Angels Everywhere - Debbie Macomber [171]
“The father?” Brynn didn’t want to pry, but surely the baby’s father should be helping Suzie with some of these difficult decisions. Surely he could stand with her when she told her parents.
“I . . . haven’t told him either.” This was admitted with the same downcast look Suzie had worn earlier.
“But, Suzie . . .”
“He’s got his own troubles, and I don’t want to burden him with my news.”
“Burden him?” Brynn couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice. “Suzie, this child is his responsibility, too. You shouldn’t have to deal with this alone. There are decisions to be made. For one thing, you won’t be able to hide your condition much longer.”
“I know, but I don’t want him to worry about me. He can’t help, and . . . and if I told him about the baby, it would only make him feel worse. He loves me. I know he does.” She buried her face in her hands, and her shoulders shook with silent tears.
Brynn patted Suzie’s back gently.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Miss Cassidy. I don’t know what will happen when my family learns about the baby.”
“You’re going to have to tell your parents.”
Suzie wiped the tears from her face. “I’m afraid my father will make me leave home, and I won’t have anywhere to live. I want to finish high school, and what you said about me getting a scholarship for college, well, I never thought I could do anything like that.”
“But of course you can. Your grades are excellent, but more than that, you have a clear desire to learn. Did you take the SAT test?”
Suzie shook her head.
“But before you consider college, you’re going to need to make a decision about your future, yours and the baby’s. I can’t help you with that, but I do know that the school counselor can help guide you. Will you talk with her?”
Suzie hesitated, then nodded. “I like Mrs. Christian.”
Brynn walked down to the office with her and waited while Suzie made an appointment with the school counselor for the next day.
“If there’s anything more I can do, let me know, okay?” Brynn asked when Suzie had finished.
The teenage girl started to cry once more, and Brynn hugged her close and whispered reassurances. “Everything will work out, Suzie, don’t worry.”
The teenager sniffled and left the school. Silently Brynn returned to her classroom and sagged onto her seat, her heart heavy with Suzie’s news.
Suzie was pregnant. The girl was little more than a child herself. So tiny and delicate, it was a wonder she’d been able to disguise her pregnancy this long. The fact that she’d gone without prenatal care hadn’t escaped Brynn’s notice, either.
The desire to wrap her arms around the teenage girl and protect her from the harsh reality of being a single mother nearly overwhelmed Brynn. More than one of her students was a mother. Brynn had been surprised to learn Yolanda had a two-year-old son. The boy stayed with Yolanda’s mother while Yolanda attended classes to complete her education. Denzil had bragged to her about fathering three children. He’d done so in an effort to shock her. The fact that he was sexually active didn’t astound her, but his attitude toward the number of children he’d fathered with different girls did.
By the time Brynn left the school, she felt as though she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. It seemed only natural to seek out Father Grady, but the parish priest was gone for the afternoon.
Mrs. Houghton, his housekeeper, seemed to sense Brynn had come for more than their usual friendly chat. “Do you want me to try to reach Father Grady?” the kindly older woman asked.
Brynn stood outside on the rectory steps. She shook her head. “No, that won’t be necessary. I’ll talk to him later.”
“Are you all right, dearie?”
“I’m fine,” Brynn assured her, but she wasn’t.
Blindly she made her way toward the subway station, but as she neared the entrance, she hesitated. The thought of returning to an empty apartment held no appeal. With no clear destination in mind, she turned back, her shoulders slumped and her steps