Love Is

Come Here, Please

As the week passed by, Evan was still not really speaking to Jessica. What hurt Jessica more, was that Evan stopped talking to the baby and touching her belly.

Jessica tried in vain to get Evan to open up about what was wrong. Jessica even reached out to Phil and he promised he would try to get Evan to tell him what was wrong.

It was a Friday afternoon, and everyone was at work at the bookstore. Evan was spending the day with his father.

Jessica was managing the cash register while Emma was in the back going through inventory and Sara was walking around incase any costumers needed any help.

Some time later, a customer flags Sarah down and asked for a certain book.

"I'm not sure we have that one, but, let me check the back just in case." Sarah said. "Give me a few minutes."

The customer nodded and continued to look through the books while they waited.

Sarah walks to the back and looks in an area she knew where hard to find books were kept.

Sarah looked and found one last copy they had. She takes it into her hands then was about to leave when she heard Emma sniffling.

Sarah goes over to where Emma was at and see's that she's crying.

Emma was in a corner of the room; she wore a purple long sleeve turtle neck, and she wore sunglasses over eyes. She was sitting on the floor with her arms wrapped around her legs.

Sarah and Jessica had wondered when Emma arrived for work why she wore sunglasses inside and why she had asked to be in charge of taking inventory.

They had asked her if she was okay but all Emma said was, "I'm fine."

Now Sarah was really concerned. She quickly went back to the customer to give them the book so they wouldn't be kept waiting.

After, Sarah rushed back to Emma and said. "Emma? What's wrong?"

Sarah sat beside her as Emma looked up.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Emma said unconvincingly.
"Emma, sweetie. I know there's something going on." Sarah said gently. "We're friends, remember? You can tell me anything."

Emma looked into Sarah's eyes and saw so much concern. Emma sighed then she took off her glasses.

Sarah gasped as she saw that Emma had a black eye.

"Oh Emma! Who did this to you?" Sarah asked.

Emma cried as she told Sarah everything that had transpired the night before.

"My...my boyfriend...he beats me." Emma said. "Well...he's my ex boyfriend now. I...I found out that I'm pregnant. I'm one month along and yesterday, I told him. He got angry and he said that, why wasn't I on the pill? He blamed me for getting pregnant. He started to hit me and he was...he was trying to kick me in my stomach but I managed to protect it. He told me that he didn't want anything to do with this baby. He also told me to get my shit and go. I...I got my things out of the apartment and now...I guess I'll just live from out of my car now. Until I can find somewhere to go."

Sarah didn't say anything. She just gently hugged Emma and Emma hugged her back. Emma buried her face in Sarah's chest and sobbed her heart out.

Emma felt safe in Sarah's arms. Sarah was like a motherly figure to her and she was glad she had someone like Sarah in her life.

"I don't know what to do, Sarah!" Emma cried. "I don't want to get an abortion, but I don't this baby either. I can't raise a baby on my own."
"Shhhhh..." Sarah said. "For now, lets not think about it. What I want you to do, is calm down. I then want you to relax here in the back. After we leave here, you are driving to my house and you will stay there until you get back on your feet. For however long that may be."