Barb Miller kicked the front door shut behind her, yawning. It was nearly midnight, much later than she normally stayed out on a weeknight, but who could say no to poker with Vidalia and Greg? They were hilarious! And the only friends she had who could match her competitive spirit.
"Mom." Barb jumped, looking to the darkened kitchen, where her daughter sat in the shadows.
"Sadie!" She flipped on the lights. "What are you doing up? I thought you had to open…."
"Mom." Sadie's voice cracked on the word. Barb noticed now that her daughter's eyes were red and puffy, she'd been crying.
"What's wrong sweetheart?" She asked softly, walking around the island to hug her daughter.
"I'm in so much trouble, mom." Sadie told her, voice wavering dangerously.
"Sadie? Is it work? Did something happen?" Her daughter was normally calm and level-headed, this was unusual and it scared Barb to the core.
"I'm so sorry. I thought…we weren't reckless." Sadie rambled, staring down at her hands. Barb followed her daughter's gaze down to the piece of plastic in her hands. Sadie turned it so that her mom could see the bright pink plus displayed on it.
"God, Sadie!" Barb took a few steps back in shock.
"We were so careful, we never took risks." Sadie said, as much to herself as her mother. She let out a sudden, broken sob.
"Oh honey." Barb sighed, stepping forward to hold her little girl.
"Mommy, I'm scared." Sadie whimpered.
"It's alright, you're going to be okay." Barb rubbed her back soothingly. She let out a shaky breath before asking the question, "It's his, isn't it?"
"I love him." Sadie sobbed into her mother's shoulder.
"Does he know?"
"No."
"You have to talk to him. As soon as you can." She urged her daughter.
"I…I can't…he'll be so upset…he doesn't…he doesn't…" Sadie cried into her mother's shoulder, practically hysterical.
"He doesn't what baby?" Barb asked gently, smoothing her daughter's blonde locks.
"He doesn't love me."
"Baby…"
"It's true!" Sadie shouted. "He doesn't care about me, he's not going to care about….the baby." Her voice stumbled and caught on the words, the baby. Barb felt her chest tighten, the room spinning a little. Her little girl was pregnant, her nineteen-year old little girl fresh from high school, was pregnant.
"He at least deserves the chance to do the right thing." Barb reasoned. She definitely didn't want Sadie to make the same mistakes she had.
"I can't."
"Baby, you have to." Barb told her. Sadie responded by sobbing even harder. "Sweetie, came on, take a breath. Why don't you lay down?" Sadie nodded in agreement.
Barb put an arm around her daughter's shoulders, gently leading her down the stairs to her bedroom. The teen crawled into bed, hiding her face in the pillow. Barb gently rubbed her back, letting her cry. She knew this feeling, a sensation of fear and dread mingling in your stomach, a tight lump in your chest that wouldn't go away. She'd been there, and she'd prayed that her daughter never would. The universe obviously had other plans.