The Pregnant Scam

Chapter Thirty-One

    My mouth went dry as I stared at the brochures of adoption agency. Had Jennifer lost her mind?! How could she possibly think of giving her baby away. "You're...... You're thinking of adoption agencies? Are you insane!" I proclaimed.
    Jennifer jumped she must have not realized I had came into her hospital room. She closed the binder she was searching through, "Julia, I didn't hear you come in."
    I threw the baby gift on the bed, "Here's a gift for the baby and you, or should I address the card for his adoptive parents?" I said angrily.
    The hurt look on her face made me want to take back the cruel words I said. "When did you turn into Lexi?" She asked defensively.
    Her words made me even more angry. Lexi? She thinks my cruel words sounded like Lexi? I wasn't being near as mean with her as Lexi was with me! "When did you decide you're giving your baby away? Thought we were in this together." I said softly feeling like I was now the only teenager keeping her baby.
    "Julia we are in this together, we both went through pregnancy, and I will be with you every step of your pregnancy and afterwards too! If you need help babysitting watching your baby I will."
    "But you're not keeping your baby!" I argued, "You'll giving him away, you'll go back to school like the last nine months hadn't mattered, and I'll be the only teen mother."
    "Yes I'm not keeping him, but it doesn't mean I don't love him. I'm giving him his best chance at life, not to mention giving a family who longs for a child a dream come true, and helping myself as well. I'm not you Julia, I don't have the daddy ready to step up and be dad, I don't have encouraging parents and family wanting to help me. My parents haven't even came to see their grandchild. I'm.... I'm all alone." Her voice choked she sniffed and wiped her tears with her arm, "I need to go to college if I'm going to have a decent shot at life, and raising a child alone while in college seems impossible in my opinion. Giving my child to a family that can support him and love him is my only option and it's a win win for all of us, my baby will be loved and given a life I can't give him, a family will get a gift they've wanted for awhile, and I'll be able to work and go to college to eventually be able to support myself." She looked at my disapproving face, "I don't expect you to understand, but I want to let you know that just because I'm giving my baby away, doesn't mean we have to stop being friends. I'll still support you and your decision to keep your baby, please support me in mine."
    I sniffed fighting back my own tears, "I just assumed you'll keep your baby. I never imagined that you had other ideas."
    Jennifer smiled sadly at me, "Me neither, honestly I wish I could keep him, but my parents aren't paying a dime for college and a baby gets expensive. This is the best way." She looked down at the binder she had of families wanting to adopt.
    "Where is your baby anyway?" I asked looking around the barren hospital room.
    "He's in the baby nursery. It's best if a mother is going through with adoption to keep the baby in a different room so I don't become attached." She cleared her throat, "I already have a family picked out, there's just one phone call to make and the family can be here today to meet him. Would you.... would you stay with me?" She looked up at me, "I... I don't want to be alone when I met them."
    "Yeah, yes of course I'll stay." I gave her a hug, "You're a lot braver than me, Jennifer. I couldn't go through with it."
    She smiled, "When you love your child and want him to have the best life the strength will come to you."
    Jennifer rang for a nurse who went to fetch the child adoption agency lady who introduced herself as Kate came in and talked to Jennifer. Kate was very encouraging telling Jennifer she made the right choice. After Jennifer told the Kate who she wanted to give her child to she left the room to make the call.
    Kate came back into the room a few minutes later with a smile on her face, "The Grayson family got on the next flight they could, they're be here in a couple hours to met you and your baby. Then if everyone is still on board we can sign the paperwork today."
    Jennifer gulped and slowly nodded her hand.
    Kate smiled and patted Jenifer's hand, "You're really brave and are doing the right thing. You're not only helping your baby, but you're giving a family a most precious gift of all. Of course you can always back out and change your mind." She said soothingly.