trouble.”
Michael cleared his throat and wished he hadn’t mentioned seeing Celina at all. He should have waited till the kids went to bed. The children were staring at him, waiting for more information. “Sometimes women have a baby growing inside them at the wrong time in their lives.”
Rosie shook her head. “Why?”
“Well, they might not have enough money,” Annie said. “Or maybe they’re not married. Maybe they’re very young. Maybe they don’t feel ready to be a mommy.”
“I’m only six,” Rosie argued, “but if I had a baby in my tummy I’d be its mommy.”
“When you get older you’ll understand better,” Michael said.
“No I won’t,” Rosie insisted. “It’s mean not to take care of your baby.”
“You’re right, Rosie,” Annie said gently. “It is mean. But people can be mean to their children, too. Not everybody should become a mommy. And sometimes those women decide not to and they have what’s called an abortion.”
Henry made a face like he was grossed out. “Well, what is it?”
“It’s a procedure we do to remove the fetus.”
“What’s a fetus?” Rosie said.
“It’s a baby, stupid,” Henry said.
“Technically, no, Henry,” Michael said. “It takes several months for a fetus to become a baby. That’s a medical perspective, anyway.” Michael glanced at his wife. “Other people argue that life begins at conception.”
“Well, does it or doesn’t it?” Henry asked, suddenly impatient.
“Life is present in the womb, cells are multiplying just like mold on a sandwich. It’s not like you can put Pampers on a six-week-old fetus.”
“So, then, it’s okay to kill it?”
Michael shook his head. “I don’t know, Henry. I don’t know if it’s okay.”
Henry shrugged and shook his head and brought his plate over to the sink, humming the famous tune to The Twilight Zone. “Well,” Annie said, getting up to clear the table, “I guess we covered that subject. Who wants dessert?”
Over ice cream, Henry described his science fair project. “It’s a windmill. I rigged up a fan to make it spin.”
“It’s really cool,” Rosie said importantly.
“It’s an amazing windmill, Henry,” Annie said. “I’m really proud of you.”
“You’re coming tomorrow, right, Dad?” Henry’s face froze expectantly.
Michael detected a change in Henry, a chiseled solemnity in his jaw. He’d never noticed it before. Or had it just happened, as if overnight? It came to him that the distance between them was widening and he had no one to blame but himself.
“Tomorrow?” Michael searched Annie’s face.
Annie scowled at him. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”
“Yeah, Dad, it’s tomorrow. And let me guess, you’re not coming.” Henry backed out of his chair and tramped down the stairs.
“Henry, wait!” Rosie went after him, loyal soldier, but stopped first to let in the dog. Then she skipped after her brother, down to the cellar, with Molly right beside her.
Annie got up and started to clear the table. “So, what is it this time?”
“Actually, this happens to be important.” It came out sounding like a confession. He told her about his conversation with Celina. “They’ve got appointments scheduled and nobody to do the procedure. I told her I’d show up on Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays.” He hesitated and tried to look apologetic. “Starting tomorrow.”
“Saturdays, Michael? You’re never home as it is and now we have to lose you on Saturdays?”
“I’m all they’ve got, Annie. There isn’t anyone else.”
She turned away from him at the counter, scraping the plates into the sink, then setting them noisily onto the counter. “I don’t know what to say. I know it’s an
Michael cleared his throat and wished he hadn’t mentioned seeing Celina at all. He should have waited till the kids went to bed. The children were staring at him, waiting for more information. “Sometimes women have a baby growing inside them at the wrong time in their lives.”
Rosie shook her head. “Why?”
“Well, they might not have enough money,” Annie said. “Or maybe they’re not married. Maybe they’re very young. Maybe they don’t feel ready to be a mommy.”
“I’m only six,” Rosie argued, “but if I had a baby in my tummy I’d be its mommy.”
“When you get older you’ll understand better,” Michael said.
“No I won’t,” Rosie insisted. “It’s mean not to take care of your baby.”
“You’re right, Rosie,” Annie said gently. “It is mean. But people can be mean to their children, too. Not everybody should become a mommy. And sometimes those women decide not to and they have what’s called an abortion.”
Henry made a face like he was grossed out. “Well, what is it?”
“It’s a procedure we do to remove the fetus.”
“What’s a fetus?” Rosie said.
“It’s a baby, stupid,” Henry said.
“Technically, no, Henry,” Michael said. “It takes several months for a fetus to become a baby. That’s a medical perspective, anyway.” Michael glanced at his wife. “Other people argue that life begins at conception.”
“Well, does it or doesn’t it?” Henry asked, suddenly impatient.
“Life is present in the womb, cells are multiplying just like mold on a sandwich. It’s not like you can put Pampers on a six-week-old fetus.”
“So, then, it’s okay to kill it?”
Michael shook his head. “I don’t know, Henry. I don’t know if it’s okay.”
Henry shrugged and shook his head and brought his plate over to the sink, humming the famous tune to The Twilight Zone. “Well,” Annie said, getting up to clear the table, “I guess we covered that subject. Who wants dessert?”
Over ice cream, Henry described his science fair project. “It’s a windmill. I rigged up a fan to make it spin.”
“It’s really cool,” Rosie said importantly.
“It’s an amazing windmill, Henry,” Annie said. “I’m really proud of you.”
“You’re coming tomorrow, right, Dad?” Henry’s face froze expectantly.
Michael detected a change in Henry, a chiseled solemnity in his jaw. He’d never noticed it before. Or had it just happened, as if overnight? It came to him that the distance between them was widening and he had no one to blame but himself.
“Tomorrow?” Michael searched Annie’s face.
Annie scowled at him. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”
“Yeah, Dad, it’s tomorrow. And let me guess, you’re not coming.” Henry backed out of his chair and tramped down the stairs.
“Henry, wait!” Rosie went after him, loyal soldier, but stopped first to let in the dog. Then she skipped after her brother, down to the cellar, with Molly right beside her.
Annie got up and started to clear the table. “So, what is it this time?”
“Actually, this happens to be important.” It came out sounding like a confession. He told her about his conversation with Celina. “They’ve got appointments scheduled and nobody to do the procedure. I told her I’d show up on Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays.” He hesitated and tried to look apologetic. “Starting tomorrow.”
“Saturdays, Michael? You’re never home as it is and now we have to lose you on Saturdays?”
“I’m all they’ve got, Annie. There isn’t anyone else.”
She turned away from him at the counter, scraping the plates into the sink, then setting them noisily onto the counter. “I don’t know what to say. I know it’s an
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