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Jeremy continuation Aaron looks at me with his gentle brown eyes, a smile playing at his lips. "Anna, I never stopped loving you. I was angry with you when I found out what you had done to our baby, but when I put myself in your shoes I realized that I probably would have done the same thing. The hardest and saddest words I have ever spoken in my life were the ones I used when I told my parents about my part in Jeremy's coming to be. Mom and Dad were very upset, so I tried to blame you. Even after I realized that it takes two to make a baby, I blamed you for getting an abortion. I blamed the doctor for botching it, which is why Jeremy has cerebral palsy. But deep down, I knew it was my fault as well. I don't want Jeremy to feel like he was a problem or an inconvenience, so I take full responsibility for everything because I wasn't man enough to say no to sex and to your abortion. When the lady from the clinic called and told me about a boy they had found, I knew what I had to do. I had to raise my son the best way I knew how. These past four years have been like a second chance for me. Even though I had made a big mistake, I felt like I could make up for it by being the best father I could be. I named him Jeremy because I knew you would have. Also, he came to the house in August -- on your birthday. I took that as a sign that I should give you a chance to be involved in the rest of Jeremy's life, and I also decided right then and there to tell the truth to my family and to yours, though I'm sorry it's taken me until now to approach you. No, Anna, even through the four hardest years of my life, I have never stopped loving you for giving me my son." I let the tears flow freely. Aaron slides off the railing and comes over to the swing. He sits beside me and holds me, letting me cry. My brain resists processing all this new information. From the moment Mr. Michaels drove into the yard to the moment Aaron cradled me in his arms is a blur. Phrases and questions whirl through my head. In the split second it takes for me to think a thousand thoughts, I know what my answer to the all-important question is. I pull away and look into Aaron's eyes. "Aaron," I whisper, "I do love you. I don't think I stopped loving you, either. But when you moved away, I thought I'd never see you again, so I tried to erase you from my memory but never quite succeeded. And now that you're here, I realize how much I've missed you. I needed you, Aaron." He lowers his head. "I needed you, too, but I didn't want to admit it." He looks me full in the face. "Running didn't solve anything. I'm back now, and I want to apologize and ask for your forgiveness." He stops and swallows. "I also want to marry you." "You what?" This is totally unexpected. I had given up thoughts of marriage long ago and planned my future accordingly. And even if the right man does come along, I can't get married now -- I'm still in school. As if he read my thoughts, Aaron says, "I don't mean right away. After we graduate. We'll go anywhere you want. You can paint, and I'll be a journalist. For now, I think Jeremy should live with Dad and me. It wouldn't be fair to put him up for adoption now. He's so sensitive to strangers, and I want to be sure he gets the care he needs from someone who wants only the best for him. Plus, Dad and I love him so much. After graduation, we'll have whatever kind of wedding you want and be parents together." He speaks hurredly, like he's afraid of forgetting something. I pull away. "Don't do this for Jeremy's sake. Would you still want to marry me if Jeremy were not around, if it were just the two of us again?" He wrinkles his forehead. "I already said I love you." "I know." I stop, unsure of how to articulate my thoughts. "I love you, too, and I want to do what's best for Jeremy, but is this right for us? Are we meant to be together?" "I was meant to be with you," Aaron answers simply, "but if you weren't meant to be with me, well, I never considered that. But it's okay. I can take care of Jeremy on my own." I shake my head and smile at him. "We'll take care of him together. We'll get married when we get out of school, and we'll be the best parents we can be for Jeremy." I glance away. "I'd like to start on that part now, if it's okay." "You'll be a great mother, Anna." Aaron takes my hand and squeezes it. I lean on Aaron's shoulder. "I wish I hadn't missed so much of Jeremy's life already." "Well, you can come to Dad's this evening and start catching up." "Aaron, you're wonderful." "I know," he says smugly, grinning broadly. "Just don't let it go to your head," I warn, punching him playfully. Aaron stiffens. "Isn't that your parents' car?" I look into the street. Sure enough, Dad's car is turning onto our block. "What will I say, Aaron?" Panic rises in my voice. What will they think? What will they do? Maybe this is a dream -- or a nightmare -- and Aaron isn't really here. I'll wake up and find that this afternoon never really happened. "The direct approach would probably be best," is his answer. "And I'll be here right beside you." I swallow hard. This is the last thing I want to tell my parents, but I have to do it. And I won't be alone. As the car stops in the driveway and my parents begin unloading groceries, I stand and walk down the porch steps, gripping Aaron's arm with white knuckles. "Hi, honey!" Mom calls. "Who's your friend?" I fight to keep my voice steady. Aaron puts his hand on mine. "He's someone you've already met. We have something to tell you." The End
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