Title: Girl from the North Country: Part V, Over
Rating: PG-13 [mature themes]

Summary: After sharing their news with Bobby's parents, they begin a new life together. Or do they?

This concludes this short series.




Glancing out the lace-covered window, Bobby hoped the next car to pass the house would slow and turn into the drive. Each vehicle that continued to drive on made his frown deepen a bit more. He knew his directions to the Davis house were perfect, had driven them a number of times to make certain. Why had his parents not arrived yet? Were they intending to drive him mad?

“Bobby?” Adele’s sweet voice interrupted his worrisome thoughts.

He turned away from the window and smiled at his girlfriend, “How are you feeling?”

“Fine,” she responded. “Can you relax a little? Your parents will be here, I’m sure of it. Come away from the window.”

Pulling himself away from his sentry position, he returned to sitting next to her on the couch. Instinctively his hand reached and touched the small swell of her abdomen. It was difficult living a distance from school, but he would do what was necessary for his child and his love. He had wanted to tell his parents sooner, but they had resisted seeing him when in the city during the summer. He did not understand it then, but Adele thought it had something to do with the way he suddenly left home without much explanation. However they were now finally coming to meet Adele’s parents, allowing for the couple to also announce the impending birth of their baby.

If only they would arrive.

“Bobby, it’s okay,” Adele stated, grasping his hand. “They’ll be here.”

“But they should have arrived by now. It does not take that long to get from–”

Before he could finish his statement, the doorbell rang. The young man instantly jumped up and bolted towards the door. Sitting up straighter, Adele leaned slightly as Bobby opened the door. His mother embraced him and his father shook his hand. If any of the three spoke, she could not hear their words and that was enough to concern her. Slowly she got to her feet and headed over to greet Bobby’s parents.

“Adele,” Beatrice greeted the young woman, “it is a pleasure to see you again.”

“Mrs. Zimmerman,” she smiled, “won’t you please come in?”

The young couple led Bobby’s parents into the living room. All four settled down, a bit uncomfortably. Bobby softly told them that school was going well, hoping that would break the ice enough to tell them what he really wanted to tell them. Instead they flowed into short conversation about life back home.

A lull in the conversation appeared, only to be interrupted by Adele’s mother entering the living room with a tray filled with cookies and mugs of hot chocolate. She greeted the Zimmermans as she set down the tray, happily chatting with Bobby’s mother.

“Isn’t it exciting that we’re going to be grandparents?” 

Both Beatrice and Abram’s eyes shot to Bobby. His eyes instantly dropped to the table, his fingers nervously adjusting his collar. He swallowed nervously, not entirely sure how to react to Mrs. Davis’s unwanted declaration. However it was out in the open now. He needed to be a man and own up to it.

Slowly his eyes rose, meeting his father’s, “Adele and I are having a baby. Due in March.”

His parents remained silent, though they both lowered their mugs back down to the table.

“We are going to raise the baby together,” Bobby claimed.

“What about your education?” his father asked.

“Father, many couples raise a family while in school. We will do the same.”

“What of Adele’s education?” his mother asked. “She has not even graduated high school.”

“I am planning to continue my studies independently,” Adele answered. “After the baby is born, I should be able to complete my education.”

Her mother looked over to her at that statement, “Really, Adele?”

She nodded, “Of course, Mother.”

She grinned, “Your father and I have been worried that you would forgo your own future for that of the baby. It pleases us greatly that–”

“How are you going to provide for the baby, Robert? You cannot seriously intend to remain in this house and live off of the Davis’s kindness? Surely that will run out. Your mother and I cannot–”

“We are not asking for help, Father,” Bobby interrupted. “In fact I had not told Adele yet, but I have secured an apartment for the three of us near school.”

“You did?” she turned to him.

He nodded, “We are going to have our own home to raise our baby in, Addie.”




Curled up on her side, her hands on her rounded belly, Adele sighed. She understood that Bobby had to go to work in order to pay their bills, to feed their growing baby, and that he was still taking classes too. But that did not really make matters all that better. She was lonely, very lonely. No longer near her family, she was lucky to see anyone she knew outside of Bobby. She practically looked forward to visiting the doctor, just for some human interaction. Alone did not suit Adele at all.

And she was not going to abide by it at all any more. It was time for her to branch out, get to know what was going on in their neighborhood, especially if she would be walking a baby buggy down the street come spring. Slowly she rolled out of bed and moved about the tiny apartment, getting dressed.

Finding a flyer with the address of where Bobby was playing, Adele quickly memorized it, deciding that would be her final destination. She locked up the apartment and headed down to the street. Her large eyes glanced around, taking in every detail of what she had been missing by remaining in their home. Fall had long ago hit the Midwest and so she had to pull her coat, which was already snug because of the baby, even closer to her. Brown leaves blew past, swirling around her long hair. She wished to be walking that street with Bobby, but she assumed she would on the return walk.

After walking a few blocks, she stopped to figure out which direction the coffee shop had to be. Glancing at the numbers on the buildings, Adele turned left. Within a block she came upon the quasi-busy café and slipped inside. Her eyes instantly went to the small stage and she smiled. Bobby strummed upon his guitar, singing along with words he did not write. She remained standing until he noticed her, missing a note as he smiled at her.

As Adele slipped into a chair, she knew whenever he played, she was going to be there. It felt right, pre-destined. And then he could sing for her.



The night Adele left Bobby


For three weeks he looked incessantly for her, as did her family. They canvassed bus and train stations, even visited the airport a few times. Bobby missed classes, eventually deciding to never return to school. His one true love had walked out on him, pregnant with his child, because he had not been man enough to promise her his everything. It mattered not that he still held onto the ring he intended to gift her in that promise. It had been too late. He had lost his one chance at true love and he did not know what to do.

It was time to go to New York.