I stared at Yvonne. I wanted to laugh again, but she looked so serious, I didn’t. “Well, I’m happy for June Ann,” I said with a sniff. “But she shouldn’t be drinking if she wants to have a healthy baby.”

“June Ann ain’t crazy enough to jeopardize her baby’s health after it took her so long to make one. Her husband drunk up a storm, but all she had was three root beers.”

I gave Yvonne a thoughtful look. “Thanks for sharing that with me, but I don’t think head-standing is something I’ll be trying.”

“Suit yourself.” She shrugged and started walking off the porch. “I’m just trying to help fix your problem. Call me when them chitlins get done so I can come back and get me and Milton a plate.”

CHAPTER 10 - JOYCE

CHAPTER 10

JOYCE

IT WAS HARD FOR ME NOT TO THINK ABOUT HAVING A CHILD OF MY own because in addition to Yvonne and Mama, other people brought up the subject. Like Yvonne, one even tried to help me “fix” my problem.

A week after I’d had that conversation with Yvonne on my porch, I ran into Clarabelle Tucker on the bus. We’d attended the same teacher’s aide training program together and had once been very close. She lived on a farm on the outskirts of town now, so I only saw her a few times a year, if at all. And every time we bumped into each other, she was pregnant with a new baby. This particular day, after she’d bragged for a few minutes about how well things were going for her, she started up on me. “I hear you and Odell still trying to have a baby,” she’d said with a pitiful look on her moon face.

“That’s true,” I’d muttered as I’d fidgeted in my seat. Despite the fact that this subject made me uncomfortable, I was still willing to discuss it. “I guess it wasn’t meant to be. I would have made such a good mother.”

“You poor thing you.” Clarabelle gave me an impatient look this time as she waved her hand. “Girl, you need to stop whining and do something about it.”

“What do you think I’ve been doing since I had that miscarriage? Odell and I make love several times a week—and have been doing so ever since we got married.”

Clarabelle looked around before she continued in a lower tone. “I’m talking about something more serious than just doing the nasty.”

“What are you talking about? The last time I checked, making love with a man was how a woman became pregnant.”

“That’s still true, but it’s not the only way.”