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"Honey, what happened with the baby?" She interrupts my happy memories with a dreadful one My stoether "Please Just talk about it It’ll help"

The first time I looked at this little white stick with its two pink lines, I cried my eyes out I cried out of sadness, frustration, humiliation, and shock I was scared I cried because I didn’t think I had anything to offer this child Now, I gaze at the stick with hope I can do this I can love this baby and that’s enough

I know I need toaround ht about it in that light before It’s a a parent can do for you Before, ression was just a phase that I needed to wait out I would bear it I would graduate and then I would leave Texas

But now this tiny little plum-sized baby is my number-one priority Now I realize that I can’t allow et out of here and find a safer ho thought of seeing Jace one more time I wish I could see those sea-blue eyes for just a second longer In a way, if this baby had been Jaxon’s, at least I could pretend it was part of Jace as well

But it’s not

Mr Howard stole that from me

When he told me that I wouldn’t pass if I didn’t attend his after-school study session, I was confused I thought I was doing well in his class When I showed up and I was the only student present, that should have beenBut I was na&iurab the supplies we supposedly needed I’ll never forget the echo the metal lock made when he slid it into place

I chase away the bad ood thing about never really owning much is that I don’t have a lot to carry out of here I’ me find some place to stay

"Don’t worry, little plum, I’ll find somewhere safe for us," I whisper

I quickly stash my loaded backpack underneath the couch and pull onand I’m sure people at work have noticed I’e where others are probably wondering if I’ in a few too many of our farab my purse and step out onto our front porch My heart lurches when I seeup the stairs with a death stare focused directly on me

His eyes flash to my stomach and back to my face, and then return toand I pray I can just get to ithout incident

"What have you gone and done?" he growls in a low, threatening voice

"Nothing I need to get to work," I quickly say, stepping backward

"You’re just like your whore of alike her, but he launches forward His foot rises up and connects with my stomach I feel the air rush pastWhen I feel the hard smack of concrete on my back and the coppery taste of blood in my mouth,tear She sits in silence for what feels like an eternity Maybe she’s giving me a chance to accept my words, but I’ve already done that I can’t let my father hold this over ht for you to be there," she interrupts hts "I wish I would have known" I wave off her concern There isn’t anything that can be done noe’ve all made our er pregnant"

"Did you stay?"

I shake my head and say, "I haven’t seen my dad since The boss I worked for let raduated, I hitchhiked out to California Although before I left, I did go back and take our dog, Chuck"

"Hitchhiked!? Audrey, please tellabout all of the people I met on that trip "I never told Jace that part"

"Don’t you ever do that again, young lady," she scolds while huggingpeople time my whole life"

"You know, Jace and Jaxonalike Jaxon has always been ht about the consequences until he was grounded for twohis dad’s boat to the bottost other crimes Jace, on the other hand, is h every scenario before he acts on it He worries about what others think and he hates to make people upset This type of situation, an unexpected one, throws hiht I know that doesn’t excuse his behavior, but just give him some time"