We Didn't Stop

“Oh, Stephanie,” Kate whimpered, tearing up at her friend's unwanted pregnancy, “it’s okay. I’m here. We’ll get through this together.” After a couple of minutes, they were again facing each other, seated on the floor. Kate continued to hold Stephanie’s hand. “Does your mom know you're pregnant?” Kate asked, dabbing her eyes. Stephanie slowly shook her head. “She doesn’t know. Nobody knows except me and you, and the doctor at the clinic.”

Another minute passed in silence, except for an occasional sniffle. Stephanie drank in the comfort of her friend being there for her. She appreciated the fact that Kate was not bugging her with the inevitable questions: who, when, and how? But she realized that Kate deserved to know the answers.

Stephanie spoke softly. “Remember when Mom and I flew to the West Coast for my grandmother’s funeral the first of June?” “Yes. You were gone a whole week.” Stephanie nodded. “Well, there’s this guy back there--Brent. As a kid, I saw him every summer when we went to my dad’s parents for vacation. We played together and had crushes on each other--just kid stuff. That was a long time ago. Then I saw him in June, I couldn’t believe it. He was so different, so grown up. By the end of the week I was spending most of my time with him and one thing led to another, and that Friday night we…didn’t stop.