| Family Fiction posted February 2, 2022 |
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Life's choices
Don't Do It
by Begin Again
The old elevator groaned and sighed as it lumbered up the cold, drafty shaft. The Teenage Health Support Clinic was on the fifth floor. Posters about safe sex, planned parenthood, and birth control covered the once light green walls. Sable's eyes were closed, but her mind kept replaying the moment she'd told Kenny she didn't want to do it, but then melted under his passionate kisses and did it.
That fateful night was eight weeks ago. Now, Kenny and his family had moved away, school finals were over, and three home pregnancy tests had assured Sable she was alone and pregnant.
Last week, she'd given it her best effort to be grown up, though she hadn't the slightest idea of what that meant except she needed to see a doctor. She ruled out telling her mother because she didn't want the lecture, so she'd gone to the building by herself. She'd stood across the street for the longest time, staring up toward the windows on the fifth floor. Occasionally, she saw another teenage girl pulled down the sidewalk by an angry older woman, probably her mother. The last girl rushed from the building, crying so hard she bumped into a man entering the building.
The stranger's harsh "Grow up" was like a slap in Sable's face even though he hadn't been talking to her. She shivered, pulled her jacket tighter, and shook her head. " I don't want to do it." Once the words crossed her lips, Sable had walked away without looking back.
************
Last night, she'd discovered Kenny's phone was disconnected when she tried to call him. Reality came crashing in. Trembling, she'd found her mom, and through a flood of tears, she confessed her ugly secret. Of course, the expected lecture came, but then her mom understood how affected her daughter was by the event and tried to console her. That conversation put the two of them in the elevator headed to the fifth floor.
Sable hesitated as the doors opened, but her mom took her hand. "Come on. Nothing's going to happen. It's just an examination and a lot of conversation."
Sable planted her feet like a stubborn mule and tugged against her mom's grip. "I don't want to do it, Mom. I can't."
"I'm sorry, Sable. You and Kenny played in the adult world, and he has left you to deal with the consequences. Here is where we start." Sable's tear-stained eyes met her mom's. She was relieved her mom wasn't yelling, but she still didn't want to do it.
*************
It had been thirty-one weeks, three days, and ten hours since that first appointment. Sable sat on the front porch, sipping lemonade and slowly drawing circles across her stomach. In agreement with her mom and the clinic staff, Sable planned to put her baby up for adoption. She'd turned sixteen three weeks ago, in so many ways still a child herself. It had been a harsh lesson, but Sable had gotten through it. The journey was almost over. She was calm and ready.
Or so the young girl thought until a sharp pain ripped through her side. Sable's hands flew to her stomach, startled by the intensity of the pain. She could feel sudden dampness beneath her, and then her slacks were soaked. Her mother had given her enough books to read about giving birth that she knew it was time.
Her mom was dozing in the rocker beside her. Sable didn't know if she needed to tell her so soon, but she knew she wasn't ready to be alone. "Mom, wake up."
"I'm awake. Just resting my eyes,"
"I think it's time." Sable's voice quivered, and she gasped as another pain shot through her. "Mom, wake up."
"What's wrong?" Her mom didn't need an answer as she opened her eyes and glanced at her daughter. "Oh, dear. Guess the baby is coming."
Tears streamed down Sable's face. "I—I don't want to do it."
Her mom chuckled and patted Sable's shoulder. "Sorry, honey. You don't get a choice on this one."
********************
Hours later, an exhausted Sable gave birth to a six-pound, six-ounce bundle of joy, a baby girl with tufts of dark brown hair. She rested against Sable's chest peacefully. Sable touched her fingers one by one, amazed by her perfection.
"Mom, I don't want to do it." Crocodile tears streamed down Sable's face, and she lowered her head to kiss the top of her child's head.
Tears gathered in her mom's eyes as she smiled at her newborn granddaughter. "You don't want to do what, Sable? Do you want me to take her?"
Sable shook her head and sniffed. "I don't want anyone to take her. Please, don't let them. She belongs with us. I can't do it." Her eyes pleaded with her mom. "I don't want to do it."
The old elevator groaned and sighed as it lumbered up the cold, drafty shaft. The Teenage Health Support Clinic was on the fifth floor. Posters about safe sex, planned parenthood, and birth control covered the once light green walls. Sable's eyes were closed, but her mind kept replaying the moment she'd told Kenny she didn't want to do it, but then melted under his passionate kisses and did it.
That fateful night was eight weeks ago. Now, Kenny and his family had moved away, school finals were over, and three home pregnancy tests had assured Sable she was alone and pregnant.
Last week, she'd given it her best effort to be grown up, though she hadn't the slightest idea of what that meant except she needed to see a doctor. She ruled out telling her mother because she didn't want the lecture, so she'd gone to the building by herself. She'd stood across the street for the longest time, staring up toward the windows on the fifth floor. Occasionally, she saw another teenage girl pulled down the sidewalk by an angry older woman, probably her mother. The last girl rushed from the building, crying so hard she bumped into a man entering the building.
The stranger's harsh "Grow up" was like a slap in Sable's face even though he hadn't been talking to her. She shivered, pulled her jacket tighter, and shook her head. " I don't want to do it." Once the words crossed her lips, Sable had walked away without looking back.
************
Last night, she'd discovered Kenny's phone was disconnected when she tried to call him. Reality came crashing in. Trembling, she'd found her mom, and through a flood of tears, she confessed her ugly secret. Of course, the expected lecture came, but then her mom understood how affected her daughter was by the event and tried to console her. That conversation put the two of them in the elevator headed to the fifth floor.
Sable hesitated as the doors opened, but her mom took her hand. "Come on. Nothing's going to happen. It's just an examination and a lot of conversation."
Sable planted her feet like a stubborn mule and tugged against her mom's grip. "I don't want to do it, Mom. I can't."
"I'm sorry, Sable. You and Kenny played in the adult world, and he has left you to deal with the consequences. Here is where we start." Sable's tear-stained eyes met her mom's. She was relieved her mom wasn't yelling, but she still didn't want to do it.
*************
It had been thirty-one weeks, three days, and ten hours since that first appointment. Sable sat on the front porch, sipping lemonade and slowly drawing circles across her stomach. In agreement with her mom and the clinic staff, Sable planned to put her baby up for adoption. She'd turned sixteen three weeks ago, in so many ways still a child herself. It had been a harsh lesson, but Sable had gotten through it. The journey was almost over. She was calm and ready.
Or so the young girl thought until a sharp pain ripped through her side. Sable's hands flew to her stomach, startled by the intensity of the pain. She could feel sudden dampness beneath her, and then her slacks were soaked. Her mother had given her enough books to read about giving birth that she knew it was time.
Her mom was dozing in the rocker beside her. Sable didn't know if she needed to tell her so soon, but she knew she wasn't ready to be alone. "Mom, wake up."
"I'm awake. Just resting my eyes,"
"I think it's time." Sable's voice quivered, and she gasped as another pain shot through her. "Mom, wake up."
"What's wrong?" Her mom didn't need an answer as she opened her eyes and glanced at her daughter. "Oh, dear. Guess the baby is coming."
Tears streamed down Sable's face. "I—I don't want to do it."
Her mom chuckled and patted Sable's shoulder. "Sorry, honey. You don't get a choice on this one."
********************
Hours later, an exhausted Sable gave birth to a six-pound, six-ounce bundle of joy, a baby girl with tufts of dark brown hair. She rested against Sable's chest peacefully. Sable touched her fingers one by one, amazed by her perfection.
"Mom, I don't want to do it." Crocodile tears streamed down Sable's face, and she lowered her head to kiss the top of her child's head.
Tears gathered in her mom's eyes as she smiled at her newborn granddaughter. "You don't want to do what, Sable? Do you want me to take her?"
Sable shook her head and sniffed. "I don't want anyone to take her. Please, don't let them. She belongs with us. I can't do it." Her eyes pleaded with her mom. "I don't want to do it."
That fateful night was eight weeks ago. Now, Kenny and his family had moved away, school finals were over, and three home pregnancy tests had assured Sable she was alone and pregnant.
Last week, she'd given it her best effort to be grown up, though she hadn't the slightest idea of what that meant except she needed to see a doctor. She ruled out telling her mother because she didn't want the lecture, so she'd gone to the building by herself. She'd stood across the street for the longest time, staring up toward the windows on the fifth floor. Occasionally, she saw another teenage girl pulled down the sidewalk by an angry older woman, probably her mother. The last girl rushed from the building, crying so hard she bumped into a man entering the building.
The stranger's harsh "Grow up" was like a slap in Sable's face even though he hadn't been talking to her. She shivered, pulled her jacket tighter, and shook her head. " I don't want to do it." Once the words crossed her lips, Sable had walked away without looking back.
************
Last night, she'd discovered Kenny's phone was disconnected when she tried to call him. Reality came crashing in. Trembling, she'd found her mom, and through a flood of tears, she confessed her ugly secret. Of course, the expected lecture came, but then her mom understood how affected her daughter was by the event and tried to console her. That conversation put the two of them in the elevator headed to the fifth floor.
Sable hesitated as the doors opened, but her mom took her hand. "Come on. Nothing's going to happen. It's just an examination and a lot of conversation."
Sable planted her feet like a stubborn mule and tugged against her mom's grip. "I don't want to do it, Mom. I can't."
"I'm sorry, Sable. You and Kenny played in the adult world, and he has left you to deal with the consequences. Here is where we start." Sable's tear-stained eyes met her mom's. She was relieved her mom wasn't yelling, but she still didn't want to do it.
It had been thirty-one weeks, three days, and ten hours since that first appointment. Sable sat on the front porch, sipping lemonade and slowly drawing circles across her stomach. In agreement with her mom and the clinic staff, Sable planned to put her baby up for adoption. She'd turned sixteen three weeks ago, in so many ways still a child herself. It had been a harsh lesson, but Sable had gotten through it. The journey was almost over. She was calm and ready.
Or so the young girl thought until a sharp pain ripped through her side. Sable's hands flew to her stomach, startled by the intensity of the pain. She could feel sudden dampness beneath her, and then her slacks were soaked. Her mother had given her enough books to read about giving birth that she knew it was time.
Her mom was dozing in the rocker beside her. Sable didn't know if she needed to tell her so soon, but she knew she wasn't ready to be alone. "Mom, wake up."
"I'm awake. Just resting my eyes,"
"I think it's time." Sable's voice quivered, and she gasped as another pain shot through her. "Mom, wake up."
"What's wrong?" Her mom didn't need an answer as she opened her eyes and glanced at her daughter. "Oh, dear. Guess the baby is coming."
Tears streamed down Sable's face. "I—I don't want to do it."
Her mom chuckled and patted Sable's shoulder. "Sorry, honey. You don't get a choice on this one."
********************
Hours later, an exhausted Sable gave birth to a six-pound, six-ounce bundle of joy, a baby girl with tufts of dark brown hair. She rested against Sable's chest peacefully. Sable touched her fingers one by one, amazed by her perfection.
"Mom, I don't want to do it." Crocodile tears streamed down Sable's face, and she lowered her head to kiss the top of her child's head.
Tears gathered in her mom's eyes as she smiled at her newborn granddaughter. "You don't want to do what, Sable? Do you want me to take her?"
Sable shook her head and sniffed. "I don't want anyone to take her. Please, don't let them. She belongs with us. I can't do it." Her eyes pleaded with her mom. "I don't want to do it."
 Recognized |
#26 February 2022 |
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