Trial Read

The phone rang. “Lizzy can you answer that for me?” Josephine asked, her hands covered in oil. Lizzy looked up from her English homework.

“Sure Mo” she said jumping to the phone. “Hello” she answered, “oh hi Addy, how are you doing?” Josephine listened in as much as she could. “No dad’s not here right now, why?” she questioned. “Sure she’s right here one second” Lizzy said looking over to Mo. “She want’s to talk to you,” she held out the phone. “Hmm I wonder why?” Mo said drying her hands on a dish towel, “Thank you Lizzy” taking the phone from her. Lizzy turned and went back to the table. Smiling Mo spoke,

“Afternoon Ms. Parker, is there something I can help you with?” She leaned up against the door way. “Is there something wrong?” Lizzy heard this and turned towards the conversation. “Well have you tried calling the base?”  By this point Lizzy was standing next to Mo leaning in to hear the conversation. Mo looked to Lizzy, “can you go get the mail and bring up the trash cans for me?”  Lizzy knew by now that Mo wasn’t asking if she wanted to do it, “Sure Mo” she said. After she left Josephine continued to talk to Adelaide.  

“No I don’t know when he’ll be back but I can leave a massage if you want me to.” She told her. Just then she heard the kitchen screen door open. Ryan walked in wearing his uniform. Josephine stopped Adelaide in mid-sentence. “Actually Adelaide he just got in.”

Ryan paused when he heard her name. Josephine spoke, “hold on Adelaide” she set the phone down on the counter top. “She wants to talk to you Ryan, said it’s important,” and with that Ryan stepped past Josephine and grabbed the phone.

“Hey Adelaide,” he spoke immediately he knew something was wrong, “Adelaide what’s wrong?” Worry filled his mind. “Adelaide, please you have to calm down I’ll be there in ten minutes. Okay, okay I’m leaving now” he hung up the phone. “Mo can you watch the kids tonight?” he asked.

“Sure, what’s wrong with Adelaide?” she asked. He shook his head, “I don’t know but she sounded really upset.”  He wrapped his arms around Mo and kissed her forehead, “thanks mom.” Josephine smiled, “you’re a good son Ryan, go now she needs you.”

Without another word Ryan was out the door and driving to Adelaide’s apartment. As soon as he was in the parking lot he jumped out of his car and ran to her apartment. He knocked on the door, within seconds Adelaide was at the door. She slowly opened it, allowing Ryan to step in and close the door behind him. Adelaide immediately fell into his arms and began sobbing. Ryan held her close “shh” he tried to calm her, rubbing her head. “Shhh, Addy calm down” he told her. She stepped out of his arms and whipped her tears away with her sweater. “I’m sorry Ryan, I didn’t mean to get your uniform wet.” She apologized, Ryan pulled her back into his arms, wanting her there, needing her there. He wanted nothing more than to protect her from the world, “No, don’t apologize” he tightened his arms around her.

Adelaide was distort and disoriented, but she felt safe and secured in Ryan’s arms. She didn’t want to tell him, she didn’t know how to tell him. Simply thinking about it made her eyes water. Ryan loosened his arms but did not let go of her. She stood in front of him fighting a losing battle. Ryan saw it on her face; with his thumb he whisked away the remaining tears from her eyes. “Now tell me what’s wrong”, she pulled away from him and walked to the loveseat. She sat down and covered her face with her hands. Ryan walked over to the loveseat and sat next to Adelaide, he rubbed the smalls of her back gently. “Please don’t hate me” she said never removing her hands. “Why would I hate you?” He asked. She mumbled something under her breath,

“What? What did you say?” he asked. “I’m pregnant” she whispered, but still Ryan did not hear it. “I’m pregnant” she repeated louder her voice breaking as she spoke. “You’re…preg…pregnant?” Ryan didn’t know what to say or how to respond to what he just heard. He stood from the couch and moved to the window. He covered his mouth with his fingers.

“Well say something” she said “please!” she looked up at him, “Ryan?” “When did you find out?” He asked, trying not to explode. “Last week” she told him shaking uncontrollably. “H…how far along are you?” A sickening feeling rose up inside her, burning her throat. “About…” she started, covering her mouth and running to the bathroom. Ryan ran after her stopping at the door when he heard her gagging. The lights were off and the door was wide open. Ryan could see Adelaide crouching over the toilet holding her stomach with one hand. “I’m sorry” she whimpered, flushing the toilet. Even with no light Ryan could see how weak she had become. It hurt and angered him to see her like this.

Adelaide struggled to lift herself to the sink. “I am so sorry Ryan” she began to cry. She could feel the heat of his breath on her neck. “Ryan I don’t know what to do.” She turned to him, looking at his face, “Ryan I don’t know what to do.” She turned to him, looking at his face. “I can’t have this baby.” Fear was written across her face, she buried her face in his uniform.