Part Deux

Kaleigh felt better with Aidan by her side. She was seventeen years old, Aidan had just turned eighteen. Aidan had been quiet the last few days and seemed far away. "Is everything okay, Aidan?" Kaleigh asked. She was now eight months pregnant and was nervous about almost everything.
         "Kaleigh, will you go to dinner with me tomorrow?" Aidan asked. 
         "Of course, Aidan. I'd love to." The next night Aidan picked Kaleigh up and brought her roses. After dessert, Aidan took her to a park and they sat quietly for a little while. Then Aidan got down on his knee. 
         "Kaleigh, will you marry me?" Kaleigh had tears in her eyes. When she tried to talk, her voice caught in her throat. The only thing she could do was nod her head and cry. She hugged Aidan and cried into his neck.
         "I love you, Aidan." A moment passed and Aidan pulled out of the embrace. He pulled a small silver ring out of his pocket and placed it on her finger. 
        "I hope it fits. It was my mother's," he said. He looked into her eyes and then he kissed her. Lacing his fingers with hers, they walked back to Aidan's car. He walked her to the door and before they went inside he kissed Kaleigh again. "Don't ever forget that I love you and your baby, Kaleigh," he said. "This step we're taking is going to start rumors again. We have to be strong."
        "With you, Aidan, I will be." When Kaleigh showed Arabella the ring, she hugged her and Aidan at the same time.
        "I'm so happy for you both!" The discussion of dates came up. Arabella reminded Aidan that the law in Ireland is that both people had to be eighteen before they could marry. Kaleigh had only just turned seventeen.
        "By then the baby will be born," she thought. She placed her hand on her belly where the baby was kicking. The sensation made her smile. The planning continued despite the fact it would be almost a year before the wedding would take place.


Kaleigh walked with Aidan every day. It was their only time to be alone. One afternoon, Kaleigh felt a pain in her back. Aidan noticed the wince on her face. "What is it, my love? Is everything alright?"
            "I think I should go home. I need to talk to Arabella. Something doesn't feel right." Aidan walked Kaleigh to his car and took her home. Arabella knew that Kaleigh's pain meant that the baby was on its way. When she told Kaleigh this, Kaleigh began crying. Aidan took her in his arms and held her until they reached the hospital.


Kaleigh's baby was a girl. When the nurse asked what the name of the baby's father was, Aidan said his name. Kaleigh was confused. "That man who called himself your father will never have a claim to her. I love her and now she is mine. What are we going to name her?" Aidan said.
          "Could we call her Aidan? Aidan Kelly?" Aidan smiled. 
          "I love it." The nurse handed Kaleigh her baby. "Hi, little Aidan," she said with tears in her eyes. 
          "Happy birthday, little one," Aidan said. Arabella came into the room.
          "Come see her, Arabella," Kaleigh called. "Her name is Aidan. Like her daddy's." Kaleigh looked at her fiance. Arabella stood over the baby and touched her cheek gently. "May I ask you a question, Arabella?" Kaleigh asked catching her eye. Arabella nodded. "May I..." she paused. "May I call you mom?" Arabella hugged her, baby and all.
          "Yes, you may." Arabella's tears mixed with Kaleigh's and they held each other. A few days later, they took little Aidan home.
         "She needs a nickname so we'll know who you're talking to," Aidan said, "Why don't we call her A.K.? Those are her initials." Kaleigh and Arabella agreed to this and they put A.K. to bed.


As Kaleigh's eighteenth birthday drew near, the wedding plans began to take more time and caring for a new born was making Kaleigh irritable. Aidan came over every day to bring her her homework and to help take care of 'his daughter.'
         "Aidan, you may call her by her name. We all know she's yours," one of his friends said one afternoon. "Even though that fiance of yours denied it all along. You're the only guy she dated." Aidan was fuming.
         "She is not my blood but she is mine. My name is on her birth certificate. You don't know Kaleigh the way I do. She doesn't want you to or she would tell you her story." 
         "Why don't you tell her story then? If it's so important."
         "She has very politely asked me not to. Besides it is not my story to tell. Now if you will excuse me, I have a family and wedding plans to attend to." Aidan turned his back and walked quickly away. He didn't realize he had clenched his fists until he was nearly to Arabella's house. "Who do they think they are talking about my family like that? Do friendship and love mean nothing anymore?" he thought.
           Kaleigh noticed Aidan's mood the second he walked through the door. "Look who brought home a grey cloud, A.K. . Daddy's upset." The moment A.K.'s eyes met his the feeling left and he could smile again.
           "She always makes it better," he said, kissing Kaleigh. "You always help too." They all settled down on the couch.
           "What did they say today?" Kaleigh asked, knowing that it had something to do with her.
           Aidan sighed. "They tried to make me tell your story. They picked on me for not using A.K.'s name and tried to say I was her blood father because you have only dated me for the year you've been here." He paused again. "Don't misunderstand, Kaleigh, I love her like she is my blood. But I know the truth and I always will. Until you decide to tell your story they will always make things up to suit themselves."
           Kaleigh moved closer into Aidan's shoulder. "I've been thinking about telling the story after the wedding," she said with a sigh. "Would you be totally against that?"
         Aidan shook his head. "It might explain everything to the people who always have their noses where they don't belong."
        "Aidan, it's really okay. Like you said the night I told you my story. We know the truth. And we're in love. That's enough for me." Kaleigh smiled at him. Aidan couldn't help but smile back. A.K. giggled from Aidan's lap and her parents laughed too.


Kaleigh and Aidan's wedding went off without a hitch. The reception was beautiful. Aidan stood by Kaleigh's side as she told her story to the friends who had joined them for the wedding. By the time Kaleigh finished, everyone was either in tears or on the verge of them. Kaleigh felt as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders after she had told them. Aidan felt the release of stress from her shoulders He looked into her eyes.
            "I love you Kaleigh. Always remember." Arabella brought A.K. to her parents. "I love you too, A.K. ." Kaleigh smiled up at Aidan.
            She said, "I'm happy." Aidan drew her close to his side. "I love you."




There you have it ladies and gents! The end of "Kaleigh's Story." Thinking I may expand on this little tale but you'll have to wait and see. Hope you enjoyed it.