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rainbowfic2016-03-10 05:54 pm
auguris) wrote in rainbowfic2016-03-10 05:54 pm
Dirt Brown 21
Name: auguris
'verse: The Underground
Story: October 1992
Colors: Dirt Brown 21. Stability
Supplies and Styles: Canvas, Seed Beads
Word Count: 504
Rating: PG
Summary: Marissa’s stupid decision has yielded a pretty damn giant consequence.
October 1992
Marisa sat at the kitchen table, the ultrasound centered perfectly on the placemat in front of her. It didn't look like a baby yet. Barely the size of a peanut. So much could go wrong.
Her mother, dead before Marisa's first child was born, would have sympathized. Cried with her. Bought her gallons of ice cream. And then she would remind Marisa that Hunters do not abort girls. Exceptions were made, if the baby was forced on the mother or if the pregnancy would kill the mother, but that was that. Roe vs. Wade meant nothing to her people. Hunters Do Not Abort Girls.
It was too early to tell.
Boys could be removed through any means, but by that time she would be showing. She could move in with her friend Barbara for five months, but that would take her away from little Daniela. Not an option.
The porch steps creaked, signaling Jacob's return from the shop. He knew those steps creaked, but he stepped on them regardless. Deliberately.
Daniela raced from the living room, tackling Jacob's legs. Jacob snatched her up into the air and she shrieked with laughter; Marisa couldn't help but smile. He really was a good father.
Fuck.
She flipped the ultrasound over and waited until Dani was satisfied with her Daddy's greeting. "Dani, baby, I need to talk to your Dad. Can you wait upstairs for a little bit?"
"But Mama!"
"No buts, babygirl. Scram." She said it with a smile. Dani stomped out of the kitchen, across the living room, up the stairs, down the hall, and into her room. She didn't slam the door; she knew better than that, finally.
Jacob chuckled. "One day she won't be able to get away from us fast enough."
"I know." Marisa smiled at him, a wide genuine smile, then sighed and looked down at the blank side of the ultrasound. She turned it back over. "I'm pregnant."
He sucked air in quick, struggled to control his breathing. After a time of dead silence -- thirty seconds, an hour? -- he asked, "how far along are you?"
"Six weeks, give or take."
He struggled with his breathing again. "We haven't made love since July fourth."
"I know."
"It's October."
"I'm sorry."
Jacob shuffled around the kitchen, opening drawers, taking things out, shoving them back in. He snorted like a bull ready to charge. She glanced up when he stilled; he gripped the edges of the sink. Stainless steel. Easy to clean. He leaned over, like he was about to sick up.
"What's his name?" he choked out. He was crying. She'd made him cry.
"I don't remember." A lie, but this was her mistake, not the responsibility of a good-time stranger three towns over. "It was a one-off, I was drunk and angry and I did something incredibly stupid. I don't expect you to forgive me for it, but we need to discuss where we go from here. For Dani's sake."
"For Dani's sake," Jacob muttered. "I need to take a walk."
auguris'verse: The Underground
Story: October 1992
Colors: Dirt Brown 21. Stability
Supplies and Styles: Canvas, Seed Beads
Word Count: 504
Rating: PG
Summary: Marissa’s stupid decision has yielded a pretty damn giant consequence.
October 1992
Marisa sat at the kitchen table, the ultrasound centered perfectly on the placemat in front of her. It didn't look like a baby yet. Barely the size of a peanut. So much could go wrong.
Her mother, dead before Marisa's first child was born, would have sympathized. Cried with her. Bought her gallons of ice cream. And then she would remind Marisa that Hunters do not abort girls. Exceptions were made, if the baby was forced on the mother or if the pregnancy would kill the mother, but that was that. Roe vs. Wade meant nothing to her people. Hunters Do Not Abort Girls.
It was too early to tell.
Boys could be removed through any means, but by that time she would be showing. She could move in with her friend Barbara for five months, but that would take her away from little Daniela. Not an option.
The porch steps creaked, signaling Jacob's return from the shop. He knew those steps creaked, but he stepped on them regardless. Deliberately.
Daniela raced from the living room, tackling Jacob's legs. Jacob snatched her up into the air and she shrieked with laughter; Marisa couldn't help but smile. He really was a good father.
Fuck.
She flipped the ultrasound over and waited until Dani was satisfied with her Daddy's greeting. "Dani, baby, I need to talk to your Dad. Can you wait upstairs for a little bit?"
"But Mama!"
"No buts, babygirl. Scram." She said it with a smile. Dani stomped out of the kitchen, across the living room, up the stairs, down the hall, and into her room. She didn't slam the door; she knew better than that, finally.
Jacob chuckled. "One day she won't be able to get away from us fast enough."
"I know." Marisa smiled at him, a wide genuine smile, then sighed and looked down at the blank side of the ultrasound. She turned it back over. "I'm pregnant."
He sucked air in quick, struggled to control his breathing. After a time of dead silence -- thirty seconds, an hour? -- he asked, "how far along are you?"
"Six weeks, give or take."
He struggled with his breathing again. "We haven't made love since July fourth."
"I know."
"It's October."
"I'm sorry."
Jacob shuffled around the kitchen, opening drawers, taking things out, shoving them back in. He snorted like a bull ready to charge. She glanced up when he stilled; he gripped the edges of the sink. Stainless steel. Easy to clean. He leaned over, like he was about to sick up.
"What's his name?" he choked out. He was crying. She'd made him cry.
"I don't remember." A lie, but this was her mistake, not the responsibility of a good-time stranger three towns over. "It was a one-off, I was drunk and angry and I did something incredibly stupid. I don't expect you to forgive me for it, but we need to discuss where we go from here. For Dani's sake."
"For Dani's sake," Jacob muttered. "I need to take a walk."