Jennifer had felt like an outsider in her own marriage ever since she wed Martin. No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t seem to fit into his family, especially with his daughter, Carrie, who had never accepted her. But nothing could have prepared her for the moment Martin stormed into the living room, a positive pregnancy test clutched in his fist.
Jennifer had been reading by the window, headphones on, trying to escape into the world of her book when she saw Martin’s furious expression. She barely had time to process before he ripped off her headphones.
“When were you planning to tell me?” he demanded, his voice shaking with anger.
“Tell you what?” she asked, bewildered.
Martin scoffed and held up the pregnancy test. “This! You think I don’t have the right to know?”
Jennifer’s heart pounded. “Where did you find that?”
“In the bathroom trash,” he snapped. “Does it matter? It’s positive! Were you ever going to tell me?”
Jennifer took a deep breath. “Martin, that’s not mine.”
His anger faltered. “What?”
She glanced toward the hallway. “It’s Carrie’s.”
Martin’s face paled. He opened his mouth, then shut it again, processing the bombshell that had just been dropped.
That evening, Jennifer approached Carrie’s room and knocked. “Can I come in?”
A hesitant, “Yeah,” came from inside.
Jennifer stepped in to see Carrie sitting on her bed, her expression a mix of fear and guilt.
“Thank you for not telling Dad,” Carrie whispered.
Jennifer sat beside her. “But we do need to talk. What are you going to do?”
Carrie’s hands trembled. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m scared.”
Jennifer reached for her hand. “You don’t have to go through this alone.”
Tears welled in Carrie’s eyes. “Dad’s going to kill me. He already controls everything in my life. He won’t let me decide anything.”
Jennifer sighed, understanding all too well how Martin could be. “Does the father know?”
Carrie shook her head. “No. And he won’t. He dumped me.”
Jennifer’s heart ached for her.
“You don’t have to figure everything out today,” she assured her. “But you do need to tell your dad. And no matter what happens, I’ll be right there with you.”
That night, when Martin got home, Jennifer and Carrie were waiting at the kitchen table.
“What’s going on?” he asked, frowning when he saw Carrie there.
Jennifer took a deep breath. “Carrie has something to tell you.”
Martin looked at his daughter expectantly. “What is it?”
Carrie hesitated, then blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”
The color drained from Martin’s face. “No. That’s not possible.”
“It’s true,” Jennifer confirmed gently.
Martin’s chair scraped back as he stood. “This ruins everything! Your education, your future—”
“Education?” Carrie snapped. “That’s all you care about? I never wanted to be a doctor, Dad! That was your dream, not mine!”
Martin reeled as if she had slapped him. “I just wanted what’s best for you.”
“Then listen to me!” Carrie cried. “I need to figure out what I want, not what you want for me!”
Jennifer saw the war raging inside Martin. He was so used to making decisions for Carrie that he hadn’t considered her feelings.
She stood and placed a hand on his arm. “Martin, she’s not a little girl anymore. She needs to make this decision herself. And we need to support her, no matter what.”
Martin swallowed hard. “I just don’t want her to throw her future away.”
Jennifer looked at Carrie. “Then let her decide what her future should be.”
Carrie exhaled shakily. “I want to keep the baby.”
Martin’s eyes welled with emotion. Slowly, he nodded. “Then we’ll figure it out together.”
Jennifer smiled, proud of both of them. Then she turned to Carrie. “And we’re going to meet the father. He deserves to know, and he has a responsibility in this too.”
Carrie hesitated but finally nodded.
When Jennifer and Carrie visited Billy, her ex-boyfriend, and his parents, the atmosphere was tense.
“Thank you for seeing us,” Jennifer began. “We have something important to discuss.”
Billy’s parents exchanged glances. “What’s going on?”
Carrie took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
Billy’s face turned white. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was scared,” Carrie admitted.
Billy’s mother placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll get through this together.”
Billy nodded. “I won’t run from this. I want to do the right thing.”
Jennifer felt relief wash over her.
“This won’t be easy,” she said. “But we’re all in this together.”
Billy’s father nodded. “Then let’s start figuring this out.”
That night, as they drove home, Carrie reached for Jennifer’s hand.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For being here. For helping me when I thought no one would.”
Jennifer squeezed her hand. “You’re family, Carrie. And that means you’ll never face anything alone.”
