Kim sat across from Susan, her heart heavy with the weight of the decision she had to make. She had just told her best friend that was considering keeping the baby. Susan's reaction had been far from supportive.
"Come on Kim! You don't expect me to support you in this. What do you know about taking care of a child?" Susan said, obviously upset. Her words cut deep, and Kim felt tears welling up in her eyes.
"Don't keep it," she continued. Kim felt her heart sink at the words. She had hoped her best friend would understand and support her decision to become a mother, even though the circumstances were less than ideal. But it seemed like Susan was just too caught up in her own narrow view of the world to see things from Kim's perspective
Kim had never been more sure about anything in her life, but she couldn't deny the fear creeping in. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she also knew she couldn't go through with an abortion. Kim took a deep breath and looked Susan in the eye. "I know it won't be easy, but I'll figure it out. I have to keep it."
Kim looked at Susan with tears in her eyes. "I understand that you're upset, but I can't just give up this child. I know I don't have experience, but I'll do whatever it takes to learn and take care of this baby." Kim tried to reason with Susan, but she seemed to have made up her mind. "I'm not asking you to support me, I just need your understanding and maybe a little bit of help. Please, Susan, don't ask me to give up this child. I can't bear the thought of it."
Susan softened a bit, but still seemed unsure. "I'll think about it," she said.
Kim knew that if she could just get Susan to understand, everything would be okay. "I want this child more than anything else in the world. And I'm going to do everything I can to give him or her the best life possible, whether you're on board or not. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be a good mother," Kim replied, her voice firm. "Please don't ask me to give up on my child." she repeated.
Susan sighed and shook her head, but Kim could see the beginnings of understanding in her eyes. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she was determined to give her child the best life she possibly could.
"fine! Fine! I'll support you. Before you label me a bad friend." Susan said causing Kim to smile.
"Thank you. You're the best!"
"Whatever!" Susan said rolling her eyes. "So what do you have planned. How do you intend to care for the baby?"
"I don't know? Maybe send it away till I'm stable?"
Susan's eyes widened in surprise as she heard the response. "Send it away? To where?" she asked incredulously.
The young woman shrugged, twirling a strand of hair around her finger nervously. "I don't know, maybe to a relative or a foster family or something," she replied. "I mean, maybe I'm not ready to take care of a child yet. Maybe I should wait until I'm more stable and can provide a good life for it." Kim replied , her voice tinged with uncertainty.
"But don't you think it's important to bond with your child from the beginning?" Susan asked gently.
Kim sighed. "Of course it is. But what if I can't give it the life it deserves? What if I can't be the mother it needs me to be?"
Susan placed a reassuring hand on Kim's shoulder. "You'll figure it out. Being a mother is hard, but it's also incredibly rewarding. And if you need help, I'm here for you."
Kim smiled weakly. "Thanks, Susan. I just don't want to mess this up."
"You won't," Susan said firmly. "We'll figure it out together. So does this mean you're putting your plans on hold for now? The search for a job?"
"Even if I don't want to, I have no choice. No one wants to hire me because I don't have a degree or experience and if they hear I'm with child now, I don't think they'll even interview me."
"Yes, but you're still young. You should be thinking about studying to get a degree, or even going to grad school. No company will want to hire someone without a certificate or even experience." Susan said gently.
"I understand where you're coming from, But I believe that I have a lot of value to offer a company even without a certificate or work experience. While a degree can certainly be helpful, I don't think it's the only way to prove my worth to an employer. Besides, there are many successful people who never finished college or who have succeeded in a field unrelated to their degree. I'm not saying that I don't want to pursue further education in the future, but for now, I think my skills and passion for this field are enough to get my foot in the door. What I need to do is focus on building experience and making connections in the industry."
Susan smiled heartily. " Look who's being a big girl. I'm rooting for you babe. Whatever you want to do, you have my full support."
"Thanks, Susan. I really appreciate it."
Susan nodded and gave Kim a warm smile. "Well, in that case, I think we should go shopping for the baby." she said getting all excited.
"Shopping? For a child we don't even know the sex? I don't think so."
"Come on! Don't be a kill joy. We can just get things for both boy and girl. That way , we'll have an idea of what they'll need."
"But this way it's totally useless!" Kim said adamantly. "Weren't you the one who wanted the child gone just a minute ago?"
"Who? Me?" Susan asked feigning ignorance and making Kim laugh hard.
"I'm going to be an aunty soon. I want to go shopping now."
"No! It's way too early."
Susan chuckled at her stubbornness.
"If you want to do something good, why not get me something to eat?" Kim said pouting.