the kids were better off staying away from each other. It was about protecting Lauren from the hostility that Shane’s family held toward her. For that, she would lie even if it meant hurting Lauren in the short term. She looked at Sheila. “It’s only for a month, maybe six weeks. After that they can catch up and we’ll see what happens.”
Sheila was already on her feet. “Very well.” She looked at her watch. “I can’t stay. I have a church dinner tonight.” Her eyes met Angela’s one last time. She stopped short of flashing that phony smile Angela had seen too often in the past months. Instead she let the corners of her mouth raise just a little. “This isn’t easy for any of us, Angela.” She paused. “Please let us know if you get anywhere with Lauren. There are so many wonderful families waiting to adopt children. It would be a great sacrifice if Lauren would consider it.”
Angela wanted to spit at her. A great sacrifice for Lauren? Yes, and a great victory for Sheila. Angela took a few steps toward the door and held it open wide so Sheila wouldn’t stay longer than necessary. Then, since she was on a roll, she told yet another lie. “I was right about adoption, Sheila. Lauren’s leaning more toward it everyday.”
“She is?” Sheila’s eyes sparked to life, the same way they did when Bloomingdale’s announced a storewide sale.
Angela felt sick to her stomach. She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes. I’m almost positive.”
Sheila left, spouting platitudes and half smiles, making comments about things being meant to be and life working out for the best and how every change was like another season meant to be savored and how nothing stays the same anyway.
The silence after Sheila left gave Angela her first peaceful moment all morning. She sat down on the sofa, leaned back, and closed her eyes. She’d done it. She’d convinced Sheila to stay out of her life, out of her daughter’s life. At least for a month or more. That meant Lauren could have her baby in peace, without constant phone calls and directives from Sheila about why the baby should be given up and when.
As she sat there, everything about the morning meeting felt right except one thing, the same thing that had troubled Angela for much of the past month: What if the kids’ love didn’t fade away? What if Sheila and all the adults were wrong? What if age didn’t determine whether or not a person could truly understand what love was and whether it was real?
Angela folded her arms and gripped her sides. They were teenagers; of course they would move on. They’d be heartbroken for a season. But they’d get past their grief and given a month or so of separation, they might reevaluate and decide it was better to take time away from each other. In fact, if that happened, Lauren might indeed decide to give her baby up for adoption. And yes, everyone would win in the process.
She blinked her eyes open, stood, and padded her way up to Lauren’s bedroom. She did a light knock on the door.
“Come in.” Lauren sounded tired and distracted. Shane had baseball all that day, so she’d spent most of the afternoon in her room writing.
“What’re you working on?” Angela sat on the edge of her daughter’s bed. The memory of her conversation with Sheila burned in her mind. She felt like a traitor.
“A short story.” She held up a blue notebook. “I have lots of them.”
“What’s this one about?”
“A little girl named Emily. She’s a princess in a faraway land, where everyone else is a rabbit or a bear or a fox. She goes all her life not knowing where to find her prince until she meets a special woman on the other side of the mountains.”
“Hmm.” Angela nodded. “I love your imagination.”
“Even without a college degree?” She smiled at her mother. The ring Shane gave her was still on her finger, the two of them still believing that somehow one set of parents would give in and let them stay in the same house for
Sheila was already on her feet. “Very well.” She looked at her watch. “I can’t stay. I have a church dinner tonight.” Her eyes met Angela’s one last time. She stopped short of flashing that phony smile Angela had seen too often in the past months. Instead she let the corners of her mouth raise just a little. “This isn’t easy for any of us, Angela.” She paused. “Please let us know if you get anywhere with Lauren. There are so many wonderful families waiting to adopt children. It would be a great sacrifice if Lauren would consider it.”
Angela wanted to spit at her. A great sacrifice for Lauren? Yes, and a great victory for Sheila. Angela took a few steps toward the door and held it open wide so Sheila wouldn’t stay longer than necessary. Then, since she was on a roll, she told yet another lie. “I was right about adoption, Sheila. Lauren’s leaning more toward it everyday.”
“She is?” Sheila’s eyes sparked to life, the same way they did when Bloomingdale’s announced a storewide sale.
Angela felt sick to her stomach. She bit her lip and nodded. “Yes. I’m almost positive.”
Sheila left, spouting platitudes and half smiles, making comments about things being meant to be and life working out for the best and how every change was like another season meant to be savored and how nothing stays the same anyway.
The silence after Sheila left gave Angela her first peaceful moment all morning. She sat down on the sofa, leaned back, and closed her eyes. She’d done it. She’d convinced Sheila to stay out of her life, out of her daughter’s life. At least for a month or more. That meant Lauren could have her baby in peace, without constant phone calls and directives from Sheila about why the baby should be given up and when.
As she sat there, everything about the morning meeting felt right except one thing, the same thing that had troubled Angela for much of the past month: What if the kids’ love didn’t fade away? What if Sheila and all the adults were wrong? What if age didn’t determine whether or not a person could truly understand what love was and whether it was real?
Angela folded her arms and gripped her sides. They were teenagers; of course they would move on. They’d be heartbroken for a season. But they’d get past their grief and given a month or so of separation, they might reevaluate and decide it was better to take time away from each other. In fact, if that happened, Lauren might indeed decide to give her baby up for adoption. And yes, everyone would win in the process.
She blinked her eyes open, stood, and padded her way up to Lauren’s bedroom. She did a light knock on the door.
“Come in.” Lauren sounded tired and distracted. Shane had baseball all that day, so she’d spent most of the afternoon in her room writing.
“What’re you working on?” Angela sat on the edge of her daughter’s bed. The memory of her conversation with Sheila burned in her mind. She felt like a traitor.
“A short story.” She held up a blue notebook. “I have lots of them.”
“What’s this one about?”
“A little girl named Emily. She’s a princess in a faraway land, where everyone else is a rabbit or a bear or a fox. She goes all her life not knowing where to find her prince until she meets a special woman on the other side of the mountains.”
“Hmm.” Angela nodded. “I love your imagination.”
“Even without a college degree?” She smiled at her mother. The ring Shane gave her was still on her finger, the two of them still believing that somehow one set of parents would give in and let them stay in the same house for
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