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“Great. You slept for ten hours, and that’s not including the two naps you took here yesterday. I like to keep my home available for the needs of any of my clients. I know you’re not a paying client, but—”
“Please, Flora, let me pay you.”
“Sadie, you’re going to have a baby. I can see it in your eyes. Sure, I know a lot. I’m sure things will go well, but I’ve been wrong. And I will say if Freddy isn’t about the life you require for the baby, then you’ll need to keep your money.”
She has a point, even if it is twenty dollars. The way things are looking, if Freddy rejects me, I may have to pay Flora to stay with her for a while. I quickly let go of this thought because I knew her intuition was so sharp that she could probably follow my thoughts.
Flora takes a seat across from me. She blesses the food, and halfway through, my head swells as I see my mother’s car pull up to the blue shack.
My heart races as Flora rises. She gives me a gentle smile, followed by a shrug.
“I didn’t see this coming. Sorry, I was so engrossed in making your meal that I didn’t extend my energies.”
I don’t know what that means, but I see my mother slamming her front door and heading to Flora’s screen door. Of course, Linda told her. I’m grateful Dad isn’t with her. He’s got to be at the store.
I place my fork down and get up from the table. Mom’s eyes soften once she sees me behind the screen door. Urgently, she waves at me to come out as if I have to sneak out.
“Sadie!” She pulls my hand and tries to direct me to the car, but I press my feet into the dirt road.
She glances down and realizes I don’t have my shoes on. She then notices me wearing one of my oversized sleeping tees and cotton sleep shorts.
“Sadie? What the hell is going on? Huh? Speak to me?”
“Linda told you?”
“No. Emily did.”
“Oh, fuck. That’s because Linda told her.”
“You think you’re better off here than at home?”
“Didn’t I disgrace you guys?” I fold my arms and press them against my chest.
“It’s complicated and messy, and am I mad? Hell yes, I am. But your father and I both are more mad at Freddy than you because he took advan—”
“No! No. We aren’t going to do that. I kissed him first, Mom. I came on to him. It’s a long story, and I’m sure you don’t want the details, but if you guys are furious at Freddy, you should be furious at me too.”
Mom clears her throat. Her wrinkled blue summer overalls show me she was on the prowl looking for me. My mother never leaves the house dressed sloppily. She’s not a well-put-together woman like Angela, but Mom despises wrinkled clothing.
“This is crazy, Sadie. Freddy is a great-looking guy, but he’s like an—”
“Uncle? Please, Mom, I hardly knew Freddy growing up. He was always a name I heard from Dad, and once in a blue moon, I might’ve seen him on the front porch or something. But not like now.”
Little does Mom know.
“Well, I have a confession.” Mom states. I don’t think my body or mind is ready to receive any other news. All I want to do is tell Freddy what’s brewing inside me.
“What?”
Mom pulls out a rag from her back pocket. Something inside is long enough to be a spoon, maybe. She opens it up, and there it is…my positive pregnancy test. Fuck! Yup, the one I took here at Flora’s, and for some fucking reason, I wanted to keep it. And I thought I had it in my bag to show Freddy.
It’s like I have sudden heartburn. My toes are sweaty, and I have to sit on one of Flora’s old brass rocking chairs.
“It was on your bed.”
Yup, that’s not like me at all. It must’ve slipped out when I hurried to hop in Linda’s car.
“Sadie, I love you. You’re my first baby girl, and…I know you so well that anything I may say right now, you will either take it or not. You’re stubborn, and you’ve always been persistent about what youthinkis right. Now—”
