Just Have Faith

December, 1993

"Ma... I don't know what to do. He wants nothing to do with me. He just kept saying she's not his"

A teary eyed 18 year old Anna, sobbed in her mothers arms.

"I'm eighteen.. ma I'm not ready.." She spoke as her mind raced, recalling how she got to this point.

All it took was one summer full of what seemed like two Harlem teenagers falling in love for a young Anna, fresh out of high school, to find herself sitting in a doctors office receiving what one may think was wonderful news. It's a girl.

"Anna look at me, you gone get through this. We gone get through this." Her mom spoke trying to reassure her daughter that this wasn't the end of the road. "Just have Faith Anna, you gone be alright baby." She cooed while rubbing her sobbing teenage daughters back.

May, 1994

"Ok Anna, i need you too push"

Anna pushed desperately for her daughter to arrive.

"One more baby one more, almost there"

With tears falling from the brim of her tightly shut eyes she gave the last push everything in her, squeezing her mothers hand hard as she could. Attempting to keep her eyes open she could see the nurses and doctors in the room frantically looking around.

"What happened mommy, what's going on.. where is she? Where's my baby" Anna cried, reaching out her arms in desperate need to hold her child. She never heard the sound of crying.

"Shhh, hold on mommy will find out okay. Just have faith" Her mom said as she moved towards the doctors.

After what seemed like ages, she could hear the faint cries from a baby. Her baby. Her mother kissed her head as she sobbed. She did it. She managed to bring a healthy baby girl into the world. As the nurse passed her the child, she stared down. It had seemed the whole world stopped. A beautiful baby girl.

"Do you have a name" the nurse asked.

Anna looked down as she recalled all the times her mom told her during these long 9 months "just have faith", she smiled.

"Faith"