2nd Fall, 515AV
"Well, I mean. It's certainly not ideal, is it?" The red-faced farmer stormed up and down his living room, fists clenched and his teeth bared. He stopped suddenly, gave his daughter and her companion a daring, hard look, before he restarted his angry pacing. "What were you thinking, Pen? You're smarter than that." His question was answered by an explosive whimper from the corner of the room. The farmer turned sharply towards his wife, who sat timidly on a plush-looking chair, her eyes red and filled with tears.
"It wasn't exactly planned, 'da." Penelope replied indignantly, her arms folded on top of the slight curve to her stomach: which was the cause of all this drama. Beside her, Jeremy winced. He had been dreading this day for some time, ever since the woman sitting beside him had informed him of her carrying his child. In truth, the news had not yet fully settled in his mind; he still felt completely numb about it all.
"Not planned!" Penelope's father cried out, throwing his arms up to the sky to demonstrate his frustration and hopelessness. He stared up to the ceiling of his home. Suddenly he snapped his head back to face his daughter and Jeremy. Only this time, his attention was focused solely on the latter. "So, do you make a habit out'a this? Didn't realise you went around curing animals and sullying a girl's innocence."
Penelope snorted, but Jeremy simply stared at the floor. She was far from the innocent girl her father seemed to think. In fact, it had been Penelope who had seduced Jeremy, undressing in the middle of the night after they had spent the evening drinking wine. Even now, whenever they were alone together she often touched him, or guided his hands to touch her. For whatever reason, she seemed unable to resists Jeremy's polite smile or awkwardly tall frame. Though he found her attractive, the Kelvic failed to return her gestures with any true enthusiasm or desire.
"Well?"
The farmer stamped his foot and leant down to stare at Jeremy, his face mere inches from the Kelvic's.
"N-no. Sir." Jeremy stammered out, his golden eyes flicking from the farmer's face to the carpeted floor. "Of course I don't."
He was suddenly aware of how weak he must seem. Jeremy had made a terrible error, but it was a mistake that many people made every day. People had sex, and most times, there were no real consequences. Penelope had only been the second woman Jeremy had been intimate with, and the last thing he had expected was to get her pregnant. But he had -- and amongst the guilt, shame and panic, Jeremy felt strangely proud of himself because of it.
He desperately needed some of that pride right now. Licking his lips, Jeremy tried his best to sound confident and sure: "Penelope and I did not plan this. But that doesn't mean we can't start planning now." Somewhat mechanically, he held Penelope's hand to try and emphasise their unity on this issue. "I want to do all I can. Simple as that."
"Well, I mean. It's certainly not ideal, is it?" The red-faced farmer stormed up and down his living room, fists clenched and his teeth bared. He stopped suddenly, gave his daughter and her companion a daring, hard look, before he restarted his angry pacing. "What were you thinking, Pen? You're smarter than that." His question was answered by an explosive whimper from the corner of the room. The farmer turned sharply towards his wife, who sat timidly on a plush-looking chair, her eyes red and filled with tears.
"It wasn't exactly planned, 'da." Penelope replied indignantly, her arms folded on top of the slight curve to her stomach: which was the cause of all this drama. Beside her, Jeremy winced. He had been dreading this day for some time, ever since the woman sitting beside him had informed him of her carrying his child. In truth, the news had not yet fully settled in his mind; he still felt completely numb about it all.
"Not planned!" Penelope's father cried out, throwing his arms up to the sky to demonstrate his frustration and hopelessness. He stared up to the ceiling of his home. Suddenly he snapped his head back to face his daughter and Jeremy. Only this time, his attention was focused solely on the latter. "So, do you make a habit out'a this? Didn't realise you went around curing animals and sullying a girl's innocence."
Penelope snorted, but Jeremy simply stared at the floor. She was far from the innocent girl her father seemed to think. In fact, it had been Penelope who had seduced Jeremy, undressing in the middle of the night after they had spent the evening drinking wine. Even now, whenever they were alone together she often touched him, or guided his hands to touch her. For whatever reason, she seemed unable to resists Jeremy's polite smile or awkwardly tall frame. Though he found her attractive, the Kelvic failed to return her gestures with any true enthusiasm or desire.
"Well?"
The farmer stamped his foot and leant down to stare at Jeremy, his face mere inches from the Kelvic's.
"N-no. Sir." Jeremy stammered out, his golden eyes flicking from the farmer's face to the carpeted floor. "Of course I don't."
He was suddenly aware of how weak he must seem. Jeremy had made a terrible error, but it was a mistake that many people made every day. People had sex, and most times, there were no real consequences. Penelope had only been the second woman Jeremy had been intimate with, and the last thing he had expected was to get her pregnant. But he had -- and amongst the guilt, shame and panic, Jeremy felt strangely proud of himself because of it.
He desperately needed some of that pride right now. Licking his lips, Jeremy tried his best to sound confident and sure: "Penelope and I did not plan this. But that doesn't mean we can't start planning now." Somewhat mechanically, he held Penelope's hand to try and emphasise their unity on this issue. "I want to do all I can. Simple as that."