Slipping Away

Chapter 19

January 8th, 1994

Mariah took a deep breath as she and Tommy hurried down the busy New York street. 

"Isn't someone going to see us?" She hissed into his ear.

He gripped her arm tighter. "Be quiet."

She closed her mouth and allowed him to drag her into the OB/GYN office. She had given up trying to argue with Tommy and if she left, her mother would make her go back. Tommy brought her up to the front desk.

"Appointment for M-Mottola." Mariah choked out.

The nurse nodded. "You're the noon appointment, right?"

"Yes." Tommy answered.

The nurse nodded again. "Please have a seat and the doctor will be with you in a moment."

Mariah and Tommy sat down and she looked straight ahead. She hated him for what he was making her do, she was hurt that her mother seemed to be going along with everything he said, and she was mad at herself for putting herself in the situation she was in. It was all her fault.

Michael was sitting in a rocking chair with their daughter, now three years old, reading a book to her. 

"What's that Monroe?" He asked, pointing to a picture.

"Bird." Monroe said, glancing at her father with a wide grin.

Michael nodded, mirroring her expression. "That's right, a bird. What color is the bird?"

"Red."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "Red? Are you sure? Look at it again."

Monroe put her hands in her mouth and Michael gently eased them away with a smile gracing his features. "You know what it is, Applehead. Stop playing"

"Blue."

Michael clapped. "Roe Roe is a little genius in the making, isn't she Mariah?"

"Mottola." The nurse called, ending her reverie and Mariah got up, walking a few steps before noticing that Tommy wasn't coming. She continued walking, unsure of if she wanted him there or not. It would've been nice to have someone beside her if she had to go through with an abortion against her will.

"Follow me." The nurse instructed.

Mariah followed her down a long hallway and was brought into a room that looked more like a therapist's office than a medical office.

"The doctor will be with you in a moment."

Mariah stared down at her hands, wondering what Michael would think if he knew what she was about to do. He'd probably be upset, considering how badly he wanted to be a father and how excited he had been when she revealed she was pregnant with Prince.

Just another reason for him to hate me.

She wished she hadn't been so afraid of Michael's drug use. She wished she could go back to the day he met the Chandlers and convinced him that they could've stayed in that day, that he didn't need to do anything nice for her before his tour had started.

It's all my fault. 

An older, black man entered the room and Mariah assumed he was her doctor.

"Hello, Mrs. Mottola. I'm Dr. Freeman and I'm just going to ask a few questions before we proceed, is that alright with you?"

Mariah nodded. "Yes sir."

He took a seat behind the desk. "So first I want you to know that this is a major decision that you're making. It's not reversible, once your dilated that's it."