His Ranch

"Do you have any family? Is there anyone I can call?" the nurse asked. Flannery looked at the nurse. She had been so nice. She had light skin and was overweight, but that seemed to comfort Flannery.

"My boyfriend," she replied in a timid voice. She couldn't believe what was happening. How stupid could she be? She looked down at her stomach and thought about all the choices she had made in the last few weeks.

"What's his number, sweetie?" the nurse asked holding a post-it and pen. After Flannery had given the nurse the information, she looked back down at her tummy.

She was twenty-one and had decided to take a year off of college; her parents had been fighting a lot lately and Flannery knew that they didn't fight as much when she was home. She had decided to teach voice since that's what she majoring in up north. She remembered when she told her mother that she was going to go up north and leave Georgia behind.

"You're going to what?" her mother yelled. She was a beautiful blonde woman and had a figure that rivaled her own daughters who was half her age.

"Mom, I'm going to major in vocal technique and training-"

"Do you have any idea how much money we have spent on voice lessons?! We didn't spend that money so you could teach; we spent it so you could become famous!"

Her mother walked to the bar on the other side of the living room and poured herself a martini. Flannery closed her eyes and pushed the horrible memory out of her head. Ever since she was eight and her parents had discovered she had a gift, they spent all of the money grooming her to become a star. Flannery didn't want that; she just wanted to teach.

She taught girls out of a rented studio downtown and enjoyed the solitude until she met Beau, a good-looking twenty-four year old who worked across the street at the "Jim's Guitars."

He asked her out after bumping into her on the side walk and in a moment of spontaneity, Flannery accepted. After dating for five months, and after pressuring Flannery for five months, Beau finally convinced her to take the next step.

She sat on the bench in front of the crisis pregnancy center remembering the conversation she had with Beau before he took her virginity.

"Baby, I love you and I want us to take this step," he said, while trailing kisses up and down her neck.

"But maybe we should wait-"

"For what?"

The next day Flannery had felt horrible. There was something that hadn't felt right. She had many friends at college that talked about how sex was the best thing in the universe, but Flannery didn't enjoy it one bit. Beau had convinced her to let him not wear a condom and had bought the morning after pill. She felt guilty after taking it, but trusted Beau.

"Flannery," the nurse touched her arm and pulled her back to the present. "He said he would be here in a few minutes."

"Thank you so much," Flannery replied, attempting to keep herself composed.

"Here," she said handing her a large manilla envelope. "This is information on different paths you can take. Good luck, sweetie."

Flannery thanked her and when Beau arrived, she climbed in the passenger seat. They sat in silence for the entire drive back to her house. After throwing the car into park, he turned to face her.

"I told you to take the pill," he said. "What happened?"

"What happened?" Flannery asked. "I took it!"

"Then how did this happen?" he asked. She couldn't believe it. Was he blaming her for this? How dare he!

"Are you really going to blame me for this? Seriously, Beau?"

Beau turned back to the wheel and slammed his hands down on it muttering under his breath.

"I should have worn a fuckin' condom.."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"I'll go half-sies with you."

Flannery sat there for a minute attempting to understand what he meant. Half-sies?

"huh?" she asked.

"To get it taken care of," he said, without looking at her.

Flannery felt rage take over her entire being. It wasn't a thing, it was a person!

"No. I'm going to keep the baby."

Flannery watched as he unbuckled his seat belt and came over to her side of the car.

"Get out," he said, as he opened the door. She got out of his car and watched him drive away.