She had the best parents. Renzo and Carmela Bernardi were kind and gentle, and they let Antonia and her siblings, Rocco and Isabella, do anything they wanted, as long as they obeyed the law.
“Renzo would hunt ...him... down.” I couldn’t even bring myself to say his name. Anyone who walked out on their pregnant girlfriend didn’t deserve a name.
“He would.” Antonia squeezed my hand. “So would Rocco.”
The thought of her family helping me this way brought more tears to my eyes. Why couldn’t my parents feel the same way?
“If I don’t do what my parents want, they’re going to ask me to leave. They won’t tolerate me showing up at church with a protruding belly and no band on my finger.”
“You don’t want to marry him, Miri.”
I coughed out a strangled sob. “You know, when I saw the lines on the test, I thought he’d get down on his knee and ask me to marry him. The moment was so vivid in my mind. Him sweeping me off my feet, twirling me around, and telling me how much he loved me. How we were going to be a family.”
“Just because he didn’t, doesn’t mean someone won’t. He wasn’t the one for you, Miriam.”
“I wish I’d listened to everyone.”
“This is one of those hindsight moments. We can’t change what happened because, if you want to get technical, I encouraged you to date him. I saw how your eyes sparkled when he came near. He’s hot, but unfortunately, he knows it and uses it to his advantage.”
“Don’t I know it.”
I lost track of how long we lay there, watching the clouds move overhead, letting time pass us by, the tall grass tickling us with each gust of wind. I was content because nothing mattered here. Antonia would never judge me for my decisions, and she was the only person to have vowed her unconditional support.
She must’ve sensed I needed a little reassurance, because she reached for my hand. “Are you getting hungry?”
My shoulder lifted in a weak attempt at a half shrug. “Do you think eating for two is a real thing?”
“We learned about cravings in health class, remember?”
I nodded. “I wish we’d learned more about the consequences of the bad-boy attraction and sex.”
Antonia laughed. I knew it was in good fun, and not mocking. “The teachers would never. Parents would throw a fit. Can you imagine what the school board meeting would be like?”
I laughed with her. She was right. “My mother would’ve lost it, demanding to know why her daughter had learned how to put on a condom.” I covered my face with my hand. “If only.”
“It’s not just your responsibility.” Antonia’s voice was soft, kind. She was right. I was not the only one to blame. “Things happen.”
“Things?” I turned to look at her, only to find her staring at me.
Antonia shrugged as best she could while being prone. “I didn’t want to call the baby an accident, because if you decide to keep him or her, then they definitely weren’t an accident, ya know?”
I wanted to hug her and strangle her at the same time. Why did she have to say things to make me question my already-questioning mind?
“If I keep this baby, will you still be my friend?”
“Always and forever, Miri.”
“And if something ever happens to me, you’ll take care of them for me?”
Antonia nodded.
“Do you promise?”
“With my whole heart, Miriam. I’ll treat your son or daughter like they’re my family. I’ll be Auntie Toni.” She smiled brightly. “Besides, nothing will ever happen. We’re going to grow old together. Remember?”
“Yes, spinsters. The two of us sitting on a porch in our creaking rocking chairs, yelling at the teens racing down the dirt road.”
Antonia chuckled. “Why do we live on a dirt road?”
