actually, I may have decided to adopt my baby out too. I asked Nikki to
take it in, and she was going to talk to my uncle Isaac about it tonight."
Rachel giggled. " I still can't believe your dad is Taylor Hanson. That you
are related to one of the best bands ever."
" And I can't believe you never once told me about them and tried to get me
into their music. It is awesome!"
They laughed and talked about her dad and uncle's. She told Rachel some of
the stories she had heard from them. Most of the stories were of them as kids.
Those were her favorite one's to hear herself. She was always asking her dad
what he had been like back then.
She was in the middle of a story when they heard screaming coming from
downstairs. They ran to the top of the stairs, and saw Zac standing there with
Christopher, who didn't look very happy.
" Monroe should never have touched my gambeoy. He knew it was off limits to
him! Now I want to..."
" That doesn't give you the right to push him, Christopher. Now Isaac has to
take him to the emergency room because of you." Zac screamed at him.
Taylor looked at Christopher angrily. " I want you upstairs now. I don't even
want to see your face right now, Christopher. Now go see your sister."
No one had noticed she was standing right there. Arielle walked down the
stairs, glaring at her brother. " You pushed Monroe? For touching your gameboy?
And now he... he is on his way to the hospital?"
Christopher looked at her guiltily. He could tell she was quite mad, and
Rachel was glaring at him too. " He... he broke it, sis."
" I don't care, Christopher. Do you know who you are acting like lately? Do
you?" She asked angrily.
" I am nothing like, dad. You can't stand there and tell me I am anything
like him!"
Rachel grabbed Christopher by the arm, and led him upstairs to Arielle's
room. Arielle started to follow them, but she stopped her. " I got this,
Arielle. Me and him are going to have a long talk."
_______________________________________________
At the hospital, Isaac held Nikki in his arms. She was so upset at
Christopher, and was worried about her son. He had been pushed down the stairs,
and was hurting all over he had told them. By the way he had landed, they were
almost positve he had broken an arm or something. He for sure had a concussion,
as he kept blacking out on them.
Kissing his wife on the cheek, he held her tightly. " I am sure he will be
fine, honey. We just... we need to tell Zac that Christopher can't come back to
the house."
" He feels responsible of him though, Isaac. Especially since he feels he is
the reason that Ashley took off." Nikki looked at him. " How can we ask him
to..."
" I don't want Christopher around our kids anymore though. I have had enough.
His days at our house are over."
The doctor came out of the room just then. " Your son is resting peacefully.
He will be fine, he just has a mild concussion."
" Did he break anything? It really looked like he did." Nikki asked.
" He just has a sprained wrist is all, from trying to catch his fall. I
promise you he is more than okay. But we would like to keep an eye on him, just
for a couple of hours to be absolutely sure. Then you can take him home."
Isaac nodded, and watched the doctor walk away. " I told you he would be
fine." He kissed Nikki on the cheek again.
Nikki let out a sigh of relief. " I'm going in to see him. Will you call Zac
and let him know that he is okay? I know he was really worried."
" Yeah. Then I will be right int." He told her.
She nodded, and went into the room. Monroe looked up at her sleepily. He had
been given drugs for the pain. " Mom, I know I shouldn't hate him, but..."
" I know. And your dad doesn't want him in the house anymore, so this won't
ever be a problem again."
" Good. I'm glad." He closed his eyes, and felt her sit on the edge of the
bed.
" I'm just glad your falll wasn't any worse." She told him, and kissed him on
the cheek.
Isaac made the call to Zac, and let him know that Monroe was okay, who was
relieved to hear the news. He let Isaac know that Arielle's best friend was
having a good long talk with him.
When they hung up, Isaac came into the room and gave his son a hug. " I am so
glad your okay."
" Yeah. I'm just kind of tired, dad. That's all."
__________________________________________________
A few days passed, and Christopher's mood had changed after that long talk
with Rachel. She basically really let him have it about pushing Monroe, yelling
at him the way a mother would yell at her son. If there was anyone who could get
through to him other than his mother, it was her. He had always looked up to her
as another older sister. So to see her so upset and disappointed in him, made
him think twice about his actions. Not only did she talk him into apologizing to
Monroe and to Isaac and Nikki, but she handed out the punishment of helping to
care for him.
While Zac and Kate were busy looking for a new place, Rachel watched over
him. She made sure he did his chores around the house without complaints, and
that he helped Monroe whenever he needed it. She pretty much moved herself into
their house, but Nikki and Isaac didn't seem to mind this.
Taylor and Natalie were at an appointment with Arielle right now for an
ultrasound, who was still quite upset with her brother for the way he had acted
towards Monroe. She hadn't really spoken much to him since.
" Before they call us back there, we need to talk about things, Arielle.
Especially..."
" I don't talk to talk about it, dad. I just don't." She interrupted him,
taking her cell phone out of her purse.
" I don't care. We are going to talk about this." He took her cell phone out
of her hands, and forced her to look at him. " I understand that you are mad at
your brother. We all are. But that gives you no right to ignore him."
" Your dad is right. When we are through here, we are going to go see him and
you will settle things with him. Considering your mother walked out of his life
as well as yours, he needs you. Rachel is not his older sister, you are. And it
is time you act like it."
" I can't help that he does not listen to me. He never did, and he never
will."
" He just might if you were more forceful with him. Don't baby him because
you think it will makes things better and easier for him. It doesn't work that
way." Taylor told her.
" Mom spoiled him like crazy. He always got everything he wanted, especially
when dad... his dad made things hard on him, when... when he would hit him. It
is her fault, not mine."
" We understand that. But you never went off on him about his attitude
either. The whole time you two have been around here, you were way too sensitive
with him. You can't be his best friend, honey. He needs someone to be tough
on him." Natalie grabbed the cell phone from Taylor, and handed it back to
her.
" Just think about what we are saying. That is all we ask." He watched her
put her cell phone back in her purse after checking something on it.
Arielle looked up at them, from her dad to Natalie. " I asked Nikki if I
decided to adopt this baby out, if she would. She was going to talk to uncle
Isaac about it."
They looked at her in surprise, and were about to say something when the
nurse called them back for the ultrasound.
news that they were having a baby. Everyone was thrilled to hear it, and they
were now celebrating. But as happy as Arielle was for them, she wasn't really
enjoying herself. She only wished she had someone to be there for her the way
her uncle was there for Nikki. It made her sad that she was on her own, and only
had family to lean on. No one loved her the way he loved his wife enough to
stick by her side.
Zac looked over at Arielle from across the room, and saw the tears forming in
her eyes as she watched Isaac and Nikki so happy together. He walked up to her,
and gave her a big hug. " It's okay, Arielle. There is someone out there for
you, who will love you as much as you deserve to be loved."
" But it's not just that, uncle Zac. She has a husband to be there one
hundred percent for her as she goes through her pregnancy. I have no one." Tears
rolled down her face. " I may have family, but it's just not the same."
He nodded to say he understood what she meant. " I know it isn't. But some
women have no one, sweetie. I would take what you have and focus on having a
relationship later."
His words weren't very comforting. They just upset her more. She didn't think
he really understood what she was going through. Running out of the room, she
caught Nikki's attention.
Following her out to the back yard, Nikki took her into her arms and held her
as she cried. " I know you are having a very hard time right now, Arielle. But
it really will be okay."
" How can it be? I have... no way to find out... who the father is, and even
if I could... it wouldn't matter. I'm doing this by myself." She sobbed.
" I... I shouldn't have... decided to have this baby."
" There is still adoption if you feel like you can't do it, honey. This whole
family will continue to back you up, even if you decide to give this baby
away."
" Would you raise my baby, Nikki? If I decide to give the baby up, would you
take care of him or her?"
This surprised Nikki. She had not expected for her to ask her to raise the
baby. " Wow. I... I don't... you would want me and your uncle to... raise your
baby?"
" You are amazing parents. I don't see why not." Arielle told her.
Wiping away Arielle's tears, she smiled. " I am very flattered you would ask.
But I think if there is anyone to really ask, you should look at Natalie and
your dad first."
" I suppose. But it may be easier if you do it. They already have more than
enough kids to look after." She calmed down a little. " Will you at least think
about it?"
Nikki nodded. " Yes, for you I will." She hugged her again. " Now come back
in with me and I will fix us a snack."
" Alright. I am kind of hungry." Arielle followed her back inside, and they
found her dad in the kitchen grabbing another bottle of sparkling cider from the
fridge.
Taylor looked up at them, and noticed that she had been crying. He set the
bottle down on the counter and gave her a big hug.
_________________________________________________
Later on that evening, Rachel showed up at Taylor's and Natalie's to surprise
Arielle. They hadn't seen each other since she had gotten into town. Introducing
herself to Natalie, who had been the one to answer the door, she asked to please
see her. Natalie told her which bedroom upstairs was her's, and she ran up
there, knocking excitedly at the door.
When Arielle saw her, she nearly knocked her over by throwing her arms around
her." I am so happy to see you." Arielle smiled, pulling out of the hug a moment
later. " You have no idea."
" I missed you too, Arielle. It hasn't been the same." Rachel smiled back. "
Which is why I am moving here to Tulsa."
" That is so awesome! You are just... so full of surprises, Rachel." She
hugged her again.
" I know how much you could use someone who understands what you are going
through." Rachel told her.
Rachel knew all too well just waht she was going through. She had gotten
pregnant at age fifteen with her boyfriend's baby. It had been a tough decision
for her, but in the end she had adopted out her baby. Ashley's rarely seen
brother took her daughter in, and then took off to California with her.
With a nod and a sigh, Arielle sat down on her bed. " I know you wonder about
her."
" All the time. But I think I did what was best for her. I was young, and
just couldn't do it." She sat beside her on the bed. " You just have to do what
feels right to you, Arielle. If having the baby is what you want, then go for
it. But there is nothing wrong with changing your mind either. You just... you
have to follow your heart. What is it telling you?"
" Actually, I may have decided to adopt my baby out too. I asked Nikki to
take it in, and she was going to talk to my uncle Isaac about it tonight."
Rachel giggled. " I still can't believe your dad is Taylor Hanson. That you
are related to one of the best bands ever."
" And I can't believe you never once told me about them and tried to get me
into their music. It is awesome!"
They laughed and talked about her dad and uncle's. She told Rachel some of
the stories she had heard from them. Most of the stories were of them as kids.
Those were her favorite one's to hear herself. She was always asking her dad
what he had been like back then.
She was in the middle of a story when they heard screaming coming from
downstairs. They ran to the top of the stairs, and saw Zac standing there with
Christopher, who didn't look very happy.
" Monroe should never have touched my gambeoy. He knew it was off limits to
him! Now I want to..."
" That doesn't give you the right to push him, Christopher. Now Isaac has to
take him to the emergency room because of you." Zac screamed at him.
Taylor looked at Christopher angrily. " I want you upstairs now. I don't even
want to see your face right now, Christopher. Now go see your sister."
No one had noticed she was standing right there. Arielle walked down the
stairs, glaring at her brother. " You pushed Monroe? For touching your gameboy?
And now he... he is on his way to the hospital?"
Christopher looked at her guiltily. He could tell she was quite mad, and
Rachel was glaring at him too. " He... he broke it, sis."
" I don't care, Christopher. Do you know who you are acting like lately? Do
you?" She asked angrily.
" I am nothing like, dad. You can't stand there and tell me I am anything
like him!"
Rachel grabbed Christopher by the arm, and led him upstairs to Arielle's
room. Arielle started to follow them, but she stopped her. " I got this,
Arielle. Me and him are going to have a long talk."
_______________________________________________
At the hospital, Isaac held Nikki in his arms. She was so upset at
Christopher, and was worried about her son. He had been pushed down the stairs,
and was hurting all over he had told them. By the way he had landed, they were
almost positve he had broken an arm or something. He for sure had a concussion,
as he kept blacking out on them.
Kissing his wife on the cheek, he held her tightly. " I am sure he will be
fine, honey. We just... we need to tell Zac that Christopher can't come back to
the house."
" He feels responsible of him though, Isaac. Especially since he feels he is
the reason that Ashley took off." Nikki looked at him. " How can we ask him
to..."
" I don't want Christopher around our kids anymore though. I have had enough.
His days at our house are over."
The doctor came out of the room just then. " Your son is resting peacefully.
He will be fine, he just has a mild concussion."
" Did he break anything? It really looked like he did." Nikki asked.
" He just has a sprained wrist is all, from trying to catch his fall. I
promise you he is more than okay. But we would like to keep an eye on him, just
for a couple of hours to be absolutely sure. Then you can take him home."
Isaac nodded, and watched the doctor walk away. " I told you he would be
fine." He kissed Nikki on the cheek again.
Nikki let out a sigh of relief. " I'm going in to see him. Will you call Zac
and let him know that he is okay? I know he was really worried."
" Yeah. Then I will be right int." He told her.
She nodded, and went into the room. Monroe looked up at her sleepily. He had
been given drugs for the pain. " Mom, I know I shouldn't hate him, but..."
" I know. And your dad doesn't want him in the house anymore, so this won't
ever be a problem again."
" Good. I'm glad." He closed his eyes, and felt her sit on the edge of the
bed.
" I'm just glad your falll wasn't any worse." She told him, and kissed him on
the cheek.
Isaac made the call to Zac, and let him know that Monroe was okay, who was
relieved to hear the news. He let Isaac know that Arielle's best friend was
having a good long talk with him.
When they hung up, Isaac came into the room and gave his son a hug. " I am so
glad your okay."
" Yeah. I'm just kind of tired, dad. That's all."
__________________________________________________
A few days passed, and Christopher's mood had changed after that long talk
with Rachel. She basically really let him have it about pushing Monroe, yelling
at him the way a mother would yell at her son. If there was anyone who could get
through to him other than his mother, it was her. He had always looked up to her
as another older sister. So to see her so upset and disappointed in him, made
him think twice about his actions. Not only did she talk him into apologizing to
Monroe and to Isaac and Nikki, but she handed out the punishment of helping to
care for him.
While Zac and Kate were busy looking for a new place, Rachel watched over
him. She made sure he did his chores around the house without complaints, and
that he helped Monroe whenever he needed it. She pretty much moved herself into
their house, but Nikki and Isaac didn't seem to mind this.
Taylor and Natalie were at an appointment with Arielle right now for an
ultrasound, who was still quite upset with her brother for the way he had acted
towards Monroe. She hadn't really spoken much to him since.
" Before they call us back there, we need to talk about things, Arielle.
Especially..."
" I don't talk to talk about it, dad. I just don't." She interrupted him,
taking her cell phone out of her purse.
" I don't care. We are going to talk about this." He took her cell phone out
of her hands, and forced her to look at him. " I understand that you are mad at
your brother. We all are. But that gives you no right to ignore him."
" Your dad is right. When we are through here, we are going to go see him and
you will settle things with him. Considering your mother walked out of his life
as well as yours, he needs you. Rachel is not his older sister, you are. And it
is time you act like it."
" I can't help that he does not listen to me. He never did, and he never
will."
" He just might if you were more forceful with him. Don't baby him because
you think it will makes things better and easier for him. It doesn't work that
way." Taylor told her.
" Mom spoiled him like crazy. He always got everything he wanted, especially
when dad... his dad made things hard on him, when... when he would hit him. It
is her fault, not mine."
" We understand that. But you never went off on him about his attitude
either. The whole time you two have been around here, you were way too sensitive
with him. You can't be his best friend, honey. He needs someone to be tough
on him." Natalie grabbed the cell phone from Taylor, and handed it back to
her.
" Just think about what we are saying. That is all we ask." He watched her
put her cell phone back in her purse after checking something on it.
Arielle looked up at them, from her dad to Natalie. " I asked Nikki if I
decided to adopt this baby out, if she would. She was going to talk to uncle
Isaac about it."
They looked at her in surprise, and were about to say something when the
nurse called them back for the ultrasound.