Lost It All

“You know I can’t do this on my own, Dad. I need Andy.” Carolyn was desperately trying to convince her father that Andy wasn’t all bad. The whole situation was not strictly Andy’s fault. She had consented to the sex, after all.

“I will help you with the child. I already did it once before with your mother and helping to raise you all on my own after her death. I think I can manage another child. Besides, I want to be in my grandchild’s life as much as I possibly can.” Her father reasoned.

Carolyn rubbed her temples. He was clearly not seeing things from her perspective at all. He wasn’t understanding her. Carolyn’s mother spent her entire pregnancy with her husband, the father of the child. All Carolyn wanted was to do the same for her child. She wanted Andy to be in his or her life. Carolyn knew what it was like to grow up with a single parent. She didn’t want her child going through the same thing.

“Fine.” She dropped her arms to her side. “There’s no point in trying anymore anyway.” She turned around and walked away from him. She had never been so angry at her father before. In fact, she couldn’t remember a time she had ever been angry at him. He had always given her what she wanted and she never even wanted that much anyway. He always cared for her needs and helped her with her concerns. Now it seemed that he wouldn’t let her make a decision that was only hers to make, not his.

She stood in front of the mirror sideways, looking at her growing stomach. She smoothed her hand over her skin and looked down at the protrusion. This baby deserved to grow up with both parents and that was how it was going to be.

From underneath her bed, Carolyn pulled out an old suitcase and started filling it with things she would need. Anything else she couldn’t fit or didn’t need could be bought later on if she did need them. Her father wasn’t being fair to her or Andy and she knew that. This was her life, not his.

As soon as the light went off in her father’s room, Carolyn snuck down the stairs with her suitcase and out the door to where the taxi cab she called was waiting for her. She didn’t leave a note because she figured that her father didn’t deserve one after how he had treated them both. She got into the cab and let it take her to the airport where she’d catch the next flight to LA. She knew flying could be a risk, but it was a risk she was willing to take.



“Carolyn? Open up, please.” Her father knocked on her closed bedroom door. “I want to apologize for what I said to you and Andy. If you want him to come stay with us for a little while, that’s fine with me. I thought over what I said and I guess I just said what I did out of an impulse reaction to seeing Andy.” He waited a moment and listened for anything to give him a clue as to whether Carolyn was awake or not. “Carolyn?” He asked again when he heard no noise. He turned the door knob slowly and opened the door. The hinges squeaked as the door opened to reveal an empty room.

He frantically searched her drawers and called out her name but there was no response. Carolyn was gone.