Fall Out Girl

Warning! Contains controversial issue. Don't yell at me if you get upset.

“So, Rox, what’s up?” I asked one of my best friends over the phone on my way home from work.

“You talked to Patrick?”

“Sort of, we got distracted. Any who, what’s up? Why are you at your mom’s?”

“We had a fight- like, World War III kind of fight.”

“Well, what were the nukes being thrown for?”

“It’s… the baby.”

“What happened?”

“H-he may have Tay-Sachs disease.”

“Oh my! Does Pat know?!”

“No, we didn’t get to that.”

“Wait, what?”

“I told him that I was thinking about an abortion.”

“Oh, Honey, remember that I love you, okay?”

“I know. I love you, too.”

“Damn, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know! I mean, you know the risks if I go through with the operation…and if I have him? I won’t be able to look at him without tears filling my eyes.”

“Well, how about you go back to your worried husband, explain to him what’s going on, and figure things out from there.”

“Yea, that sounds good. Thank you, Emmy.”

“Hey, that’s what sister-in-laws are for.”

“That’s so weird of you to say!”

“I know. I’ll talk to you later. Bye, I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

I hung up and drove the rest of the way with the radio as the only source of noise. It was nice and relaxing. Ever since I took up apprenticing Dr. Jones last week, my brain has been on overdrive and is pretty close to liquefying from all the information that I have absorbed. I shoved my way into the apartment and kicked off my shoes after I threw my purse down.

“Stressful day at work?” Brian asked, coming out of the bathroom.

“That and then some,” I said, plopping down on the couch. He sat down beside and me and draped an arm around me, pulling me closer to him. I snuggled into his chest.

“Want to tell me about it?”

“What would you do if you learned that one of our future children has no chance of surviving through the first few years of childhood? Speaking hypothetically, of course.”

“Well, speaking hypothetically also, when would I find out this terrible news?”

“When I’m six months pregnant.”

“Roxie?”

“Yea, what would you do? Would you let me have an abortion or would you love the child even though it would tear you up every time you see them?”

He tightened his grip around me and buried his face in my hair. His hot breath tickled my skin. I wasn’t worried that he didn’t answer right away. It was a hard decision, even for doctors. Hell, even I was having a hard time with it. After an eternity in thought, he lifted his head and pulled my hair behind my ear and whispered in it.

“I would love them just the same, but if you didn’t want to go through with it, that’s fine by me. It would be your emotions and your body that would be affected most. Don’t worry about them, Roxie and Pat will choose what they think is best.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

He kissed my temple affectionately. “Don’t worry about it. Hey, it’s our negative thirteen month anniversary.”

“Negative thirteen month?”

“Yea, in about thirteen months, we’re getting married. Let’s go out to eat in that Jetson’s House restaurant building.”

I laughed at him. We never knew the name of that restaurant, but it looked like it came from the Jetson’s cartoon. It’s a tall building and the top part (where the “house” is) is a giant slow-spinning restaurant that gives you an aerial view of Atlanta and some of the surrounding counties. Smiling, I jumped off the couch and ran into the bathroom. I quickly showered, applied my fancy makeup, and slipped into my black cocktail dress. When I was in the shower, Brian had changed into his tux.

He smiled at me as I exited our room. “Beautiful as always. Are you ready to go?” I nodded my head and slipped my right arm through his.

I can’t believe I’m marrying Brian. He’s such a nice change from all the other guys I’ve dated. Only Parker treated me with as much respect as Brian does.