"What do you mean you can't come?" I wailed into the phone.
"Jess, I've only been working here two weeks, I can't ask for days off already! You know how much we need the money!" Adam reasoned with me.
Of course I knew how much we needed the money. Adam was right, as usual. I just really, really wanted him to be with me for our first session at the Expecting Parents Group tomorrow. I knew I was being a brat. I should be more supportive. I'm really proud that he got the job at Safeway, really. Now that we have an (even though very small) income, we don't have to ask Carol for absolutely everything now. Even so, when Adam called from work to tell me I'd be going all by myself, you can imagine I was less than pleased.
"But..." I whispered.
"I'm really, really sorry Jess!"
"It's okay," I said, "It's not your fault. You're doing the right thing I suppose. Anyway, you should get to work..."
"Yeah I guess. Bye Jess."
********************
"Now, I'll be waiting out here for you afterwards, but there's no rush. Just come out when your finished, dear." Carol said. She climbed into her car and waved as she drove off.
I felt so alone. I'd never felt alone in my life. When my parents had always loved Prue more, I had felt isolated, but not quite alone. When Dr. Palmer told me I was pregnant I wasn't alone. When my Dad kicked me out, I wasn't alone. I took a deep breath and walked into the community centre.
A tall, thin and brittle lady looked down her nose at me and said, "Oh, you must be Jessica. We're just about to begin, so if you'll take a seat..." Gesturing to a circle of chairs.
Her voice was nasal and cold, it sent shivers down my spine.
"It appears we have a spare seat today...Is anyone missing a partner?" The Lady said, looking directly at me.
"Oh, um, yes. My boyfriend couldn't come, because he had to uh, work."
"You're boyfriend hmm? And is he the father of the baby?" The way she spoke was sharp, like a knife slicing through thin air.
"Y-Yes." I stammered. I felt like I was back at school and I'd done something I wasn't supposed to.
"How old are you again Jess?"
"I'm sixteen."
"That's very young to be having a child. Did you plan this?" She accused.
"No! Not at all! It was an accident!"
"AN ACCIDENT!?! How would your baby feel when they hear that? They were just an ACCIDENT were they? PEOPLE AREN'T ACCIDENTS!" She growled ferociously.
The other parents were glaring at me, they were all at least thirty and obviously disapproved of me being pregnant at such a young age.
"I didn't mean-"
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK? I THINK THAT YOU DON'T EVEN DESERVE THIS BABY!! You are an unfit mother!!!"
Then all the other parents closed in on me and started to grab my limbs, tearing me apart...
That was when I woke up screaming.
"Jess? Jess? Jess!" Adam said frantically.
"What happened?"He asked.
"I...nothing. It was just a dream." If I told him he would feel guilty, and probably quit his job altogether.
"Tell me!" he demanded.
"No, I already forgot. I'm going back to sleep." I rolled over on the double bed Carol had given us. After three nights of finding me in Adam's bed she set this one up for us.
