Things a Man Oughta Know Pt. 01

When he wasn't working, practicing, or playing, every other free moment was tied up with Debbie. The more they got to know one another, the more Seth fell for her. He'd never met anyone like her, and she turned on the southern charm full blast. She had made good on her promise to herself. She stopped all the partying, cut off most of her 'friends', and he never knew what a wild child she had been. She realized the opportunity she had in him, and she didn't intend to blow it. She felt like the band was going to break out soon, and then she'd be set. The two of them.

She and Seth were growing closer, day by day, both emotionally and physically. Seth tried to take things slowly, out of respect for her, but one night after they'd been dating for about three months, Debbie pulled back from a particularly passionate make-out session in her apartment. Mary Ellen was out with friends, and had informed them she would be staying over with one of them.

Debbie's hair was in disarray, and her blouse was completely unbuttoned. Seth was cupping her left breast, gently rubbing her nipple through her bra, but he stopped when she moved. She stared at him, then stood up, took his hand, and led him to her bedroom. She slowly slid her blouse completely off, and reached for his shirt. He raised his arms, and bent over so she could pull it over his head. She slowly rubbed her hands up and down his torso.

They came back together in an ardent embrace. As they kissed, Seth fumbled for the catch of her bra. When he finally succeeded, she somehow maintained their kiss, while moving her body away just far enough for him to slide the straps over her shoulders and toss the lacy fabric onto the floor. She crushed herself back up against him and he marveled at the contrast between the softness of her breasts and the hardness of her nipples poking against him.

He stroked his hands up and down her back, memorizing the feel of her skin, breathing her in.

He drew back when he ran out of air. Breathing heavily, he asked, "You're sure?"

Debbie, her own chest heaving, just nodded. "Make me yours," she whispered.

**********

They were still in bed when Mary Ellen came in the next morning. To Seth's astonishment, she just opened the door and grinned at them. Debbie shrieked and dove under the covers. Seth just looked at Mary Ellen bemusedly.

She stared back at him frankly, clearly checking him out.

Finally, she smirked and said, "Well it's about damn time," and left the room.

Debbie peeked out from under the sheet. "Is she gone?"

Seth just gave her a wicked grin and grabbed her. She shrieked again, but for an entirely different reason.

**********

Things almost came off the rails for them, one night at a show back in Lebanon. Seth was on stage and Debbie had come to watch them play, as she almost always did. She was dancing with a couple of girlfriends, when Seth noticed a slightly inebriated young man try to cut in. He saw Debbie shake her head at him once, then again, as the guy persisted. One of her friends said something and he finally backed off.

Seth thought that was the end of it. But just as they finished their first set, and the girls sat down, the guy moved back in. He squeezed in next to Debbie and put his arm around her. He was leaning in close, trying to talk to her. Seth could see that she was leaning away from him and had her head turned away.

Seth put down his bass and headed over. "Problem here?"

"Beat it Yankee, I'm talkin' to the lady."

"That's my girl, asshole, and it doesn't look like she wants to talk to you."

The guy stood up. He was blond, wearing an Oxford button down. Obviously a frat boy. He was also about 4 inches shorter than Seth, but drunk enough to be cocky.

"Roy Lee, go on, I told you, I'm with Seth now. Leave me alone!" Debbie cried.

He ignored her. "She's everybody's girl, but don't you worry, I'll get her back to you in one piece. Mostly." The guy smirked.

Seth took a step closer to him, fists clenched in fury. "The fuck you say?" he hissed. He didn't see Debbie blanch at frat boy's comment.

Roy Lee seemed like he was about to start something when he looked past Seth's shoulder. Matt was standing behind Seth. Matt was almost as tall as Seth, and wider.

"Roy Lee, like he said, Debbie's with him now, has been for a couple months. Go sober up."

Roy looked at them, then finally said, "Ah hell, she ain't worth my time anyway. Good luck with that slut, Yankee." And he stomped off.

Seth saw red and was about to go after him when Matt grabbed his shoulder. "Let him go, Seth, he's drunk. It ain't worth spendin' the night in jail. Plus we got another set."

Seth looked at Matt, and then at Debbie. She was crying, and his anger immediately dissipated.

"Hey now, he's gone, forget about him." He wrapped his arms around her, and she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his chest. He was a little confused at the bastard's comments, but now was certainly not the time to discuss it. Debbie was exceedingly demonstrative that night after the show, and the incident was put firmly behind them.

**********

Their life together took a slight change of direction after they had been dating for almost a year. One evening, Seth came to pick up Debbie at her apartment, and found her sitting in the dark, crying.

"Babe, what is it?" He went to her, but she just pushed him away and threw something at him. It bounced off his chest and clattered onto the floor.

"What? I don't underst...." He started to say, as he bent to pick the object up.

At first he thought it was a pen. The he saw the window with the two lines in the middle. He looked at her wonderingly. "Is this... You're...?" He couldn't say it.

"I'm pregnant, goddamnit!" she yelled, and burst into a fresh set of tears.

Seth was shocked. First because he'd never heard her swear before. And second, well, obvious reasons.

"Debbie, please don't cry. It'll be okay!" He had no idea how, yet, but seeing her so upset...

"HOW?" she ranted, echoing his thoughts.

"I don't know yet but please don't cry," he begged.

Finally, she reached for him. "How could this happen?" she cried as he held her.

"Well, first the boy..." Seth started.

"Shut up," she gave a small laugh through her tears. She punched him lightly. "You know what I mean."

"Ow," he pretended, and kissed her forehead. "Yeah, I do. I think I read somewhere that the pill isn't perfect. Guess we just got lucky."

"Lucky? That's what you think?" her tears started up again.

Seth considered the question. "Hon, yeah, I think maybe I do. I mean, I can't say that I haven't considered what our future might look like, have you?"

"Of course," she said.

"Well... maybe things are just happening a little bit sooner than we hoped, but... " He took a deep breath and made a decision. "Do you love me?"

Debbie started to yell again, then paused. Did she? She fumbled around drying her face off while she thought. Finally, she sniffled, and whispered, "Yes..."

Seth's smile glowed. "Well then. That's simple. I love you too." He got down on one knee. "Deborah Joanne Prichard, will you marry me?"

She stared at him. Then she gave him a small smile, and nodded. "Alright, Seth." They sat and held each other for a long time, neither saying anything. Just enjoying the closeness, feeling each other breath.

Eventually, Seth said, "I'm sorry this isn't the romantic proposal either of us imagined, and I don't have a ring yet, but we can go get one tomorrow. Don't worry, everything will work out."

**********

Well, first they went to see the doctor. While they were waiting for the results, they spoke with her. Seth asked about the birth control method they were using, and what he'd read. The doctor confirmed it.

"Sorry Seth, but no birth control is foolproof, other than abstinence. Even if you use the pill exactly as prescribed, it's not 100% effective. Maybe not the lottery you were expecting to win, but it does happen."

The test confirmed the pregnancy. After the exam, her best estimate was that Debbie was about 3 1/2 months along. They'd be parents in less than six months!

Debbie looked stunned., as the doctor gave them a lot of information about vitamins, diet, exercise, and the like. After setting up their next appointment, Seth took Debbie home, made her some tea, and put her to bed.

**********

Being the person he was, Seth wanted to do the right thing. He convinced Debbie that they should drive down to Chattanooga and talk to her parents. Debbie didn't want to go. She said her father would never accept it, but Seth persisted. She was pretty subdued on the two-hour drive.

Unfortunately, she was right. At first, her parents were cordial but guarded when Debbie introduced Seth as her boyfriend. Her father became a little less cordial when he found out Seth was from 'up north' and wasn't going to college. It kind of went downhill from there. Seth talked about meeting Debbie, and falling in love. When he finally got the nerve to tell her father that he'd like his permission to marry his daughter, he was met with a flat refusal.

"Y'all are too young, Debbie has her whole life ahead of her," and so on. Reading between the lines, it was clear that Mr. Prichard was of the opinion that Seth was not the 'right' young man for his daughter.

So when they allowed that Debbie might be a tiny bit pregnant, her mother burst into tears. Her father turned red, glared at them both, then shouted, "You're no daughter of mine! Get out of this house!" and turned his back on them.

Seth was dumbfounded. "Are you serious?" he asked, in disbelief. "This is how you treat your own daughter? You self-righteous bastard!"

"GET OUT!" her father roared.

Debbie was stone-faced, and just grabbed Seth's hand. "Come on, let's go. I told you this would happen." As they went out the door, she whispered sadly, "Bye, Momma."

They rode back in silence.

**********

Back at his apartment, Seth figured he might as well rip the band-aid all the way off. So he called his folks.

His father, as usual, acted like Seth was a huge failure. Basically, he said, you're still a mechanic, but now you're was going to have a family to support? Good luck with that!

His mother was a little more pragmatic. Once she got over the shock, she actually started to get excited that she was going to be a grandmother. She said they'd love to meet Debbie, but understood they couldn't really afford to travel. She asked if Debbie's mother was going to come and help when the baby was born.

Seth could hear his mom choke up when he related what had happened with her parents. "Oh honey," she said, "You tell that poor girl how sorry I am, and if it's okay, I'd like to come stay with you when her time comes."

Seth was touched. "That would be really great, mom. Bring Sara too, if she wants, if she can get off from school... the baby is due in May. I bet she would love to see Nashville."

He laughed as he heard Sara scream on the extension. "Of course I'm coming, doofus! I'm pretty sure my grades will be good enough to place out of my finals, so I'll be done school by then!"

Seth felt a little better. He put Debbie on the phone with his mom, and it went surprisingly well. Debbie was grateful for her offer. Seth could tell that she was scared, and although wives (well, soon-to-be, anyway) don't always get along with their mothers-in-law, she was happy to know that she would have another woman to rely on.

**********

Seth asked Debbie what she wanted to do after the baby was born, and she said she hoped they could move closer to Nashville. She couldn't afford to renew her lease since her father cut her off, but fortunately it was good through the end of the school year. She said she was done with school, but Seth convinced her to at least finish out the year, since it was already paid for. It would make it easier to finish her degree once they could afford it. Debbie promised that she'd concentrate on being the best wife and mother she could be.

Seth agreed with everything, because he just wanted her to be happy. Also, he would be closer to his day job and of course, the music scene. As her due date neared, they found a two-bedroom place on the south side of Mount Juliet. It was a more expensive than Seth's old place, but he did what it took for them to be able to swing it. He'd gotten a small raise at work, and the band was bringing in a little more money. They had a tearful goodbye with Mary Ellen, and the girls promised that they'd get together whenever they could.

Debbie eventually recovered from her parents' rejection, and spoke with Seth's mom once or twice a month about her impending birth. Seth suggested reaching out to her mother, but Debbie put her foot down. "She didn't stand up for me, Seth. If she wants to be in my life, that's up to her." He had to accept that.

In early December, Seth and Debbie went down to the county clerk's office, filled out their marriage application, and that was it. After the brief ceremony, they walked hand-in-hand out of the courthouse. Seth stopped and turned. "Hello, Mrs. Broderick." He couldn't seem to stop grinning. Debbie smiled and gave him a peck on the lips. As she drew back, Mary Ellen snapped a picture.

"That's perfect!" she crowed, showing it to Debbie and Seth.

They said goodbye to her shortly afterwards, and headed off to start their lives together. He had done the best he could for a honeymoon, renting a small cabin out by the reservoir for the weekend. As he carried his new wife over the threshold, he whispered, "Love you, Debbie. I'm sorry I couldn't do more, but I promise I'll be the husband and father you deserve." She just buried her face in his shoulder.

Seth thought things couldn't get any better.

**********

One morning toward the third week of April, Frank came over and handed Seth the office phone. He had a huge grin on his face.

Seth looked at him, puzzled, and said, "Hello?"

"MY WATER BROKE! WHAT DO I DO?"

"Honey, calm down, it'll be okay, I promise!" Seth tried not to panic.

He looked blankly at Frank, who just laughed. "Go on, son, go be with your wife!"

He turned back to the phone. "I'm on my way, baby, how far apart are your contractions?"

"Ummm I don't know, maybe 15 minutes? I wasn't sure it was the baby, it's not time!"

"It's ok honey, we have time to get to the hospital. I have to put this phone down, but I'll call you right back, okay?" Seth tossed Frank the phone, and rushed out of the shop.

His car wasn't going to break any land speed records, but he tried. He called Debbie on his cell. "Baby, it's gonna take me a bit to get there, can you get Mary Ellen to take you to the hospital?"

"I think so, I'll call her right now." She hung up.

A few minutes later, his phone rang.

"She said she can take me, but please hurry Seth!"

"I am, baby, I am. Do you have your bag?"

"No, it's too early, I didn't think to pack it yet!"

"That's okay, I'll swing by and grab some stuff for you, okay? We have time. And it's only a couple of weeks early, please don't worry. The baby will be okay."

"No, please just come straight here, please Seth! I'm scared!"

"Ok honey, I'll come straight there. Let me talk to Mary Ellen, ok?"

Seth thanked her for her help, told her which hospital, and Debbie's Ob/Gyn's name.

"Don't worry Seth, I got this," she assured him.

Next, he called the doctor and told her Debbie was on her way in.

Then he called his mother and told her the baby was coming, and it was early. His mother said not to worry, she and Sara would pack up and drive down as soon as they could.

**********

Seth arrived at the hospital and raced to the Obstetrics Ward. He gave the nurse at the desk his name, and she directed him to Debbie's room. Mary Ellen was there, along with another nurse. Seth leaned over and kissed his wife, and she grabbed his hand. The nurse was there monitoring things, and reassured him that everything was fine with Debbie and the baby. He relaxed a little, and thanked Mary Ellen profusely for her help. She just grinned and said this was the most excitement she'd had all semester.

Fortunately, the birth went smoothly and after a few more hours of labor, Seth had learned some new words, almost had his hand crushed, and gained a baby girl. When the nurse placed her in his arms, he was speechless. She was so beautiful, with a capful of dark hair and blue eyes, and she just looked at him without making a peep. He reach out a finger, and she latched onto it with her tiny fist. Seth knew it was something every baby did, but when his new daughter grabbed his finger, he felt an instant connection. Something amazing, anyway. He looked down at Debbie.

"You did so great, baby," he said proudly. "Look at our girl!" And he placed their daughter on Debbie's chest. He gently wiped her forehead as she gazed at the tiny bundle.

"What should we name her?" Debbie asked. They hadn't really talked too much about names, as well as preferring not to know the sex until birth. Oddly, she had avoided the subject, and so Seth had left it alone. But he had some ideas.

"I was thinking, maybe Emma Jane?" he said, hopefully. Debbie just nodded.

Mary Ellen was allowed back in (she said there was no way she was leaving) and she and Debbie cooed over Emma for a few minutes, before the nurse took her to get checked out. Just a precaution, she said, since she was a little bit premature.

"I'm so proud of you honey, she's so beautiful, just like her mom."

Debbie gave him a weak smile, and said, "I'm just a little tired, honey, you mind if I take a nap?"

Seth barked a laugh. "I don't wonder, after what you just did. Go on, you deserve a rest. I'll walk Mary Ellen out."

They chatted a bit as he walked her to her car. Seth knew that Debbie and Mary Ellen had been friends since middle school, and he told her again how much he appreciated everything she'd done. Not just today, but all through Debbie's pregnancy and even before.

"Remember when you told me to give her a chance? Thank you for that," he said, just a tad huskily.

She nodded and hugged him, smiling at the memory.

"You know you're Emma's godmother now, right? With all the duties and responsibilities which lie therein." That last bit with his hand over his heart, and with mock solemnity.

Mary Ellen giggled, but she was touched. "Thanks, Seth. You have no idea how much that means. I promise I'll be the best godmother ever."

She started to get into her car, then paused and looked at him. "Seth... Thanks for being so good to Debbie. I think she needed someone like you in her life."

Before he could ask what she meant, she hugged him, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and drove off.

**********

Seth's mom and sister arrived a few days later. Both women hugged Debbie tightly, and said how happy they were to finally meet her. As they got acquainted, Seth went into the nursery and brought Emma out.

"Mom, meet your granddaughter. This is Emma." Emily's hand flew to her mouth, and the tears finally started. She didn't know that they had named their girl after her.

"And this is your Aunt Sara," Seth said, as his sister reached down a finger while his mother held her. Emma latched onto Sara's hand the same exact way she had Seth's.

"Oh my God she's beautiful," they both said at the same time.

**********

Having them there was a godsend. They set up Emma's crib in their bedroom, and put two twin beds in the second bedroom, so Emily and Sara could share and not have to spring for a motel.

"So what did Dad say about you coming down here?" Seth asked.

"I told him he could take it or leave it," Emily said tartly, and that was the end of that subject. Sara grinned at her brother from behind their mother's back.

"What about you, Sis?" he asked. "No boyfriends languishing at home? Pining away for you?"