On The Run: Part Two

Chapter Twenty-Four - "Pitter, Patter And A Leap"

Chloe

I stared open-mouthed at the small camera screen, where I was standing behind the set, with Jerry, Jay, Katie, and Hal. Jerry’s expression went livid, and Jay stared surprised. The entire news set went silent.

Virginia Jorgensen looked taken aback, “It is true?”

“Yes. That’s what I said. I have a daughter.”

“Well, would you care to explain?”

“I would. My mother died when I was a kid, and . . . I’d never had to go through anything like that. I dealt with it in a way that some would call a cliché, and I repressed everything. Turns out, that’s not the best idea. One day, I realized that the hard way, when that strip turned pink.”

Virginia nodded understandingly.

“She’s playing the sympathy card,” Jerry said, “Genius.”

I frowned. Sarah looked so sincere; that couldn’t just be for the cameras.

“In a world where so many people are dying to have children, I certainly wasn’t going to get rid of my baby. I was young, yes, but there was a family somewhere who could do things that I couldn’t just yet, and who wanted to. I’d made mistakes, and it would be hard to let go, but I had to. My father and I were mourning. It would have been completely unfair to bring a child into that mix.”

“Of course.”

“Right now, I’m not ready to share her with the world yet. I have a past, like everyone else, and I’ve kept my life as private as I could manage, considering the family I’m from. But it catches up. I can only say that I am glad that I didn’t make any rash decisions.”

“You mean an abortion?”

“Of course. That’s . . . murder. It is something that will haunt a person for the rest of their life. Which is why my father’s campaign is going to be partnering with St. Mary’s Home for Children, to find a way to reach those young girls who are so lost that they think there’s only one way. Together, we will give them options. It is something we are very passionate about, and with the help of hospital programs and the assistance of the Catholic Church, we will find away to scrap that word from our vocabulary entirely. Life is a beautiful thing; to take it away . . . well, that’s criminal.”

“She’s amazing,” Katie breathed.

Jerry shook his head slowly in disbelief and turned to Jay, “She should have run for president.”

I smiled to myself.

Virginia turned to the camera, “Well, you heard it here first. Sarah Barron, daughter of Governor Barron, presidential candidate, does indeed have a child, but furthermore, is pro-life.” She turned to Sarah, “Thank you so much for talking to us here at Wake Up, America, Sarah. We look forward to seeing you and your daughter here soon.”

“It would be my absolute pleasure,” she replied with one of her camera-perfect smiles.

Everything seemed so . . . perfect. The way she sat, the way she tilted her head and smiled, the way she spoke – so camera-perfect.

“And that’s a wrap!” the cameraman said.

Virginia said something to Sarah, who gave her a beam and a hug, and walked off the set.

The minute she walked past the camera crew, the smile was off her face, and she shook her head in exasperation.

Had it really all been for the camera?