Chapter 19
Flashback - Spring Break – Sophomore Year
“Hold on! What did you say?”
“I’m nine weeks pregnant,” Fateema repeated.
That was the last thing Lynx expected to hear when he picked up Fateema’s FaceTime call.
“Bunny, how did this happen?”
“Lynx, seriously? We fucked up, that’s how it happened.”
“Are you sure? Have you been taking your pills? Did you go to the doctor?”
“Yes, to all of that. The doctor said I was nine weeks. I thought I had a bug, but apparently, it’s a baby.”
Fateema knew something was going on with her body. On top of feeling sick, she’d been tired and sluggish. Her mood was horrible, but she blamed it on the disappointment of not qualifying for indoor nationals.
She also hadn’t practiced or competed well for the last few weeks, which prevented her from being chosen to travel with her team for spring break. Everything was going wrong, and she struggled to figure out how to get her mojo back.
“Shit,”
“Yeah, shit.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“What am I gonna do? Did you mean, what are we gonna do?”
“I mean, yeah, but it’s your body.”
“I know, but it’s our baby. I can’t make a decision like this alone.”
“I’m not expecting you to, but…”
“This is a lot, Lynx, and we don’t have much time to figure this out.”
“I support whatever decision you make. You have a lot more to consider than I do.”
They sat in silence for a while, staring into each other’s eyes through the phone screen, neither knowing what to say. When tears began to roll down Fateema’s cheeks, it broke Lynx’s heart.
“Baby, please don’t cry.”
“I don’t know what else to do. I never expected to have to choose to have or abort my baby.”
“It’s our baby, and I’m sorry.”
There was another round of silence before Fateema began to cry uncontrollably and ended the call. Lynx called back repeatedly, but she sent him to voicemail every time before eventually turning her phone off.
It was wrong to shut him out, but she needed time to process and figure out what she wanted to do. Having a baby was a responsibility she wasn’t prepared for, but the thought of aborting the baby that she and Lynx created was almost unbearable.
For the next few days, Fateema ignored all communication from Lynx. When she finally responded to him in their text thread, it was only to share her decision and plans with him. She didn’t read any of his texts. She prayed he’d find a way to come to Houston to support her through this.
Fateema was upset about not being chosen to travel with her team for spring break, but it worked in her favor because of her situation. She hoped there would be enough time to recover physically, although mentally and emotionally, she was prepared for it to be a challenge.
Her roommate traveled with the team, and when Fateema told her she wasn’t planning to go home for the week, Jayla was gracious enough to lend Fateema her car.
It made getting around so much easier during such a trying time.
After a quick stop at the grocery store to get some essentials that the doctor said would be helpful over the next few days, she stopped at The Burger Joint and ordered a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a strawberry shake.
It wasn’t as good as her favorite spot in Chicago, but when she indulged, it served its purpose.
When she finished eating, she went to her doctor’s appointment and was a ball of nerves.
Although Dr. Cincy wasn’t her gynecologist, she’d been beyond helpful since the positive pregnancy test. She took her time explaining everything Fateema needed to know and didn’t make her feel bad for her decision.
Before she left the doctor’s office, she took the first pill to start the process.
Twenty minutes later, she checked into the hotel she’d booked with her newly acquired credit card.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t stay in her dorm because they were closed for break.
She left Lynx’s name with the hotel front desk attendant and requested that a key to her room be given to him if he showed up.
She took a long, hot shower when she got to her room, allowing her tears to mix with the water.
When she finished, she took the second pill prescribed by the doctor.
Almost as soon as she swallowed, she felt sick, and the tears began again.
She crawled into bed, hugged a pillow, and cried herself to sleep.
Hours later, she was awakened by a set of arms wrapping around her body from behind. Immediately, she felt a sense of relief because God heard her prayers.
“Lynx?” she questioned, although she knew it couldn’t be anyone but him.
“I’m here, Bunny. What do you need from me?”
She turned around in his arms to face him before responding. “You. I just need you. Thank you for coming.”
“You don’t have to thank me. Did you think I’d let you go through this alone?”
“I wasn’t sure. Your classes and internship are your priority and—”
“You’re my priority, Bunny. Don’t you ever think anything different. Obviously, you didn’t listen to any of my voicemails or read any of my texts.”
Lynx planned to complete a large number of internship hours and work at his part-time job during his spring break, but he didn’t hesitate to change his plans once Fateema shared her decision.
The plane ticket put a dent in his savings, but he would never let his best friend go through this situation alone, especially considering it was his baby too.
“Once I made my decision, I was afraid of what you might say.”
“I told you I’d support whatever decision you made. This is the longest we’ve ever gone without communicating, and I almost lost my mind. Don’t ever ignore me like that again.”
“Where’d you get the money to—”
“Bunny, don’t worry about that. I’ll be here for as long as you need me.”
“I’ll always need you, but you can’t stay forever.”
He chuckled. “No, physically, I can’t be here forever, but I’m always in your heart and a phone call away.” He kissed her forehead and pulled her deeper into his chest. “How do you feel?”
“Physically, I’m fine. I don’t think I’ll be okay emotionally or mentally for a while. This was a hard decision.”
“I know. There was so much to consider. We’re young, broke, and have goals we want to achieve. I understand why you made this decision.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No, I’m not mad. The thought of seeing a little me or you running around was exciting, but I’m not mad.”
They remained silent for a few minutes, deep in their thoughts and questioning whether the right decision had been made.
“I took the first pill at the doctor’s office, and the second pill once I got here and settled. She said I could take the others up to forty-eight hours afterward. Since you’re here, I’ll take the others.”
“What happens when you take those?”
“Bleeding and cramping.”
“Do you have pain meds?”
“Yes, but hopefully, it won’t be too bad.”
Unfortunately, it was worse than she expected.
Fateema couldn’t imagine what giving birth to a full-grown baby would feel like because the pain she felt had her in the fetal position, weeping uncontrollably.
She took the pain meds every four to six hours, used a heating pad, and Lynx rubbed her back to help ease the pain.
By the end of day two, she felt better physically, but her emotions were still all over the place.
That week, the strength of their friendship got them through the most trying time of their young lives. In the days following, something shifted between them. If asked, neither could say what it was, but both knew things were different, and it would play out soon enough.