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🎶LeTs dO tHe tiMe wArP agaiiiiiiiiN**********

"What you see!?"

"You says you don't wanna know!," I said to Richie, who still had his eyes covered with his little trembling hands as his top teeth nibbled on his bottom lip. A nervous tick that he'd soon grow accustomed to.

"The lady says not open eyes, Char! We gets in trouble with bad guy!,"

"How you know I looking, if you're eyes still close?," I questioned him, knowing full well he's been peaking. "LIAR!"

"Papi!" Lily squeals excitedly beside me as she props herself up to see out the window.

"Huh?" I sigh, trying to see what she means. There was so much snow in the way, it's hard to tell who's what.

"Papi!" She shouts again, this time pointing to the side.

It was then that it seemed the snow cleared in an instant. The four figures of shifting shadow men displaying familiar characteristics before my soon to be frantic mind.

That was the last time my eyes were ever innocent.

I wake up in a cool sweat. Another restless occurrence of night terrors.

Rolling over in my enormous bed, I switch to the chilled side of the mattress. My satin sheets soaking up the heat from tossing and dripping sweat through the night.

No matter how hard I try to fight the images in the daylight hours, every little high pitch noise, bang or boom, threatens to sear the shrieking screams back into my eardrums. No matter how hard I try, the scene on that cliffs edge always haunts my dreams.

I'm half aware of the ringing of the doorbell, but I'm too lazy to get up to answer it. Maybe they'll go away.

My phone starts to vibrate and the knocking on my door never stops. Lifting the bottom of my eye mask, I squint my eyes to the bright blue light of my phone screen.

Shit! I forgot I told Mum to come over.

Hopping out of bed, I throw on my robe and try to clean the mess littering every square foot of my loft on my way to answer the door.

"Mum!," I welcome her, already feeling the judgey eyes wash over my appearance and the disheveled state of my apartment. "And.. Dad?,"

Great. I told her only hoping she'd come alone. I should've known.

"Did you forget about us, darling?," Dad asks as he briskly walks past me to have a seat on the couch. The couch that's filled with clothes I've thrown on to it, forgetting what's dirty or clean.

I try to scurry and pick up the heaps of clothes, plopping them all onto my bed. "Char, what's this all about? Are you alright?," Mum asks as she naturally begins to help me clean up.

"No- yes. Uh," I watch as she continues to pick up every last bit of trash scraps from my coffee table. "Hold on, let me get that!,"

I smile sweetly at her, grabbing everything from her hands so I can throw it all out. Lord knows, she'd have a cardiac if she were to see my kitchen.

I quickly skip ahead of her to the trash bin, spinning on the spot to lead her back to the couch. Dad has taken to laying out on the couch with his feet up. He looks downright exhausted and I've noticed that he's back to using his cane to maneuver around.

"Back feeling okay?," I ask him as I sit across from the two of them on the opposite sofa chair.

"It's been better," he hums. He seems to be distracted and I notice that he's squinting even though there's no sunlight in here with my black-out shades still pulled down.

With the two of them sitting quietly, it feels almost awkward to have them here. I don't think they've been over since they bought me this place a year ago.

I cough nervously, clearing my throat as I ring my fingers, trying To breathe out the news.

"I-I don't know how to tell you this...," As I start to speak, Dad sits up in his seat. I don't want to even know what his reaction will be.

"Am I gonna need a stiff drink to wash this down?," Dad smirks.

"Freddie, shush. She's trying to tell us something import—,"

"No. It's fine. What'll it be? Vodka n tonic?," He nods his head with a soft hum in response.

Scurrying into the liquor cabinet on the other side of the living room, I quickly fix three drinks. Cursing under my breath, I only wet my lips, and bring the two glasses back to them.

I thought Mum would be the one to take this well. That's why I wanted to tackle her first! And alone! But of course this would happen to me.

I wait until the they've swallowed their fill, not wanting them to choke on the strong liquor. Dad already looks bored, or annoyed, really.

Okay. Char. Breathe.

Here goes.

"Mum..." I look to her smiling face, it's stretched so tightly I can tell she's holding her breath just waiting for my to break her heart.

"Pa...," His face is stone cold. He's got that serious expression on, the one that seems like he can smell my bullshit from a mile away: eyes slightly squinted, features set coldly with his chin drawn just a smidge downward, accentuating his furrowed brows as he peers up at me.

I swallow hard, prepared to disappoint them once again.

"I-...," closing my eyes and biting my lip so hard I feel the pulse beneath my teeth, I take a deep gulping breath in and let it out..

"I'm pregnant..,"

Silence.

Not one gasp. No sharp inhales. No curse words hurled in my direction. No scolding...what the hell?

Peaking one eye open, they both sit quietly still in the same positions. Mum looks completely baffled and dumbfounded. Her lips are parted, her eyes glossy and lost looking as she stares right at me. It feels like she's looking through me to a portal of her past.

Dads eyes blink furiously. He seems to be processing it all in sections. He's not even look g at me. I knew he wouldn't approve. I just knew this would hurt him!.

"A-Are you angry? I mean, I understand if you are! I know I haven't finished school. I know I said I would go back, but I can get a job. I can work and I can, um, I can do this alone. I swear I won't ask for much just enough to start and-,"

"You're joking?," Dad sputters, slapping his cane against the floorboards. My guess is he's preparing to launch himself up to leave and never come back.

That's is....until his serious face turns into a huge whopping smile...

"This is fantastic news, my love!!," His voice sounds genuinely happy. Surely, he's in shock.

Mum grabs him by his arm that holds his cane before he can fully stand.

Freddie POV:

It's finally happened.

My god.....it's finally happened....oh, dear.

I try to focus on the joy I feel inside my heart. Think of it. A grandad..me? That's...that's the best news I've ever gotten!

At least, in a long, long while.

Pushing past the pain in my spine and the damning reality obscuring my eyes.....I must try to remember everything.

"Freddie?," Her soft, small hand brushes my arm. She is beside me still, though I feel I'm all alone.

"Have you gone completely mad?," Charlie's voice in my ear reminds me of that twinkling tone she used to use as a pleading child.

"Yes, yes slightly. I- it's just a lot of news to... to take in," I reply, blinking my eyes as quickly as I can manage, hoping to change the shadows of their figures into real images.

Mental photographs of us in this life before we were even touched by growing older splash across my memory. Maybe I should tack each one to the wall inside of my mind— mental wallpaper. It'll be just like a flowing picture film, like a melody to a song I never fully completed.

"Of course, we'll help you, Char. But...," Cherie sighs, her fingers intertwine with mine as she squeezes my hand. Her touch is enough to stop the panic building up inside of me.

Is this a stroke?

Am I having a heart attack?

"But, you have to tell him. You...you do know who the father is, righ—,"

"Of course I know, Mum!," Charlie whines, her foot naturally stomping to make her point.

The plastic of the sofa cushion crunches, signaling she's sunk into her seat before groaning in frustration. "How am I meant to do this? What if he doesn't want to help— this wasn't supposed to happen! This isn't what I want!,"

"You don't need to do this. If you're not ready and if you're sure about your decision, we can make an appointment to—,"

"No! Absolutely not.," My words fly out of my mouth before I have the means or common sense to bite them back.

I know this is Charlie's decision, but she'll be fine. More than fine— she'll keep the house, she'll have more than enough money to live out her entire life here if she so chooses—

"Freddie, it's her right to-,"

"I know it is, for fucks sake! I'm hip with the times, I'm not a fucking imbecile!," I don't mean for my voice to rise in anger. I don't know why I'm so peeved about all of this, but as I move to stand, the aching of my body causes me to broil, just thinking of how fucked up this all is.

"I want a chance to have my grandchild know me. Is....is that soo selfish?," I scoff, folding my arms, giving my best pitiful expression in- well at least I hope, in Charlie's direction.

"Uhm, why are you scowling at—...," Charlie starts to say almost giggling, but is quickly quieted by Cherie's hushing whisper.

I feel her presence nearing, the soft thumps of her feet across the wooden floor boards sound from behind me as her hands wrap around my shoulders, spinning me around and aiding me to walk back to the couch together.

"Char- I think your Dad needs a rest. Actually, we both do. This is a lot to take in all at once. Let's just call it a night and talk again in the morning— PHOEBE!,"

"I don't need to bloody rest. I-,"

"What is it, Cher? Are you ok-," Phoebe barges through the unlocked door from his waiting spot out in the hallway.

"Thanks, Phoebes. We're fine, darling. Go back to whatever it is you were doing," Feeling the edge of the couch at my fingertips, i plop myself back down onto the u comfortable cushions.

"Now then, if the two of you are through treating me like a child, let's discuss the topic of the man responsible for impregnating and leaving my daughter all alone, hmmm?,"