Free A Rich Man's Baby by Daaimah S. Poole

years. I was cute, somebody was going to pick me up, and I was sure he had someone special over there. I don’t know. After that, I looked around my filthy apartment. It didn’t go with my clean room. I had to get it taken care of before Terrance came in. I so didn’t want to hear his mouth.
    I took a good look around. It was pretty bad, so I cleaned the entire place.
    After I was done, I was ready to tackle this thing called dinner. I didn’t know how to cook, but Terrance kept complaining. Before he left he said don’t let him come home to another foil pan of shrimp lo mein. I wanted some real food too. I had enough time to go to the market and try to cook something. I didn’t know what to cook. I called my mom up and asked her for any suggestions.
    â€œMom, what do you need to make macaroni and cheese, and how do you make it?”
    â€œWhy weren’t you watching me like your sister? Boil the noodles and then get some cheese and bread crumbs. Girl, I can’t explain this to you over the phone. I’m about to go into a meeting. Call Camille, ask her. Good luck.”
    I called Camille. I knew she had time to help me.
    â€œCamille, can you come over and help me cook?”
    â€œLet me get this right: You want me to drive to your house to help you prepare dinner for your man? You act like I don’t have a life.”
    I didn’t want to tell her she didn’t, so instead I begged, “Camille, please.”
    â€œGet off my phone,” she said as she hung up on me.
    I had an hour to find something to make for dinner. I went to the market and bought a Bertolli bag of precooked penne pasta with garlic chicken and cherry tomatoes. All I had to do was put it in the pot and cook it on low. I can do that, I thought.
    The house was clean, and I had food on the table. I lit lavender candles and sprayed a tropical mist air freshener in the air. Terrance walked in the door and asked, “What is going on?”
    I took his jacket off him and said, “Nothing, I just wanted to have the house nice for you when you came home.” I sat him down at the table; then I remembered I wanted him to see what I did with the bedroom. I led him into our bedroom and turned on the light.
    â€œSurprise!” I exclaimed.
    He stepped one foot in and just looked around and said, “Where is my manhood in this bedroom?”
    â€œWhat’s wrong with it?” I asked. I thought the room looked great.
    â€œThis room looks like Barbie’s playroom. They were out of blue-or black-striped sheets, huh?”
    â€œThere is not that much pink.”
    â€œDo you think I’m going to sleep on pink satin sheets?” he asked as he walked over and touched the sheets.
    â€œYes, you will if you want to be near me,” I said as I kissed his neck. He walked back to the kitchen and put his hand over his food to check the warmth. Then he put it in the microwave and reheated it. He said he appreciated the meal and me cleaning the apartment, but that I had to buy some man sheets tomorrow.

Chapter 13
Adrienne
    T he morning after the doctor told me of the pregnancy, I made an appointment to terminate it. There was no way I was having this baby.
    I’m sorry, this shit was crazy. I’m a goddamn nurse and I get pregnant. It just didn’t make sense. I was so damn mad at myself for so many reasons. I was mad for falling for two assholes back-to-back. I was mad that I had to find a new job. I was mad that I had sex without condoms. I was mad that I knew better and wasn’t on any birth control. I was just fucking mad.
    I didn’t know for certain how it happened, but I did know I couldn’t have a baby with no assistance from the father. It just was not going to happen.
    I felt like this was a very serious time in my life, and I didn’t have one person in the world I could count on. Nobody could understand what I was going through.
    Â 
    I walked into the mundane