Right, I made the right call divorcing you, I heard him mutter, as if that settled everything. If Id been there two minutes earlier, Id have shouted that it was I whod split from that brilliant husband, but his talk about work sent my mind in another direction.
Mom, can I come stay with you? Poppys tearfilled voice crackled over the line, giving me no good feeling at all.
Of course, Margaret, flustered but decisive, gave her blessing. Youre welcome anytime, love its my house as much as yours.
I thought youd be against it. Were living with Dad now, so I guessed
It doesnt matter where you live youll always be my daughter. She paused. Is Stan coming with you?
Yes, hes with me. Mum, theres something This isnt a casual call its really bad news.
Hold on, dear. Are you both alive?
Alive.
Then maybe its not that dreadful. Come over and tell me whats happened.
In Margarets head a catalogue of worstcase scenarios flickered. A sudden illness? That wouldnt have required a trip home. A row with Dad? He was never the sweetest bloke, but Poppy loved him. Something truly out of the ordinary must have gone wrong.
Could it be that Oliver, the ex, had taken a new lady and left Poppys life in shambles? That seemed plausible.
But the truth turned out to be altogether different.
Mom, I dont know how it happened. We were using protection, but
Stan, sitting beside Poppy, drummed a gentle rhythm on her shoulder, eyes occasionally flicking at Margaret like a stray dog looking for affection.
Kids, theyre a proper handful, Margaret sighed inwardly, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. She recalled the tiny print on every condom box: even a oneinathousand chance can still happen.
Poppy, its not a crisis right now. How far along are you?
Ten weeks. And how did I miss it? I should have guessed the missed period wasnt because of scarlet fever.
The period could have slipped for any number of reasons illness, stress before exams, or even no reason at all, Margaret interjected. If youre using proper condoms, a burst is the last thing youd blame.
Stan and I didnt plan a baby, Poppy shouted in unison with Stan. We really didnt want one!
Exactly, Stan added, taking the lead. Were only nineteen, no degrees, no proper jobs. In seven or ten years we might sort that out, but right now we can barely keep a roof over our heads. If Dad hadnt let us crash at his flat, wed be living in a council estate with rats hardly the place for a child.
So you never intended to keep the baby? Margaret asked, her tone sharp. Remember, you have a 100% medical contraindication to pregnancy right now.
If only it had been a vaccine, maybe thered have been a chance, Margaret mused, but you caught it in the first trimester, and thats a different story altogether. The risks are terrifying.
I wasnt planning to keep it, Mum. The problem is Dad went off the rails when he found out. He started shouting that if the baby isnt his, Im not his daughter. Then he launched into a sermon about how the church never condones unwanted pregnancies and how doctors in the old days refused to help. Hes basically a walking, talking antiabortion pamphlet.
Oh, those clandestine miracle abortions that girls in the 80s tried with dubious folk healers? They either lost their health or ended up on a graveyard slab, Margaret snapped, her sarcasm thinly veiled. I get why his exhusbands twitchy about it, but he has no right to treat you like a sack of potatoes.
Why is it such a delicate topic, Mum? Poppy asked.
Because its personal, Stan said, stepping in to keep the peace. Weve been living like this for a year and a half, waiting for me to find work after I was sacked. I tolerated it all before the divorce. You remember, its been about twelve years now, give or take.
I remember, Poppy replied. But what does the pregnancy have to do with anything?
When I filed for divorce, I didnt even know I was pregnant. I only discovered it later. And where was I supposed to go? My flat was a mess, I had a teenage daughter and now a baby on the way. I decided to get rid of it.
Oliver, hearing the news, practically hit his own chest with his palm, shouting that if Poppy had told him earlier, hed have fixed everything. Hed promised that for the whole year and a half theyd been couchsurfing, but promises are cheap.
How did he find out? Margaret asked.
I threw the test in the bathroom bin. I know Im a mess, but I didnt think hed look there. He did, rushed in, and started shouting that thered be no granddad. He chased us out, and thats where we are now, Poppy sighed.
Got it. Stay here as long as you can, cramped as it may be, but dont hold grudges. Youll still have to commute to university, and there arent many other options at the moment. If you want to move out, go ahead; if not, youll have to make do while you study. Ill make sure Oliver gets a good talkingto when we meet.
A day later Oliver turned up at Margarets doorstep, demandingdespite the tangled situationthat she suddenly take his side. He launched into his usual quasireligious tirade, then, when Margaret repeated that she wouldnt jump ship, he blurted:
Right, I made the right call divorcing you!
In another timeline, Margaret would have snarled that shed been the one to split from that wonderhusband, but the word work sent her mind elsewhere.
So youre saying you ruined contraception for the kids? Margaret asked, deadpan.
Yes, I ruined it! Oliver barked, realizing his slip. You daftdont you see? Their family planning will leave us grandchildfree forever.
Fine, the pregnancy will end, and thatll be the end of it, Margaret muttered, feeling the coldness of his indifference.
Poppy, learning who had helped her with the unwanted, dangerous pregnancy, cut all ties with her father. She and Stan, with quiet support from Margaret, saw the pregnancy through. They lived with Margaret for the rest of their studies, ignoring the transport hassles. By the fourth year they landed parttime jobs that fit around lectures and moved into a modest flat of their own.
After graduation they quietly wedwithout inviting Oliver to the ceremony. He can have the rest of his life as a solitary figure; they, and any future children, certainly dont need such a twisted family.
