“What? Ryan? Are you serious? This is our child. How can you even think that?”
“Do you think that it’s easy for me to want to do this? It’s not. But, I love you. What would your father think about you not finishing college and getting pregnant? I want to marry you but we still have so much school ahead of us. How would we even support a baby when we’re both still being supported by our parents? I can tell you now my parents would cut me off. That would end any chance I have of ever being able to finish school.”
“We could figure it out Ryan.”
“Sabrina be realistic. I promise you once we’re done with school, I’ll make you my wife and I’ll give you as many children as your heart desires.”
Sabrina aborted the baby. That was still the hardest decision she’d ever made. She’d gone on the pill immediately after that.
However, the second hardest decision she’d ever made was a year later, after getting sick and taking an anti-biotic, getting pregnant again. Sabrina saw this as the universe’s way of giving her back a child she’d lost. There was nothing Ryan could say this time that would make her give up this baby.
He started out with the same old tired excuses. They fell on deaf ears. However, one afternoon changed everything.
“Sabrina we’re not ready to be parents! I don’t want to have this child.”
“Well, ready or not, we’re going to have a baby.”
“And just how do you think we’re going to support him or her?”
“We’ll figure it out.”
Ryan was furious that she’d gotten pregnant again. He lashed out at her, “There is no way my parents would ever accept you or this baby. They’ll disown me first!”
Sabrina felt a chill throughout her whole body, “What are you talking about? They wouldn’t do that.”
“Yes. They would. They don’t believe in mixing the races Sabrina.”
“Then, it’ll just be me and you and our child.”
He wouldn’t look her in the eye, “I can never give up my family.”
Sabrina screamed at him, “but we’re your family too!”
“I love you but I won’t give up my life for you.”
Two days later Ryan moved out of his apartment and changed his phone number.
Sabrina didn’t know what to do. Ryan had literally walked…no ran out of her life and she didn’t really have any money to much of anything. There was no way she could tell her father. She felt hopeless and helpless. She’d have no other choice but to call Tasha.
Tasha spent over nine hours taking a train and two buses from school to be with Sabrina. She’d sat with her, prayed with her, and ultimately tried to talk her out of a decision she regretted for the rest of her life. When it was evident that Sabrina was determined to do anything to cut all ties with Ryan, Tasha had taken money that she’d been saving for a car to help her.
The day of the procedure, Sabrina lay in a bed in a cold clinic and made a promise to herself. She promised she would never feel hopeless or helpless again. But, more importantly, she promised she would never trust or love a man again the way she had with Ryan. Men couldn’t be trusted.
*****
Several hours later, her father attempted to ring her door bell just as she opened the door.
“Dad, what are you doing here?”
Smiling warmly he responded, “Oh…I was just doing some visiting today and thought I’d drop in to check up on you. Can I come in?”
Sabrina moved out of the way so that her dad could come inside.
“So, how are you holding up?”
Trying to sound tough as if she weren’t hurt and drained, Sabrina responded “I’m fine.”
Mr. Links didn’t believe her for a second. Sabrina always exhibited a tough exterior but he knew deep down inside she was hurting.
“Have you talked to Tim?”
“Only through our lawyers.”
“I see. How much longer do you think this process is going to take?”
“He could end it tomorrow if he would just agree to my terms.”
“What’s the hold up?”
“He wants to offer me two million in exchange for signing a confidentiality agreement. I want five.”
“Sabrina given all that’s happened don’t you think that’s excessive?”
Sabrina spat at him, “I knew you would take her side!”
Genuinely looking incredulous, “What are you talking about? Who’s side?”
“Hers. Tasha’s side. She cheats on me with my husband and you still take her side. And, Tim is worth BILLIONS, five million dollars is nothing to him! He’s only doing this to protect her. He doesn’t want me to tell the world that your little princess cheated with my husband.”
Mr. Links remembered what Tasha had told him just hours ago about how Sabrina really felt about their relationship. Maybe she was right.
“Sabrina, why would you think I would take Tasha’s side?”
Sabrina actually started to cry, “Because you always have! She was always the child who brought home the good grades. She was always the child who you praised and no matter what I did…I could never please you. I could never measure up to her.”
The last time Mr. Links had seen Sabrina cry she was twelve.
“Sabrina Links. I owe you an apology.”
Looking perplexed she angrily swiped away her tears.
“For what?”
“For making you feel like you were never enough. Sweetheart, I love you and you’ve always made me proud.”
She looked at him as if she didn’t believe what was coming out of his mouth.
He let out a deep breath, “Can we sit down?”
Sabrina led her father over to the sofa and they sat.
It
