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"Believe me, young lady," the lawyer said, "there are dozens of wonderful people who would love and adore your baby. "
"Thats the point," Lauren said so quietly that everyone leaned forward to hear her. "Its my baby. " She turned to David. "Our baby. "
He didnt move, didnt look away. To someone who didnt know him, he might have appeared unaffected. But to Lauren, whod loved him so long, everything in his eyes changed. His face seemed to crumple into disappointment.
"Okay," he said, as if shed asked a question. She knew then--as shed known before--that hed stand by her, back up her choices.
But he didnt want this. To him it wasnt a baby, it was an accident. A mistake. If it were up to him, theyd sign a few papers, hand over the baby, and move on.
If she didnt make that choice, shed ruin his life as much as her own. Maybe the childs, too.
She drew in a heavy breath, exhaled it slowly. She should break up with David. If she loved him enough, shed set him free from all of this.
The thought of that, of losing him, paralyzed her with fear.
She looked around the room, saw everyones expectation, and she was beaten.
"Ill think about it," she said.
The suddenness of Davids smile broke her heart.
"ALL RIGHT," ANGIE SAID, COMING INTO THE LIVING room. "Do you hear the timer on the stove?"
"Its beeping," Lauren said, pulling her knees up to her chest. She was sitting on the floor in front of the fire.
"Yes, it is, and do you know why?"
"Dinner is ready?"
Angie rolled her eyes. "I realize Im not the best chef in the world, but even I dont take my dinner out of the oven at eleven in the morning. "
"Oh. Right. " Lauren stared down at her hands. Shed chewed her nails down to the quick.
Angie knelt down in front of her. "Youve been moping around this house for too long. I brought home your favorite pizza last week when you graduated and you hardly touched it. Last night you went to bed at seven oclock. Ive been patient, waiting for you to talk to me, but--"
"Ill go clean my room. " She started to get up.
Angie stopped her with a touch. "Honey. Your room couldnt be any cleaner. Thats all youve been doing in the last few days. Working and cleaning your room and sleeping. Whats going on?"
"I cant talk about it. "
"So its the baby. "
Lauren heard the tiny crack in Angies voice when she said baby. "I dont want to talk to you about it. "
Angie sighed. "I know. And I know why. But Im not that fragile anymore. "
"Your sisters say you are. "
"My sisters talk too much. "
Lauren looked at her. The understanding in Angies eyes was her undoing. "How did you handle it? Losing Sophia, I mean. "
Angie sat back on her heels. "Wow. No one ever asks me that head-on. "
"Im sorry. I shouldnt have--"
"No. Were friends. We can talk about our lives. "
