Pregnant At Sixteen

Reed - Choices & Decisions

So, it's almost the end of March and Reena and I are driving home from another of our doctor appointment. The baby's okay and even though the doctor still thinks her blood count is a problem, she says she's okay, but even when she says this with a smile I can see the worry lying beneath the surface. Reena has created a tight bond with our baby and I know not being a hundred percent healthy weighs on her mind. Whenever I ask her to talk to me about it, she just smiles and tells me she's fine, but I know she doesn't want to seem scared. Reena doesn't like to seem weak.

"You think it's time we started to buy some clothes?"

Reena is sitting across from me and she's reading some notes from her history class, "Well we could, if you want." She looks up at me and smiles.

"I do. You're a few days from being seven months pregnant, like there's only two months left until she's here."

She turns her head and looks at the road, "Unisex clothes."

"Reena, it's a girl."

She looks across at me, "But what if it is a boy?"

"It doesn't matter because I know it's a girl."

She laughs, "Every time you say it so confidently."

"Well, since I'm the only one with an ounce of faith."

She laughs again, "Faith?"

"Yeah," I smile and glimpse quickly at her before turning back to the road. "And it's not just faith you have to speak it into existence."

"Oh really?"

"Yup. You speak it enough times and it will happen."

Reena laughs then stops with a sharp gasp, I take my foot off the gas and look over at her. "You okay?" She's holding her belly, bent forward with her face scrunched up in pain.

"Oh my God..." She whispers and I drive the car to the side of the road and turn off the engine, then I remove my seatbelt and move closer to her side. "Is it the baby?"

"Of course, it's the baby." She sucks air through her clenched teeth and begins taking deep breaths. "You want to go to the hospital."

"I'm fine. Just give me a minute." She groans and I start rubbing her back, within minutes she's leaning back and is wiping the tears from her eyes. I give her a worried look, "Are you sure I shouldn't take you to the hospital?"

"I'm fine. Your daughter is just kicking really hard."

Somehow, I don't believe her, I think she's playing it off. "Reena?"

"Reed, I'm fine. I promise. "

I stare at her for another few seconds then I start the engine and continue the drive home, in complete silence.

As I pull into the garage, Reena disappears into the house and straight into the bathroom. She's been in there for almost an hour when I finally decide to knock on the door,

"Reena?"

After a few seconds, she comes out in a towel. Her hair dripping wet.
"Sorry," She stops and takes a deep breath then moves to sit on the bed. When she looks up at me I notice the tired look in her eyes. "I had to sit in the shower. I got so tired."

"Why didn't you call me, I was right here?"

She takes another deep breath and drops her head, "Can we not argue, I'm tired."

In the last few days I've noticed that she's been very tired, and a bit distant. Normally we would shower together, but now she even locks me out of the bathroom.

"Reena, what's wrong?"

She rolls her eyes, "Nothing is wrong Max. I told you I'm fine."

"Not with today but..."

"Reed I'm fine, please."

I stand there looking down at her, when she grabs my hand and pulls me to her. She lies down and I move beside her. "Stop worrying so much."

"You locked the door, you didn't use to."

She doesn't say anything.

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

When she doesn't answer again, I lean up and notice her eyes are closed and she's fast asleep.

I smile at her small face and move to get a blanket to throw on her. When I take off the wet towel, I take a few minutes to stare at the round belly. I run my finger along the dark mark that's made a path from her navel down. At the side of her hips I notice that she started getting stretch marks, I never noticed them before and it makes me wonder if it maybe the reason why she's become so withdrawn.

Reena has self-esteem issues with her body, I know that for sure and getting stretch marks now could only be making them worse. I really wish she believed how beautiful she is.

I'm almost finish moving her to the centre of the bed and covering her up, when my phone rings. I remove it from my pocket and glimpse at the phone screen and the unknown number, before throwing it at the edge of the bed.

It finally stops ringing before it starts again and I decide to answer.

-    "Hello."

-    "Reed, please don't hang up."

It's Isla.

-    "How did you even get my number?"

-    "That's not important, can we talk?"

-    "You're talking now, so talk."

-    "No Max, I mean face to face."

I stop, look at the phone and give a short laugh,

-    "I really don't think that's a clever idea."

-    "No, it's nothing like that. I just really want to talk to you."

-    "And why can't you do that on the phone?"

She sighs instead of answering with a retort, and it makes me pause.

-    "Just meet me at the coffee shop, please."

Even though I know I should say no, I don't.

-    "Next fifteen minutes."

-    "Thanks."

I hang up the phone and move to the door, then stop. I feel that I should wake Reena and tell her I'm going to meet an ex, worse Isla, but something tells me not to, so I close the door, tell my mom where I'm headed and leave.

***

Hi guys! Sorry for the late update, had to do birthday stuff.

Anyways I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and as always HAPPY READING and Thanks for your continued support.