Rae knocked on the door to Lily's room. Spot had disappeared five months ago and she had been exhausting her connections trying to find him. She talked to Sippi who said he had seen Spot the last night he was here. Her cousin had been extremely drunk and had gone up to Lily's room that night. It hadn't taken much for her to put together the events of that night.
"Come in," Lily called sleepily.
Rae opened the door and walked in. "Are you alright honey?"
Lily yawned. "I've been so sleepy the last month or so."
Rae sat on the bed beside her. "I think we need to let out your clothes. You've been putting on some weight, little missy."
Lily stood and walked over to the mirror, looking at her reflection. "My skirts are a little snug…"
Rae's eyes narrowed as she stared at the younger girl's waistline.
Lily bit her lip and turned. "You know how you said that I would bleed a little every month…"
"Yes…"
"I haven't…"
Rae stood. "For how long?"
"Not since that first time…before Spot left…"
"Lily honey, you crawl back into bed and rest. I'm going to get Dr. Trent to come and take a look at you."
----------
Rae was leaning against the wall when Dr. Trent left Lily's room. "Was I right?" she asked.
He sighed and nodded. "The poor little thing is pregnant, Rae."
"Does she know?"
"No. I didn't tell her."
"Why ever not?"
"I felt it would be better coming from you or Gran."
Rae sighed. "Trent…Spot is the father…"
He nodded. "I know."
"He disappeared about five months ago and we haven't seen or heard from him since…"
"You just worry about Lily…she's awful young to be having a child."
"She's still a child herself," Rae muttered.
"Rae…" She looked at him. "I need you to take care of her. Can I trust you to do that?"
Rae sighed and nodded. "Under protest."
Once Trent left Rae slipped into Lily's room. The girl was laying on her side staring at the dresser. Rae sat on the edge of the bed next to her.
"What did Trent say, Rae?"
Rae sighed. "That you'll be fine...in about four months..."
"Why four months?"
"Well..." Rae looked across the room, "…when a woman misses her monthly...it usually means that she's gonna have a baby..."
"Where do babies come from?" Lily asked slightly embarrassed at her lack of knowledge
"Well..." Rae paused, unsure what exactly to say to her. "Sometimes when a man and a woman sleep together...something happens...and that creates a baby..."
"But I didn't want to..." she wiped away a tear. "It happened so fast...I was so scared…"
Rae pulled the girl into her arms. "You didn't do anything wrong, Lily..."
"He didn't ask Rae...he just came in and locked the door..."
Rae stroked Lily's hair. "Sippi saw him that night...he was drunk, honey."
"So now I'm gonna have a baby?"
Rae placed her hand on the slight bulge at Lily's waistline. "Your little baby is growing right here."
"Do I have to have a baby?"
"There's nothing you can do, sweetie. In about four months, you're gonna be a mother."
Lily collapsed against Rae, sobbing. "I can't be a mother, Rae…I'm just a little girl who needs a mother."
