Chapter 7 Gilbert gave Jeff a big lecture about being a man and handling his responsibilities - the exact lecture that he didn’t want from Matt. "Dad, you always told me to do what makes me happy.  This doesn’t make me happy.", Jeff pleaded his case. "But I also always taught you to accept responsibility for your actions.", Gilbert stated.  "I know.  But this is one that I just can’t.", Jeff said turning to look away from his father. "It’s your life, Jeffrey.  And it’s your choice.  But I hope you know that I’m disappointed in you.", Gilbert said taking his plate to the sink.  "I know Dad.  And as awful as this sounds, I’d rather deal with your disappointment.", Jeff said with a hint of shame in his voice.  Gilbert nodded to acknowledge that he had heard what his son was saying.  They both were silent as Gilbert cleared the dishes. "Are we done with this now?  Can I go?", Jeff asked. "You can go.  But I wish you’d give this some more thought.", Gilbert pleaded. "I will.  Thanks for breakfast.  Bye, Dad.", Jeff called back as he left.  "What am I gonna do with that boy?", Gilbert said to himself.   Jeff stopped just outside the house.  It was killing him inside that his father was disappointed in him.  But even more than that, he thought that becoming a father would kill his spirit.  He took a deep breath and sighed loudly as he climbed onto his motorcycle and took off.   Matt found himself standing on Cassidy’s porch.  He didn’t knock, he just stood there.  Suddenly the door opened and Cassidy jumped as she walked out closing the door behind her. "Geez, Matt!  You scared me to death.", she said catching her breath.  "Sorry.", he said with a smile.  "That’s okay.", she said returning the smile.   "Where you headed?", Matt asked.  "To the doctor.", she said causing her smile to fade. "Really?", he asked. He seemed so despondent.  "Yeah.", she returned.  They stood in awkward silence for a moment.  "You want to go with me?", she asked. "You wouldn’t mind?", Matt asked as his face brightened.   "Not if you don’t mind sitting in a doctor’s office waiting room full of pregnant women.", she said with a laugh.  "Not at all.", Matt stated. "oooookay.  Let’s go then.", Cassidy said walking down the porch steps to her car.  "We can take my car.", Matt insisted. She agreed and they jumped in Matt’s car, headed to her doctor’s office.  Neither of them said much during the thirty minute drive.  She wasn’t sure what to say to him, but she was glad that she wasn’t doing this by herself.  Once at the office, they didn’t have to wait long for the nurse to call Cassidy back.  Matt stayed in his seat in the waiting room as Cassidy followed the nurse.  "Sir, you can come back with her, if you like.", the nurse called to Matt.  He looked nervously at Cassidy.  She smiled and nodded slightly as if to tell him that it was okay.  Matt followed them into the examination room where the nurse asked Cassidy what seemed like a hundred questions.  The doctor came in and introduced himself.  He then handed Cassidy a paper gown and sheet telling her to disrobe and drape the sheet over her legs and that he would be right back to examine her.  Matt felt extremely awkward, "I’ll just wait outside."   "I think that’s a good idea.", Cassidy told him embarrassed at the thought of Matt watching.  Matt stepped outside just as the doctor returned to the room followed by the nurse.  "We’ll let you back inside in just a few minutes.  Don’t go far.", the doctor told him and shut the door behind them. Matt leaned up against the wall and waited.  He didn’t even want to think about what was going on in the other room.  A few minutes later, the nurse opened the door, "You can come back in now."   Matt peered around the corner.   "It’s okay.  I’m covered up.", Cassidy told him with a smile. That eased his mind a little.  The doctor instructed Matt to have a seat on the stool on the other side of Cassidy. "What are you gonna do now?", Matt asked the doctor.   "First we’re going to look at the baby with the ultrasound and make sure everything is going okay in there.  Then we’ll listen to the heartbeat.", the doctor informed him. Matt looked nervously at Cassidy as he suddenly felt out of place.  "It’s okay.", she whispered to him.  The doctor turned on the monitor and squirted gel on Cassidy’s abdomen.  He pointed out different parts of the baby as Matt and Cassidy looked on.  "It doesn’t look a lot like a baby to me.", Matt said. The doctor laughed, "It will.  We’re doing this one now to take some measurements and such just to make sure that the baby is developing properly.  We’ll do another one in a few months and the baby will be clearer then.  We may even be able to find out the sex of the baby with that one.  That is if you two want to know."  It was at that point that Matt realized that the doctor thought HE was the father.   "We’ll decide before then.", Cassidy remarked as she flashed Matt a smile.  He smiled back.  Tears filled Cassidy’s eyes as she saw the little heartbeat.  "It’s so tiny.", Matt commented. The doctor turned off the monitor and took the tape out of the VCR that was attached to the machine.  He then handed it to Cassidy, "This is yours to take home."  She thanked him.  He then pulled out a little device and placed it on Cassidy’s belly.  The room was filled with a loud whooshing sound.  As Matt realized what the sound was, he looked at Cassidy.  Tears spilled onto her cheeks as she listened.  Matt was suddenly filled with emotion.  It was the first time that it all sunk in to him.  There was really another life growing inside of Cassidy.  He found it completely amazing as he fought back tears of his own.  When they were done, the doctor told Cassidy to come back in a month.  He excused himself from the room telling Cassidy that she could get dressed.  Matt stepped back out into the hall and waited for her. They checked out at the desk and Cassidy made a return appointment.  As they got into the car, Matt said, "That was so cool." "Yeah.  It was pretty cool, huh?", she returned. "Cass….I’ve been thinking and I’ve thought about this a lot.  So at least hear me out, okay?", he said fidgeting in his seat.  "What is it, Matt?", Cassidy asked.  "You don’t have to do this alone.", he said looking her in the eyes.  She wasn’t sure what he was about to say next. "I know it’s not mine….and I’m not saying I want to be the baby’s father or anything, but I want to be there for you….and for the baby.", Matt stuttered out.  Cassidy remained silent as she thought about what he said.  "Cass?  I mean, I’m not saying that we should get married or that we even have to date or anything…I’m just saying…", Matt said but was interrupted. "I know what you’re saying, Matt.  And I think that would be really nice.", she said.  A smile covered his face.  "As long as you know that you don’t HAVE to do this.  If you change your mind, it’s fine.", she continued.   "Then it’s a deal?", he asked. She nodded with a big smile of her own and the two drove back to her house, both feeling better about the whole situation.             Last Chapter ..*.. Next Chapter ..*.. Chapter Index ..*.. Home