My parents avoided me after I had announced my pregnancy, while I was trying to do everything that Karen told me to. I went to bed earlier, ate healthier, and tried not to do anything particularly stupid. I sat at the kitchen table with Angela, eating vegetables silently. Karen came in with two glasses of milk, setting one in front of each of us. I looked at the two empty chairs, and sighed heavily. I glanced at Karen and saw that she was staring right at me. I looked back down at my dinner, depressed that my family wasn't there...not even to support me through this pregnancy.
Angela grabbed my hand and I looked into her icy blue eyes. "You okay?" she asked, concerned. I nodded my head, slipping my hand from hers. Angela had been there for me since before I found out about my pregnancy and that meant a lot, but I just couldn't find the ability to get up in the morning. Karen had to come into my room, draw the curtains, and swipe my blankets off of me. I'd sit up, glare at her, and she'd make me get up at eight o'clock. I thought back to that morning, when I woke up early and went downstairs, to find my mother and father packed up, heading out the door.
"Dad!" I called. He looked up to see me, his eyes sad. I hurried over to them. "Where are you guys going?" He looked to my mother, who swallowed hard.
"We are going on a little trip," she answered. I smiled, thinking that my parents were ready to be there for me, but I was wrong.
"Well, let me go gather some things and we can head out," I said as I started to walk away, but my mother's voice beckoned me back.
"Lindsay, we aren't going to be taking you." I spun around, my heart aching.
"But why?" She sighed heavily.
"You are pregnant, Lindsay. You can't get on a plane until after you have your baby," she explained. My heart fell.
"But why can't we just drive there?" She shook her head and my father watched us talking, and my heart was breaking.
"Lindsay, we can't! We are going to Romania for the rest of the summer, and maybe some of the school year. You can't come either way. Now for the love of all things good and holy go back upstairs to bed." I looked to my father one last time and I turned storming back upstairs to my room. I slammed the door, making Angela jump in my bed. She stared at me and I got into my bed, the tears soaking my pillowcase. Angela sighed heavily, scooted closer to me, and rested her arm over my shaking form. She fell asleep while I stayed awake, watching the sun light up my room.
I sat up and walked downstairs, scared of the silence that I knew would be there. The memories were fresh as I got up and walked towards the front door, not wanting to finish my dinner. Karen called after me, but I ignored her, continuing to storm off into the night. I kept walking, tears starting to form in my eyes as people drove by flipping me off and mouthing unkind words. I wiped them away and kept walking towards the park, where me and my friends used to hang out during the summer. I sat at a bench and held my face in my hands, sniffling into them.
I could hear the cars drive by behind me, and I looked up when I heard a cry. I saw that a little girl had fallen off of the swing, and she was bawling. I got up and ran over to her. I reached down to her and helped her up. Her knee was bleeding and she continued to cry. I knelt down in front of her and took her hands in mine. "Where's your mommy, honey?" I said sweetly. She tried to talk through the sobbing, and I held her closely to me, hushing her. "I just want to make sure that you get your knee cleaned up, honey."
She pointed to a house across the street. "She's in there," she said through cries. I nodded my head and picked her up in my arms, carrying her to the house. I knocked on the door and a woman with bouncy blonde hair opened the door.
"Hi, is this your daughter?" I asked as I looked over to the bluddering little girl in my arms, who was resting her head on my shoulder. The woman saw her knee and gasped, throwing the screen door open.
"Amelia!" she shouted, snatching the girl from my arms. She rubbed her head. "What happened to your knee, sweetie?" She kissed Amelia's head several times and wiped at her tears.
"I fell off the swing, Mommy," she replied. I crossed my arms and stared at the ground. The woman backed up into the doorway, turning her back to me as she closed the door. I sighed heavily as I could hear the woman calming her daughter down. I walked off of the porch and proceeded to walk home, not catching any cars with people flipping me off or mouthing curse words at me. I quietly walked into the house, and Angela came flying in, throwing her arms around me.
"My mom was so worried! She took off after you after you left! Where did you go? Are you hurt?" She asked hurriedly. I shook my head.
"I'm fine...and I just walked down to the park to clear my head. Just call your mom and tell her that I'm getting into the bath right now," I replied calmly as I walked up the stairs, leaving a dumbfounded Angela in my wake. I locked the door behind me and turned the water to hot. The steam danced over the little body of water and I stepped in slowly. As I sat down, the water rose, warming my neck and the bottom of my ears. I closed my eyes, letting my body slowly relax.
