The first time that had happened, she'd been at home and vomiting so violently that she could barely stand up when it was over. Her mother had opened the bathroom door and stared down at her. Then she told Ava she was not only stupid for letting it happen but that she was inconsiderate as well. Couldn't Ava see that she was tearing their family apart because she'd had premarital sex?! Everything was Ava's fault, that is, when her mother wasn't blaming Ethan and Ethan's parents for raising such an irresponsible boy.
So, yes, Ava craved the warmth she found at the McIntyre home.
One day, after hearing her crying, Mrs. McIntyre knocked softly and let herself into the room. Ava scooted back on the bed and began scrubbing at her cheeks. She didn't want to be a burden, but she relished these hours when she was accepted here, pampered over, and showered with unconditional love from her best friend's mother.
Hannah's mom sat on the side of the bed now and reached out to brush a lock of hair from Ava's forehead. She smoothed away a tear with the back of her hand and gave Ava a simple, lopsided smile. "Are you okay, sweetie?"
Ava thought about lying, but she really needed to talk to someone. "Not really."
"It's tough, huh?"
Ava looked down at her lap and nodded as another tear rolled down her face.
"Darling, I don't know how else to say this, so I'm just going to say it like it is: sometimes shit happens."
Ava jerked her head up as a trickle of surprise rushed through her veins. Surprise and amusement. Well, she'd known there was a reason she'd always loved Hannah's mom.
"It's true, sweetie. In life, shit happens, and now some of that shit has happened to you. But that's the bad news. The good news is that you're young and strong and determined. And you have the love of a very good man. Trust me, that makes you unstoppable." With words full of affection she continued, "Ethan loves you, darling. Everyone knows that! The entire town knows he's crazy about you. He has a fantastic future ahead of him, and you know what you need to focus on now? The fact that he only wants that future if you and the baby are in it with him."
At the look of truth blazing from the older woman's eyes, Ava smiled and threw her arms around her, thanking the good Lord that she had a support system, even if it wasn't her own parents.
The sound of boots striding down the hall broke the moment. "Janet?"
"I'm in here."
Ava leaned away, wiped her cheeks, and looked up to find the imposing figure of Jeff McIntyre standing in the doorway, his concerned eyes glancing at her first before locking on his wife with laser-like precision.
"Everything all right?" he asked with a deceptively mild frown. He was a problem solver, he always had been. At the first sign of distress in his wife or those she cared about, he wanted to find out what the problem was so he could fix it.
Janet smiled up at her husband. "Everything's fine. Ava's just got a lot to think about."
"How are your parents doing?" The question came off as conversational, but Ava knew Hannah's dad was doing more than being a courteous host. He was well aware of the friction she was contending with at home. He wasn't one to stick his nose in where it didn't belong, but he and Mrs. McIntyre had both taken an interest in her welfare since she'd started spending so much time in their home.
Ava shrugged. "Fine, I guess. They're still adjusting to…everything."
He nodded but said nothing, and Ava could tell he was in deep contemplation.
Mrs. McIntyre broke the silence that followed. "You're a mess," she observed, her voice warm and indulgent. "Why didn't you wash up when you came inside?"
His eyes never left his wife, only grew penetrating. "You didn't answer when I called for you. Needed to find you," he said with a shrug. "Gotta know where you are, babe."
He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his massive chest as if he was in no hurry at all. He dipped his chin and continued to study his wife with a look that almost made Ava embarrassed, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but in between these two.
Hannah's dad was exceptionally tall and years of ranching had added a layer of muscled bulk to his big frame. His hair was dark and currently disheveled from working outside all morning. His shirt was crumpled and streaked with patches of sweat and grime. He was exceptionally masculine and Ava had a sudden vision of how Ethan's good looks might manifest themselves in twenty years. A shiver slipped out at the thought.
She shivered again as she realized the couple had eyes only for each other. As their gazes clung, Ava had the strangest feeling that she was witnessing a discreet, flirtatious dance between the two adults. Even though the knowledge made her want to close her eyes and disappear from the room, the idea that older people could still feel this way after years of marriage warmed her and made her feel uplifted. Was this the way things were in a truly happy marriage? She'd never seen the like at her own house. Her parents never looked at each other with this level of intensity, not by a long shot. It was quite obvious that the McIntyre romance still blossomed.
Could it be like this between her and Ethan? Would everything work out with their situation? Would life and marriage be as wonderful as it seemed to be between Hannah's parents?
As she pondered the situation, all at once Mr. McIntyre seemed to shake himself, as if forcing himself to take his eyes off his wife. He glanced back to Ava with a dark look that missed nothing. "Your parents will come around. All it's gonna take is one look at that grandbaby and they'll be on board with things. And if they don't, you know you're welcome here anytime. Always. No questions asked."
****
The last thing Ava wanted to do was go shopping with her mother. She was so bone-tired these days that it was all she could do just to get herself to school. But this was a Saturday and her mother had insisted. On the other hand, things had been so strained between them in recent weeks that Ava welcomed the chance for a possible reconnection with her mother. She had her fingers crossed. Maybe the worst was over.
But no such luck.
To say she didn't enjoy the outing was a complete understatement. From the very first moment, the day was doomed.
Because her mother was so ashamed of her situation, they had to shop quite a distance away from Redwood Falls. For well over an hour, Ava was forced to listen as her mother used the time in the car to remind her of the evils of premarital sex and the uselessness of ruining her life because of a single mistake. Ava couldn't believe her mother actually thought she was going to give her baby up for adoption. It was unbelievable.
The monotonous drive seemed endless as the self-righteous commentary dragged on without any input of her own. Her mother wasn't interested in hearing anyone's opinions and Ava didn't want to make the situation worse by arguing.
Finally, they pulled into a parking lot behind a nondescript, single-story brick building but the 'Clinic' sign sent a frisson of anxiety down Ava's spine. She turned to her mother with sharp suspicion. "What are we doing here? I thought we were going shopping. Do you have a doctor's appointment?"
Her mother pursed her lips as she pulled the key from the ignition, her eyes focused straight ahead. "Everything's going to be just fine," she said stoically. "I don't have an appointment, but you do."
Ava had already scheduled a prenatal appointment back home for the following week, so she wasn't sure why her mother had taken the trouble to schedule one here instead. "I've already scheduled one so we don't need—"
"They've set the time aside for you today, Ava. There's no need for you to see anyone local about this. We're going to see the doctor here instead."
"But—"
"Honestly, Ava. Must you fight me on everything? Now, let's go in."
Ava followed her mother inside with deep reservations, ready to bolt if necessary. But surely her mother had brought her to the clinic for a prenatal checkup because that's what you did when your daughter was pregnant, right? Her mom had said some horrible things but she wasn't capable of an atrocity like what Ava suspected, was she?
> Ava wanted to ask but she was completely tongue-tied, wanting to give her mother the benefit of the doubt as long as she could.