Chapter 74: Chapter 74

She drives a white convertible Mercedes Benz and I'm not surprised by this. Everything she has is expensive. She throws her shades on and focuses on the road ahead of her. Her hair blows in the wind as we drive. The beginning of the ride is silent and I pray that it stays this way until I get home. Of course, it doesn't.

"So Amy"

"It's Ava," I correct her.

"Right, anyways. What is it that you do?"

"I'm finishing school in a few weeks. For now, I'm a waitress at MochaCafé. It's downtown."

"Congratulations on completing high school. So I assume you're like what? Eighteen?"

"Actually, I'm twenty-one and I'm finishing university, but I bet you already knew that." I challenge her. I see her smile for a second before she continues.

"Well, Ava, by the sounds of it, it does not seem to me that you are ready to have this child."

I don't reply to this. She's stumbled upon a fact. I am not ready to have this child. This annoys me. I find her irritable. The way she acts like she is better than me, and from the looks of it, everybody else. The way she speaks without hardly ever using contractions. What does Noah even see in her?

"Listen, you are only twenty, and you have no prior experience with children. I would never ask you to get rid of the baby because it means so much to Noah. However, I have a better solution. Why don't you just simply give the child to us."

My eyes widen. Did she just ask me to give up my baby? "Noah will take sole custody of the baby and we will raise the child as a married couple. Of course, this would be a better atmosphere for a child. This way, your young adult years won't be cut short. You may do as you please. You can be free. This also means you cannot come and visit the child either. Only Noah would remain the child's parent. And me of course."

If I heard this suggestion from anyone else, I would actually consider it. But because it's coming from her. I would never give sole custody to her. To have her be the mother of my child and raise it. Never.

"I appreciate the offer, but no thanks," I reply. Her face turns cold. Did she really think I'd just say yes?

"I don't believe that you have thought this through enough. I am aware that you have no parents. With the amount of tuition you had to pay and currently owe for your education, and considering the job you had, I do not see you being able to financially support this child or yourself for that matter."

"I will find a way," I say, not confident of the words escaping my mouth.

"Oh, are you planning to live off of Noah? Is that why you want to keep his child? So that you may strain all the money he has on child care? So you're trying to go the welfare way. I warned Noah about girls like you. I mean he has never cheated before but of course the one time he does, it's with a gold digger."

"No, I-I-I actually c..."

"You actually care for him. Was that what you were going to say?" I look down. I can't get a word in, and even if I could, I wouldn't know what to say.

"Don't tell me you are actually developing feelings for my fiancé. You poor, poor child. I saw the schoolgirl looks you were giving Noah today, but I chose to ignore them for your sake. I know I do not have to worry about the likes of you ever coming between Noah and me. But just in case it is not clear, stay within your boundaries." She stops abruptly in front of my house and removes her sunglasses. "How about I make this easier for you," she turns to me. "I'll pay the rest of your tuition fees and even add a little extra for you to have until you actually find a career. In exchange, all you have to do is give Noah sole custody of his child."

"No, I'm no giving up this baby," My words don't come out as strongly as I want them to. She notices this and grins. "This offer obviously cannot last forever. Just think what's best for you and the child. You don't want to be a selfish mother now, do you?"

"And leaving my child with you is what's best?" I ask her.

"Ava, I know you've never really had a mother so this is hard for you to grasp. You are not ready and you cannot give the child the life it deserves."

She puts her sunglasses back on. "Think about it," she says as she unlocks the doors.

I quickly and gladly leave the car and head toward my condo. She speeds off before I even make it up the stairs. She is worst than I could have ever imagined.

I get into my house and slam the door. I throw my booties on the ground, stomp to my room and slam that door too. Unbelievable! This woman really expected me to just hand her my baby. Is she out of her mind? And great! Now she knows that I may have feelings for Noah. I know I have no chance with him. Especially against her. I look in the mirror. This morning I thought I looked hot. Now looking at myself, I look like a child.

What makes me the most upset is the fact that I know she's right. I barely have money in my savings and I have no parents to help me out. But I will not give up my child... Especially not to her.

I am determined to prove her wrong. I am capable of raising this baby. It's not all about money. Children need love, and love is free. I can afford that. I take the picture of the baby out of my purse and stick it on my billboard. I need to talk to someone, and Dayna's not home. I decide that maybe I should visit my grandma. I change into leggings and put my jacket back on. I grab an apple and head out the door.

**

I wait ten minutes before being able to see my grandma. I hope today is one of her good days.

"Hey Nana," I say to her.

She's sitting on a couch near her bed, looking through the window.

"Hi, dear," she says. She doesn't look at me.

"Nana, I'm pregnant and I don't know what to do. I'm not ready for this baby, but I can't abort it either."

She doesn't say anything still.

"The father..." I bite my lips. "This may be his only chance of having kids. How can I take this away from him?"

She looks at me now and holds my face in her hands.

"Josephine," she says. That's my mother's name. "You look so young. Honey, It's like your aging backwards."

"Nana, it's me. Avana."

She looks at me in confusion. "Avana honey, you look just like your mother."

"Nana, about the baby, what do I do?"

She smiles. "You won't be alone. Kyle will be there to help you. He's a good man." Kyle is my father.

Tears run down my face. I was hoping she wouldn't bring this up.

"God wouldn't put anything in your life if you weren't ready, honey. You'll be fine. You worry too much," she says. She lets go of my face and goes back to the window.

I get up and kiss her on the forehead. There's not much else I can really talk to her about. I wipe the tears off my face.

"Bye Nana," I say before I leave.

I get home, kind of disappointed that I couldn't have a real conversation with my grandma, but at the same time, hoping she was right about me being able to handle it.

"Hey," Dayna says as soon as I get in. She hugs me. She knows I saw my grandma. She always does. She says it's something in my eyes.

I try to visit my grandma as much as I can, but it's never easy. It's been years since my father died, but hearing it from my grandma really gets me. She also always mistakes me for my mother, who I've never really met. She left us when I was 1 year old. My dad never remarried because he always hoped that my mother would get cleaned up and come back to him. She didn't.

We sit down for dinner. Dayna made pasta.

I tell her about Devlin.

"Well she sounds like a royal bitch," Dayna says. "Look, Ava, I know I don't know anything about raising a child, but you know I'm here for you. I'll help you with the baby as much as I can."

I hug her. She looks at her

watch. "Shit, I forgot I had work at six." She gets up quickly from the table and speeds to her room. In five minutes, she dressed. I don't know how she does that. She puts her jacket on and turns to me.

"You know, maybe you should come by my bar. Grab a few drinks. That will take your mind off things."

"I'm pregnant, idiot," I say to her.

"Oh yeah," she says. "Well, that sucks. See ya," She waves and runs out the door.

I shake my head. She's unbelievable.