checkups. The best part was finding a place of our own in Inchwater."
"I'm glad it all turned out so well," Margaret said.
"Not all teenagers in our situation are so lucky," said Gina soberly. "I went back to talk to the kids at Garrison High and shared Jack's and my story with them. Wish someone had given us the facts, the way I gave it to them. Love doesn't stand a chance, unless you have an education and the means to support yourself."
Gina looked up at Margaret and said, "Am I boring you?"
Margaret shook her head, "It's fascinating." Talking was also better than waiting in silence for the next contraction.
"I'm going to get my General Equivalency Diploma after the baby's here," said Gina, determination in her voice. "Then I've decided to take a computer course. My children aren't going to have a high school dropout for a mother."
Gina leaned forward as another contraction swept through her. "Ooh."
Margaret rubbed Gina's back, feeling helpless, wishing she could do more. Time them, the nurse had said, so she looked at her watch. Two fifteen.
The next one came fifteen minutes later, and it was barely over when the nurse bustled in.
"How are you doing?" she asked cheerfully."
"Fifteen minutes apart," said Margaret weakly.
"Fine," said Gina in a bright, clear voice.
"Good." Reaching for Gina's wrist to check her pulse, the nurse looked at Margaret, "The hunk that brought you in is outside and wants to see you."
"Matt," said Gina.
Matt noticed how pale Margaret was right away. Damp tendrils of hair clung to her neck, and her forehead glistened with the sheen of perspiration.
"I've brought Gina's things." He smiled as he handed her the bag and watched the color rise in her face. "How is she?"
"In a great deal of pain, and I have no idea what to do." Margaret's voice tugged at him. It held one part worry, two parts pathos.
"I can help."
"You?" He was surprised by the anger in her eyes as Margaret looked at him. "Don't tell me running a trucking empire gave you enough leisure to take a course in midwifery as well?"
"Nothing so interesting," Matt said calmly. "I went to Lamaze classes with my sister Susan because her army husband was away on active duty."
Seeing the nurse come out, Margaret said, "I have to go back in."
"I've told her to rest for a while," said the nurse. "Why don't you get something to eat, before you go back in there? I'll watch her on the television monitor in the nurse's station."
Margaret glanced at the room uncertainly. "I don't want to leave her."
"She'll be fine," said Matt. "And after we eat, I'll come in with you."
"Both of you can be with her now, but later the doctor's going to allow only one of you in the delivery room," the nurse warned.
Margaret stiffened as she felt an arm go around her shoulders, the chuckle in Matthew Magnum's voice as he said, "I know how much you want to be in there Margaret. Stop looking so worried. We'll toss a coin for the privilege after we eat."
He seemed to know his way around because he steered her directly to the hospital cafeteria. Margaret was beginning to have a suspicion the man knew his way around everything and everyone.
"The special is roast beef on rye," said Matt looking at the board on the wall. "The alternatives are fish and chips, chicken cordon bleu, or turkey and all the trimmings."
Margaret hadn't eaten since the morning, but she wasn't hungry. Picking up a carton of chocolate milk, she said, "This is all I want right now."
"You'll feel better if you eat something," Matthew Magnum said, looking at her with a frown.
"I'll eat later." When it was all over. When she knew for sure she wasn't going to make a fool of herself by throwing up, or fainting.
Picking up a glass, Margaret headed for the cash register. The customer in front of her opened her bag to pay; reminding Margaret she had no purse with her, therefore no money. Panicked, she turned to look at
"I'm glad it all turned out so well," Margaret said.
"Not all teenagers in our situation are so lucky," said Gina soberly. "I went back to talk to the kids at Garrison High and shared Jack's and my story with them. Wish someone had given us the facts, the way I gave it to them. Love doesn't stand a chance, unless you have an education and the means to support yourself."
Gina looked up at Margaret and said, "Am I boring you?"
Margaret shook her head, "It's fascinating." Talking was also better than waiting in silence for the next contraction.
"I'm going to get my General Equivalency Diploma after the baby's here," said Gina, determination in her voice. "Then I've decided to take a computer course. My children aren't going to have a high school dropout for a mother."
Gina leaned forward as another contraction swept through her. "Ooh."
Margaret rubbed Gina's back, feeling helpless, wishing she could do more. Time them, the nurse had said, so she looked at her watch. Two fifteen.
The next one came fifteen minutes later, and it was barely over when the nurse bustled in.
"How are you doing?" she asked cheerfully."
"Fifteen minutes apart," said Margaret weakly.
"Fine," said Gina in a bright, clear voice.
"Good." Reaching for Gina's wrist to check her pulse, the nurse looked at Margaret, "The hunk that brought you in is outside and wants to see you."
"Matt," said Gina.
Matt noticed how pale Margaret was right away. Damp tendrils of hair clung to her neck, and her forehead glistened with the sheen of perspiration.
"I've brought Gina's things." He smiled as he handed her the bag and watched the color rise in her face. "How is she?"
"In a great deal of pain, and I have no idea what to do." Margaret's voice tugged at him. It held one part worry, two parts pathos.
"I can help."
"You?" He was surprised by the anger in her eyes as Margaret looked at him. "Don't tell me running a trucking empire gave you enough leisure to take a course in midwifery as well?"
"Nothing so interesting," Matt said calmly. "I went to Lamaze classes with my sister Susan because her army husband was away on active duty."
Seeing the nurse come out, Margaret said, "I have to go back in."
"I've told her to rest for a while," said the nurse. "Why don't you get something to eat, before you go back in there? I'll watch her on the television monitor in the nurse's station."
Margaret glanced at the room uncertainly. "I don't want to leave her."
"She'll be fine," said Matt. "And after we eat, I'll come in with you."
"Both of you can be with her now, but later the doctor's going to allow only one of you in the delivery room," the nurse warned.
Margaret stiffened as she felt an arm go around her shoulders, the chuckle in Matthew Magnum's voice as he said, "I know how much you want to be in there Margaret. Stop looking so worried. We'll toss a coin for the privilege after we eat."
He seemed to know his way around because he steered her directly to the hospital cafeteria. Margaret was beginning to have a suspicion the man knew his way around everything and everyone.
"The special is roast beef on rye," said Matt looking at the board on the wall. "The alternatives are fish and chips, chicken cordon bleu, or turkey and all the trimmings."
Margaret hadn't eaten since the morning, but she wasn't hungry. Picking up a carton of chocolate milk, she said, "This is all I want right now."
"You'll feel better if you eat something," Matthew Magnum said, looking at her with a frown.
"I'll eat later." When it was all over. When she knew for sure she wasn't going to make a fool of herself by throwing up, or fainting.
Picking up a glass, Margaret headed for the cash register. The customer in front of her opened her bag to pay; reminding Margaret she had no purse with her, therefore no money. Panicked, she turned to look at
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