The day I revealed my pregnancy in church started with morning sickness and ended with my mother disowning me. But what happened next made my mother change her decision. I’m a sophomore in college studying psychology, and that’s where I met Glenn last fall.
We started out as study buddies in our Intro to Research Methods class, but there was something special about him from day one. He had this gentle way of explaining complex topics that made everything click, and his smile? It could light up the whole lecture hall.
“Faith, you’re starin’ again,” he’d tease me during our study sessions, and I’d feel my cheeks burn red every single time. “Can’t help it if you’re distracting,” I’d shoot back, and we’d both laugh like we had the best secret in the world. We went from sharing coffee after class to spending hours at the campus diner.
We’d pick at endless plates of waffle fries while sharing our life stories. Glenn told me a bit about his family and how he enjoyed playing in the fields as a kid. Meanwhile, I opened up about losing my dad when I was five.
That’s when things started shifting from friendship to something more. “Your dad would be so proud of you,” Glenn said one evening, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “Following your dreams, helping people through psychology…”
The first time he kissed me on the porch swing outside my mama’s house, I swear I saw stars.
But when I told Mama about Glenn, she just pressed her lips together and said, “That’s nice, sugar. Don’t forget you’ve got that big exam coming up.”
That’s my mama, Claudia, for you. Since Daddy passed, she’s thrown herself into two things: raising me and adoring nature.
Never dated, and never seemed interested in finding love again. Sometimes I catch her looking at Daddy’s photo on the mantle with such longing that it breaks my heart. I wish she’d give herself permission to be happy again, but we don’t have the kind of relationship where I can say that.
“Mama,” I tried once, “don’t you ever get lonely?”
“I’ve got you,” she replied, smoothing down her skirt. “That’s all the company I need.”
Everything was sailing smoothly until that morning I woke up feeling too sick. I swear I couldn’t even move, and the thought of having breakfast nearly made me puke.
The story doesn’t end here –
it continues on the next page.
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