Rich in Love: When God Rescues Messy People Read Free Page A

past with me and the heartaches he had endured while growing up in a very difficult environment. It was then I discovered he’d had to be a fighter in order to survive. Throughout his childhood he had learned a lot of things no boy should have to learn, and as a result, he’d made promises to himself that affected his future in positive and negative ways.
    But with too much time alone in the dark, two teenagers at the peak of their raging hormones find other things to do besides talk. I was stupid and naive, and not surprisingly, I lost my innocence.
    When a girl meets a boy she likes, and she’s old enough, it’s supposed to be fun going on dates and doing things together. But during my time with Domingo there were no fun events or happy dates—just worries about getting caught.
    One time Domingo and I had fallen asleep fully clothed on top of my bed when my dad came home and opened my door. I will never forget the sound of the door opening or his face when he saw me with Domingo. Shock. Disappointment. He didn’t yell or get angry; he just quietly handled the situation. He called the police while I sat, quietly crying in the living room, terrified. Domingo sat in the kitchen with his head down, his hands dangling between his legs as he waited for my dad to blow.
    The police came and questioned Domingo and looked up his record. I had no idea he had such a long rap sheet. I knew some of the stuff because he’d told me. But there were surprises on that list even for me. I didn’t like what I heard. I’d admired this boy who did so much with so little. His tenacious and creative character that never gave up. No matter what the obstacles, he figured out a way to work through or around them and thrive, not just survive. I loved his kind and giving heart. I loved talking to him and hearing what he thought about things. He was affectionate and seemed happy to care for me.
    But I had begun to see a different side of him. He wasn’t always fun and happy—he had a dark and scary side, one that was controlling and angry and very jealous. We had started to fight all the time. I wasn’t so sure I liked him or trusted him to be good to me. That night I realized my dad was right and I was wrong. I decided to break up with Domingo and begin mending my relationship with my dad.

chapter 2
    fear and marriage
    One day when I was at a friend’s house, her sister commented that I was starting to fill out. It felt like the world froze. Everyone was looking at me. “You look like you’re pregnant,” she said.
    “Don’t talk to me like that in front of everybody,” I said, fuming. “It’s not right.” I stomped out of the house. After calming down a little, I tried to remember when my last cycle had been. Since I was irregular, missing one period was not unusual. But a cold chill crept up my back as I tried to think. Fear crawled in and replaced my anger. What if I really am pregnant?
    I was scared but didn’t know what to do, so I kept it to myself. Within a few weeks I knew for sure I was pregnant. At breakfast I would get up from the table to go throw up.
    A friend who worked for a doctor’s office told me that when I turned sixteen in a couple of weeks I’d be old enough to come in by myself to see if I was pregnant. (There were no home pregnancy tests back then.) I was never afraid of being a mother, but I was afraid of hurting my family, so I started to look for homes for unwed mothers and began saving my money to run away. What I knew for certain was that I didn’t want any part of Domingo anymore.
    So after my sixteenth birthday in June, I went to the doctor to find out what I already knew was the truth. When the doctor told me I was three months along, I was numb. I knew this would shame my whole family, and I wanted to die. But I also knew I had to tell Domingo. It wasn’t what I wanted, but I knew it was the right thing to do. My friend who worked for the doctor had already alerted Domingo to the possibility,