Mrs. Sarah Loynd

It was an ordinary Friday afternoon, just like other ordinary afternoons. The sun was shining brightly, provoking a yearning within me to enjoy the outdoors. I positioned myself on one of the two wicker lounge chairs. They sat diagonally on the front porch, allowing the perfect angle for me to bask in the daylight. After fidgeting to get comfortable, I cradled my belly while tucking into myself and let the day seize me. Birds chirped high in the trees while a gentle wind rustled the leaves. The sun’s rays embraced me like a warm blanket, leading me into the solitude of my own daydreams. It was almost three o’clock in the afternoon when I was awakened from my nap by the noise of a black Honda Accord driving up the long cement driveway leading to the garage. My boyfriend’s mother closed the car door and began to walk slowly toward me. “Sarah, I need to talk to you.” I knew immediately that this was not going to be one of our regular, carefree conversations. Patricia took a seat on the lounger beside me, and quietly laid a ticking bomb into my hands. “I’ve been talking to Big Dad, and Brennan will lose his trust fund if you are not married before this baby comes.” I can only imagine how distorted my face appeared when she said this. Confusion and shock hardly described what I felt. I quickly rearranged my face and regained my composure in order to mask the terror that hid in the pit of my stomach. At that moment, I heard Brennan’s red 1992 z28 Camaro roar loudly as it entered the neighborhood. As I waited for him to park his car, I paced back and forth in agonizing anticipation of his response to his mother’s absurd announcement. He walked enthusiastically to greet me with a kiss, only to be welcomed by something else entirely. After sharing such heavy news, his response was quite the opposite of what I expected. “Sarah, if marriage is what you want, then that’s what I want too. If it’s not, I’ll be right here until it is.” Our baby was due in