For a moment, time stood still as Melanie tried to process not only what Karen said but the life-changing implications. “Oh, honey… I don’t even know what to say.”
Karen pulled her hands away from Melanie’s and wiped her tears before leaning over and snagging a tissue from the box on the coffee table. Blowing her nose, she nodded. “Everything has changed, Melanie. My life, career, plans, relationship with my parents, where I’m going to live—”
“Wait…what about your relationship with your parents and where you’re going to live?”
Melanie and Karen had been friends since middle school. Karen’s parents were ultra-conservative, never letting her wear pants or makeup while in high school. They’d decreed that her long hair should always be worn in a braid down her back instead of in the latest style. When they’d met, Karen was bullied by some mean twelve-year-olds in their class, and Melanie wasn’t about to let it happen. She’d stood up for Karen, going so far as to punch one of the mean girls in the arm after school one day. She’d immediately gone home and told her parents what she’d done. Her mother’s response? “Well, while I don’t condone violence… it serves her right!”
That was how they first became friends. From that moment on, Melanie declared Karen to be her bestie. Melanie’s parents had given Karen a fun place to hang out that was so different than her home, and Karen had often declared that she liked Melanie’s mom and dad more than her own.
Even though Karen was now in her midtwenties and had her own life, Melanie knew she’d struggled to deal with her parents still passing judgment on most of her life choices. But surely, they would accept the situation once they became used to the idea of a grandchild. And since Karen now had her own apartment, Melanie couldn’t understand why she’d need to change housing.
Karen sucked in a deep breath and wiped her eyes again. “I just found out a few days ago, and knowing that I’m going to have the baby, I told my parents yesterday.” Her shoulders slumped. “I knew they wouldn’t be happy, but I didn’t expect them to disown me.”
Gut punched, Melanie found it hard to catch her breath. “No fucking way!”
Nodding slowly, Karen said, “In their words, I was a complete disappointment. I was a fallen woman. I was a woman who needed to repent and couldn’t do so with a child out of wedlock. Then they told me not to come back because, as far as they were concerned, they didn’t have a daughter.”
Furious beyond all belief, Melanie jumped to her feet and stomped around the room, fuming. “Your parents have made me crazy for the past fifteen years! I can’t believe they’ve done this. Those words surpass even the cruelest things they’ve ever said!” Turning, she hastened to the sofa again and plopped down, pulling Karen’s hands back into her grasp. “But don’t worry. As soon as they cool off, they’ll come around.”
Karen lifted a brow, her expression showing her incredulity. “Really? Come on, Melanie. Do you really think that?”
Melanie opened her mouth, then snapped it closed. Her shoulders rounded as they drooped, and she shook her head.
“And to add insult to injury, I know I’ll have to find a new place to live. My tiny one-bedroom apartment won’t be big enough for a baby. Plus, with an upstairs and a downstairs neighbor, they’ll complain about the noise.”
“Then move in here with me!”
Karen startled, her nose crinkling. “Melanie, you didn’t even take a moment to think about that offer!”
“What’s there to think about? We’ve been best friends since we were twelve years old. My townhouse has two bedrooms, and even though it’s not very big, there’s no one above us or below us. And I can help out with the baby when it comes.”
Karen burst into tears, flinging her arms around Melanie. The two women hugged, not speaking for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. As Melanie slowly continued to digest the information and changes in Karen’s life, she leaned back and held her friend’s gaze. “What about the father? Have you had a chance to tell him?”
“No. And I’m not going to.”
Now it was her turn to blink, her incredulity showing. “What? Karen, you have to tell him! It’s his child, too!”
“I know, I know. But think about it, Melanie. We were just a one-night stand. And let me emphasize that…ONE. NIGHT. Neither of us wanted more.”
“I understand, but things have changed. Your life is now going to alter completely. And even if he originally only wanted one night, he needs to be informed about the baby.”
“Not now, Melanie. Right now, I’m only a month along. I’m not about to tell him until I’m farther along and am sure that I’m able to carry the baby full-term. Plus, I don’t want to be one of those girls.”
“What are you talking about? What kind of girl?”
“I wasn’t trying to trap him, but you know there are women out there who might do that.”
“It has nothing to do with whether he thinks you’re trying to trap him. The bottom line is you’re pregnant with his child, and he deserves to know. And you deserve to have the help. Financially at the very least.”
“I just don’t want to deal with him right now. Later? Maybe, I’ll see. As far as money goes, I make enough that I can share rent here with you and have plenty left over to take care of the baby’s needs. I have health insurance through my job. And I’ve already checked, and there is maternity leave. But beyond that, I don’t know, Melanie. I’ve only known about the baby for a couple of days, so I’m still wrapping my mind around everything. But I hope that no matter what, you’ll hang with me.”
Throwing her arms around Karen again, Melanie pulled her in tight. “Oh, honey, I’m going to hang with you. We’ve got this. You and me. Screw your parents. Screw the people in your apartment building who would complain about a precious baby’s noise. And screw anyone who doesn’t understand your decisions. I’ll stick with you, and we’ll do this together.”
“Well, we’ve got some time to figure everything out.”
“When are you due?”
“I haven’t been to the doctor yet, but I should have the baby in early spring. I can do three months of maternity leave and then will find a daycare starting at the beginning of next summer.”
“That’s perfect! My summer break from teaching starts at about that time. So I have over two months to take care of the baby when you go back to work! Then you won’t have to have daycare until it’s almost five or six months old.”
A small light was now visible in Karen’s eyes, and Melanie smiled. With tears still sliding down her best friend’s face, Melanie pulled her closer into her embrace, hoping to give her strength. God knows they would need it. Then thinking about the little baby Karen would have, Melanie smiled. Yeah, we’ve got this.
But she was still going to talk Karen into telling the baby’s father. Regardless of what happened, it wasn’t fair for his life to continue in blissful ignorance while Karen’s changed completely.
3