Love?

"So what are you saying? That I don't know how to handle things?" She asks, furiously. "Excuse me, but I've been handling things just fine."

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying that you don't know how to take care of a child, I think that adoption is better for her." He tries to reason.

"I'm sorry but you have no say in this. And I am not giving my little girl up to adoption." She's holding their three-month-old daughter in her lap.

"I do have a say in this, she's my little girl too." He says.

"Oh, is she really? Then where were you for the last twelve months? I had to go through everything by myself, nobody was there to hold my hand or ask how I was feeling." Her eyes start filling with tears. She blinks them away. She had promised herself she wouldn't let her daughter see her cry.

"I apologized for not being there for you and for Liz. But I told you, I kinda freaked out when I found out you were pregnant. It was something I never expected. But it happened and I ran away when times got rough. But I'm here now. I'm willing to do anything for Liz and you. But I still don't think she should stay with us. We know nothing about parenting."

"You know nothing about parenting. I do. I've been going to parenting classes at  Gold Hospital. I'm ready to be a mother, whether you're ready to be a father or not." She says hoping to end the conversation. They're outside an apartment. The one she's sharing with her sister's whole family.

"Ok fine, but I want in. I want to be in my daughter's life. We can get our own place and raise a family. We can finally be happy." He's filled with dreams. He's tired of the life he's living. He's done with clubs,bars and late nights. He wants to settle down and finally be happy. He wants his smile to last. He wants to laugh forever.

"No." She says. She's staring at the ground, too afraid to look him in the eye.

"What?" He asks. He has no desire to be calm.

"No, I don't want to start a family with you. I know you have asked for forgiveness. But I haven't accepted you yet. I'm not just some girl you can come to when you get tired of sleeping around. So, no." Tears roll down her eyes. She makes no effort to stop them. She's tired of him. She's tired of waiting for him to finally realize that his way of living life is pointless.

"You can't be serious." He staring right at her. A loud ambulance passes right by him. He just stares at her. She can't be serious. If she rejects him, what will he do with his life. He wants to be with her. He knows that he's getting no where. He needs her and his daughter.

"I need you two. I'm tired of living life like this. I love you. You can't just leave me." Now there is tears rolling down his eyes too.

"Did you just say, you're tired of living life like this?" She really wants to know. She looks up and stares right into his eyes. Does he really mean it? He's been like this ever since she's known him. They met in High School as sophomores. They "fell in love" and have been together ever since. It's been two years since they graduated. He left her when she got pregnant a year ago.

This must be a dream, she thinks.

"Yes, I want to be with you. I'm sorry for all the wrong things I have ever done. I just want to be with you and Liz." His eyes are red from crying. He sees a flash of smile on her face and starts to laugh a little. They both just stay there laughing.

"I love you too," she finally says. "I've always loved you."

"Never stopped." They both say together. He goes over to give her a big hug. He couldn't believe it, for the first time ever he's holding his daughter in his arms. And for the first time ever she's trusting him.