Page 11 of Upon an April Night

Could she do this with their help? Should she count on them for that? Could she keep the baby?

“I don’t know what to do.” Jamie covered her face and cried more.

“I’m here for you,” Shannon assured her. “You’re my best friend, and I want you to be happy. But Duncan is my brother, and if you don’t tell him, I can’t promise that I won’t.”

Jamie’s eyes widened as she looked at her friend. “What? Shannon, come on.”

“He has the right to know.”

Jamie scrambled up from the couch and stared at her in disbelief. “Please don’t do that. Not yet anyway.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

“Yes.”

“Before or after?” There was an edge to Shannon’s voice, and Jamie wasn’t sure if it was anger, but it sure sounded like it.

Truthfully, this whole situation felt impossible, and having an abortion seemed like the easier option.

“You’re going to do it, aren’t you?” Shannon asked.

“I don’t think I have any other choice.”

“You do have choices. Don’t do anything rash.” Shannon looked almost panicked.

“I can do whatever I want. It’s my body.”

“That’s true. And I can sit here and tell you what I hope you’ll do and the way I hope things will turn out, but there are no guarantees. I don’t know how Duncan will react when he finds out … and he will find out. Whether it’s from you or me.”

Jamie’s face scrunched up in disapproval.

“If you end this pregnancy and he finds out after the fact, he might never forgive you.”

Jamie stared down at the floor.

“But here’s another option for you to consider.” Shannon took a deep breath in and let it out. “Adoption.”

“I don’t know.” Jamie hadn’t had time to think about other options.

“I want to adopt the baby,” Shannon blurted.

Jamie’s eyes widened again. “Wait, what?”

“The reason I broke up with Micah all those years ago was because I found out I can’t have kids. He wanted a big family. It was a dream of ours. So I let him go so he could have that with someone else.”

Her heart shattered for her friend. “Oh, Shannon.”

“It breaks my heart that you’re going through this right now, Jamie.” Tears filled Shannon’s eyes again. “I’m so sorry my brother was so careless with you and your feelings. But if you don’t want it, and if he doesn’t want it, I will be this baby’s mom. I want children. I always have. And if I can raise a baby that’s biologically part of our family, I would be so honored to do that. You can be part of its life and so can Duncan.”

Jamie was speechless. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Please, think about it, okay?”

“I will.”

“And please talk to Duncan.”

She simply nodded in reply.

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