ZACK’S POV
By the evening Caroline was discharged after we both were given a good amount of counseling on how to stay together and deal with the situation, how to keep up our trust in each other and how we had to be each other’s support and all.
The doctor informed me that Caroline was lacking necessary nutrients and that her health needed to be taken good care which automatically hinted to the fact that she couldn’t be let to live alone in her apartment alone!!
“Caroline dear, would you mind if we ask you to come and live with us?” my mom being my mom, compassionately asked her to come and live with us without a second thought. Well, can’t blame her because that was the obligation we had to do.
“But aunt Stella, that would be too much for both of you" Caroline stammered as she asked told us that, after knowing our present condition.
“Never my child. And moreover, you are still a minor and I believe more issues are going to arise as soon as you parents get to know about this" mom started to talk about a whole different scenario which I was wondering why hadn’t it come up till now.
“What do you mean?” Caroline grew anxious as she heard mom’s words and looked at us in worry.
“Legal obligations Caroline. Both of you did a mistake you shouldn’t have done in this age and that mistake abides the law in the problem. So, you have to face some troubles” mom looked at both of us with a numb expression and I was only thinking about her pale face. Was it too much for her to take in or was she trying to find new happiness in the news of Caroline’s pregnancy?? I had no idea about anything and simply went with the flow.
“Mom, say it clearly. I know she’s a minor a but, in some months, she’s become 18. Then what’s the trouble?” I asked her in a serious tone, not wanting anymore suspense.
“I, understand it. She’s a minor and it means more like a rape case. If you do not want to go to jail for the result of your love, either you have to talk to her parents about it and make a compromise or you’ll go to jail" she broke the news and both me and Caroline was petrified. What the fuck was that about??
“No, no he won't. It was a moment of pure love that even I consented to and when I have no complaints why would anyone have?” upon hearing the fact, Caroline clung onto my arms tightly in the fear of losing me to the law and mom saw her care for me and she made an unlikely smile. What was going on these women’s mind??
“It simply means that I have to talk to her parents? That’s it?” depression had hit my head so hard that I wasn’t able to feel anything anymore. I even had no idea why it was happening like this.
“I already told you Zack. They’ll kill both of us as they only care about their damn reputation. I can’t lose you again “she pulled me close to her and hugged my waist in utmost fear and I gazed at mom for a solution. What else could I do, I was blank!!!
“I know what I’m going to say is extremely wrong. But I’ve discussed with the doctor and the child protection service officer and we have come to the point that I’ll have to sign an agreement, agreeing that I’ll be responsible for both of you till Caroline becomes 18 and once that happens, you both will marry each other by law. That’s the only solution. And Caroline, once your birthday comes, the next day itself you’ll inform your parents about this problem" mom gave us a stupefying news and I had to take a seat to handle myself. Such a big charge on my mom’s shoulder because of me?? How on world was I going to live with that??
“That’s great actually. Because my birthday comes in 4 months and till then we can go like this right?” fear and anxiety of getting me and mom into trouble made Caroline quickly like the idea and she was persistent in accepting that condition. Seeing her approval, even if mom was in terrible guilt of doing such a big wrong, she accepted the fate for me and went to talk with the child protection service officer.
“What all would we have to face I? And do you think we’ll be able to find our old selves forgetting everything?” the moment mom left, Caroline asked me skeptically and I wondered why did she had to ask me that now itself??
“She doesn’t know anything about our break up so it won't be much of a deal. And us, I don’t know what will happen so let’s just focus on that life there” what was I thinking, I had no clue on that. But the only thing I was concerned for that was the fact that I would never be a murderer!!
“I’m sorry that it’s happening this way. I just can’t get over my guilt” out of the blue, she began to sob and I went crazy over that. Fuck, this was the old Caroline whom I was madly in love with. For me, she, her soul, her body, everything was mine only and I had even imagined a time when we were to marry and have kids to lead a beautiful future but now, nothing seemed real. She was pregnant with my child in a situation where I wasn’t even emotionally attached to her anymore. There was nothing in between us other than a touch of loath I had for her before I decided to forgive her for our child’s sake and so had Zoe and Mike. But forgiveness doesn’t mean we could patch up together just like that!!!
“I need to make something damn clear to you Caroline. Please, I beg you not to disclose this news to anyone in the high school. Already I’m going through a lot there and I have no more strength left in me to face that pressure too. Having all their attention on us, that’s the last thing I want to happen” I begged her in a pleading tone.
“If that’s what you want, it shall be that way. I will keep this as out tiny little secret until you yourself let me share it” Caroline held my hands and promised me.
Even when I had zero trust in her, my subconsciousness made me believe her because that was the only thing I could do. I held her hands and tried to calm her down but out of the blue, she started sobbing lightly. Now what???
I didn’t know how to console her and so, let her cry her heart out. In that way, she would get the mental strength back. Well, crying was actually good for health and if she could get over her genuine guilt by that, I was not going to stop her because I too wasted time like hell.
“Hello Zack. I’m from child protection services and would like to have you sign this acknowledgement of paternity form” a little while later, the officer mom was talking about came in to make me sign a form and I blankly looked at mother.
“I signed as a guardian for Caroline and this has to be done by you" she advised me and I took a breath before I took signed the book with shivering hands. I had never for once been such freaking nervous ever in tracks the way I was now and once the procedures were taken care of, we were allowed to go back home.
“Heck of a day" once mom got in the car, she murmured to herself and drove us back hope and I asked her to drop me at Caroline’s apartment so that I could pack her stuffs to shift to our home.
Luckily, her house was in dead silence and it helped me a lot to maintain my sanity. I wanted to cry, I wanted to scream, I wanted to smash the walls and wreak havoc by taking out my anguish and craziness of being loaded with hell lots of mental shits. There was no way I wanted this to happen and when it did, I was damn doomed to stay up with it.
I went straight to a corner and crouched pulling my legs up and rested against the bed. This was the worst pace of my life and will I live through it when I was still fucked up not being coped up with my dad’s demise???or was this going to be the end of my will to live?? I had no clue of anything. All I could understand was that I was having a mental breakdown.
I sat there for almost half an hour and when I was able to gather myself, I stood up and began to pack her things into a bag I found in her closet. I simply put everything into the bag hurriedly and accidentally dropped some books from the cupboard. I was wonderstruck seeing the book because it was not an ordinary book, it was an album. Actually, our album which she had handmade with all the photos we had clicked in the past 2 years when we were in a beautiful relationship.
Nostalgia hit me right on spot when I picked the album from the floor and opened it to have various flashes of our heartwarming moments. Our laughter, our trips, our talks, our mass bunking of classes to spend some quality time together, everything crossed my mind as if it was still alive afresh in my memories. I felt my heart grow heavier with numbness knowing that she still kept it with her after our nasty breakup which she had did herself. Does it mean that she still loved me?? Was she really guilty over her actions?? Should I be defining her by her past actions??
There were high chances that a person could change in just a second of their life and when I had changed completely, so could have Caroline after knowing that she was pregnant with our child. I reminisced how she had taken the initiative to apologize for all her deeds to Zoe and Mike and also repented for her past with them. A wave of positive energy built up in me as I began to go through the album and I did let the thought fill my mind. Should I give Caroline and our relation a second chance or should I just let us have some time to find our old vibe????