31 It goes well on you

We went home right away, and I took shower. I felt dirty just having sat next to him. Gillian was still in shock at our reaction. I sat on my bed and listened to the convesation that they probably thought was quiet enough I couldn’t hear it.

I don’t understand, he is Suzy’s brother.

Well, he is part of that whole government thing that wants to… you can’t tell anybody, but they want to arrest my sister.

Oh, wow. Why?

I don’t know, really, not all of it. It is some big science thing that my brother is researching, and the government. It makes people forget who they are.

And they did it to your sister? Is that why she is so weird?

What do you mean weird? My sister isn’t weird.

Well, she doesn’t wear makeup, or carry a purse except to church.

Lot’s of girls don’t.

Not big girls, not most of them

Well, makeup is gross anyway. I wish I didnt’ have to wear it.

What do you mean? You love make up. You spend half the day in the bathroom.

Well, maybe I do, but that doesn’t make my sister weird.

I didn’t mean bad weird. I wish I had a sister that nice. Say, do you think we are going shopping some more?

I hope so.

“Girls,” I said, “I’m done my shower and am going to get dressed and go shopping again. Unless you would rather stay home?

“No way, Bobbi,” Gillian said, “I want to come.”

“Me to,” Jenny said, and I grinned. weird but nice. I could live with that.

As we went to the car I pulled out my cell, “Hey Caleb. I just wanted you to know we ran into someone in town.”

Caleb would know that that wasn’t good. And my bright husband figured out how to ask me about them, “Friends of yours from your life drawing class?”

“Sort of, they weren’t exactly in my class, altho came to our dorm sometimes. His family lives in our town, but he lives out here now, I guess. I didnt’ ask him. He did all the asking.”

“I see. Do you girls want to come by my worksite for lunch?”

It was two o’clock and I knew he always ate early.

“No thanks, we’ve eaten. We’re going out again. To Home Depot this time.”

“OK, love you, see you tonight.”

“What do you think he is doing here?”

’Oh, I know that,“ Caleb said. ”Their group is near here as well.It is  one reason why we are here. We have a few moles in their organization, and we sometimes get informationf from them. He must be based here.“

“I didn’t know that. How can I face him again?”

“Well, you’re probably pretty safe, but I will see what I can do. Are the girls asleep?”

“I think so…”

“Well, when in Rome, they say,” I said, and tried them on. “What do you girls think?” I asked, striding about.

“They go really neat with your skirts Mrs. Jones,” Gillian said, and I turned toward her. They were both grinning.

“Did Jenny put  you up to that?” I asked, and she nodded. “Well, thank you. Now, what do you think really?”

’No, seriously, I think they go with your skirt really well.“

“I have always felt that cowboy boots went particuarly well under skirts myself,” the salesman said, smiling. “It is a shame that so few women wear them nowadays.”

“Yes,” I said, “I have started to learn to make my own. I had a freind at school who sewed, and she started to teach me. Oh, speaking of which girls, I want to get a sewing machine. I’ll just wear these,” I said to the clerk and handed him my card.

“Bobbi,” Jenny yelled, “where are the pads?”

“Oh, I’m so sorry Jenny,” I said, going in the bathroom. “I put them up here. Caleb told me he was going to work on that cabinet down there and so I moved everything. Heavy flow?”

“No, not by now. I’m four days in. You?”

“I haven’t started yet. It’s not my time for another two days, thank goodness.”

Jenny came out of the bathroom with a confused look on her face. “I don’t understand. You started that night at the party, the same day I did. And I am four days in.”

“Well, I remember I am supposed to start on Wednesday, and this is Monday.”

“Last Wednesday,” Jenny said. “Same as me.”

“Well, I guess I’m just late.”

“That’s one possibility.”

“What do you…. do you think? I mean, we’ve only been married a month!”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!” Gillian said, jumping up, then, with a worried look, “wouldn’t it?” Gillian came from a family of eight children, and loved children. But lot’s of girls in my position might have been taken aback.

“Or course!” Jenny said, eyeing me, “She is thrilled.”

“There’s that crisis pregnancy center on the corner,” Gillian  said.

“I don’t  want an abortion!” I said, appalled.

“Thy don’t do abortions,” Gillian said, “I help out in one near us. They do pregnancy testing, and they try to talk you out of an abortion, and they help with clothes and all.”

Jenny and I looked at each other, and raced to get dressed.

“Can I help  you?”

“Yes,” I said, “Here is a donation, I hear you do wonderful work. I also hear you give pregancy tests. Here is a check for your work, can I have a test please?”

“We give the tests free, miss…”

“Ma’am,” I said, “and keep the check. I hear you fight against abortions.”

“Well, yes, we do… come back here.”

It was the longest five minutes of my life, and the woman, when she came back, looked concerned. “Well, you are pregnant,” she said, and I leapt into the air, and into her arms, dancing around the room. I gave her a kiss, “Oh, thank you, thank you.” I said, running out into the waiting room, where the girls sat with a dozen other teenagers, “I’m pregnant!” I shouted, and Jenny came and hugged me, while Gillian looked shocked.

“Come on girls, we have some shopping to do. I looked around the room, ”Anyone else want to come? We are buying baby toys, and diapers…. lot’s of diapers, and baby clothes… in some neutral color. My treat? No? Your loss.“

“How shall we tell Caleb?” I asked, as we walked up to the apartment, arms loaded with boxes and bags.

“I have an idea,” said Gillian.

We had to wait for a long time. He was awfully late. “Bobbi?” He shouted, and Gillian giggled. “Bobbi? Jenny?”

We heard some thumping noises and knew he was taking off his boots. And then suddenly, in an entirely different tone, “Bobbi?!?! Jenny?! Where are  you two hiding, is this a joke??” We heard rustling, the sounds of packages moving, “Bobbi you get out here this second or I wil spank you!”

“You wouldn’t spank a pregnant  lady would you?” I asked, while the girls giggled furiously.

He came running into our bedroom and found us in the closet, lifting me high in the air, “is it true? Is it real? Can it be?”

Dear Mrs. Jones,

We wish to thank you for your extremely generous gift. The financial gift was wonderful, of course, and will help our work. But the greatest gift that you gave us that day was the joy with which you greeted my news. I am used to having to worry about each actual pregnancy, that it will result in someone killing one of God’s dear children. So your joy came as  wonderful antidote.

And, as an additional blessing, and even more important, not a one of the six girls that were in the waiting room when you came out actually went toward having an abortion. Five were actually pregnant and we counseled two toward adotion, two are keeping their baby, and one is giving it to her own mother to raise.

Again, thank you so much,

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Davis

Dear Mrs. Davis,

I am very glad that you were blessed, and even more glad that the girls chose to keep their babies. I was wondering, do you have any need for further volunteers…?