He was only sixteen when he brought her home, the girl who had been visibly pregnant for some time and was a year older than him. Emily went to the same vocational school as he did, though in a different year. For several days Oliver watched as the stranger huddled into a corner and wept softly. He could not help noticing her swelling belly, the same outfit worn for weeks on end, and the vacant, despairing look in her eyes.
It turned out nearly everyone knew her tale. The grandson of a prominent businessman in London had been courting her, then vanished without a trace after heading off on urgent business to Manchester. His parents refused to listen to a word about her and said so to her face. Her own family, behaving as though they were stuck in another era and terrified of disgrace, threw her out and retreated to their cottage in the countryside. A few people offered sympathy while others snickered behind her back.
Shes only got herself to blame. She should have thought ahead.
Oliver could no longer stand by and watch. He considered his options and stepped forward.
It wont be easy, so stop crying. I suggest you move in with me; we can even get married if you like. But Ill be straight with you right nowIm no good at lying and I wont pretend everything is fine. Ill simply stay by your side and I promise well get through it.
Emily wiped her tears and studied the boy. There was little to say; he was just an ordinary lad without any special charm. She had pictured an entirely different sort of husband. Yet given her circumstances there was no real choice, so she went along with him.
His parents were stunned. His mother pleaded with Oliver to reconsider, but he stood firm.
Mum, dont make such a fuss; well manage somehow. Ive got two scholarships, one for my grades and another for financial need. Ill pick up extra work and well be all right.
But you wanted to go to university!
So what? We live the way we can. Dad has spent his whole life at the factory and youve worked in the shop. Plenty of people without degrees get by just fine. Mum, this isnt the end of the world.
Emily took over Olivers room. He handed her his bed and moved onto the lumpy fold-out sofa. For days she remained very quiet. Like a shadow she trailed after him hand in hand to school and back, until at last she erupted.
Ive had enough! Why do your parents keep giving me those looks? They dont like me at all! And why wont you spend any time with me? Youre always buried in your books or vanishing somewhere!
Oliver looked taken aback.
Dont you think thats normal? No, they dont like you, but theyve taken you in and theyre not making things harder. Giving you looks? Your own parents wont even see you. And where are the parents of your childs father? Im buried in books because Im studying and I dont want to be thrown out after the first year. The scholarship helps too. Vanishing? Because Im working extra shifts and Im not in the mood to sit through weepy television shows with you.
Emily broke down in tears.
Why say it like that?
Like what? I already told you I cant lie. Anyway, when are we heading to the registry office?
I cant go like this. Buy me a nice dress with a high waist so the bump wont show.
What are you on about? Well take the pregnancy certificate with us; who cares about a dress? I still need to save for a pram and a cot.
His mother reached for some calming tea, yet she gradually accepted the situation and began glancing more often at tiny baby clothes. Nothing catastrophic was happening after all. Let them live, let them marry, and she and Olivers father would help however they could. The girl did seem rather ungrateful, though, forever discontented with Oliver, with them, and with their cramped flat. Perhaps once the baby arrived she would settle down.
Emily showed no sign of changing. When Oliver came home filthy and worn out from the car wash carrying a skinny cat, she flew into a rage.
You idiot! What do we need this scruffy creature for? Get rid of it! Throw it out of the flat!
Oliver merely smiled.
No, shes pregnant too. Shes staying, so dont even start. Just be quiet and warm up my dinner.
Really? Emily nearly shrieked. Choose! Its her or me! That beast is giving me dirty looks as well!
Why? Oliver stared at her in disbelief. This is my home and I dont have to choose. Shes my cat, and if it bothers you then you can leave. Even my mother never gave me conditions like that. Maybe its time you stopped looking down on everyone.
Emily grew hysterical, weeping and envying the thin, neglected cat. Wherever had Oliver imagined a belly on her? Yet a belly did appear; the cat truly was expecting.
The boy felt exhausted, but whenever regret threatened to surface he pushed the thoughts aside. They would manage somehow. Emily would have the baby and calm down, and in the meantime the cat would entertain them. The fluffy kittens would lift everyones spirits.
Everything unfolded differently, though. The grandfather, a well-known entrepreneur in London, returned from a long business trip and heard the full story. He tracked down his grandson, gave him a stern talking-to, and announced he would cut him off from the family money if the great-grandson ended up being raised in a strangers household. The boy dreaded losing such a safety net.
Emily left with him that same day without so much as a goodbye to Oliver. Luckily she had her documents on her, as she had been heading to the doctor after classes. She dismissed her belongings with a wave; they would buy her new ones. And she certainly would not be returning to that run-down vocational school.
Oliver was crushed. How could she? She had not said farewell, had not called, had not spoken a single word. He cleared out all her things and sat alone in the dark for hours, holding his cat close.
The cat understood. She nestled quietly against him, sensing he needed her. She offered comfort through soft purrs and gentle presence.
Oliver saw to the birth himself, keeping his upset mother and bewildered father at a distance. He stayed beside the cat, speaking to her in a soothing voice and reassuring her. He watched carefully to ensure everything progressed smoothly and kept his phone ready in case he needed to ring the vet.
All went well; the cat delivered four kittens. Oliver changed the bedding, brought fresh water and food, and checked once more that everything was in order. Exhausted, he finally closed his eyes, feeling the smallest kitten curl into his palm. In that quiet moment he understood a lasting truth: genuine loyalty and gratitude often come from the simplest companions who expect nothing in return, a reminder that real support can appear when human promises fade.He was only sixteen when he brought her home, the girl who had been visibly pregnant for some time and was a year older than him. Emily went to the same vocational school as he did, though in a different year. For several days Oliver watched as the stranger huddled into a corner and wept softly. He could not help noticing her swelling belly, the same outfit worn for weeks on end, and the vacant, despairing look in her eyes.
It turned out nearly everyone knew her tale. The grandson of a prominent businessman in London had been courting her, then vanished without a trace after heading off on urgent business to Manchester. His parents refused to listen to a word about her and said so to her face. Her own family, behaving as though they were stuck in another era and terrified of disgrace, threw her out and retreated to their cottage in the countryside. A few people offered sympathy while others snickered behind her back.
Shes only got herself to blame. She should have thought ahead.
Oliver could no longer stand by and watch. He considered his options and stepped forward.
It wont be easy, so stop crying. I suggest you move in with me; we can even get married if you like. But Ill be straight with you right nowIm no good at lying and I wont pretend everything is fine. Ill simply stay by your side and I promise well get through it.
Emily wiped her tears and studied the boy. There was little to say; he was just an ordinary lad without any special charm. She had pictured an entirely different sort of husband. Yet given her circumstances there was no real choice, so she went along with him.
His parents were stunned. His mother pleaded with Oliver to reconsider, but he stood firm.
Mum, dont make such a fuss; well manage somehow. Ive got two scholarships, one for my grades and another for financial need. Ill pick up extra work and well be all right.
But you wanted to go to university!
So what? We live the way we can. Dad has spent his whole life at the factory and youve worked in the shop. Plenty of people without degrees get by just fine. Mum, this isnt the end of the world.
Emily took over Olivers room. He handed her his bed and moved onto the lumpy fold-out sofa. For days she remained very quiet. Like a shadow she trailed after him hand in hand to school and back, until at last she erupted.
Ive had enough! Why do your parents keep giving me those looks? They dont like me at all! And why wont you spend any time with me? Youre always buried in your books or vanishing somewhere!
Oliver looked taken aback.
Dont you think thats normal? No, they dont like you, but theyve taken you in and theyre not making things harder. Giving you looks? Your own parents wont even see you. And where are the parents of your childs father? Im buried in books because Im studying and I dont want to be thrown out after the first year. The scholarship helps too. Vanishing? Because Im working extra shifts and Im not in the mood to sit through weepy television shows with you.
Emily broke down in tears.
Why say it like that?
Like what? I already told you I cant lie. Anyway, when are we heading to the registry office?
I cant go like this. Buy me a nice dress with a high waist so the bump wont show.
What are you on about? Well take the pregnancy certificate with us; who cares about a dress? I still need to save for a pram and a cot.
His mother reached for some calming tea, yet she gradually accepted the situation and began glancing more often at tiny baby clothes. Nothing catastrophic was happening after all. Let them live, let them marry, and she and Olivers father would help however they could. The girl did seem rather ungrateful, though, forever discontented with Oliver, with them, and with their cramped flat. Perhaps once the baby arrived she would settle down.
Emily showed no sign of changing. When Oliver came home filthy and worn out from the car wash carrying a skinny cat, she flew into a rage.
You idiot! What do we need this scruffy creature for? Get rid of it! Throw it out of the flat!
Oliver merely smiled.
No, shes pregnant too. Shes staying, so dont even start. Just be quiet and warm up my dinner.
Really? Emily nearly shrieked. Choose! Its her or me! That beast is giving me dirty looks as well!
Why? Oliver stared at her in disbelief. This is my home and I dont have to choose. Shes my cat, and if it bothers you then you can leave. Even my mother never gave me conditions like that. Maybe its time you stopped looking down on everyone.
Emily grew hysterical, weeping and envying the thin, neglected cat. Wherever had Oliver imagined a belly on her? Yet a belly did appear; the cat truly was expecting.
The boy felt exhausted, but whenever regret threatened to surface he pushed the thoughts aside. They would manage somehow. Emily would have the baby and calm down, and in the meantime the cat would entertain them. The fluffy kittens would lift everyones spirits.
Everything unfolded differently, though. The grandfather, a well-known entrepreneur in London, returned from a long business trip and heard the full story. He tracked down his grandson, gave him a stern talking-to, and announced he would cut him off from the family money if the great-grandson ended up being raised in a strangers household. The boy dreaded losing such a safety net.
Emily left with him that same day without so much as a goodbye to Oliver. Luckily she had her documents on her, as she had been heading to the doctor after classes. She dismissed her belongings with a wave; they would buy her new ones. And she certainly would not be returning to that run-down vocational school.
Oliver was crushed. How could she? She had not said farewell, had not called, had not spoken a single word. He cleared out all her things and sat alone in the dark for hours, holding his cat close.
The cat understood. She nestled quietly against him, sensing he needed her. She offered comfort through soft purrs and gentle presence.
Oliver saw to the birth himself, keeping his upset mother and bewildered father at a distance. He stayed beside the cat, speaking to her in a soothing voice and reassuring her. He watched carefully to ensure everything progressed smoothly and kept his phone ready in case he needed to ring the vet.
All went well; the cat delivered four kittens. Oliver changed the bedding, brought fresh water and food, and checked once more that everything was in order. Exhausted, he finally closed his eyes, feeling the smallest kitten curl into his palm. In that quiet moment he understood a lasting truth: genuine loyalty and gratitude often come from the simplest companions who expect nothing in return, a reminder that real support can appear when human promises fade.
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