Barbara for Teresa

Two Little Girls Chapter 5

Karen Madej
ILLUMINATION Book Chapters

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Photo by Tuva Mathilde Løland on Unsplash

Teresa, despite being a lapsed Catholic, has been saving herself for marriage. After a brief initial resistance, Teresa’s body responds in kind to Miles’s kisses and caresses. After all, she has grown to love this English man.

Five weeks later, something that should have happened hasn’t. With Miles at work, Sarah at school and Sharon playing with her troll on the floor at her feet, Teresa phones her friend Barbara and asks her to make a doctor’s appointment over the phone for her.

Barbara calls her back and tells her she can go the next morning at ten and collect a small bottle from the receptionist. The next day she has to fill it with the first urine of the day and then return it to the surgery for testing. She wishes her friend luck.

Five days later, Teresa calls Barbara and asks if she can phone the surgery for her again.

Ten minutes later, Barbara calls back and says, “Congratulations!”

Teresa tries to smile but fails. Instead, she hears herself wail and sob while her friend listens.

She doesn’t tell Miles.

Later on, Douglas senses something wrong. He doesn’t ask his wife, Barbara, any questions, though.

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