From Fear To Being OK

On that day I woke up with a headache. My first warning that my period was about to start. I showered, had breakfast and went to work. The day seemed to have conspired against me. By noon I had a migraine. My boss walked by and told me I looked bad, pale and sickly. I tried to wave him off, and puked at my desk. And puked again. He went to get me a cold wet compress, he held it against my forehead. After a minute he went and got the sports coat he kept behind the door and walked me to his car to take me home. At home he undressed me, got a washcloth for me, helped me into my bed.

I never got my period, I was pregnant. My boss' baby.

23, by the time it was confirmed in a doctor's office I was resigned and scared. Telling my parents, I had to quit my job, I had to deal with being single.

My boss and now baby daddy stood by me, flew with me to tell my parents, helped me exit work before I was showing, promised to keep me for all those months until I could look for another job. Offered to marry me. Being 23, I felt that getting married to a 47 year old man with two teenage sons was too big a step. So I moved home to live with Mommy and Daddy.

This pandemic has made me realize that being a baby about being a woman is immature. Being the stepmom to two teens will grow me up pretty fast. Plus, he supports me, I need to go do my job.

Thanks for listening, we had a baby girl.