It would be so much fun shopping for it. You could get one of those fancy strollers—"
"The ones that cost almost as much as a car?" Mary pointed toward a price tag on the screen.
"Your parents could help." Pamela looked over her shoulder at Deirdre.
Deirdre started to laugh. "My parents don't take care of me. Why would they want to take care of my baby?" She shook her head. "I don't think I could keep it. How would I finish school?" She put a hand gently on her stomach, but there was nothing there yet. Maybe the test was wrong? Maybe she wasn't really pregnant after all?
"I would put it up for adoption," Mary said, moving back to her position on the floor. "Someone who wants it and will be able to give it a good life. How would you get anywhere stuck with a baby?"
"Just because people put a baby up for adoption, doesn't mean they don't want it." Pamela took a pack of cigarettes from her desk drawer and slammed it shut.
"I don't think I do want it, though." Deirdre ran a hand over her stomach again trying to feel some attachment to this thing that was supposedly growing inside of her. "I wish it would go away." She plucked at a loose thread on Pamela's bedspread.
"If you want to put it up for adoption, I've seen people advertising on the internet."
"What? Like free to a good home?" Pamela swiveled her chair around toward Mary.
Mary frowned. "No, you idiot. There are couples advertising that they want to adopt a baby. Tons of them. Move." She got up, pushed Pamela to one side and maneuvered in front of her. She put her hands on the keyboard, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she concentrated. She hit several keys, then punched "enter." "See." She pointed toward the web site that was loading on the screen.
Deirdre slid off the bed and went to peer over Mary's shoulder. She still had her hands pressed to her stomach as if they were going to rip the baby from her right then and there.
"Wow," Deirdre flipped through the images on the screen. "There are lots of people who want a baby. Some of them look really nice, too." She tapped her finger against the screen and read, "your child will receive all the love in the world as well as every advantage." She turned around toward Pamela and Mary who were gathered behind her. "That's so sweet, isn't it?"
"Why don't you do it then?" Pamela's tone was icy. "Hand it over to the first person who catches your eye."
"But it wouldn't be like that," Deirdre protested, wiping a tear from her cheek. Everything made her cry these days. "I just want what's best for the baby."
"Then I think you should keep it." Pamela raised her jaw and stared Deirdre in the eye.
Deirdre blinked away a fresh assault of tears and squared her shoulders. "No. I can't. It wouldn't have a good life with me—not like with some of these other people." She pointed toward the monitor.
"Well, go ahead and do it then." Pamela grabbed her cell phone from the desk and shoved it toward Deirdre.
"Okay. I will." Deirdre peered through her bangs at the screen and tapped in the number of Ed and Maureen. She stared defiantly at Pamela as she waited for the call to be answered.
Chapter 9
“I’m going to the library.” Rivka couldn’t look her mother in the eye.
Her mother laughed. “The library? Bubeleh, it’s Saturday night! You’re working too hard. Come to the movies with me and Tate. That actor you like is in the film. What’s his name? Natan?” She called toward the kitchen.
“No, Mame,” Rivka started toward the front door. “I really have to study. I want to get into a good college after all.”
Her mother patted her on the cheek. “Such a smart
"The ones that cost almost as much as a car?" Mary pointed toward a price tag on the screen.
"Your parents could help." Pamela looked over her shoulder at Deirdre.
Deirdre started to laugh. "My parents don't take care of me. Why would they want to take care of my baby?" She shook her head. "I don't think I could keep it. How would I finish school?" She put a hand gently on her stomach, but there was nothing there yet. Maybe the test was wrong? Maybe she wasn't really pregnant after all?
"I would put it up for adoption," Mary said, moving back to her position on the floor. "Someone who wants it and will be able to give it a good life. How would you get anywhere stuck with a baby?"
"Just because people put a baby up for adoption, doesn't mean they don't want it." Pamela took a pack of cigarettes from her desk drawer and slammed it shut.
"I don't think I do want it, though." Deirdre ran a hand over her stomach again trying to feel some attachment to this thing that was supposedly growing inside of her. "I wish it would go away." She plucked at a loose thread on Pamela's bedspread.
"If you want to put it up for adoption, I've seen people advertising on the internet."
"What? Like free to a good home?" Pamela swiveled her chair around toward Mary.
Mary frowned. "No, you idiot. There are couples advertising that they want to adopt a baby. Tons of them. Move." She got up, pushed Pamela to one side and maneuvered in front of her. She put her hands on the keyboard, her lower lip caught between her teeth as she concentrated. She hit several keys, then punched "enter." "See." She pointed toward the web site that was loading on the screen.
Deirdre slid off the bed and went to peer over Mary's shoulder. She still had her hands pressed to her stomach as if they were going to rip the baby from her right then and there.
"Wow," Deirdre flipped through the images on the screen. "There are lots of people who want a baby. Some of them look really nice, too." She tapped her finger against the screen and read, "your child will receive all the love in the world as well as every advantage." She turned around toward Pamela and Mary who were gathered behind her. "That's so sweet, isn't it?"
"Why don't you do it then?" Pamela's tone was icy. "Hand it over to the first person who catches your eye."
"But it wouldn't be like that," Deirdre protested, wiping a tear from her cheek. Everything made her cry these days. "I just want what's best for the baby."
"Then I think you should keep it." Pamela raised her jaw and stared Deirdre in the eye.
Deirdre blinked away a fresh assault of tears and squared her shoulders. "No. I can't. It wouldn't have a good life with me—not like with some of these other people." She pointed toward the monitor.
"Well, go ahead and do it then." Pamela grabbed her cell phone from the desk and shoved it toward Deirdre.
"Okay. I will." Deirdre peered through her bangs at the screen and tapped in the number of Ed and Maureen. She stared defiantly at Pamela as she waited for the call to be answered.
Chapter 9
“I’m going to the library.” Rivka couldn’t look her mother in the eye.
Her mother laughed. “The library? Bubeleh, it’s Saturday night! You’re working too hard. Come to the movies with me and Tate. That actor you like is in the film. What’s his name? Natan?” She called toward the kitchen.
“No, Mame,” Rivka started toward the front door. “I really have to study. I want to get into a good college after all.”
Her mother patted her on the cheek. “Such a smart
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