“Hey mommy!” Ashton piped as he and Andy entered the café.

Grace’s face lit up and she smiled, leaving the table she was at, having finished taking a customer’s order. Andy smiled too as he sat down at a table, beckoning Ashton to as well. The smell of coffee drew into their noses and the sound of clinking cutlery and the whoosh of coffee being made filled their ears. Andrew suddenly wanted a warm coffee in his hands and perhaps a thick moist cookie.

Holding a jug of coffee in her hand, Grace went behind the counter and put it down. She went into the kitchen to tell her boss she was having a break and placed the note of the customer’s order on the rack of others. Her boss didn’t mind, considering she hadn’t had a rest all day. Her shift was nearly finished anyway.

“So, what did you boys get up to today?” Grace asked, having slid into the wooden chair opposite the two boys.

“We went to McDonald’s!” Ashton declared with delight. Slight concern rose inside Grace. She was worried Andy had spoiled their son too much though she didn’t mention her worry.

“Ooh, did you have fun?” Grace asked with a vivacious smile. Ashton nodded with enthusiasm.

Andy was sitting there looking around at the cozy café. It was to his liking. There was an atmosphere between Grace and him. Small talk went around the table that Ashton was oblivious to.

“When do you finish work?” Andy asked.

“In 10 minutes but I’ll ask to leave now,” Grace replied, ruffling Ash’s hair. Andy nodded, watching the pair together. It warmed his heart. “Would you like a coffee or something?” Grace offered. “On the house,” she added.

“No. But thank you. That’s kind,” Andy smiled.

Grace excused herself and went behind the back to ask her boss if she could leave early just this once. She was granted permission and hung her apron up.

“All right, let’s go home,” Grace declared, collecting her bags and coat from behind the counter. Ashton’s head jerked up when he heard the words and he bounced out of his chair with a giggle. Andy started giggling then, too.

***

A young Grace’s ear perked up when the sound of her mom’s footsteps were heard behind her. She looked up as her mom chucked something into her lap. Grace stared at the brochure as her mom stalked off, slamming the door, leaving Grace on the porch steps of her own house.

It was titled:
‘Planned Parenthood – Care. No matter what.

Abortion is a safe and legal way to end pregnancy. Thinking about abortion? Are you a minor who needs free services*? FIND A HEALTH CENTER NEAR YOU!’

Grace’s mouth fell open and her eyes clouded with tears. With wobbly legs – she was so tense – Grace got to her feet, stepped up the stairs and got to the door. She knocked lightly, stiff all over with panic.

“Do it, Grace! God, I wish I had!” her mother yelled from inside the house.

Grace tried her best not to cry like a little girl like she wanted to. She crinkled the leaflet up in her hand but held on to it.

“If I did it, would you take me back?” Grace had no idea whether she could go through something such as an abortion but she had to ask.

There was no response, other than a scoff from somewhere inside the lounge room.

Grace’s hand crushed the paper as she walked, with her face down towards the concrete, into the street. She walked in the opposite direction of the Biersack’s, away from where she used to call home and away from her life, having no idea where she was going.

…

Grace

We’d only been home 10 minutes and I was getting ready for my second job as Andy and Ash watched television. I made sure my lace black bra was sitting where it was meant to before slipping on the matching panties. Glancing in the bathroom mirror, I judged my make up that I had put on in the morning. It was still presentable. I touched it up but this time, I made sure everything I put on was waterproof or smudge-proof. I couldn’t put on all the eye makeup sex workers like me wore; Andy would recognize what I was doing. I’d have to put more make up on when I got there.

I wrapped my long coat around my body after putting on some sexy stockings and a sexy, thin black chemise complete with lace decoration along the neckline and down the sides. I had always worn outfits that didn’t stand out too much, unlike some other girls.

I came out of the bathroom, glancing at the clock which read: 2:00pm. I was grateful Andy turned up yesterday and not any other day. This was the only day I spent most of the day at the café. Most days I spent the most time at the brothel. I took an apple from the basket on the bench and munched on it as I sat down next to Andy. He was talking on the phone.

“No, so are you sure that’s okay? It’s only while I’m there. Yeah… yeah, just a few days,” he glanced at me.

He said goodbye, hung up and then turned to me. “Are you able to look after Ashton for another couple of hours? I have work until 6.30,” I asked him.

He got up and walked over to the small kitchen bench with an expression I couldn’t read. I followed him.

“Ah… No, I can’t. I have to go home this afternoon,” he told me. I nodded. “That’s another thing, Grace, we have to talk,” he added, glancing over at Ashton who wasn’t paying an attention to us. He was immersed with playing with his toy trains. I nodded again. I knew this time would come. We had to discuss who Ashton was going to live with, for how long with each parent, et cetera.

“Actually, can we talk somewhere more private?” he asked, looking back from Ashton to me. He followed me into the bedroom and I closed the door.

“I want you to thoroughly consider moving back to Cincinnati with me,” he said. My mouth fell open. He wanted me to move back to – I’m assuming – the same area my parents live in? That offer had chills running down my spine.

“You still live with your parents?” I blurted out. I couldn’t believe what it sounded like.

“No! I don’t live there anymore,” he scoffed. “I moved with my band members to L.A a number of years ago now,” he explained. Oh, I mouthed.

“I’m asking you and Ashton to move back with me temporarily – to my parents’ house. I’m staying with them for a while before heading back to Hollywood and I want you guys to come with me there as well,” he told me.

I was in shock. He wanted Ashton and me to move to Los Angeles? Yeah, I could totally see that happening…not. I looked around the room, trying to think of what to say.

“I know you’ll be skeptical but I want to be in Ash’s life and I know he wants to be in mine,” he told me.

“Yes, I know, but-”

“I know he has friends here and all that-” he took a sharp breath, “but to be frank, I don’t want my son growing up so far away, in a pathetic hotel-” I opened my mouth to protest but he wasn’t finished, “to a single mother who’s a prostitute!”

My heart sunk deep into my chest. He knew. Shame washed over me and I couldn’t help but look to the floor with blinking eyelids. He stepped closer and got too close for comfort. I was… I was starting to get frightened. He was so tall and the room was dim.

“You thought I didn’t know?” he asked, bending a little to look at me fully with that signature smirk across his face. My palms were sweaty. There was an ominous ambiance hang over the pair of us.

“Well- I, I-” I couldn’t finish the sentence. Andrew used my hesitation to further advance on me. He stepped even closer, to the point where I could feel and hear his breath.

“You know I can provide for him better than you can.” I tried to ignore the insult but it hurt regardless.

“That’s not fair,” I whispered.

“Not fair? You’re denying Ashton a better life! Is that what you want for him?”

“How can you say that? You didn’t give a crap when I told you I was preg–”

“Oh shut up!” he hissed at me. “Don’t even bring that up!” I didn’t listen.

“You were never there! I haven’t been denying him a fulfilling life! This is the best I can do!” Andy roared with laughter.

“We both know that’s bullshit.” I stared at him in shock.

“Best you could do? The best you could do for Ashton? Oh, I see. That’s why you’ve got manicured nails, bottles of various perfumes in the bathroom, a cell phone – you’re selfish! That money could’ve been spent on Ashton and his wellbeing! What else have you spent on yourself?” Andy’s tone was vicious and his eyes icy hard. I shook my head at him. What did he take me for?

“Jesus Christ! The nails were the cheapest from a discount variety store. The perfume? Copies of label perfume – again from the $2 shop. And excuse me but the cell phone and that stuff does not make me selfish!” I yelled at him angrily. His eyebrows rose in response but I wasn’t done.

“I need the cell phone in case someone needs to contact me concerning Ashton – for example, the daycare staff. And, for your information it was the cheapest secondhand one I could get!” I shouted. How could he think so low of me? We used to be friends.

There was a light knock at the door. “Mommy, is everything okay?”

I went to go to the door but Andy’s arm came out across my chest, roughly blocking my way, pressing around my body to the wall. He’d backed me up against it. His eyes glared into mine, but weren’t as harsh as previously. There was a moment of uncertainty and – for me – fear. I narrowed my eyes at him and pushed past. He didn’t stop there but grabbed my arm tight and pulled me around to face him. Andy had never been like this for as long as I’d known him.

“Please Grace. I don’t want to force you but it’s for the best. Leave with me this afternoon.”

***

My feet hurt as I kept trudging along the road which seemed to drag on forever. I’d been so wrapped up in my thoughts I hadn’t realized this road led to another town. I had no idea where I was – I hadn’t been here before. I might have driven through it a couple of times with my parents but the area was unfamiliar. As I came further into the town, I contemplated turning back and going home. Where is that going to get you, I thought.

The ache in my feet was growing but not knowing what else to do, I continued and somehow managed to get to the center of the neighborhood. There was a light bustle of people around the town square that I stood in. I sat down on a park bench and looked around. There was a brick clock tower and a toilet block in the square. There were other people sitting on benches scattered around the quadrangle, going about their day.

I reflected on everything that’d happened within the week. My parents discovering I was pregnant, kicking me out, Andy’s cheating, snootiness and flippantness. I placed my hand on my flat stomach, wishing I could apologize to the poor babe.

That’s when I realized: what the hell am I going to do when the baby is due? Give birth on the street?! My heart began to race. The streets, I thought. That led to another apprehension: I was homeless – on the streets! I panicked, stood up and looked around. I paced for 5 minutes, trying to think. I was trying to come up with some resolution to… everything.

I had no money, no clothes, no food and no shelter. If I couldn’t provide for myself, how on earth could I provide for a baby? What happens to the baby or me if something goes wrong during the pregnancy?

An uneasy sigh drew out of my nose as I sat back down, gripping the ledge of the bench. I could feel the pamphlet, still in my clammy hand. I held it out in front of me and saw my sweat lining the wrinkles of the paper. I wiped my brow to discover I was covered in sweat and oil. I sighed long and hard. I had sweat rimming my pits and my hair was sticking to my forehead. These levels of stress and panic were unhealthy.

The sun was descending in the sky and the clock tower read 3:17 PM. It had taken me over an hour to get here. I took some deep breaths to calm myself; panic and stressing couldn’t be healthy for the baby either. I sat there, staring at the brochure for I don’t know how long. I was waiting for the aching in my feet to stop, for the nightmare to end and a miracle to occur. I could tell I was going to be waiting for a very long time.

Notes

Hey people. I've come up with an idea for a CC story! I won't make any promises but keep an eye out! :D Recommend if you haven't please! (:
The chemise Grace wore: url=http://www.fatalwoman.com/sleepwear-chemise-sleepwear-chemise-with-lace-trimming.html