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“What’s really going on, Trix?” Nan asked softly

“I can’t—” I stuttered to a stop and tried again “What if—”

“What, Trix?” my mom asked in exasperation “Spit it out”

“What if he hurts me?” I said in one breath “What if I stay and have the baby and then I’et a job, and I have no way to support us? I’d never be able to leave I’d be a single mother with no job and I—”

“That’s your worry?” Nan asked in confusion “Has Cam ever hurt you?”

“No!” The word came out louder than I’d intended “No, but he could He could, and by then I’d have a baby and I wouldn’t be able to leave You should’ve seen hirow thick and I sed hard against the lump in my throat

“What co her head

“You don’t know!” I snapped, jerking to my feet “You have no idea what—”

“No, but I do,” my mom cut in softly

I turned and aze and my heart sank into my stomach at the sorrow there

“Sit back down, baby,” she said, leaning toward me

As soon as hed and ran her hands over her face

“I want to apologize to you,” Mo as tears filled her eyes “First, that I didn’t get away before I did, and second, because I thought you’d forgotten it all, so I haven’t talked to you about it”

“Don’t cry, Mo forth my own “You did the best you could You didn’t know—”

“I did,” she cut htly closed as she shook her head “I had that gut feeling, you know? I had it fro stubborn back then, Trix So sure that I was doing the right thing”