Chapter 10: Laura

Ectopic pregnancy, the doctor said. He explained it happens when a fertilized egg tries to develop outside the womb, in the fallopian tube.

They’d had to take my tube. They told me later I’d been very lucky, but I didn’t feel lucky. In the hospital, I regarded the small scar next to my bellybutton. I wondered what it would do to my chances of having a baby when I wanted one and then marveled at the turnaround of my mind in less than twenty-four hours.

The doctor explained the most women who have had an ectopic pregnancy will be able to get pregnant again, even if they’ve had a fallopian tube removed.

There was a part of me that felt relieved the situation had been taken out of my hands. But curiously, at the same time, I felt horribly cheated. It had been my choice to make, yet before I could decide, it had been snatched from my hands.

They kept me in the hospital for a few days, for observations. I didn’t want any visitors. Luckily my mother wanted the same thing, but for different reasons. The first words I heard from her when I woke up were, “Thank God, this nightmare is over.”

I’m sure you’ve realized by now, that my mother wasn’t exactly a caring and nurturing kind of person.

“Mother, where is my phone? I need to contact Percy. He must be crazy looking for me,” my voice was hoarse, it rasped in my throat. “I need to tell him what happened.”

“He didn’t want to visit you. He didn’t care for you,” my mother said. She didn’t meet my eyes.

“Please, mother. The last thing I need is you lying to me. I know Percy and he’s not like that. What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything but look out for your well-being.” She raised her chin in defiance.

“I seriously doubt it. Your idea of my wellbeing doesn’t match mine. Give me my phone, Mother. I don’t have the strength to fight you off anymore. As soon as I recover, I’ll be out of your life for good. Now, for the last time, give me my fucking phone.” I emphasized every word of the last sentence.

My mother took my phone out of her purse and threw it at my side.

“Suit yourself. Ruin your life if you want.”

I turned it on and went through my messages. There were a lot of text messages from Percy. Also voice mails. Only one text message had been sent from my phone to Percy. After I read it, I almost fainted.

“What have you done, mother? Are you really so insensitive? So self-centered’ So selfish?” I exclaimed in tears.

She tried to play dumb, “What are you talking about?”

“Can you explain this message, mother? Because I’m pretty sure I didn’t send it.”

“Oh, that message. I did what I thought was best.”

“Best for me or best for you? Do you think about anyone else apart from yourself?”

“How dare you talk to me like that?” That’s all she had to say, whatever.

Enough was enough.

“Stop it! Don’t say another word! This is typical of you. I don’t need your drama draining whatever strength I have left. Please, mother, leave the room, leave the hospital, leave my life, I beg you. I have no strength to deal with you anymore. Don’t bother to come back.”

My mother left the room without a backward glance. I was tired and I felt like I was going to crumble into despair at any minute.

I called Percy immediately.

He answered at the second ring.

“What do you want from me, Laura?” he asked with a voice full of anger. “You must need something from me because you didn’t bother to answer any of my messages, and your family threatened me with a restraining order if I kept bothering you.”

I swallowed hard, I barely had the strength to deal with this, but I needed to do it before crumbling down. He was furious and rightly so.

“Percy, listen to me, please! I didn’t write that text. My mother did. I’m at the hospital. I had a miscarriage some days ago. I had surgery and I was sedated. Could you please come in? I need you right now,” I pleaded. Then I started to cry.