Page 5
Story: Sophie’s Second Chance
“I did! It must have broken or something. And stop hitting me,” I replied, clutching my shoulder.
She was breathing deeply and staring at me, lost in thought. She said, “You will be responsible for this child,” after a minute. Right now, I don’t want a child at all.
I said, “No.”
“What do you mean no?” “I don’t want this child.” She went from being angry to being confused. “Why?”
“That’s why I don’t want a child.”
She stepped back. “So…you don’t want it? What if I get rid of it?” I asked her. “Do what you want. I don’t care.”
She had a poker face, but her eyes spoke a lot. When I said those words, her expression became blank, yet a maelstrom of feelings started to build up in her eyes.
I wish I hadn’t said anything, but I can’t take it back. I shouldn’t have said it.
She spoke something sarcastically. “Thanks for your time, Mr. Whitmore. Have a great day.”
She left after that, slamming the door behind her.
I sat down in my chair and looked at the ultrasound reports that were still on my desk. I pulled on the tie around my neck and let it go, simply to keep my hands busy.
I cautiously picked up the ultrasound results and looked at them. I could see the small baby developing inside her like a seed.
There is a baby developing inside her.
I didn’t want to have a kid. Not right now.
But something strange happened as I ran my finger over the report. My heart felt better. And it skipped a few beats.
This is my kid.
How can I not care?
I put on my coat and went out of my office with it over my shoulder.
Is everyone still in bed? I thought as I walked inside Nathan’s house, as I had a backup key.
I was hungry all of a sudden, so I walked to the kitchen, got a bowl, put some cereal into it, and then leaned against the counter and started eating.
Nat stepped into the kitchen a minute later, not knowing I was there. When he saw me, he stopped.
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I smiled. “How are you doing, brother?” He looked at me with suspicion. “Better.”
I ate the grains. “Good. Good.” “Why are you here?” I set the dish down. “I just wanted to check on you.”
He looked at the clock on the wall. “No. You’d rather be at work right now than here, even if I die.”
I laughed uncomfortably. “Oh, brother… I’m just checking on you. You know how much I care about you.”
“And…” He crossed his arms. “You would never admit your love for me.” Vincenzo opened his mouth to respond, but I stopped him. He got closer to him. And I laughed nervously again and moved closer. “Even if I never told you I loved you, I’m doing it now. I’m changing.”
“I don’t want you to change,” he said.
“Of course, of course…”
He looked at my tie. “You’re nervous.”
My eyebrows came together. “Ner-vous? W-why will I be nervous?”
“Everything is great when you dress up for work, but when you’re nervous, your tie gets crooked.” He pointed to my tie.
I glanced down and repaired it right away. “I was…um…in a hurry.” “Hurry to go where?”
“I want to see you,” I murmured in a weak voice.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not buying this excuse. What are you doing?”
“Nothing, brother!” I said right away and a little too loudly. Then I grinned shyly and whispered gently. “Nothing. Nothing. Everything is fine.”
He walked over to the fridge. “Talk about it, or I’ll find out on my own.”
He unlocked the fridge, pulled out a bottle of water, and opened it while looking at me. When I abruptly spoke, he took a sip.
“I made someone pregnant.”
He immediately spewed all the water out of my mouth over my face. “What did you say?”
He closed the bottle and put it back inside before turning to me. I frowned because he spewed water all over my face, but I didn’t say anything. I simply picked up the kitchen towel and wiped it off.
He took hold of both of my shoulders. His mouth fell, and his eyes got so big. “Say it again.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples hard. “I made someone pregnant.”
And then he laughed in a strange, awkward, anxious, and I don’t know what type of way. “Are you kidding me?”
I let out a long sigh. “I wish I was.”
He shook my shoulders. “What did you do?!” I looked down. “Sorry.”
“Sorry? Sorry? A f*****g sorry won’t fix this, and why are you saying sorry to me?”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I don’t know,” he said. “Who is she?”
Again, I laughed uncomfortably. “Who is she?!” he yelled. “What will you do by knowing her… it’s not–”
I trembled at the way he spoke and swallowed. “Sophie.”
“Okay…Sophie…Sophie.” He stopped for a moment. “What’s her last name? What the f**k? Sophie, who?”
I was so scared that I wanted to cry. “Spencer. Sophie Spencer. A friend of A-Alley’s.”
“Do you want to die? What the hell did you do? Didn’t you use protection?”
“I did, brother, I did… it just happened.”
“She is engaged, Liam! She is f*****g engaged! She has a f*****g fiancé!”
“No! She isn’t!”
He got a little calmer. “What?” “Her engagement broke.” “How?”
“I don’t know. She told me all of this. I don’t remember much. I was drunk. She was… drunk.” I groaned.
He put his hand on my forehead. “I’m going to faint,” I said as I grasped his shoulder. “Are you okay, brother?”
“Okay?! How can I be okay?! And why didn’t Alley tell me about her broken engagement?”
“I remember her saying that… she hasn’t told Alley yet.”
“Oh, oh, and when did she tell you she was pregnant?” “This morning, in my office, with the ultrasound reports.” “What did you say to her?”
I questioned anxiously, “Does it matter?” “Yes!”
“That to deal with it herself. I don’t care. Then I left.” His lips were thin, and he hit me. Difficult.
I didn’t say anything; I simply looked down. I earned that. “How can you say that, Liam? How can you not care? It’s your child too!”
I didn’t say anything. “Did mother teach us to tell the woman who is pregnant with your child to f**k off?!”
“I swear to God, Liam. I swear to God, if anything happens to her or the child, you will die by my hands.”
I didn’t try to move or say anything.
“Go. What are you waiting for? Go, say you’re sorry, and tell her you care. Make sure she’s okay. She’s safe. She’s healthy. Just go find her.”
“Well.”
“Go!”
I nodded and departed without looking him in the eye.
Sophie’s point of view
I put my hand on my stomach, and my eyes filled with tears. No. I won’t weep.
I’ve made up my mind.
I sat up straight in the chair and waited for my time to see the doctor. I can’t raise this child since my money and mental health aren’t good enough. It’s better to abort this kid than to bring it into the world and let it suffer because of my lack of money or my incapacity to be a decent mother.
Also, the child’s father doesn’t care about it either.
“I don’t care.” “Do what you want.” His words replayed in my thoughts, breaking my heart over and over again.
It seems like history is repeating itself.
Did I really think he would be delighted about this? No. But he could have at least tried…
No.
Don’t think about him.
I don’t care about him or the child. That’s it; I’m having an abortion.
But…
Is it ethical to murder someone who is innocent and hasn’t even had a chance to open their eyes?
I killed someone.
I cried as a tear fell down my face. I brushed it away with the back of my hand.
You can accomplish this.
No. I can’t do it. I can’t murder my child. So what if its dad doesn’t want it? You can accomplish this. Thank goodness the hallway was empty, so no one could see the tears streaming down my face.
I stood up from the chair. I can do this. It’s not right. I get to choose! I can do whatever I want with this kid.
I heard footsteps coming down the hallway behind me, and as I turned around, I saw Liam running towards me. His hair was a mess, his tie was hanging loose around his neck, and the sleeves of his shirt were pulled up to his elbows. He looked like a wreck.
He slowed down and stopped a ways away from me, breathing deeply, and looked at me hard.
Then, he immediately crossed the space between us and grasped my shoulders. “Please tell me you didn’t have an abortion.” His eyes sought me for a response.
She opened the door to the doctor’s cottage and walked out. “Ms. Spencer, it’s your turn now.”
He looked relieved when he saw that I hadn’t had an abortion yet. But why?
I looked to the doctor to answer, and her eyes landed on Liam, who seemed surprised.
“Sophie.” He carefully moved my head towards him. “Please don’t abort it.” His eyes seemed like they were begging me.
“I’ve already made up my mind,” I said.
“I’m sorry.” I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken all that. “Please don’t kill it,” he implored.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Whitmore, but…” The doctor cut us off. “But you can’t make her keep this child.” It’s up to her.
Liam’s jaw tightened. “Can you please leave us alone for a few minutes?” “
She nodded and went back inside her cabin, leaving us alone.
I stepped back from him. “You told me to do what I want.” And I am doing what I think is right.
She was breathing deeply and staring at me, lost in thought. She said, “You will be responsible for this child,” after a minute. Right now, I don’t want a child at all.
I said, “No.”
“What do you mean no?” “I don’t want this child.” She went from being angry to being confused. “Why?”
“That’s why I don’t want a child.”
She stepped back. “So…you don’t want it? What if I get rid of it?” I asked her. “Do what you want. I don’t care.”
She had a poker face, but her eyes spoke a lot. When I said those words, her expression became blank, yet a maelstrom of feelings started to build up in her eyes.
I wish I hadn’t said anything, but I can’t take it back. I shouldn’t have said it.
She spoke something sarcastically. “Thanks for your time, Mr. Whitmore. Have a great day.”
She left after that, slamming the door behind her.
I sat down in my chair and looked at the ultrasound reports that were still on my desk. I pulled on the tie around my neck and let it go, simply to keep my hands busy.
I cautiously picked up the ultrasound results and looked at them. I could see the small baby developing inside her like a seed.
There is a baby developing inside her.
I didn’t want to have a kid. Not right now.
But something strange happened as I ran my finger over the report. My heart felt better. And it skipped a few beats.
This is my kid.
How can I not care?
I put on my coat and went out of my office with it over my shoulder.
Is everyone still in bed? I thought as I walked inside Nathan’s house, as I had a backup key.
I was hungry all of a sudden, so I walked to the kitchen, got a bowl, put some cereal into it, and then leaned against the counter and started eating.
Nat stepped into the kitchen a minute later, not knowing I was there. When he saw me, he stopped.
He raised an eyebrow at me, and I smiled. “How are you doing, brother?” He looked at me with suspicion. “Better.”
I ate the grains. “Good. Good.” “Why are you here?” I set the dish down. “I just wanted to check on you.”
He looked at the clock on the wall. “No. You’d rather be at work right now than here, even if I die.”
I laughed uncomfortably. “Oh, brother… I’m just checking on you. You know how much I care about you.”
“And…” He crossed his arms. “You would never admit your love for me.” Vincenzo opened his mouth to respond, but I stopped him. He got closer to him. And I laughed nervously again and moved closer. “Even if I never told you I loved you, I’m doing it now. I’m changing.”
“I don’t want you to change,” he said.
“Of course, of course…”
He looked at my tie. “You’re nervous.”
My eyebrows came together. “Ner-vous? W-why will I be nervous?”
“Everything is great when you dress up for work, but when you’re nervous, your tie gets crooked.” He pointed to my tie.
I glanced down and repaired it right away. “I was…um…in a hurry.” “Hurry to go where?”
“I want to see you,” I murmured in a weak voice.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not buying this excuse. What are you doing?”
“Nothing, brother!” I said right away and a little too loudly. Then I grinned shyly and whispered gently. “Nothing. Nothing. Everything is fine.”
He walked over to the fridge. “Talk about it, or I’ll find out on my own.”
He unlocked the fridge, pulled out a bottle of water, and opened it while looking at me. When I abruptly spoke, he took a sip.
“I made someone pregnant.”
He immediately spewed all the water out of my mouth over my face. “What did you say?”
He closed the bottle and put it back inside before turning to me. I frowned because he spewed water all over my face, but I didn’t say anything. I simply picked up the kitchen towel and wiped it off.
He took hold of both of my shoulders. His mouth fell, and his eyes got so big. “Say it again.”
I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples hard. “I made someone pregnant.”
And then he laughed in a strange, awkward, anxious, and I don’t know what type of way. “Are you kidding me?”
I let out a long sigh. “I wish I was.”
He shook my shoulders. “What did you do?!” I looked down. “Sorry.”
“Sorry? Sorry? A f*****g sorry won’t fix this, and why are you saying sorry to me?”
I ran my fingers through my hair. “I don’t know,” he said. “Who is she?”
Again, I laughed uncomfortably. “Who is she?!” he yelled. “What will you do by knowing her… it’s not–”
I trembled at the way he spoke and swallowed. “Sophie.”
“Okay…Sophie…Sophie.” He stopped for a moment. “What’s her last name? What the f**k? Sophie, who?”
I was so scared that I wanted to cry. “Spencer. Sophie Spencer. A friend of A-Alley’s.”
“Do you want to die? What the hell did you do? Didn’t you use protection?”
“I did, brother, I did… it just happened.”
“She is engaged, Liam! She is f*****g engaged! She has a f*****g fiancé!”
“No! She isn’t!”
He got a little calmer. “What?” “Her engagement broke.” “How?”
“I don’t know. She told me all of this. I don’t remember much. I was drunk. She was… drunk.” I groaned.
He put his hand on my forehead. “I’m going to faint,” I said as I grasped his shoulder. “Are you okay, brother?”
“Okay?! How can I be okay?! And why didn’t Alley tell me about her broken engagement?”
“I remember her saying that… she hasn’t told Alley yet.”
“Oh, oh, and when did she tell you she was pregnant?” “This morning, in my office, with the ultrasound reports.” “What did you say to her?”
I questioned anxiously, “Does it matter?” “Yes!”
“That to deal with it herself. I don’t care. Then I left.” His lips were thin, and he hit me. Difficult.
I didn’t say anything; I simply looked down. I earned that. “How can you say that, Liam? How can you not care? It’s your child too!”
I didn’t say anything. “Did mother teach us to tell the woman who is pregnant with your child to f**k off?!”
“I swear to God, Liam. I swear to God, if anything happens to her or the child, you will die by my hands.”
I didn’t try to move or say anything.
“Go. What are you waiting for? Go, say you’re sorry, and tell her you care. Make sure she’s okay. She’s safe. She’s healthy. Just go find her.”
“Well.”
“Go!”
I nodded and departed without looking him in the eye.
Sophie’s point of view
I put my hand on my stomach, and my eyes filled with tears. No. I won’t weep.
I’ve made up my mind.
I sat up straight in the chair and waited for my time to see the doctor. I can’t raise this child since my money and mental health aren’t good enough. It’s better to abort this kid than to bring it into the world and let it suffer because of my lack of money or my incapacity to be a decent mother.
Also, the child’s father doesn’t care about it either.
“I don’t care.” “Do what you want.” His words replayed in my thoughts, breaking my heart over and over again.
It seems like history is repeating itself.
Did I really think he would be delighted about this? No. But he could have at least tried…
No.
Don’t think about him.
I don’t care about him or the child. That’s it; I’m having an abortion.
But…
Is it ethical to murder someone who is innocent and hasn’t even had a chance to open their eyes?
I killed someone.
I cried as a tear fell down my face. I brushed it away with the back of my hand.
You can accomplish this.
No. I can’t do it. I can’t murder my child. So what if its dad doesn’t want it? You can accomplish this. Thank goodness the hallway was empty, so no one could see the tears streaming down my face.
I stood up from the chair. I can do this. It’s not right. I get to choose! I can do whatever I want with this kid.
I heard footsteps coming down the hallway behind me, and as I turned around, I saw Liam running towards me. His hair was a mess, his tie was hanging loose around his neck, and the sleeves of his shirt were pulled up to his elbows. He looked like a wreck.
He slowed down and stopped a ways away from me, breathing deeply, and looked at me hard.
Then, he immediately crossed the space between us and grasped my shoulders. “Please tell me you didn’t have an abortion.” His eyes sought me for a response.
She opened the door to the doctor’s cottage and walked out. “Ms. Spencer, it’s your turn now.”
He looked relieved when he saw that I hadn’t had an abortion yet. But why?
I looked to the doctor to answer, and her eyes landed on Liam, who seemed surprised.
“Sophie.” He carefully moved my head towards him. “Please don’t abort it.” His eyes seemed like they were begging me.
“I’ve already made up my mind,” I said.
“I’m sorry.” I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken all that. “Please don’t kill it,” he implored.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Whitmore, but…” The doctor cut us off. “But you can’t make her keep this child.” It’s up to her.
Liam’s jaw tightened. “Can you please leave us alone for a few minutes?” “
She nodded and went back inside her cabin, leaving us alone.
I stepped back from him. “You told me to do what I want.” And I am doing what I think is right.