Jennifer sat by the window, her headphones on, flipping through the pages of her book. This had become her escape—a moment of peace in a life that had changed so much since she married Martin.
She loved her husband, and he loved her. But there was always something standing between them: his daughter, Carrie. Carrie had just turned eighteen, yet she still acted like a rebellious child, making sure Jennifer never felt like part of the family. No matter how hard Jennifer tried, she couldn’t break through the walls Carrie had built around herself.
The soft hum of music filled Jennifer’s ears as she got lost in her book. The afternoon sun bathed the living room in a golden glow, wrapping her in a warmth that, for once, made her feel safe.
But that peace was shattered in an instant.
Jennifer looked up to see Martin standing in front of her, his face red with anger. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his entire body tense.
She couldn’t hear what he was saying, but his furious expression was enough to make her heart race. Quickly, she removed her headphones.
“When were you planning to tell me about this?!” he shouted, his voice shaking with fury.
Jennifer blinked in confusion. “Tell you about what?”
“About what?!” Martin let out a bitter laugh. “Nothing’s happened, Jennifer? Are you sure?”
“Martin, I don’t understand. Just tell me what’s wrong,” Jennifer said carefully, though her pulse quickened with unease.
Without another word, Martin held up a pregnancy test. The two bold pink lines stared at her, clear as day.
“This!” he nearly shouted. “You think I don’t have a right to know about this?”
Jennifer’s mouth fell open. Her heart pounded wildly.
“Where did you find that?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“In the bathroom trash,” Martin snapped. “Does it matter where I found it? It’s positive! Were you planning to keep this from me?!”
Jennifer felt a wave of dizziness.
“You’re jumping to conclusions, Martin. Please calm down!” she pleaded, her mind spinning.
“Jumping to conclusions? This is our future we’re talking about! Were you planning—” He stopped mid-sentence, clenching his jaw as if trying to hold back his emotions.
Jennifer took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “I wasn’t planning anything. Please, let’s sit down and talk about this later. Right now, you need to go to work.”
Martin exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. But we will talk tonight.”
As he stormed out, Jennifer let out a deep breath. She glanced at the test still sitting on the table. Her moment of peace was gone. Her hands trembled as she reached for it, staring at the two lines.
But something wasn’t right.
She knew for a fact that the test wasn’t hers.
A terrible realization hit her. There was only one other person who could have left it in the trash.
Carrie.
Determined, Jennifer walked to Carrie’s room and knocked softly. “Carrie? Can I come in?”
A pause. Then a quiet, “Yes.”
Jennifer stepped inside. The room was messy—clothes thrown over a chair, books scattered across the desk, and posters covering the walls. But what caught Jennifer’s attention was Carrie’s face—pale, uncertain, and guilty.
Jennifer sighed. “Carrie, we need to talk. I need to know the truth.”
Carrie’s lower lip trembled. Then, after a long silence, she whispered, “Thank you for not telling Dad the test was mine.”
Jennifer’s heart softened. “You’re welcome. But now, what are you going to do?”
Carrie swallowed hard. “I don’t know. I’m scared.”
Jennifer sat on the bed beside her. “You need to make a decision quickly, Carrie. This isn’t like picking a college major, though, to be fair, you didn’t handle that well either.”
Carrie gave a dry laugh, then shook her head. “What’s the point of choosing? Dad decides everything for me anyway.”
Jennifer sighed. “If you’re pregnant, medical school will have to wait.”
Carrie looked away. “I’m not going to be pregnant.”
Jennifer frowned. “Really? Because this test says otherwise.”
Carrie hesitated. “If you lend me some money… then…”
Jennifer’s chest tightened. “Don’t rush into a decision, Carrie. Does the father know?”
“He won’t find out,” Carrie murmured, tears filling her eyes.
“Why not? He has a right to know,” Jennifer pressed gently.
Carrie bit her lip, then suddenly broke down. “He dumped me.”
Jennifer’s heart broke. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around Carrie. “You’re not alone, sweetheart. We’ll figure this out together.”
That night, when Martin returned home, Jennifer and Carrie were waiting.
“What’s going on?” Martin asked. “Why is Carrie here?”
Jennifer took a deep breath. “Martin, sit down. She needs to be part of this conversation.”
“She’s not involved in this. She should be focusing on school—”
“Dad…” Carrie interrupted, her voice shaking. “It’s my test.”
Silence.
Martin turned pale. “What?! That can’t be true.”
“It is,” Jennifer confirmed softly.
Martin sank into a chair. “Carrie, how could this happen? What about your education? Your future?”
“Is that all you care about?” Carrie snapped, her frustration boiling over. “I don’t even want to be a doctor!”
Martin blinked in shock. “What are you saying?”
“She needs to decide for herself, Martin,” Jennifer said firmly.
“I’ve made up my mind. She’s too young to be a mother. Her education comes first,” Martin insisted.
“And have you asked her what she wants?” Jennifer challenged.
“Ask a girl who spent her time with some boy instead of studying? No thanks. She’ll do as I say.”
“No, Dad!” Carrie cried. “I don’t want to!”
Jennifer’s patience snapped. “Enough! She’s an adult. She makes her own choices.”
Martin hesitated. Jennifer’s words sank in. Slowly, he nodded. “Alright. We’ll figure this out. Together.”
Jennifer smiled at Carrie. “And we’ll start by meeting the father.”
A week later, Jennifer and Carrie sat across from Billy and his parents. The tension was thick.
Carrie took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
Billy turned pale. “Pregnant? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was scared,” she admitted.
Billy’s mother placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We’ll support you.”
Jennifer met Billy’s parents’ eyes. “We can’t shield them from the world. But we can help them stand strong.”
And in that moment, Jennifer knew—whatever happened, they would face it together. As a family.
