Sage

10

I made about three hundred a week, and 1200 a month. Every cent I made went to savings. Whether it was for hospital bills or rent and utilities.

There were nights I spent metaphorically banging my head against the wall, considering the dark, intrusive thought of an abortion. It wasn't what I wanted but I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to keep up with making so little money and doing it alone.

I loved Jenny and Niall but they kept their late hours at the shop, so when I was up during the day, they were asleep. It was another drastic change to my life that added to my stress that I couldn't fucking afford to have.

I finish up the first song, preparing myself for the second when the front door buzzes. The woman behind the receptionist counter, who was also the med-tech, brings her feet down from the desk and buzzes in the code to let the person in.

"Hi! I'm here to see Ellie," Jenny asks, and Kim directs her to me, immediately going back to her phone as I babysit all of my residents plus hers. I roll my eyes but smile nevertheless at the sight of my friend, my fingers still working the keys.

"Jenny from the block," I state.

"Ellie yellie, I missed you," She gushes, holding a bag of chipotle, "You're playing again?"

Jenny knew that I played the piano, courtesy of my father, but she also knew I wasn't confident in my abilities and tended to shy away from the instrument. But playing it here passed the time and I didn't have to worry about judgment because half of these people would forget anyhow.

"What can I say? I'm a bit of a celebrity around here." I say, ending the song on a high note before turning to face my residents. "Alright, to the main room ya'll go. I gotta talk to my friend."

Scattered moans and groans are heard but when I usher them to the room just across the hall, they enter, immediately being drawn to the Andy Griffith show.

"Speaking of celebrities," She begins, and I instantly sigh exhaustedly, knowing exactly who she's talking about.

I may have lied when I said Harry made no means to contact me, because he did.

He'd shown up to the shop a few times, all around two-thirty in the morning when he knew Jenny would be there. I'm sure he learned her schedule at this point.

When she first told me he'd paid a visit, I got a pathetic twinge of hope, one I can laugh about now. But this man didn't want to apologize or accept our situation and make do.

This man wanted a fucking paternity test.

He came to the shop dressed in all his richness, a small stack of papers connected with a staple that were forms he needed me to sign to get it done.

Harry had my number and he knew where I lived. I understood him showing up the first night, but when Jenny told him I quit, he didn't bother asking where I worked now, only pushing her to get me to sign them. He made no actual effort to talk to me like an adult. And for that, I couldn't give less of a shit about him or his papers.

I didn't even know why he wanted me to sign them, to begin with. He made up his mind that he didn't want to be in our lives so it made no sense.

"This time, he brought his lawyer. Jacob? Jim? Something like that," She takes a bite of her food and shakes her head. We'd moved to one of the tables, now sitting across from each other.

"Of course he did. What did you tell him?"

"To fuck off. That you said no. Niall gave him his fair share of words though, told him how disappointed he was before Charlie and Felix threatened to physically remove them,"