Valentine

I cannot stop crying. I have not cried this hard in ten years. I am 16 years old, I still live with my father and mother, how can I be a mother myself? It is now 100 percent certain now, I, Carrie Vandels, am pregnant. I walk towards my house, wondering what to do. Surely if my parents found out they would kill me, they didn't even know about the party where I got drunk and had sex, they thought I was at a movie with my friend. A little nagging voice inside my head keeps saying. That's what you get for lying. Then I realize there is only one thing I can do. I have to get an abortion before mom and dad know.

I am now sitting at the waiting room in the hospital. A little girl walked up to me, who was about seven or eight years old. "Did Cancer take your mommy too?" She asked me. " Your face is sad like mine is." I freeze, I can't tell this young child why I was sad, what would her mother say? I stopped myself, realizing the girl had just told me that her mom had died. Suddenly I notice a small piece of paper in the girl's hand. "What is that?" I asked her.
"It's a letter I was going to give mommy, but cancer took her to heaven before daddy could get me here." She handed the letter to me. "Before your mommy goes too, could you get ask her to bring this to my mommy." I stare at the letter and read it to myself.

Dear mommy,

Have fun in heaven. Now you don't have to hurt anymore, and you can have your hair back. I wanted you to stay with me, but cancer is stronger than me. I drew you a picture of me so that you wouldn't ever forget me. I hope they have other little girls like me to play with you until I get there, and lots of yummy things to eat now that you don't have to be on special food. I miss you!

Love,
Valentine

I choke back tears and hand the letter back. "I'm sorry" I say
"I don't think my mommy is going to heaven any time soon."
Her face falls. I can't stand to see this little girl sad. I lift her chin up.
"Don't worry"
I say.
"She can see everything from heaven, I'm sure she's reading it to all the other little kids there right now and eating all the candy she can get" The little girl smiles and says
"Thank you." Her dad comes up to me.
"Thank you so much" He says, "I couldn't get my daughter to understand what had happened." And then the two walked away.
" Carrie Vandels?"
A voice calls out. I then remember that I am here, but I realize that if I go through with the abortion, I could be giving up a child as precious as Valentine. I go into the office and tell him I have changed my mind. It is worth risking anything my parents will dish at me for a child of my own.