Crying, Walking on Water, Love's Four Letters, Angel of Mercy, Livin' on a Prayer (?) (June 16, 2002 - Ezra born on Oct. 31)



"You can't be serious."

"Oh, I am. Very." Taylor raised his eyesbrows and turned, walking rather quickly.

Isaac stood there for a moment before practically running to catch up with his brother. "Taylor, wait a minute. Have you even thought about this?"

"Thought about it? Ike, I've dreamed about it my whole life! I'm going to be a father! Natalie is the girl I love - I want to marry her!" Taylor's blue eyes sparkled and he hugged himself out of excitement.

"Shh!" Isaac looked around nervously - Taylor had told him about the baby just moments earlier, and he didn't want anyone else to know yet. Obviously, he didn't realize how loud he was talking. "I know you love her, Taylor, I just don't think that this whole rushing-into-marriage thing is a good idea."

"Who's rushing? Ike, I proposed to her almost four months ago! We just didn't tell anyone because we knew how you all would react."

It was true - neither the Hanson nor the Bryant family really approved of Taylor and Natalie's relationship. It wasn't as if they weren't good to one another; they treated one another with respect and acted the same way towards one anothers' family. It was just that they still thought of Natalie and Taylor as children, and were afraid they would get into something they couldn't handle. Of course, they would never say, "Well, you can't see her..." or "You can't see him..." because there was really no reason to. So, their families stood by them and prayed nothing would happen.

"Tay, come on. All I meant was think of the controversy it's going to stir up."

"So let it be stirred up. My fiance is pregnant, do you not understand that? I want to marry her! Why post-pone it any longer?"

"People will talk. If you marry Nat, and she has a baby three, four, five months after you marry, they'll say that's the only reason you married."

"So let them talk."

"Taylor, please. Just wait until she has the baby."

"That's not going to look any better. I'm not waiting, okay? I am gettting married before the end of this month. End of discussion." Taylor started to walk away once more.

"Tay-"

Taylor stopped and turned to look at Isaac. "You know, I came to you because I thought you would understand."

Isaac was silent for a moment. He sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll be there when you and Nat tell Mom and Dad."

Taylor's face brightened. "Thanks, Ike." He threw his arms around him in a quick hug. "I knew I could trust you!" Taylor clapped, estatic once more, and ran off to tell Natalie the news.

Isaac watched him go. His brother was so young and so much like a child himself. Sure, he'd be a great father, there was no doubt. But was he ready?




Taylor held Natalie's hand as they waited for his parents to finish up in the kitchen. She was nervous - he could tell by the way she kept squeezing his hand. Glancing at her, he smiled and brought their joined hands up, kissing hers. "It's going to be okay."

Natalie smiled. She looked so beautiful when she smiled, but, then again, she always looked beautiful.

Taylor was always amazed when he looked at her, especially now that she was actually carrying a life inside of her. She was going to be his wife, he was going to be a father, and they were all going to be a perfect family. It was the way he'd always dreamed. Well, he'd always wanted to get married before actually conceiving a child, but he was happy with the way things had turned out so far.

Taylor had always said he would never have premarital sex, and he had kept that promise for a long time. Then he met Natalie and, one night, after talking about it several times, it had happened. And Taylor had never regretted it. He never would have slept with her if he doubted for even a second that she was the one. Now, she was pregnant, and they were getting ready to start a whole new chapter. 

Isaac was sitting in a chair by the window, staring outside. It was raining and, every once and a while, lightening would flash and thunder would rumble. He just hoped it wasn't foreshadowing what was to come.

Finally, Walker and Diana came entered the room, smiling happily and carrying drinks. After passing them around, they sat down opposite of Taylor and Natalie. "Okay," Diana said, taking a deep breath, "what did you want to talk to us about?"

"Mom, Dad?" Taylor squeezed Natalie's hand. "Um, Natalie and I-" He stopped, wondering how to say what he had hidden for months. "We're engaged."

For a moment, neither Diana nor Walker said anything. Finally, Diana smiled weakly. "Oh, that's - that's great. We're so happy for you." Standing, she pulled Natalie and then Taylor up and gave them each a long, hard hug, followed by Walker.

"That's not all."

"What?" Diana's smiled faded as she studied Taylor's face. "Taylor, what is it?"

"Natalie's pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

Diana's mouth dropped open and she sank slowly down beside her husband. "A baby?"

Taylor was beside her in a flash, on his knees. "Mom, I am so sorry. Nat and I - we didn't mean for it to happen this way. But-" Taylor stood up and slid his arm around Natalie's waist, "-I love Natalie, and we're going to get married, and we're going to have this baby."

Walker stood, his eyes stormy. "That's right you are! You don't even realize what you're getting yourself into, but you will. And you are not backing out. You got yourself into this mess, and you're going to have to find a way to deal with it." He pointed at Taylor. "I want you out of this house. You think you're a man now? Well, you're going to have a family to take of, and you're not doing it here. I want you out."

"Dad-" Isaac stood uneasily, almost afraid Walker was going to hit Taylor. Noting the way Natalie drew close to Taylor, almost hiding, he figured her line of thinking ran somewhere along the same path.

"You stay out of this, Isaac."

Not about to tempt his father, Isaac drew back, hands up.

Turning back to Taylor, he repeated, "I want you out," and stormed out of the room. 

Taylor watched as his mother run after his father before turning to Natalie. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on top of hers. "It's going to be okay. We'll figure something out."

"Why aren't they happy?" she whispered, and he knew she had started to cry.


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