Chapter 9
Sheila Carter was about to give birth to Scott Grainger’s child. It had been 6 months since Lauren Fenmore’s miscarriage. Scott felt guilty that he wasn’t able to save Lauren and his baby, so he thought that it might have been the best thing to grieve together after their personal tragedy. Sheila felt betrayed. Scott knew that he had lost a child and was about to gain another one. Through her Mothering and Motherhood course that she took the previous summer, she read mommy literature ranging from Margaret Laurence to Toni Morrison. She wanted to be prepared to be the best mother that she can possibly be at her tender age. She wanted her child to have a normal life, one that she never had. Admittingly she thought because of my mother, but since then Sheila did her very best to understand what her mother went through, while at the same time railing against the oppression of motherhood. The one thing Sheila wanted most in her life was not a baby, but Scott to return the love that she so desperately craved. Sheila wanted to be saved from her chaotic life, and to do so, she wanted Scott to rescue her and make her life different. It wasn’t fair that Sheila was supposed to not have a life and have a chance for happiness. All the young ladies she knew in her lifetime all had boyfriends and all they were doing were bragging about them, and this is how Sheila came to lose all outside contact with the rest of the world. It was all Sheila can do to keep from slapping them upside the head. How was that fair? Sheila thought. All I ever wanted was Scott, and he’s still with the bitch that would break his heart time and time again. She worked so hard for Scott and it was so clear that he didn’t love her. He felt compelled to stay with Lauren. Molly brought her out of ruminating.
“What’s wrong, dear? Is it the baby?”
“Yes and no.”
“Why yes and no?”
“Because if I had made Scott mine sooner, I wouldn’t have had to get pregnant. I’m only 22.”
“Sweetie, I was so in love with your father. I got pregnant with you because it was the only way he could ever love me. It didn’t work. He started to beat me, and one night it just drove me insane.”
“Mom, I know. I wasn’t planning on going to the police like I said I was. It’s just that I love Scott so much and everything I’ve done this past year was for him. I’m coming close to term now.”
“Sheila, sometimes we don’t get what we want.”
Sheila started to cry, and Molly went to give her a hug.
“Sheila dear, you know… I know it’s hard playing second fiddle to someone or something else. I was tortured all my life. I thought when your father ‘left’ things would change. They didn’t. I’m in my early fifties and it’s hard raising a child by yourself. I need a companion, but gradually I started expecting that I would never get that companionship. Not you, though. Darling, you’re still young. You have your whole life ahead of you. Someone will love you. It will happen.”
“Mom, don’t you understand? I only want Scott. He is the love of my life. Damn it, I made his fiancée miscarry. For what? So he can go back to her right afterwards?”
“Dear, you couldn’t expect that once Lauren miscarried that he would run straight into your arms?”
“Of course, Mom. That’s why I did what I did. I love him.”
“Dear, you helped to kill his child.”
“But I’m giving him one in return.”
“Sweetheart, you have to learn to accept the fact that he has someone else. Sheila, you’re better than that. I raised you better than that. Everything I’ve done is for you to have a better life than I did.”
Molly went on to say:
“Sheila, I know you’re heartbroken. Your heart was stolen. You’re a damaged soul. You are a strong and beautiful young woman, and yes you made mistakes. You have to understand that Scott is in love with Lauren. He doesn’t love you dear. Please don’t waste your life on something that will never happen.”
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Molly went to go answer it.
“Scott?!”
Sheila said, “What are you doing here?” Then her water broke. She was going into labour. Scott and Molly called 911 and took her to the hospital.
A few hours later, Sheila Carter was a mother to a beautiful baby girl. She was so perfect in every way, and had her equally handsome father’s eyes. Sheila always loved the name Mary, so that is what she named her daughter.
Sheila was still groggy after her Caesarean, and suddenly Scott proposed to her. That immediately aroused her, and she happily screamed yes.
Yes, Sheila came away that night with her mother’s infinite wisdom and she understood every sort of preservation that Toni Morrison was speaking about in her novel Beloved. She proved her mother wrong. Scott loved her and his new baby daughter. She was convinced of that now.
