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“He didn’t really get a choice on it since I didn’t know who he was,” Hazel admitted, taking Tess by surprise. There was a side of Hazel she had never expected.
Mia brought her soup and sat down with Hazel. “How was your trip?”
“Good, I got to see everyone.” Tess did not elaborate on who everyone was.
“Well, you missed nothing around here. The town was dead all weekend,” Mia said as she saw someone come in, and she jumped up to talk to them. Mia had more energy than anyone Tess had ever seen.
Hazel watched the waitress walk away, but then her eyes flicked back to Tess. “Why all the questions, Tess?”
“I am pregnant, and I have to decide if I am going to tell the father,” Tess hesitantly replied as she looked around to see if anyone was sitting close by. She didn’t want the entire town to know just yet, or maybe ever.
“Wow,” Hazel said, her eyes wide.
“Hazel, you have been where I am at. Do you have any advice?”
Hazel took a drink from her water glass. “I have never been where you’re at. I was nineteen and in my second year of college, and I couldn’t find the dad if I tried. You are successful and can support a baby without the dad or anyone else.”
“So, no advice then?”
“My advice is that if you want the father at the baby’s graduation or wedding one day, you have to tell him. If it doesn’t matter, then don’t. If you want him to change diapers, that is completely different. And if he says he wants nothing to do with the baby or you, then screw him—that baby is yours. I love my baby, with or without his dad. I wouldn’t trade him for anything,” Hazel said as she watched Mia walk around the café.
“You are right, Hazel.” Tess looked out the window at the semi-busy street.
“Do you like the father?” Hazel asked.
Tess looked back at her and grinned. “Sometimes. We fight all the time.”
“All?”Hazel tried to hide a smile behind her water glass.
“No, not all. But we are definitely not in the ‘we want to have a kid together’ place in our relationship.” Tess sighed.
“Have you tried dating?”
“No.”
“Then go on a date and see if he is someone you want in your life forever. Might be all it takes to figure it out,” Hazel said as Mia came back to sit by them.
“See? You had advice for me after all,” Tess said. She set her glass down on the wooden table and looked up again. “Can we keep this between us, Hazel? At least for a while?”
“What if you decide not to tell him, but he realizes the baby is his?” Hazel asked.
Tess shook her head. “He will never know. I have applied for a job closer to my family. I cannot have the baby here alone.”
“You’re leaving?” Hazel put down her glass in surprise.
“Possibly.”
Mia walked up to the table and sat down, this time by Tess. Once again, the waitress dominated the conversation. She didn’t notice that neither of the women were actually involved in the conversation she was having. Tess glanced at her watch and realized she needed to get back to the bank. Interrupting her friend, explaining that she had to leave, and Mia only barely let her out of the booth.
“Are you going to become a regular?” Mia asked as she followed her to the cash register.
“I do not know.” Tess paid her bill, knowing she wasn’t coming back unless she needed to talk again. Though she didn’t think she would have gotten the advice she had from anyone but Hazel.
Handing back her change, Mia replied, “You’re always welcome, and thanks for sitting with Hazel. She was a little nervous about sending John Henry to the school thing. I wish I had time to talk to you, but a waitress called in sick, so I’m stuck alone.”
“That is fine. Hazel and I had a good talk. She helped me with more than anyone I thought possibly could,” Tess acknowledged as she headed out the door and back to work.
CHAPTER14
