Yesterday | Seth Clearwater

Chapter 27

Can't change me, can't save me, can't blame me

I know love

~ Matt Maeson "Go Easy"

Brooklyn had been at her father's house for about two days, and she already couldn't wait to go home. It wasn't that she didn't like being there— it was generally fine. Except for the condescending comments from her father's wife, and the judgmental stares from their neighbors, and the fact that she missed Seth like crazy. Sure, they called and texted as much as they could, but it wasn't the same as being near each other. Both of them had an ache in their chests that wouldn't fade until they reunited. 

There were some good things about staying with her dad. The bed in the guest room was really comfortable, so that helped her get to bed easier— which was saying a lot considering how uncomfortable sleeping could be at this stage in her pregnancy. The food was pretty good too, it wasn't as good as Emily's cooking, but it was better than anything Brooklyn could make on her own. Not to mention that she was so far away from what was happening in Washington that there was really no need to worry about the newborn army— they were after Bella and the Cullens, not Brooklyn. Also, her half-sisters seemed to be pretty excited that she was there. 

Spending time with the younger girls allowed Brooklyn to experience some of what was to come in the near future. While dealing with a seven year-old and a thirteen year-old for a few days was nothing in comparison to the work that she would need to put in caring for a newborn in a few weeks, it still felt like good practice for the future. 

"Ow," Brooklyn said as she touched her stomach.

"You okay?" her father asked, concerned.

"Yeah," she replied. "Just more Braxton Hicks."

Brooklyn had been experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions for a few months now, but as she began to get closer to her due date, they had definitely become more frequent. She was terrified to give birth— if the false contractions hurt this badly, how bad were the real ones going to be?

"Can I ask, why did you decide to stay with me this close to your due date?" Steven asked his daughter. "Don't you want to be with your mom and Seth?"

Brooklyn sighed. "I mean, yeah, I want to be with them, but things are difficult right now. Everyone is so busy with work and prepping for when we bring the baby home and stuff that no one is there to help me do the things that have become too difficult to do. We thought that some time away until things calm down would help everyone, and that it might be safer to be in a house where someone is always home, just in case."

Her father's wife, Kathy, was a stay at home mom. While Kathy was pretty open about her disapproval of Brooklyn's decision to have premarital sex and a baby out of wedlock, she was also a mother, and she had a lot of useful tips that she had been sharing with Brooklyn during her stay. While Brooklyn's own mother had given her a lot of tips herself, Brooklyn had enjoyed hearing the perspectives of both women. 

"So do you plan on being here when the baby is born?" Steven asked.

"I hope not," Brooklyn said. "I'm hoping things back home will get sorted out before that happens. The trip down here was bad enough while pregnant, I can't imagine doing it with an infant."

Steven chuckled. "Yeah, that would suck... You know, if you wanted you could stay longer. Like until the baby is old enough to fly, or even longer than that."

"Thanks," Brooklyn said. "But I don't think that will be necessary. I miss being home with my friends and my family and Seth. Besides, I could never keep our baby in California while he's in Washington— they need to know each other."

"Kathy and I are just worried," Steven said. "It just seems a bit odd that you drove all the way here with some guy, while you're as pregnant as you are. We're concerned that your mother is allowing you to make some irresponsible choices. There are some things that parents need to do for their children, and we aren't sure that your mother is present enough to do them correctly."

Brooklyn was too offended to say anything. Her mother was not an irresponsible parent, she was just doing the best with the circumstances she was given. Okay, maybe some of her parenting choices were a bit questionable at times, but no one was perfect. And all of the 'irresponsible' choices that Brooklyn had made were her own choices to make. No one else's. 

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Brooklyn seethed.

"Excuse me?" Steven responded.

"You left me," Brooklyn shouted at him. "You left me all alone with her, and you have the fucking audacity to question her parenting skills? So who the fuck do you think you are to question my mother's parenting choices? Because it's not like you even fucking tried to make any of those choices or share any of the responsibility until now. And guess what? You're too fucking late. So as far as I'm concerned, you and Kathy can butt the fuck out, alright?"

With that she stormed back to the guest room. She was too angry to listen to anything else he might have to say. Brooklyn thought that it was ridiculous that her father could even attempt to judge someone's parenting skills when he hadn't been around to parent her for the better part of sixteen years. 

Brooklyn vowed to be a better parent to her child than her father was to her. She knew that she would make her fair share of mistakes, but she couldn't ever imagine a scenario in which she could just walk away from her baby the way her father had with her. 

Brooklyn couldn't wait for her scheduled phone call with Seth that night. If anyone could calm her down or soothe her mind, it would be Seth. Man, she missed him so much.