PICTURE PROMPT THIS WEEK. HERE'S THE PHOTO:
We have more of Maggie's story this week. Thank you for coming.
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Six thirty in the morning, in the kitchen
Maggie’s hand shook as she set the plate down in front of
John.
“You always make the eggs just the way I like them,” John
said. “Can you get a few hours off out tomorrow morning?”
“The Missus’ll be taking Penn for a ride in the park. S’pose
I could.”
She twisted a napkin in her hands. “Don’t know how you can
eat at this hour.”
“Driving Mr. at seven. Teaches one to eat when one can.”
Maggie paced in front of the small table.
“There’s things you don’t know about me.”
“The sooner we get married, the happier I’ll be. Every
morning, I’m half expecting to find them standing there when I leave your room.
I hate sneaking around.”
He sipped his coffee.
“I need to tell you something.” Her heartbeat jumped.
“Go ahead. But it won’t make any difference.”
“Before I came to the States, I had a boyfriend.”
“So?” He wiped his chin.
“I got pregnant.”
John stopped wiping. Silence hung in the air like a vapor. She
glanced at him and looked away.
“Where’s the child?”
“That’s it, you see. Mum forced me to get rid of it. Said
she’d put me out. Pa, too. Said they didn’t want no disgrace comin’ down on the
family.”
John put down his fork.
“I didn’t want to. I had no choice. I was under age and all.
Warn’t nothing I could do. He’d be about little Penn’s age, I imagine.”
John simply stared at her, his face expressionless.
“See? Told you there was stuff you didn’t know. Still time
to change your mind.”
Mr. Roberts poked
his head in. “Time to go, John."
“Right, sir.” And in a flash, her lover was gone.
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