a/n: i must thank EVERYONE that has been reviewin this story so far! thank you soooo much! i love you all! u r all the greatest! and I hope you enjoy this chapter! r/r!

Chapter 04

It was Wednesday morning and Lizzie was getting ready for her day, blow-drying her hair, while Miranda searched though the wanted ads in the Hillridge Herald. Several ads were circled, jobs that she was hoping to look into. Amelia was in front of the television, entranced by the big yellow bird called Big Bird on Sesame Street.

"Miranda, I know I never asked you before, but…"

"But, what?"

"How did you tell your parents? Um, about your pregnancy…how did they take it?" Lizzie asked as she turned off her blow-dryer and setting it aside on her vanity.

"Well…" Miranda sighed. "I think I knew I was pregnant even before some test could tell me so. I told my aunt, 'cause she is really understanding and had kids very young herself, and she took me to Planned Parenthood--where she works--and they gave me a test. And, of course, I was pregnant. I didn't know how on earth I was going to tell my parents. Their oldest daughter, pregnant? I knew they were going to be disappointed in me, but I couldn't keep it from them. So, I wrote them each a letter. There was a lot of crying…especially from my father. I had never seen my father cry, until that night." She started to shake her head. "He cried, I cried, and, well, my mom yelled. She wanted me to get an abortion because she said that having a baby would ruin my future and that young mothers never make it. My father, he was disappointed, but it seemed like he was happy to become a grandfather."

Lizzie asked, "why didn't you just get the abortion?"

Miranda looked at her best friend puzzled. "An abortion? Lizzie, look at her," she said pointing to Amelia. "Look at her! How could I have aborted something so precious as her…my daughter?"

"It's no big deal," the blonde stated. "I had one a few months ago…"

"What?"

"Yeah. Gordo was away at some school thing, and I found out I was pregnant. I couldn't tell him, because…well…things were going so well for him. I didn't tell anyone, and haven't told anyone--but you. I took some of the money from my savings account and got it done. And, I think it was the best for everyone."

"I can't believe you never told me…" Miranda told her in awe. She was surprised at what her best friend just told her. Never in her life did she expect for her to say those words. "I got one." Who would have ever thought that Lizzie would get pregnant…and then have an abortion? It just didn't seem to fit.

"Hey, you never told me about Amelia!" Lizzie exclaimed.

"I guess we all have our secrets."

Miranda went back to her newspaper, continuing to circle prospective jobs, and Lizzie went on to sweep her hair back in a ponytail. It was still very early in the morning, but each was in a hurry to get on with their individual day.

"So, um, what's up with your day today?" Lizzie asked.

Miranda raised the newspaper in her hands and said, "job hunting. Hopefully I could find a job and start making some money before I go and find a place for me and Amelia. I can't stay here forever."

"That's cool. What jobs are available?"

"Um…a couple of waitress positions…secretarial work…um, salespersons at the mall…and this maid position at some hotel," Miranda sighed. "Not much to pick from, but hopefully I could get something…anything really."

"Well, I'm off to the gynecologist with my mom today. I'm finally going on the pill."

"W-wait, I was hoping you could watch Amelia today while I went job hunting. Lizzie?!"

Lizzie responded, "Miranda!? I can't stay, I'm sorry! Have my dad or Matt or someone else watch her."

"Um, if you remember correctly your dad is at work and Matt has summer school…I don't have anyone to watch her. I was hoping that you would be there. I can't walk around with her at interviews!"

Lizzie shook her head furiously. "I need to go today. I don't want to end up screwing up my life by having some…"

Miranda finished her sentence. "Some kid, huh? That's what you were going to say, right? You don't want to end up screwing up your life, like me…"

"Miranda--"

"No, no. No! I understand," Miranda told her best friend. "Okay, so maybe I did get pregnant pretty young, but I did not screw my life up. At least I don't run away from my mistakes, like some people. Amelia is the biggest blessing that I have received in my life."

"Look, I--"

"Save it Lizzie. I don't care anymore," Miranda declared as she grabbed her purse and Amelia off the floor, then walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

* * *

Job hunting become very stressful. Miranda's job search that morning was unsuccessful. Every job interview she walked into declined her offer to work for them as soon as they saw Amelia in her arms. It became very frustrating and discouraging to get turned down for every job that had applied to, especially when she really needed the money.

Resting on the couch, Miranda noticed the Hillridge Herald lying on the coffee table. She noticed the last job she had not gone to apply to because it was all the way in Sacramento, two bus rides away. It had seemed too far before, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she really did need the money and could not lose the opportunity. Despite the fact that she would have to bring Amelia along, she was not going to let the chance pass her by. Plus, she had other plans for herself as well.

"Come on baby, mamá has one last shot at making some money," Miranda told her daughter as they headed out the door.

After two very long bus rides that concluded to be about two hours in total, and about ¾ a mile walk, Miranda finally arrived at the Red Lion Hotel-Sacramento where she was to have her interview. It was immense in size, and she was in awe of it's beauty. It was very intimidating to be in such a beautiful place when her background was not of such lavishness.

"Um, excuse me, I'm here for a job interview," she told the receptionist at the front desk. He pointed her to a wooden door on the other side of the room. She smiled at him and walked over, knocking before entering. Someone announced, "come in" as she opened the door.

"Welcome, welcome," said a tall, short haired blonde woman in a business suit. "Are you here for a job?" she asked. Miranda nodded. "And who is this little one?" She was referring to Amelia. "Your daughter?"

"Yes, this is my daughter, Amelia. And I'm Miranda. Miranda Sanchez," she said as she extended her hand out to the woman.

"Well Miranda, I am Cindy Clark. I recruit all the workers here at the Red Lion. Why don't you put your daughter down for a bit so we could talk and get better acquainted," Cindy smiled. She pointed to a play pen that she had right behind her desk, with a small little boy of about a year sitting inside. "As you can see, I too have a little one to watch over."

Seeing that the woman who was interviewing her had a child to take care of as well made Miranda feel a lot better about the interview. She knew she could relate to her and would understand the many challenges of raising a child while trying to better your own life at the same time.

"Miranda…I could tell that you are young, and very determined. I see a lot of myself in you. I remember being eighteen, out of school, and trying to find a way to get by," Cindy explained. "I am going to make sure I can do everything I can to help you succeed."

* * *

By the time the interview was over Miranda's face was beaming. She had gotten the job, and she could not be any happier. Even though the job was only to clean rooms, she was glad that she was finally doing something right for herself and her daughter. But now she had one more task that she had to accomplish.

"Welcome to CSU-Sacramento's office of admissions and financial aid, how may I help you?" a young girl greeted her. She was at California State University-Sacramento, hoping to register for some fall classes. Miranda knew that by getting a degree she would not have to clean hotel rooms the rest of her life, and prove to Lizzie that she was not the screw up she thought she was.

"Yes," Miranda smiled. "My name is Miranda Sanchez…I had applied here a couple of weeks ago and was accepted. I was here wondering if I could register for some classes in the fall."

The girl smiled as she typed into the computer. "How do you spell your last name?"

"Sanchez…s-a-n-c-h-e-z."

"Sanchez, Miranda. Found it," the girl told her. "Um, says here you are an international student from Mexico, is that correct?" Miranda nodded. "But, you are paying in-state tuition because you are a California resident. Is that correct?" Miranda once again nodded. "You have a scholarship and three grants…lucky you," laughed the girl. "You don't have to pay a thing." Miranda giggled. "Okay…now, do you have a form filled out with the classes you are hoping to take?"

"Yeah, it's right…" Miranda pulled out a folded paper from her bag and pulled out the piece of paper she had printed from Lizzie's computer back at home. She had found all her classes online. "Here."

"One second…" the girl told her as she typed in each class into the computer to check their availability. "All set. You have Elementary Statistics 114, Introduction to Business 101, English Composition 211, Public Relations 110, and Computer Science 110," the girl told her, handing Miranda the newly printed out schedule. "Oh, you also arranged for your daughter to be at the Child Development Center as well, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I just have some papers that you need to fill out for her and bring them on the first day," the girl told her as she handed her a small stack of papers. "Okay, everything is all set. Good luck. And congratulations at your enrollment at CSU-Sacramento. Have fun!"

* * *

Walking home from the bus stop, Miranda knew that she did not want to go back to Lizzie's house because she knew she would be home by now. She did not want to hear it from her, she had heard enough. She could go without being told that she screwed up her life by having her daughter.

So, instead of heading back home to Lizzie's, she knew a better place to seek refuge at.

"Hey Gordo…" she greeted him as he opened the door.

"Miranda!" He seemed a bit surprised to see her, because it was unexpected, but he knew never to close the door on a friend. "What's going on?" he asked as he let her and his best friend's daughter inside his house.

"Are your parents home?" she asked.

"Um, no…no…they are at some convention or something. I'm not sure," he explained.

"Is Lizzie here?"

"Um, no."

Miranda sighed. "Okay." She then placed a sleeping Amelia on the couch.

"Miranda, is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, no. I just don't feel like going back to Lizzie's right now. We got in this argument because she told me how she was going on the pill because she didn't want to screw her life up…like I did."

"Wait…wait. She said that you ended up screwing up your life?" he asked, puzzled.

Miranda sat down next to her daughter and explained. "She basically said that she didn't want to end up 'screwing up her life by having some kid.' It's like she was saying I screwed my life over because I had Amelia! Can you believe that?!"

"Miranda, calm down. I'm sure she didn't mean that. 'Cause look at you! You're a great mother. The way you care for that little girl…" Gordo said to her as her bent down in front of her. "It's amazing."

Miranda chuckled. "She even questioned me as to why I didn't get an abortion. Can you believe that? How could she even ask me that? I could never do that. I mean, just because she got an abortion doesn't mean that--"

"Wait…wait. Miranda, what did you just say?"

"Ay dios mio…look-look, I'm sorry. I wasn't suppose to say anything. Just forget I ever mentioned it…please Gordo," she pleaded. She had let it slip unintentionally, and now, unfortunately, she had to deal with Gordo's reaction.

"No, no, no. I can't believe this…" he said as he got up. "Lizzie got an abortion. And she didn't even tell me! I didn't even know she was pregnant…she was pregnant with my baby and she, kept it from me! How could she? That was our child…"

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up…I wasn't suppose to say anything…"

"I can't believe she kept the fact that we were having a child from me. What type of person does that? I don't know if I could have a relationship with someone like that…"

a/n: hope that 1 was enjoyed ;) r/r