Page 60 of The Vanishing Place
“What’s wrong with your belly?”
“Adam,” Dinah jumped, pulling the towel around her naked body. “You frightened me.”
“It looks ugly.”
“You should knock.” She grabbed for a cardigan.
“Dad says I don’t need to knock.”
She curled her arms around her fat body, trying to cover the gross lump—something that hadn’t been there before.
“Why’s it all swollen?”
“I’m pregnant,” said Dinah. “I’m having a baby.”
Adam frowned. “How did it get in there?”
“Cameron.” She smiled a stupid smile. “It’s Cameron’s baby.”
Adam grimaced. Thinking about Cameron stretching his sister’s skin to fit a baby in her made him feel a bit sick. “How?”
“Love, I guess.”
“But babies come from God.”
“That’s just one of Dad’s lies. It’s not true, Adam.” Dinah frowned. “I thought you knew that.”
“Dad wouldn’t lie.”
Dinah looked at him, her eyes sad. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry I didn’t do more for you.”
“You do lots.”
She shook her head. “Dad has too much control over you, Adam. He hides you away from the world, only letting you think what he wants you to think.”
“That’s not true.”
“You should be in a normal school, not taught by Dad and his followers. You should be learning about science and geography. Not being told that God puts babies in people. There’s a whole world beyond the walls of this house, Adam.”
“But it’s dangerous out there. We’re safe in this house.”
“We’re not safe, Adam. We’re trapped.”
“I don’t like what the baby is doing to you. Put it back,” he demanded. “I don’t want it.”
“It doesn’t work like that.”
Dinah’s lips curved into an odd smile, and part of Adam wanted to hit her.
“When did Cameron put it there?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” She rubbed a hand over the disgusting bump. “I started feeling sick about five months ago.”
“Does Dad know?”
“No.” She snapped her head up and looked at him, her eyes big and scared. “Dad can’t ever know.”
“But you’re fat.”
Dinah snorted. “Dad wouldn’t even notice if I shaved my head,” she said. “Not if the chores got done and he got his three meals a day. Dad barely looks at me these days.”
“But girls aren’t allowed short hair.” Adam looked at her. Dinah would look scary with a bald head. He’d forbid her from cutting her hair.
“Plus,” said Dinah, ignoring him, “Cameron says my belly is tiny compared to what his aunty was like. Apparently, she had to buy new clothes.”
“What are you going to do with it?” asked Adam. “The baby.”
“Keep it and love it and—”
“Dad won’t let you. He’ll make you—”
“I turned sixteen last month,” said Dinah. “Dad can’t make me do anything anymore.”
Adam frowned. There hadn’t been any presents or cake. Maybe once you were sixteen, you didn’t get cake.
“Cameron and I are going to leave before the baby comes. Cameron’s sorting everything. We’re going to live—”
“I don’t want you to leave.”
“You can come.” She took his hand and pulled him up onto the bed next to her. “Come with us.”
“No.” Adam shook his head. “No.”
Dad wouldn’t like that. Dinah was ruining everything. Adam shook his head again. He wanted Dinah to put the baby back. He wanted her to stop talking about Cameron. To stop talking about leaving. To stop touching the baby that had crawled inside her.
Dinah grabbed his hand and thrust it under her cardigan and Adam screamed, like the baby might reach out and bite him. But Dinah held tight.
“It’s kicking,” she said. “Can you feel it?”
Adam tried to pull away. He didn’t want to be anywhere near it.
“It’s okay, Adam,” said Dinah. “He can’t hurt you. He loves you already. You’re his uncle.”
Adam stilled, a small part of him interested—he’d never felt a baby before. Then Dinah’s tummy swelled and moved under his hand, prodding and poking at his palm.
“He’s saying hello,” said Dinah. “Hello, Uncle Adam.”
Adam touched his other hand to Dinah’s belly, searching for the little creature.
“Not too hard.” Dinah smiled.
Then it kicked again, and Adam grinned so big it hurt his cheeks.
“Hello, baby.” He giggled.
Dinah stroked Adam’s hair. “He likes you.”