molded plastic chair before her name
was called. She sat upright, gathered her purse with an extra
bottle and a couple of extra diapers, hefted Jonas higher and
walked into the counselor’s office.
The young woman across from her was only a
couple years older than Beth, and hadn’t been here the last time
Beth came to talk to the counselor, when they found out Linda was
pregnant and needed to look at options. That had been an older
woman who had been kind but firmly believed Linda should give up
the child. Beth shifted Jonas nervously, and he began to fuss.
“I’m Linda Lapointe’s sister, her guardian,
and I was wondering how she’s doing in her summer classes, if she’s
going.”
The other woman, whose nameplate on the desk
read Claire Bellows, sat back in her chair, looking from Jonas to
Beth. “Are you raising him now?”
“I’m helping out while Linda goes to school.
She has been coming to school, right?”
Ms. Bellows typed something on her laptop and
checked the screen over the tops of her glasses. “She’s missed
three days.”
“Three days of summer school?” She eased
Jonas onto her lap where he could look at her. Summer school had
only been in session, what, a week and a half? “How many can she
miss before she won’t get credit?”
“Three’s the max. We do a lot of work in a
short time here, so she needs to be in class every day.”
“She’s been leaving the house,” Beth said
when she saw the accusation in Ms. Bellows’s gaze. She thought of
the days Trinity had given up to watch Jonas, and the little sneak
hadn’t even been coming to school. “And her work? Has she been
turning it in?”
“You’d have to ask her teachers that. I have
no record of that.”
Beth’s exhaustion was catching up to her, and
Ms. Bellows’s attitude was off-putting, to say the least. “Well, do
you talk to her? She’s an at-risk student, a single mom raised by a
guardian. Don’t you talk to her on a regular basis?”
“You may know that Linda is a—difficult girl
to get through to.”
“Right, but you’re trained for that,
right?”
“Sure, but she’s at a stage where she’s cut
herself off from any authority figure. She won’t listen to any of
us. I presume you’re facing the same difficulty.”
“I am.” Jonas wriggled, his mouth open to
cry, and Beth popped a pacifier into his mouth. He sucked noisily,
but looked at her accusingly for fooling him.
Beth debated for a moment telling this young
woman about Linda’s drinking, but her innate need for privacy
prevented her from doing so. She didn’t feel comfortable in here,
and wanted to leave, but she also needed help to reach Linda.
“We can’t give up on her,” Beth said. “She
doesn’t understand what she’s throwing away, how hard she’s making
her future. I didn’t get to go to college, so I’m limited, but I
want her to be able to go. Maybe if someone who isn’t me talks to
her about it—there’s got to be someone here she respects, or
likes.”
“I’ll ask around,” the other woman said
without much conviction. “Let me ask—I know it isn’t easy for two
young women to raise a baby, when you have to work and she has
school. Have you considered—it isn’t too late to put him up for
adoption.”
Beth picked Jonas up from her lap so fast
that he squawked and lost his pacifier. Beth was shaking so much
she didn’t even bother reaching for it. Anger heated every pore in
her body as she rose, Jonas clutched to her chest. “Out of the
question. He’s part of our lives now, and I couldn’t give him away
like an unwanted puppy.” She reached for the door handle. “I
appreciate your time,” she managed, and hurried out the door and
down the hall.
She sat in the car a long moment, waiting for
the trembling to subside. She wouldn’t let Linda give up Jonas now.
She couldn’t. Maybe it was for the best, but she’d sooner cut off
her arm or leg than part with him.
Finally feeling calm enough to drive,
was called. She sat upright, gathered her purse with an extra
bottle and a couple of extra diapers, hefted Jonas higher and
walked into the counselor’s office.
The young woman across from her was only a
couple years older than Beth, and hadn’t been here the last time
Beth came to talk to the counselor, when they found out Linda was
pregnant and needed to look at options. That had been an older
woman who had been kind but firmly believed Linda should give up
the child. Beth shifted Jonas nervously, and he began to fuss.
“I’m Linda Lapointe’s sister, her guardian,
and I was wondering how she’s doing in her summer classes, if she’s
going.”
The other woman, whose nameplate on the desk
read Claire Bellows, sat back in her chair, looking from Jonas to
Beth. “Are you raising him now?”
“I’m helping out while Linda goes to school.
She has been coming to school, right?”
Ms. Bellows typed something on her laptop and
checked the screen over the tops of her glasses. “She’s missed
three days.”
“Three days of summer school?” She eased
Jonas onto her lap where he could look at her. Summer school had
only been in session, what, a week and a half? “How many can she
miss before she won’t get credit?”
“Three’s the max. We do a lot of work in a
short time here, so she needs to be in class every day.”
“She’s been leaving the house,” Beth said
when she saw the accusation in Ms. Bellows’s gaze. She thought of
the days Trinity had given up to watch Jonas, and the little sneak
hadn’t even been coming to school. “And her work? Has she been
turning it in?”
“You’d have to ask her teachers that. I have
no record of that.”
Beth’s exhaustion was catching up to her, and
Ms. Bellows’s attitude was off-putting, to say the least. “Well, do
you talk to her? She’s an at-risk student, a single mom raised by a
guardian. Don’t you talk to her on a regular basis?”
“You may know that Linda is a—difficult girl
to get through to.”
“Right, but you’re trained for that,
right?”
“Sure, but she’s at a stage where she’s cut
herself off from any authority figure. She won’t listen to any of
us. I presume you’re facing the same difficulty.”
“I am.” Jonas wriggled, his mouth open to
cry, and Beth popped a pacifier into his mouth. He sucked noisily,
but looked at her accusingly for fooling him.
Beth debated for a moment telling this young
woman about Linda’s drinking, but her innate need for privacy
prevented her from doing so. She didn’t feel comfortable in here,
and wanted to leave, but she also needed help to reach Linda.
“We can’t give up on her,” Beth said. “She
doesn’t understand what she’s throwing away, how hard she’s making
her future. I didn’t get to go to college, so I’m limited, but I
want her to be able to go. Maybe if someone who isn’t me talks to
her about it—there’s got to be someone here she respects, or
likes.”
“I’ll ask around,” the other woman said
without much conviction. “Let me ask—I know it isn’t easy for two
young women to raise a baby, when you have to work and she has
school. Have you considered—it isn’t too late to put him up for
adoption.”
Beth picked Jonas up from her lap so fast
that he squawked and lost his pacifier. Beth was shaking so much
she didn’t even bother reaching for it. Anger heated every pore in
her body as she rose, Jonas clutched to her chest. “Out of the
question. He’s part of our lives now, and I couldn’t give him away
like an unwanted puppy.” She reached for the door handle. “I
appreciate your time,” she managed, and hurried out the door and
down the hall.
She sat in the car a long moment, waiting for
the trembling to subside. She wouldn’t let Linda give up Jonas now.
She couldn’t. Maybe it was for the best, but she’d sooner cut off
her arm or leg than part with him.
Finally feeling calm enough to drive,
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