Serenity (Inevitable #5)(106)

"Matt, not now, okay?" interjected Lindsey, who'd remained largely silent until now. "It's been a rough day for Hayley, and I think we should give her some space now. You're just upsetting her more by pushing this issue with the police. And I hate to say it, but it's not going to do any good at this point. It will just make you and I look like irresponsible parents, not knowing where our daughter was that night, or having her feel that she could trust us enough with the truth."

"Fine." Matthew threw up his hands in frustration. "I'll drop that part of it for now. But we still need to discuss this whole pregnancy issue, what you plan on doing about it. First of all, have you been to a doctor? Or are you just assuming you're pregnant based on the home test you took?"

Hayley glanced back and forth between her parents uncertainly. "Um, no. I - I haven't been to the doctor yet. Mom's going to make an appointment for me on Monday. But I'm positive that I'm pregnant, Dad. I've felt sick to my stomach and tired and all the other symptoms. And it wasn't just the one test. This is the third one I used and they've all been positive."

"Okay." He nodded. "Now, what do you intend to do about this? Your mother said that you were actually thinking of having the baby? Under the circumstances, Hayley, wouldn't you prefer to - "

"Have an abortion?" she burst out. "No, I don't want to do that, Daddy. I want to have the baby and raise it myself."

"What?" Matthew was both shocked and horrified at this revelation. "Hayley, you can't mean that. For God's sake, you're sixteen years old and can barely look out for yourself. How in the world are you going to take care of a baby? You still need to finish high school, and then go to college. And you won't have the baby's father to help out. I can understand why you wouldn't want to have an abortion, but surely adoption would be a much better solution. They have open adoptions these days, so you would know who the parents are and could keep in touch with them, still be a part of the baby's life. Don't you think that would be a much better idea?"

Hayley shook her head stubbornly. "No, that's not what I want. I don't want to give my baby away. And we're rich, we can hire a nanny or someone to look after the baby while I'm at school."

"Honey, I really think you're oversimplifying this whole thing," cautioned Matthew. "You have no idea what's involved with raising a child. And you're so young, Hayley. I can't imagine that you'd want to tie yourself down this way. I really, really think you need to give this some very careful thought and weigh your options more closely."

"That's exactly what I've been telling her," interjected Lindsey. "She's going to ruin her life if she has this baby. I have no idea how she's going to keep this hidden from her friends, or what kind of social life she can have with a baby. You should listen to your father, Hayley, and either terminate the pregnancy or give the baby up for adoption."

"No!" Hayley shook her head stubbornly. "You can't force me to do either of those things, Mom, in spite of what you told me earlier. Can I talk to Dad privately now?"

Lindsey glared at her daughter. "Fine. But if you somehow manage to convince him to let you have this baby, then he'd damn well better be prepared to do his part in helping to raise it. Because if you think you're going to dump a baby on me to raise, young lady, then think again."

Lindsey stormed out of the room, her heels clicking in a fast, furious patter on the wood floors. Hayley waited until her mother was out of earshot, then turned to Matthew with a look of desperation on her face.



       
         
       
        

"Daddy, you've got to help me!" she pleaded. "Mom has been having a fit ever since she found out I was pregnant, and she keeps saying she's either going to force me to have an abortion or ship me off to some school or home where I can have the baby in secret and then have it adopted. Please don't let her do that, please?"

"Shh, it's okay," soothed Matthew, as Hayley flung himself into his arms. "I promise I won't let her force you into anything. We'll work through this together, all right? It's going to be a family decision, Hayley, and we'll consider all the options."

She nodded, burrowing her head against his chest. "I knew you'd stick up for me, Daddy. Mom has been so horrible to live with ever since you left, you have no idea. She's mean and selfish and hardly ever here. But she says she won't let me go live with you, especially since you have a girlfriend now, says that her lawyer would file some sort of order to prevent me and Casey from moving in with you. Can she really do that?"