Lizzie heard a loud knocking on her front door. It was past midnight. She struggled to get the chain off the door. When she finally opened it, she was surprised to see Marie standing there with tear stained mascara running down her face.
"What's wrong Marie? Is it your brother?" Lizzie didn't know what could cause Marie to cry. She always seemed so put together.
"No I haven't heard from Sean yet. It's me Lizzie, I am what's wrong. Can I come in?" Marie said in a broken voice. She didn't wait for Lizzie to respond and walked by Lizzie straight into the living room. She plopped down on the couch. When she took off her coat Lizzie noticed that Marie was only wearing a satin chemise and her tennis shoes.
"Marie, what is going on? Why are you in your night clothes?" Lizzie tied her robe shut and sat across from Marie. She hoped Frankie didn't feel the commotion.
"Oh Lizzie, I-I just found out that I….I am pregnant, and Ali…." Marie choked on her tears. She was shaking.
"Ali?" Lizzie was stunned, "Pregnant?"
"Ali… Ali asked me to marry him. He-he gave me a ring". Marie buried her face in her hands.
"What? Don't you want to marry him?" Lizzie was confused.
"No, I c-can't get married, ever. I just wanted to have fun. He said he was planning on asking me even if the pregnancy test was negative." Marie could barely talk through her sobs.
"What did you tell him? Where is he?" Lizzie grabbed some tissues off the side table and handed them to Marie.
"He is back at my place. After we took the pregnancy test I was crying, and h-he got down on one knee and had a r-ring. I couldn't say anything. I locked myself in the b-bathroom and told him to leave. He wouldn't leave so I grabbed my sh-shoes and my coat and ran here as fast as I-I could." Marie sniffed. "Oh Lizzie, what am I going to do?"
"Why don't you want to get married? Don't you love Ali?" Lizzie didn't know what to say. Asking questions was easier.
Marie took a deep breath. "I do love him, with all of my heart. Marriage is just not for me. If I married Ali, I would have to keep the baby, and I promised myself I would never be a mum. I can't break that promise Lizzie…I-I can't."
Lizzie hesitated, "Why Marie? You are so good with Frankie, good with kids."
Marie was silent for a moment, than inhaled deeply and stared off into the distance, "I wouldn't know how to be a mother or a wife. My parents died when I was a little girl. Sean and I were forced to live with our Aunt Sally. I was only five years old, Sean was ten. Sean was more of a parent to me than my Aunt was. He made sure I had something to eat, had clothes, that I was safe. Aunt Sally convinced us that if she didn't have us kids around, she would be better off. We were a nuisance. She had plenty of men in and out of the house, but never wanted to 'burden' them with us. She would make us go outside when she had her visitors over, but I could hear everything. All I know how to be is a man's lover". Marie broke down again, her sobs were echoing throughout the small sitting room.
"Oh Marie, but you are smarter than that. Ali is a really good man, and he doesn't look at you as only a lover, but as a woman worthy to be his. I see the love in his eyes when he looks at you." Lizzie was surprised at what she had said. She had given up on romance long ago, yet Marie's fear of commitment made Lizzie realize her own desire for romance.
"Do you really think I am worthy Lizzie? Is it possible to change my lifestyle?" Marie wiped the tears that kept coming.
"Yes! You deserve to be loved! I also think you would learn as you went along and you would find that it suits you to be a wife and mum. Ali would make a wonderful father too." Lizzie was still in shock. She couldn't believe Marie was pregnant.
"Ali is different than all the other men I have known. He is so kind, compassionate, honest, and loyal." Marie smiled as she reminisced. "When we met he made sure we took things slow. I knew then that if I were to ever fall in love, he would be the one to sweep me off of my feet. Well he managed to do that, now look what I've got myself into" Marie laughed slightly.
"I don't think you did it alone Marie," Lizzie tried to lighten the mood, "You have a lot of thinking to do." Lizzie grinned at her confused friend.
"I do need a few days to think about all of this. It's all so sudden. My period was only a few days late. Ali was the one who brought me the pregnancy test. I really thought it would be negative. I am really good about taking my birth control pill. Ali just wanted to be sure". Marie wiped the mascara off of her swollen face.
"Go to Ali. Tell him you need some time. Take a few days off, I will manage the chip shop. Don't worry about anything else but you. I support what ever decision you make," Lizzie stood up, and grabbed Marie's coat. "But I am hoping you will make the right decision". She smiled and handed the coat to Marie.
Marie took the coat, "I can't go to him looking like this". She smoothed her hair down around her face.
"Well, if you marry him he will see you looking much worse, trust me." Lizzie smiled then walked toward the door.
"So, you are making me go then?" Marie stood up.
"Yes, someone has to make sense, might as well be me." Lizzie never made sense before her new life had began. Sheunlatched the door, and opened it.
"Okay then. I will call you in a few days?" Marie put her coat on, and stepped outside and turned around. "You are a good friend Lizzie. Thank you for taking care of things for me at the chip shop. I hope someday I repay the favor".
"You already have done me a favor with Frankie and Sean. Plus I am going to need you and Ali to help me move. I am hoping to find a place in a month or so." Lizzie cringed at the thought of another move. It was necessary to find something permanent though.
"Hopefully you find someplace closer to mine. The walk is hell!" Marie laughed, and walked down the steps from Lizzie's flat.
Lizzie shut and locked the door and walked back to her room. It was nice having a friend. She hadn't had a friend for so long. As she lay in bed she imagined what it would be like to be happily married. She imagined Sean in a tuxedo, and Frankie as the ring bearer. Her mother would give her away. Marie would be her maid of honor. Ali would be the best man. It was a beautiful fantasy. She was brought back to reality when she felt her bed move. She sat up and saw Frankie. She turned on her lamp.
"Can't sleep?" Lizzie asked him.
"I woke up when Marie came, I could feel the door shut" Frankie signed.
"How did you know it was Marie?" Lizzie didn't understand.
"I saw her talking to you from the hallway" Frankie crawled under the blankets with his mum.
"Did you see what she said then?" Lizzie asked.
"Some, but then I went back to bed. After I felt the front door shut again I knew she had left" Frankie motioned to his mother.
"Well, keep it to yourself. It's Marie's business and I am sure she doesn't want anyone else to know about it". Lizzie lay back down and turned away from Frankie and closed her eyes. Soon she felt a tapping on her shoulder.
"I think Marie should marry Ali, he's nice" Frankie signed.
"Well, just forget about it, it's her business Frankie". Lizzie turned around again; she had to get some sleep if she was going to open the chip shop in the morning. She turned off the lamp. She couldn't believe that Frankie seemed to always know everything that was going on around them. Would she ever be able to have any secrets?