Unwed 💍

Chapter Four: Love Hurts

"Be good, Isadora." Her voice was careful and practiced. "We'll be waiting anxiously for your return, when you've recovered."

Izzy flinched. Her mother was already acting out the lie they'd concocted, worried someone would overhear. She could imagine her spinning up a story about her falling ill with pneumonia to her friends at ladies tea next week.

On her other side, her father wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and kissed her cheek. The roughness of his whiskers and smell of his aftershave lingered when he pulled back. "Be strong, Izzy." His voice was raw, sadness penetrating his blue eyes.

Maria and Sam hadn't been allowed to see her off. They'd both cried themselves into a tizzy up until the moment she'd left. Her mother had forbidden them to come out of the house, fearing they'd make a scene.

Ricky hadn't wanted to come. Izzy could tell that he was disappointed in her—maybe he was embarrassed as well. He hadn't even said goodbye.

The train doors opened and the line pushed forward. Izzy bit her lip, drawing in a deep breath as she turned to her parents. She wasn't going to cry.

She was going to be strong and dignified—at least that might make her mother a little proud. She held the ticket tightly in one hand, her suitcase in the other. Her mother's eyes were distant when they met hers.

"Goodbye—I love you," she said quietly, a lump forming in her throat.

"Get well, Isadora. We'll miss you." Her mother pulled a handkerchief from her purse and dabbed at her eyes.

"I love you too, sweetheart." Her father reached out and squeezed her hand, then quickly released it. His head was down as he and her mother walked away.

A skinny boy around her age pried her luggage from her tight grip, jolting her back to reality. She followed the line up the steps and into the train, her ticket nearly crumpled in her hand.

She felt her heart shrivel up as she found her seat. The last two days had carried more pain than she'd felt in a lifetime. She was starting to become practiced at shutting all feelings out—simply for the sake of finding the will to live. Her stomach jumped again causing her to cringe. She knew it wasn't right, but she hated the thing inside of her.

"Where are you headed, dear?" came the  frail voice of an elderly woman seated beside her.

Where was she headed? St. Mary's Home for Unwed Mothers, a catholic institution on an island in the middle of nowhere, six hours away from home. As far from gossip as possible—her mother had made sure of that.

Fixing a polite smile on her face, she turned to the old woman. "I'm on my way to visit my aunt." Her cheeks reddened.

She rarely ever lied. Even though the old woman was a complete stranger, she felt sick inside.

The woman's wrinkled, brown eyes were warm, holding Izzy's a little too long. She looked down at her hands.

"Well, that's nice dear. Does your aunt live far?" The old woman unclasped her purse and pulled out two pieces of peppermint. She popped one in her mouth and held out the other to Izzy. "My name is Mabelle, Mabelle Donovan. I'm traveling to see my daughter."

Izzy took the mint, wishing the woman would leave her to her thoughts. But, she'd been raised to be polite and to respect her elders.

"I'm Isadora. My aunt lives quite far from here, on an island. Drummond Island."

The old woman's eyebrows lifted slightly at her last words and she immediately wished she hadn't been so specific. Was it possible she knew about the home for unwed mothers on the island? Why hadn't she just said St. Ignace or some other city along the way? Her cheeks burned and she suddenly felt like her secret was out—already. And she hadn't even gotten off the train.

"Have you been there before?" the old woman pressed. "It's a beautiful island."

Izzy straightened. "You've been there?"

The old woman nodded, a far off look in her eyes. "A long time ago."

Silence ensued after her words. Izzy stared out the window at the landscape rolling by, nothing but dense forest. She turned to find the old woman studying her, her eyes cloudy.

She put a thin, crooked hand on Izzy's wrist, squeezing it. "It will all turn out alright," she said softly, her dark eyes searching Izzy's. "It's not the end."

Izzy's mouth moved to form the words, but nothing came out. Finally she managed, "I..."

"No need to say anything else, dear."

The train came to a halt. She slowly rose, and gave Izzy one last squeeze of her hand before she left. "Don't lose hope," she whispered.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please click the little star if you did! Next chapter, Izzy arrives at the home for unwed mothers, and her new life begins. Will she remember the old woman's words?