The Eternal Engagement Read Free Page B

backward. “I need to push.”
    She didn’t know which was worse, her labor pains or her not hearing from Lincoln in nine months. She needed him at the birth of their baby. Holding his hand would’ve eased the pain in her heart.
    Abandonment. Dejection. Betrayal. Why?
    All the times she’d been there for him. What was on his mind that made him not want to be there for her? What made him treat her this way? Her cell number and her mom’s home phone number and address were the same. She wasn’t mad at him for trying to please his grandfather, but why hadn’t he called to find out whether she was pregnant with his baby? Didn’t he care about her? About them? Did his grandfather tell him she was pregnant? Was his grandfather to blame for Lincoln’s not calling?
    â€œOw . . . oh, God, help me.” Tears rolled into sweat that soaked the gown that clung to her tender breasts. Every part of her body ached.
    Holding her hand, her mother said, “Nothing hurts more than making a bad decision that you have to live with the rest of your life. Unless you’re married, Katherine, do not, I repeat, do not birth any more babies into this world.”
    Katherine prayed for a boy. Maybe her baby would give her the love Lincoln used to. The ring Lincoln gave her was in her dorm room. She didn’t want to risk losing track of it at the hospital, so she’d taken it off. Soon as she was released, and back in the family dormitory, she was putting it back on.
    â€œI’m engaged to be marri—” Katherine held her stomach. “Mama! I wanna push.”
    Calmly the doctor said, “Not yet. But we’re close. I need you to dilate two more centimeters first. Hang in there. You’re doing great, Katherine.”
    No, she wasn’t doing great. She was doing horribly.
    In two years, she’d had sex with Lincoln only twenty-three times because he abstained during football season. They’d started out using protection. Toward the end of their senior year, she’d gone to Planned Parenthood to get on the pill. College was a few months after their graduation, and the last thing they needed was a baby. She protected them by taking birth control.
    â€œOwwww!” Leaning forward, then flopping backward—her movements became redundant.
    Didn’t take long for her to realize she should’ve listened to the counselor and still used condoms. Maybe their baby was God’s way of giving her a piece of Lincoln. Wasn’t the jersey he’d worn in the championship game, then gave to her on graduation day, good enough? Or the ring? Or his love?
    â€œMama isn’t saying your baby is the bad decision. Your mistake was not using protection. And honey, that’s a bad decision for more than one reason,” her mother said, then kissed her forehead. “I wanted better for you, Katherine. That’s why I moved us from Hollywood to Selma. I didn’t want you to end up a single teenage mother like me.”
    â€œOwwww!” Katherine screamed, leaned back, then exhaled holding her stomach.
    Her mother was her biggest advocate. Her mom made her go to UFL. Finish her first freshman semester, start her second. Katherine should’ve been studying with her group of new friends. Instead, she was in the delivery room in Gainesville, her friends were in the waiting room, and Lincoln was only God knew where, doing only God knew what. She feared he’d fallen in love with someone else. If he hadn’t, why hadn’t he called?
    Tears for him blanketed her eyes. “I’m sorry, Mama. I’m so sorry I disappointed you. I promise I won’t do this again.”
    At least she could make a promise she’d keep.
    â€œHush, honey. Having a baby is no reason for you to be sorry about anything. I’m going to stay here with you and watch our baby while you get your education. This baby is going to see its mother on television anchoring the