Free Raising Rain by Debbie Fuller Thomas

when he raised his hand and pledged to serve his country. The future was such an unknown. So many things in the world were tenuous. But at this point in time, he was safe and happy and so, so proud. She fought the tears that threatened to spill over, and saw that Neil was dabbing at his eyes, too. After the swearing in, they were able to hug Scott and tell him how proud they were, pushing aside their fears for the future, which she would not allow to ruin the moment. They were able to spend five minutes with him in the lobby seating area. Before they said their goodbyes, he told them that he’d already seen a lot of idiots who couldn’t follow basic instructions and others who weren’t as prepared physically as he was, and assured them that he would be all right. He seemed so much more confident and relaxed than he had the night before, and it put Bebe’s heart at ease.
    She missed Scotty all day, wondering where he was at that moment and whether he felt any regrets. He might be exhausted and even homesick and wonder what he’d gotten himself into, especially in the first week or so, but she knew he was as ready as a young man could possibly be for the rigors of boot camp—even the longest and most grueling boot camp of any branch of the military. It would feel like an eternity before they received a letter from him. He’d said that they got one phone call when they arrived, and Bebe and Neil kept their cell phones with them, fully charged, the whole day. She tried to keep the line free, inadvertently hurting her mother’s feelings when she asked her to call the house phone instead, but she would not miss an opportunityto talk to Scott.
    They waited all evening, but no call came. Was something wrong, she wondered? She checked the news, but there were no plane crashes reported. She sat down and wrote him a letter, even though she didn’t yet have an address where he could receive mail. By the next morning, Bebe knew that, for whatever reason, Scott hadn’t been given the opportunity to call. But she knew from experience with her brother that the military did their own thing and didn’t need to give explanations. She was only his parent. Scotty now belonged to the U.S. government.
    She had to resist the urge to read stories about the war and the editorials that appeared in the newspaper and online. She just wasn’t ready to handle that, and it did no good to brood. She remembered how her mother had watched the news reports about Vietnam on television when Bobby left, and how she would shush them all harshly, and wipe her eyes and retire to her bedroom. Bebe had been at school when Bobby left. She didn’t even get to tell him good-bye.

R ain got a call on Tuesday morning that Dr. Lazenby had an opening if she wanted to move up her appointment. She rearranged her work schedule and took extra time at lunch. As she sat in the waiting area of the doctor’s office, she wished she had taken time to shave her legs that morning. It was something she had become lax about since Hayden left, and she considered even explaining to the doctor by way of an apology.
    She watched an extremely pregnant woman try to get comfortable in a narrow armchair, twisting this way and that. Her partner read a brochure on menopause, glancing up now and then to ask if she was okay. The woman tried pacing, stopping to take breaths, with her hands on her lower back and her feet spread like the base of a trophy. The receptionist called for them, and as they disappeared behind the office door, told Rain it would only be a few more minutes.
    Rain picked up a brochure about in vitro fertilization and pregnancy. Cutaway diagrams explained the procedures in more detail than necessary, stripping away the warmth and wonder involved in bringinglife into the world. Rain closed the brochure and supplied her own desired results. She couldn’t wait to hold her baby in her arms.
    The receptionist appeared and held