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“I know you can but let me serve you. You still look tired. Go get comfortable and I will bring it to you. Please, don’t upset me. Let me take care of you.”
Elizabeth knew when she would not be able to win an argument, so she went into the sunroom, sat on the couch, and put her feet under her.
Through the window, she could see two cardinals at the bird feeder in the backyard. She watched them and drank her coffee while she waited for her mom to bring her breakfast. She did notice that she was not feeling sick this morning. That was a good sign, wasn’t it?Maybe it was more dehydration and having low iron than actual morning sickness.
A little while later, Mrs. Parks entered the sunroom with a bagel loaded with cream cheese, and banana on a plate. She placed it on the table in front of Elizabeth, sat on the other end of the couch and watched as her only child picked at her bagel.
Mrs. Parks became concerned, and worry clouded her eyes as she watched her daughter eat, or rather pick at her food.
“I know there is something going on, Elizabeth,” started Mrs. Parks getting right to the point. “Your sickness, and your fainting. A mother knows when there is something wrong with their child. Your dad and I have been talking and want to know something.” She paused here waiting for Elizabeth to look up.
Once she had Elizabeth’s eyes on her own, she continued. “Honey, are you pregnant?”
Elizabeth stopped chewing and froze. She moved her eyes back to her plate as they filled with tears. Finally, when they could no longer hold the moisture building up, the dam was released, and tears overflowed down her cheeks.
Elizabeth, not being able to hold in her sobs any longer, put down her bagel, laid her hands on her face and let it all out.
“Mom, I am so sorry!”
“Oh, honey.” Mrs. Parks closed the gap between her and her daughter. She wrapped Elizabeth in a strong, reassuring hug and rested her head on top of her daughters.
“Shh, Shh. It is alright. I’ve got you.” Mrs. Parks rocked her daughter back and forth as she held her in her arms.
Elizabeth continued apologizing between sobs. After what seemed like forever, her tears started to dry up. She broke away from her mother and reached for her napkin so she could mop up her tears and wipe her nose.
Mrs. Parks gave her daughter time to compose herself, then reaching over, she gently placed her hands on either side of Elizabeth’s head and looked her daughter squarely in the eye.
“So, now that that is finished, I want you to know that your father and I are disappointed, yes, but we love you most of all and want you to know we are here for you, and we want to help you.”
Mrs. Parks rubbed her thumbs under Elizabeth’s eyes, mopping up the stray tears that fell as she talked.
Elizabeth raised her hand and grasped her mom’s. “I know, Mom. I have been giving it a lot of thought.”
She passed the pamphlets that she had tucked in her pockets quickly to her mom before she lost her nerve. “This is the route I need to take. I went to the Crisis Pregnancy Center in town and talked to the lady there. Her name is Deloris Green. Mrs. Green tried to talk me into choosing a different path, but I am so young, and just don’t think that will be possible. I am sorry. I know you and Dad don’t support abortions, but I am just not ready to be a mother.”
Her mother turned the pamphlets over in her hand, reading the front and back. Mrs. Parks closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and looked up at her daughter. She saw fear, confusion, and doubt in those hazel eyes she loved so much.
“How about this? Let’s go to the Crisis Pregnancy Center together and talk with Mrs. Green; she seems like she is a good lady and is very willing to help. We can figure this out together. What do you think?”
Seeing that her daughter did not look ready to respond, Mrs. Parks added, “Please. We can talk and really look at the other options, keeping the baby, or even adoption.”
Seeing the look of doubt and fear still in her daughter’s eyes, she added. “Let’s first look at what all is available. Like I said, your dad and I want to help you and support you. You aren’t on your own. But if you are still against going through with your pregnancy, we will support your decision to have an abortion.”
Elizabeth appreciated the fact that her mom was willing to see her side, so she knew it was the responsible and mature thing to see this through.
“Okay. I love you guys. I’ll do this for you. I will really look at other options.” Elizabeth agreed with her mom, and leaned in to give her a big, thankful hug.
“If you want, I can call her and see if she is available today.” Elizabeth’s mom smiled and nodded, so Elizabeth grabbed her phone and called the pregnancy center. After a brief discussion with Mrs. Green, they decided on a time. Elizabeth thanked her, said she would see her at one o’clock, and hung up the phone.
“Thank you, Sweetheart!” Elizabeth’s mom said as she brushed her hand across her daughter’s face. “Finish eating and take a shower. I have some housework to finish then we will leave around 12:30.” She smiled and got up from the couch to let Elizabeth finish her breakfast and get cleaned up.
Elizabeth watched her mother leave, took a deep, shaky breath, and looked down at her bagel. She leaned back and finished eating while deep in thought.
Outside the sun was shining and those cardinals were still flying around and hanging out at the feeder. It was a male and female. The male was bright red, and the female was brown with red undertones, and a red beak. Remembering a documentary she watched one day on birds; she thought about the facts she learned from the documentary. One fact stuck in her mind: Cardinals mate for life.
How awesome it would be to know you would be with someone forever,thought Elizabeth.If those cardinals only knew how lucky they were.
Elizabeth finished eating and went upstairs to take her shower and get ready for her appointment at the Crisis Pregnancy Center.
