Chapter One: Colleen McRoy
10 weeks- November 7th
I exhaled loudly and shook out my hands before sitting down at the dinner table. Calm down, you’re making a scene I thought to myself. Everyone was already sitting down, and when I say everyone I mean it. Nellie and Brigid were visiting from college. Mom smiled at me and began saying Grace. “Blessed, O Lord, for these thy gifts which we about to receive from thy bounty” I chimed in. My family was very catholic, and teen pregnancy wasn’t accepted very well.
“Ok, dig in guys, only took me two hours” Mom said passing around the turkey. Dad leaned and gave her a kiss on the cheek. We ate in silence for a little bit and I thought to myself go for it, perfect timing. Get it done. I set down my silverware and cleared my throat. Great, now I had everyone’s attention.
“Mom, dad.” I looked at them and they returned a very confused, concerned look. “I’m, I’m pregnant.” I whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear. I looked down at my plate immediately, not wanting to see their faces. I snuck a peek up, dad had dropped his fork and was now looking at me, not in an angrily way, but a disappointed way. Almost like he was disappointed in himself for raising such a screw-up. Mom on the other hand, was livid. Her face was scrunched up in an unpleasing way and her tight grip on her fork turned her knuckles white.
“You’re what?” Mom said, not in an unsure, what-did-you-say way, but an angry I-can’t-believe-you way. “I don’t believe it, my own daughter is one of those pregnant teens”. She said in such a harsh way, one of those pregnant teens replayed over and over again. Tears filled my eyes; I didn’t know what to do. “Disgrace.” She whispered standing up from the table. I started sobbing, I felt useless. Almost like a disgrace. No, exactly like a disgrace.
“Nora, stop. What Colleen did was inappropriate and of course you’re upset. But calling her a disgrace, is not ok.” My dad said, usually my dad was the quiet type, a pushover. He said the word disgrace like it was venom in his mouth and couldn’t wait to spit it out. “Colleen, understand that having sex before marriage has extreme consequences and you will take care of it, by yourself. But that does not mean being exiled from our family.” He said in a calm and collected way.
“Who’s the father? Is he planning on being in your child’s life?” Mom asked. She calmed down after excusing herself to the bathroom once dad finished his speech. She sat back down and brushed her honey colored bangs out of her face.
“No one you know, Austin Gills. And no, he has no plans on being involved except paying child support.” I said, my face was streaked with tears that had now dried. Mom sighed loudly and muttered something like ‘Oh of course.’
“Excellent, you’re excused from the table.” Mom said, I nodded slowly and left the table. I wish that night had never happened.
