Anything but Normal - Melody Carlson [56]
“Yeah. Thanks for helping.” Sophie watched as Serena juggled the howling baby, shoved the pacifier into the diaper bag, then finally stood. “You and Gilbert have a good Christmas,” Sophie told her.
Serena bounced him. “We will,” she shouted to be heard over the wailing baby. “You should see all the ‘baby’s first Christmas’ stuff I got for him. He’s gonna be the life of the party.”
“I’ll bet.” Sophie actually thought Gilbert could shut down a party.
“Want me to tell Natasha to come?”
Sophie nodded. She was eager to see Natasha. She wanted to hear more about the college boyfriend and his parents. How had Natasha broken the news to them? Who did she tell first? Sophie knew these were self-serving questions and probably had little or nothing to do with a follow-up article, but she wanted to know.
Unfortunately Natasha wasn’t feeling chatty. The most Sophie learned was that Natasha initially told her mom, then her mom took over.
“So your mom told Terrence and his family for you?”
“Pretty much.” Natasha frowned at Sophie. “But I can’t imagine how that’s anything you’d print in the newspaper. What’s up anyway?”
“Oh, you know . . . just trying to let readers walk a mile in your moccasins.”
“Tell them to get pregnant then.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that would make an interesting article.”
With her hands resting on top of her tummy, Natasha leaned forward. “What’s your game, newsgirl?” Her eyes narrowed. “Huh?”
“Why are you asking me all these questions?”
“For an article on—”
“I don’t believe you.” Natasha stood. “I think you came here to gawk at us like we’re a bunch of sideshow freaks, and it somehow makes you feel better to—”
“That’s not it at all.”
But it was too late. Natasha was already storming out of the room. Sophie considered chasing after her, apologizing, maybe even explaining. But now Leah was coming in, and she seemed troubled too. Sophie wondered if Natasha had said something to tip her off.
“Are you feeling okay?” Sophie asked as Leah eased herself down into the chair across from Sophie.
Leah sighed. “It’s been a rough week.”
“How so?” Sophie picked up her pen and notepad, determined to keep this official. Although she was starting to have doubts about her article.
“You’re still not going to use my name in the newspaper, right?”
“Right.”
Leah had tears in her eyes. “We broke up.”
“You and your boyfriend broke up?”
Leah nodded as she pulled out a tissue from the box on Mrs. Manchester’s desk.
“I’m so sorry, Leah.” Sophie set down her pen.
“Yeah, me too.”
“Do you think it might be for the best?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I really thought we were getting married, you know, like I told you, right after Christmas. I got a dress and everything.”
“That must be hard.”
“Yeah . . . last weekend, like straight out of the blue, he told me he’s too young to be a dad. He thinks he needs to go to college. Just community college, but he says he needs to go so he can get a better job.”
“That sounds smart.”
“Smart? To leave me like that?”
“No, I mean smart to get an education.”
Leah stared with red-rimmed eyes. “But what about me? What about the baby? What will we do? Why is it okay for me to deal with this on my own?”
Sophie had no answer to that.
“I mean, it takes two to have a baby, right? Shouldn’t he have to stick around and help out?”
“I think the father should take some responsibility.” Sophie swallowed hard. Words were cheap.
“He promised to marry me.” Leah was sobbing again.
Sophie grabbed her a couple more tissues and waited.
“What am I going to do?” Leah said finally.
Like Sophie had answers. “What do you want to do?” Sophie knew that Leah was due in late January. Not all that far off.
“I don’t know.” Leah twisted the tissue into a snake shape. “My parents are pushing me to give it up . . . you know, for adoption.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Confused.”
Sophie nodded. “Yeah, I can imagine.”
Something in Leah seemed to change just then. Kind of like she snapped from hopelessness to anger. She glared at Sophie. “Really?