Chapter 3

I was surprised Carl never told Eddie or Big Dog what we had done. We never repeated the action either. Carl and I didn't want to risk the chance of our passion overriding our logic for using protection. I could ask for birth control, but then my parents would discover I started having sex.

Carl explained our predicament to his mother. She worked as a nurse at a private clinic. Fortunately for us, she volunteered at a free clinic and often brought pregnancy tests home. Carl invited me for dinner on Friday night. He would be picking me up from home at 5 pm and will drive me back after dinner.

When I arrived, Sabrina led me to the washroom. "Here's the test Steph. I have one of those sample cups in the washroom for you to use. Just pee in the cup and dip this test into the sample. Carefully lay the test across the top of the sealed sample cup, and we'll come back in a few minutes to check," she explained.

"How do we know if it's a positive result?" I asked.

"It will turn blue, just like your eyes." She noticed tears forming. "Carl told me when you had your last period. There's a very small chance you're pregnant. If this result is negative, then you aren't pregnant."

"What if it's a false negative? It happened to my sister Valerie."

"I'll give you another test to take with you. Wait for another week before you re-take the test."

"I'm sorry for putting Carl in this position. We got caught up in the moment," I explained.

"It happens to the best of us." She left me alone to take the test. I followed her instructions to the letter. After five minutes, we returned to the bathroom to check the test. Negative. I breathed out in relief.

"I'm not pregnant," I whispered to Carl.

"Thank goodness. If you did happen to get pregnant, I'd be there for you. You wouldn't have to raise a child on your own."

"I know, but I'm not ready to be a mother. We need to be more careful," I reminded him.

It was close to our final exams. I started feeling a bit nauseous during my physics exam. Once I handed my exam to the teacher, I called Dad for a ride home. "Hi, Pumpkin. How was your exam?" he asked.

"It was extremely easy. I'm not feeling well. Can I get a ride home?" I asked.

"Sure. I'll be there in a few minutes." I went to the girl's washroom to pee on the pregnancy test I had in my purse. Without waiting for the results, I wrapped it carefully in the plastic sandwich bag I found in my backpack.

"Thank you, Daddy." I sat on the bleachers until Dad arrived. When he pulled into the parking lot, I walked towards his car. I quickly opened the passenger door to sit beside him.

"What's going on, Pumpkin?" he asked as he recognized the fearful expression on my face.

"I think I made a mistake, Daddy. Can we go somewhere private? I don't think I should tell you while you're driving."

"Sure, Pumpkin. We can go to the lodge or Uncle Joe's house," he offered.

"Ummm... which place has a private room where nobody can 'accidentally' hear our conversation?" I asked.

"The lodge. There's a secure, private, soundproof room in the basement we can use." He directed the car to the lodge. When we arrived at our destination, he parked in the back and led me into the building using a private entry. After ensuring the room was secure, he sat me on the couch as he sat on the coffee table in front of me. "What's going on, Pumpkin?"

"Please don't tell Mom," I begged as I pulled the test from my backpack. His eyes opened wide as he looked at the blue-coloured tip. "I felt sick during my exam, so I took this pregnancy test Carl's mom gave me. The one I took last week was negative. We only had sex that one time. I'm so sorry, Daddy. This blue tip says I'm pregnant." I started crying.

Dad pulled me into an embrace to comfort me. "You can always stay with your Aunt Jean and Uncle Robert Granger," he suggested. "They would love to have you stay with them. I think you'll learn a lot about yourself in their care."

"What do you mean, Daddy?"

"It got brought to my attention that Principal Foster asked for you to attend his school."

"When did you hear about that?" I wondered.

"I overheard your mother complaining to her friend. Mr. Foster attempted multiple times to enrol you into his school. Your mother refused to permit you to attend. If I had not gone away on that three-month mission, I would have permitted you to go."

"Why couldn't I go the next year?" I asked.

"You would have been a year behind other students your own age. I didn't think it would be fair to put you at such a disadvantage. They say hindsight is 20/20. I should have sent you anyways. It would have been better for you to learn at a younger age," he explained with sadness evident in his voice.

"It's alright, Daddy. You couldn't have known. I want to stay with Aunt Jean. It's for the best. Can you arrange for me to leave today?" I asked. Staying in Trenton, New Jersey, was no longer an option for me. It won't take very long for my pregnancy to hit the rumour mill. "Daddy?"

"Yes, Pumpkin?"

"What was the name of that special school?"

"Ilvermorny, located on Mount Greylock in Massachusetts." He held my hand as he placed a call to his sister. "Hi, Jean. Stephanie agreed to visit you this year." "She'll tell you when she arrives. As soon as physically possible." "Yes. I can get her to Newark airport in time." "Thank you, Jean. No, I don't want Helen to know anything." "She'll be arriving with just the clothes on her back. Are you sure? Thank you again, Jean."

I waited while Dad wrapped up his conversation with Aunt Jean. "What should I tell Carl?" I asked.

"I'll tell him you left to visit family overseas. He doesn't need to know the details. Are you coming back after you have the baby?"

"Not likely. I don't think any baby should get raised without their mother. It's my responsibility to take care of this life Carl and I created. There's no reason why his life should get altered by my irresponsibility. I'll have to leave him a 'Dear John' letter. It's the worst possible way to break up with someone, but it's necessary," I sobbed.

Dad waited a few minutes for me to pull myself together. He grabbed a pad of paper and a pen for me to write Carl a letter.

Dearest Carl,

I'm so sorry for what I'm about to do. A once in a lifetime opportunity got presented itself to me today. I'll be leaving to stay with family overseas since I got accepted into a prestigious university. It's an excellent school that would help me achieve all my educational goals. Classes start in a few days, and I need to get settled and acclimatized to the new time zone.

I understand the timing couldn't be worse. Please, let me go. I'll always love you. You will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm letting you go so you can concentrate on your education. Apply to Police Academy with Eddie. I know... you were right. It would be wrong for me to hold you back. Please don't wait for me. I doubt I'll return to Trenton. Take care, Carl.

Please forgive me.

Steph

I carefully folded the letter and sealed it into the envelope Dad gave me. After writing 'Carl Costanza' on the outside of the envelope, I gave it to Dad. "Please wait before giving him this letter. He's going camping with his friends for a few weeks after his last exam tomorrow. I don't want him worrying about me while he's partying with his friends."

"Would he want to see you before he leaves?"

"No. We already said our goodbyes yesterday. Carl has to leave immediately after his exam," I explained.

"We need to leave to catch your flight. It's a good thing I thought to grab your passport before picking you up." He pulled my passport from his pocket and handed it to me. "Jean used my military contacts to apply for an immediate name change when you arrive in Manchester. Your new last name will be Granger."

"Won't Mom be able to figure that out?" I asked.

"She thinks your Aunt is still married to Guillaume LaBouche. They divorced within the first year of marriage. Jean married Robert Granger around five years ago. Living so far away, we felt no reason to inform your mother." I remember hearing Mom complain about not getting along with Jean.

"Jean doesn't like Mom, does she?"

"Not even a little. I completely understand the reasons. However, those reasons don't concern you. It's strictly between your mother and me," he bitterly said. I wondered if Aunt Jean would share her reasons. As if he could read my mind, Dad said, "I've already instructed your Aunt Jean to keep the reasons to herself."

My instincts told me one of the reasons completely concerned me. It likely has to do with my acceptance into Ilvermorny. I've never heard about that school before. I wondered exactly what that prestigious school taught.

We arrived at the airport in time for me to get through security and board my flight. I shared a tearful goodbye with Dad before passing through the security gate. He wished me a safe flight. I promised to call when I arrived in Manchester.

An elderly man got seated beside me on my flight. He noticed my nervousness when the plane ascended. I felt him grab my hand to hold as the plane reached its altitude. Once it levelled off, he asked, "I'm sorry for invading your space. Are you alright, Dear?" he gently asked.

"Yes. I'm better now. Thank you for comforting me. It was my first time on a plane, and I didn't know what to expect."

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Stephanie. I'm moving to Manchester." I gave him an honest answer, feeling I could trust him completely.

"So am I. I accompanied my grandson to New Jersey. He'll board a train to New York in a few hours," he kindly shared.

"What will he be doing in New York?" I asked, enjoying our conversation.

"He'll be attending Columbia Law in September. Nick's internship at Smith and Wilkins starts next Monday. He was nervous travelling over the pond alone. I welcomed the opportunity to visit with my daughter. It's been too long since I last visited."

"Where does she live?"

"Newark. She relocated when her husband renegotiated his Army contract. He's a former Ranger," he quickly added. I wondered why he decided to add that additional piece of information. "I recognized the man who escorted you to the security gate. He was one of Dario's teammates."

"My dad was your son-in-law's teammate? Do you mean in his Army Platoon?" I was unfamiliar with proper Army group classifications.

"His Rangers teammate. They served many missions together. I think their last mission ended around five years ago. I've heard many stories about Frank Plum's heroics. Also, about his beautiful youngest daughter Stephanie," he continued to share.

'Dad is probably very disappointed that I'm only 16 and pregnant. At least I'll be 17 when the baby's born. Mom's right, I'm a huge disappointment to the family,' I thought.

"You aren't a disappointment, and your father is very proud of you. Teenage pregnancy happens to the best of families. My daughter just turned 17 when she gave birth to Lester. Dario and Sophia waited until she received her Teacher's Diploma before getting married. Lester will be 17 in a few weeks. He plans to follow in his father's footsteps."

"I'll be 17 on October 12th. I'm only around five weeks pregnant," I said. I watched as he pulled out a small calendar and counted out the weeks. "What are you doing?" I asked, my curiosity taking over.

"Determining when your baby is due. March 3rd, in case you were curious," he added with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, but we've been talking for the last few hours. I realized you never told me your name."

"I apologize for my lack of etiquette. William Granger," he held out his hand.

I gave his hand a small shake before asking, "Any relation to Robert Granger?"

"You know my son Robert?" he asked. I couldn't stop the laughter from erupting. "Stephanie, Dear? What did you find humorous?"

"I'm actually on my way to live with my Aunt Jean and Uncle Robert Granger. What is the probability that your son Robert is not my uncle? Exactly how common is the surname Granger?" I questioned.

"My son Robert married Jean LaBouche nee Plum five years ago. I would say the probability of him not being your uncle is zero. Welcome to the family, Stephanie," he pulled me into a hug then kissed my forehead. "Do you mind if I escort you to their cottage?"

"It would be my honour." We continued talking until the plane landed at the airport in Manchester.

A driver waited for us to clear the building. "Welcome home, Mr. Granger," he greeted my companion before quickly glancing at me.

"Thank you, Jeffries. My great-niece will be my guest for an undetermined length of time. I expect all staff to treat her appropriately," he informed the driver.

"Yes, sir. Will she be staying at your chalet?" he asked, wondering if he was required to make an extra stop.

"Miss Granger will reside with my son," he stated before passing the driver his carry-on luggage to store in the trunk.

"May I have your luggage, Miss?" he looked behind me for my luggage.

"I'm travelling light. I have all my belongings. Thank you for offering your assistance." I knew it was unnecessary to thank him for doing his job, but all that Burg conditioning doesn't just disappear overnight. Speaking of night, I'm exhausted. I fell asleep before I could buckle my seatbelt.