He shook his head. “Still, it’s hard to fathom a fourteen-year-old in middle school getting pregnant.”
Michelle nodded as she sunk down into a chair. “Yeah. I was pretty stunned myself.”
Steve joined her at the table. “Do you know the boy?” he asked.
“No. He’s in high school.”
“Figures. From what you’ve told me about Amber, she’s a sitting target for this.”
She nodded. “I was just starting to make headway with her. She’s really good with Madison, too. I hate to see her in this predicament.”
“Do you think her mom knows?”
“She tried to tell her, but her mom’s really going through her own problems right now,” Michelle replied. “She did tell her social worker, though.”
“That’s good. What’s she going to do? I suppose the boyfriend’s disappeared.”
“He wants her to get an abortion.”
“Of course.” He shook his head in dismay.
“But she’s not ready to decide yet. She’s hoping I can help her with the school part of all this, especially if she decides to have the baby.”
“What does that mean for you?” Steve seemed concerned. “We’ve got Maddie to think about, too, especially now.”
“I know. It’s basically a matter of finding out the school policy. I’ll talk to the principal tomorrow. Cassie thinks he’ll leave it up to Amber to decide whether she wants to stay in her classes on campus or do a home school program.”
“What do you think she should do?” he asked as he leaned against the counter and studied her response.
“I don’t know. I hate to see her have an abortion. We know firsthand how many people are eager to adopt babies. But staying in class…that will be rough. I’m thinking of offering to tutor her outside of school if she chooses the home school route.”
“Don’t make any promises until we find out about Madison.”
“Of course,” she replied, nodding in agreement. Just the mention of Madison drew them into each other’s arms. “This waiting is killing me.”
“I know. Me, too,” he agreed, holding her close.
Later that evening, after Madison was home and settled in bed, Michelle sat in her rocker and began praying. She pled with God on behalf of her daughter, for her health and for a chance to grow up. Then she turned her prayers to Amber, asking God to give her wisdom beyond her years.
Over a week had passed since the biopsy, and Michelle could not sleep the night before the appointment for Madison’s bone marrow test results. Several times, she crept out of their room and peeked in on their sleeping daughter. Would their lives change radically in the morning?
Although Maddie looked so peaceful as she slept, Michelle’s heart was deeply troubled. Thanksgiving was around the corner. How she hoped and prayed they would be thanking God for the test results they were about to receive.
Finally around five, she fell into a restless sleep, only to be awakened an hour and a half later by the buzzing of the alarm clock. She could feel her hands shaking as she applied her make up.
“Are you okay, babe?” Steve asked, hugging her from behind.
“I guess. I’ll just be glad when today’s over,” she replied with a sigh.
“Me, too. Want me to wake Maddie up?”
“Yeah. That would be great. I’ll be ready in a few minutes.”
Steve left the room, and Michelle stared at herself in the mirror. “Get a grip,” she said softly. The last thing she wanted was for Madison to see her nervous or upset.
I am with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Michelle paused and let the words find a home in her heart. Then taking a deep breath, she ran the brush quickly through her hair and headed downstairs.
As they sat around the kitchen table for breakfast, Michelle noticed that Madison was playing with her cereal rather than eating it. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” she asked.
“Do I have to go to sleep at the doctor’s office again today?”
“No, Maddie. The doctor’s not going to do any tests on you today,” Steve replied. “We’re just going to talk to him.”
“No shots?” her voice asked with a quiver.
“No shots,” Michelle promised, taking her daughter’s hand in hers. “Shall we pray?”
Madison nodded, extending her other hand to Steve, and the three of them bowed their heads and thanked God for the meal and another day together as a family.
While they sat in the waiting room of Dr. Morris’ office, Michelle tried to keep herself and Madison distracted with a stack of books they’d brought along. Meanwhile, Steve was busy on his iPad working on a closing argument for a case he’d be presenting in court the following week.
Finally it was their turn. As they walked through the reception door into the hallway of examining rooms and offices, Michelle and Steve both took Maddie’s hand in theirs as if to guard her on both flanks.
They glanced at each other and exchanged reassuring smiles, but Michelle could tell that Steve was equally apprehensive. They’d spent almost two weeks sharing a rollercoaster of emotions, and now the ride was about to end.
The little girl who walked between them was a culmination of their love for each other and a difficult journey of overcoming the infertility issues that had threatened to leave them childless. Would they still be holding her hands a year from now? Would they even have a daughter by then?
The nurse led them to a paneled office at the end of the hall. An impressive mahogany desk dominated the room with shelves of medical books backing it.
“Dr. Morris will be with you in a moment. Just make yourselves comfortable.” She gestured to three chairs that faced the desk. “Would you like a coloring book?” she asked Madison.
Madison looked up at Michelle then shook her head.
“Okay. I’ll let the doctor know you are waiting.”
Several minutes passed as they sat together. Michelle had just begun to read one of the books to Madison when the door opened, and in walked the doctor, glancing up from the open file in his hands to greet them warmly.
Steve rose to his feet and shook the doctor’s hand, and Michelle, who was now holding Madison on her lap, extended her own hand as well.
Seating himself behind the desk, Dr. Morris spread open their file for one last perusal, then laced his hands together and sat upright smiling. “Well, we have good news and maybe not so good news.”
Michelle hugged Maddie as she sat forward in her seat. Steve reached over and took her hand in his.
“The good news is the bone marrow came back normal. No sign of leukemia.”
Michelle felt her body start to shake with relief as her eyes filled with tears. Steve squeezed her hand and shot a smile her way. The worst fear was behind them.
“You mentioned some not so good news,” Steve said.
The doctor glanced down at the file again and then back up at them. “There’s still a concern about the bruising and bleeding Madison’s been experiencing. Her blood work indicates she likely has a condition called Von Willebrand’s disease.”
As the doctor continued his explanation, words like antigen, ristocetin cofactor activity, and platelet functions were all Greek to Michelle. “Can this condition be treated?” she asked, eager for concrete information she could understand.
“Yes, most definitely. Von Willebrand disease is a lifelong condition. There are no cures, but it is not terminal. There are varying degrees of the disease. Some people need ongoing treatment with medications and infusions, others may only need special treatment before undergoing surgery, dental extractions, or in the aftermath of a trauma such as a car accident.”
He paused and then continued. “And as Madison reaches adolescence, she may need to take prophylactic contraceptives to control heavy bleeding during her menstrual period.”
“What do we do right now?” Steve asked, voicing the same question Michelle was thinking.
“Right now, I’d like to te
st the two of you for hereditary factors. I’ll also give you a prescription for a nasal spray you can try with Madison. If it helps to prevent the bruising, I’d recommend continuing with it indefinitely. You should see her gums improving as well.”
Michelle and Steve nodded.
“If she continues to have nosebleeds that are difficult to stop, we may need to adjust the dosage or try other options. But for now, this is the least invasive method of treating her condition.
“If she responds well, we’re on the road to alleviating her symptoms, and I can just monitor her twice a year. I’d like to see her again in three weeks. By then I’ll have the results of your blood work as well, and we can get a pretty good idea of how your daughter is doing with the medication.”
The doctor reached for a pad on the corner of the desk and began writing. First he handed them each a lab order for their own blood work, then he gave Michelle a nasal spray prescription for Madison.
“She’ll use this every day for the next three weeks. If you have any questions or concerns before then, please call. I’ll also want to know if she experiences any of those bad nosebleeds again.”
“Okay. Thanks,” she replied. Then turning Madison, she helped her scoot down off her lap. As the doctor stood, she and Steve joined him on his feet, again shaking hands and thanking him for the information.
“We’ll see you in three weeks, then,” Dr. Morris said as he reached down and patted Madison gently on the head. “Bring Teddy next time,” he added with a smile.
Madison leaned against Michelle. “Okay,” she said with a grin.
On the way home, they stopped by the lab for Michelle and Steve to have their blood work done, then dropped off Madison’s prescription at the drug store. “Want to get an ice cream?” Steve asked their daughter.
“Really, Daddy? Before lunch?”
“Yep. My treat,” he replied, catching Michelle’s glance and sharing their relief over the diagnosis.
“Yippy!!!” Maddie squealed, jumping up and down.
An overwhelming feeling of joy surged through Michelle. Before all of this, any type of disease or condition in Madison would have rattled her. Now, the replacement of leukemia with this treatable, albeit lifelong condition was like a gift from above.
“Off to the Igloo!” Steve announced as they piled into the car.
CHAPTER TWENTY
During her conference period the next day, Michelle made a call to Amber’s social worker.
“Bonnie Blackwell,” came the now familiar voice.
“It’s Michelle Baron,” Michelle said.
“Michelle, how can I help you?” the social worker asked.
“I’m calling about Amber.”
“Is she having problems in class again?”
“No,” Michelle replied, trying to figure out how to broach the subject of Amber’s pregnancy.
“That’s good. I know she really appreciates the time you’re giving her and Jack for their meetings at the park,” Bonnie said.
“I’m happy to do it,” she replied.
“So what can I do for you today?”
Michelle began twisting a strand of hair at the nape of her neck. “Amber came to me and confided something, and I want to make sure she was telling the truth when she told me you knew.”
“About?”
“About her condition.” Michelle replied, hoping Bonnie would understand what she meant.
“I see.” There was a pause on the line, and then Bonnie continued. “Tell me what she told you. I’m pretty sure I know.”
“She said that she’s pregnant,” Michelle had trouble even saying the words.
“And what did you say?”
“I tried not to show her how stunned I was. This is the first student I’ve known of to get pregnant in middle school, so I was pretty shocked.” Michelle waited a second and then added, “I told her I’d help however I could.”
“Have you discussed this with your principal yet?”
“No. I wanted to talk to you first. Amber seems like she might want to have the baby, and I wasn’t sure how much you take over at this point.”
Bonnie cleared her throat. “I’m glad she told you, Michelle. She’s going to need all the support she can get, especially if she maintains the pregnancy. My first priority is for Amber’s wellbeing. That starts with making sure she is okay physically and then helping her sort through the mental and emotional issues she will face as she makes her decision.”
“She told me that you are going to go over all her options with her.”
“Yes. Ultimately, it needs to be her decision.”
“What can I do to help?” Michelle asked.
“Being a support to her is the most important thing. She needs adult women who will listen to her without passing judgment and who will stand with her regardless of what she decides.”
“I understand.”
“And if Amber does decide to have the baby, which my instincts tell me she probably will, she’ll definitely need help navigating the school issues she’ll face in order to continue her classes, either at Magnolia or at home.”
“Right,” Michelle replied. “Please let me know what I can do in that regard.”
“Okay. As you know, Amber has few assets in her life. She lacks a stable family, a real home, a set of core values and principles around which she builds her framework. At this point, she’s feeling very vulnerable and alone. The more support we can offer, the better the outcome is likely to be.”
“I agree. I told Amber I’d find out more about her school options.”
“I was actually planning on setting up a meeting with Mr. Durand to discuss those later this week. Would you like to be part of that meeting?”
“Yeah, I would,” Michelle replied.
“Great. I’ll let you know what we set up. In the meantime, please contact me if you see any particular red flags with Amber at school.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Thank you for taking such an interest in her. She is very blessed to have you for her teacher.”
As Michelle hung up the phone, the word blessed played over in her mind. Was it possible that Amber’s social worker was a Christian, too?
Michelle and Amber’s social worker sat across from Daniel Durand in his office. It was the Friday before the Thanksgiving week break, and this meeting would determine Amber’s options at Magnolia Middle School.
“Good afternoon, ladies. I gather this meeting is about Amber Gamble.”
Bonnie sat forward in her seat. “There is a new circumstance in Amber’s life. She recently confided in me and in her teacher,” tipping her head toward Michelle, “that she is pregnant.”
“I see,” he replied, sitting back in his seat. Fixing his gaze on Bonnie, he asked, “And how can we help?”
“Amber hasn’t decided her course of action yet. She’d like to know whether or not she can continue at Magnolia if she decides to go ahead with the pregnancy.”
Daniel nodded thoughtfully. “Let’s look over her records for this year.” He sat forward and flipped open a folder on his desk. Thumbing through it, he scanned Amber’s grades and teachers’ comments.
“She’s really improving in my class,” Michelle offered. “I see more effort and less disruptive behavior.”
“Hmmm…” Daniel murmured, continuing to peruse the paperwork. “Looks like she’s still struggling with science. Math is passing, but barely.” He paused and read a few comments. “Most of her teachers indicate they see potential, and her standardized scores show that she reads above grade level.”
“I don’t think she has aptitude issues,” Bonnie interjected. “But with her family circumstances, she’s been thrown into a situation that is particularly difficult for an adolescent. At a time when she needs stability most, she’s had the rug pulled out from under her.”
Michelle leaned forward. “I’d really like to help her in any way I can. I noticed her P.E. class is during my conference period. Maybe I could tut
or her and help her with her homework during that time.”
Daniel nodded. “We could issue her a waiver for P.E. But are you sure you want to give up that planning time? This is your first full time year, after all.”
“I’d like to give it a try.”
“What’s being done to cover her medical bases?” he asked, looking to Bonnie.
“I’m taking her for a physical in a couple of weeks. She’ll have full prenatal coverage from the state if she needs it.”
“I’d like Amber to talk to the school counselor before we make any decisions about her continuing at Magnolia. Karen’s great with the kids, and I think she’ll be an important asset to Amber, no matter what decision she makes.”
Bonnie and Michelle agreed.
“Okay. Let’s start there, and we’ll meet again with Karen after she’s talked to Amber.” Daniel pushed his chair back and stood to his feet, extending his hand to Bonnie, who grasped it in a firm shake.
“Thanks so much for meeting with us,” she said.
“My pleasure. I only wish it were under better circumstances,” he replied. Turning his attention to Michelle, he added, “Thanks for reaching out to Amber, Michelle. You are really making a difference here.”
She nodded, her heart soaring with the affirmation.
Thank you, God, she prayed silently as they turned and left the office.
Rushing to pick up Madison, she was eager to go home and pack for their trip to Seal Beach. It would be great to see her family again for the Thanksgiving break.
She’d had quite a first quarter at school and was looking forward to a relaxing holiday catching up with her parents, brother, and grandparents. She glanced at her daughter and smiled as she thought of how much fun it would be to watch Madison interact with all of them, too.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Thanksgiving break was a wonderful and relaxing time for Michelle, Steve, and Madison. Michelle’s mother pampered them with delicious home-cooked meals morning, noon, and night. Uncle Tim romped with Maddie and took her to the surf shop, returning home with a little girl’s hang ten t-shirt decked with hibiscus flowers.
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