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The wordpregnantwas staring at her.
It was calling out to her, almost threateningly.
She knew that one little word was going to ruin everything.
Her mom was just getting back to normal, settling into a new routine. Claire was applying to colleges, trying to get an opening before the deadline closed. Otherwise, she’d have to get some shitty job in retail. Not that she’d be able to work for long. There was a person growing inside her, getting ready for life.
Claire’s chin wobbled as she thought about it. Vince’s child was growing in her womb. One piece of Vince had stayed with her. It had clung to her for dear life and refused to abandon her, unlike everyone else. There was no choice in her mind—she was going through with this.
Vince had made his position clear. He didn’t want anything to do with her, no matter what.
Claire had to go through with the pregnancy. Even if he still wanted nothing to do with her, she knew that she would have something that was half him. That was more than enough.
As she sat on the bathroom floor, silently sobbing, she knew she wouldn’t be able to do this alone. How could she go to college and raise a child? How could she get her footing in the world when she had someone else who needed her so desperately? There was no way. Claire’s mom wasn’t going to quit her job to stay home and watch the baby, which meant Claire was going to have to do it. That meant no college. No high-paying job. No future besides diapers and struggle.
She knew it would be worth it when that little baby was curled up in her arms, wrapped up tight in blankets, but right now … it didn’t seem worth it. All the heartache, all the struggle, all the worry. She didn’t want to do it alone. She couldn’t.
Panic rushed through her body as she realized it was a real possibility. If she didn’t tell Vince what was happening then she would be faced with doing this alone. She pulled herself off the bathroom floor and slipped the positive pregnancy test into her skirt pocket, shoving it down into the depths so she didn’t drop it for her mother to find.
After a quick glance in the mirror, and a quick wipe of her cheeks, she stepped out of the bathroom and crept through the apartment.
Her mother was still in the kitchen, clattering loudly. Claire looked down the hallway and into the open living and kitchen area. Her mother was standing with her back to Claire, hunched down over the cupboards as she rifled through them. Claire tried not to make a sound as she moved to her bedroom, mindful of the creaky floorboards and whiny hinges on her door.
When she was safely inside, she began to pack, frantically. She grabbed whatever clothes she could and stuffed them, haphazardly, into a backpack. She didn’t care that the bag was lumpy, she didn’t care that her clothes were going to crease. The only thing she could think about was the little thing growing inside her, and how that little thing deserved to know its father.
She had a little money left in her bank account, money that Vince had given her while he was still supporting her, but she didn’t have enough to buy a flight across the country. She knew she’d have to steal her mother’s credit card and hope it wasn’t canceled before she bought her ticket.
Before she left her bedroom, she grabbed her passport from her bedside table and put it into her pocket. Her fingers brushed against the plastic of the pregnancy test, sending cold shivers splintering up her fingers. She tried to ignore it as best as she could as she left her bedroom.
The floor was fighting against her, creaking loudly in all the wrong spots, calling out to Claire’s mom to alert her.
Claire managed to creep into the living room and pry the credit card from her mother’s purse without getting caught. She breathed a sigh of relief as she dropped the card into her pocket.
As she stood there, a couple of feet from her mother, she considered calling out and saying goodbye. Kate would have some questions for her: where she was going and who she was seeing. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to tell a few white lies. Claire remembered the stuffed bag on her back. She would realize her daughter was running away, running back to the man who had dropped her.
“Hey, baby,” Kate said softly. “What you doing?”
Claire turned so quickly she thought she might give herself whiplash.
“Claire?” Kate asked gently. “What is it?”
The panic took over, causing her to freeze. She looked at her mother like a deer in headlights—terrified of what was coming, but too scared to back away from the danger. She could feel the confusion rising, the questions mounting.
“Claire,” Kate said, her voice growing severe and sharp with concern. “Talk to me.”
“I’m going out,” Claire managed, her voice strangled and quiet.
“I can see that. Where are you going?”
Claire glanced around the apartment as she tried to think of something innocent to say.
“Claire,” Kate’s brows furrowed as she stepped toward her daughter. “Where are you going?”
“Out.” She turned on her heels and rushed for the door.
Kate was right behind her, her feet thumping against the floor. “You stop,” Kate shouted. “Stop right now. You can’t leave.”
“I’m eighteen,” Claire said, opening the front door. “I can do whatever I want.”
