Elizabeth

Farmingham Academy was the top school in Farmingham, Alabama. The students
were the children of doctors, lawyers, and professors. Ninety-nine percent of students
went to college where they later followed in their parents and grandparents footsteps,
attending University of Alabama or Auburn University and becoming doctors, lawyers,
and professors.

Elizabeth Beaumont was the daughter of Theodore Beaumont, a prominent lawyer, and
Florence Hamilton Beaumont, also a lawyer. She was sixteen years old and a junior
thanks to her mother forcing her to take summer courses every year instead of letting
her relax and spend time with her friends. Her only free time was Saturday nights when
her parents went out for dinner and a movie. On those nights her eighteen year old
boyfriend, Frances “Frank” James V, came over.

Elizabeth had met Frank the year before when her book bag had broken and he had
helped her pick up all of her belongings. He had come over that Saturday night when
her parents weren’t home. Frank’s father was deceased and his mother, Lisa James, was
a surgeon. Frank was currently a freshman at University of Alabama studying to become
a physical education teacher in hopes of coaching football, his favorite sport.

It was on their one year anniversary that Elizabeth bought a pregnancy test because she
was two weeks late. She sat on her pink, fluffy bed staring at the test on her end table.
It was six o’clock on a Saturday and her parent’s had just left. Frank wouldn’t leave his
mother’s house until she called him. Slowly the test began to change from white to pink
and streaks began to appear in the test windows. She breathed a sigh of relief as a
negative sign appeared and chocked when a horizontal sign ran through it. Tears filled
her eyes and shook her head.

She picked up her phone and fought to keep herself from sobbing when Frank answered,
“Coast all clear, Lizzie?”

“Uh huh,” she managed to say, “Come on over.”

Frank was there fifteen minutes later in his white button down shirt, dark jeans, and
sneakers. His hair was slicked back in its usual way and Elizabeth couldn’t help smiling.
She walked into his arms and the sobs she had been fighting overwhelmed her.

Frank held her at arm’s length so he could look into her eyes, “What’s a matter,
Lizzie?” Lines of concern were etched into his tanned face.

Elizabeth tucked a strand of curly blond hair behind her ear, “I-I-I’m pregnant. I just
took a test a-a-and there was a bright plus sign,” she sobbed.

“Let’s sit on the couch and talk about this,” Frank said, leading her over and holding
her hands, “How far along do you think you are?”

“I d-d-don’t know. I guess I’ll call my doctor on Monday and f-f-find out,” tears were
spilling into her lap, “What are we going to do, Frank?”

Frank smiled kindly, “We could get married,” he took her hand, “What do you say?”

“What the hell is going on here?” Florence Beaumont screeched.

“M-m-mother, I didn’t think you’d be home until late,” Elizabeth stammered, trying to
dry her eyes.

Florence’s blue eyes narrowed, “I forgot my purse. Who is he and why is he here when
your father and I are out?”

Elizabeth stood up and smoothed her pink, lacy dress, “This is Frances James. He and I
have been dating for the last year. His mother is Chelsea James, the heart surgeon.”

“I don’t know her,” she opened the front door, “Theodore, come here please,” she said,
sounding almost sweet. Once he was inside she slammed the door, “Look at this!” she
hissed.

Theodore frowned, “What’s going on, Elizabeth?”

She winced, her father never called her by her Christian name. She looked at her feet,
“It’s our anniversary so I thought I would cook dinner for both of us.”

“Are you having sex?” Florence sneered at them.

Tears filled Elizabeth’s eyes and she slowly nodded, “A-a-and I’m p-p-pregnant.”

Florence took a step back, “You’re WHAT?”
Theodore hung his head and looked away, “I need to sit down,” he murmured.

Florence glared at Frank, “You realize what this means.” she hissed, “You’ll have to
marry her. I don’t condone abortion, even in these circumstances. Do you understand
me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Frank said, “I’ll get a job and find an apartment.”

“You are happy with this arrangement?” Florence raised an eyebrow, “Do you not
realize your lives are over? Children inhibit both of you going to school so having a
nice home and good cars is out. Not to mention you won’t be able to go anywhere. I
certainly won’t babysit for you. This is your mess.”

Frank hung his head and murmured, “I don’t think it’ll be all that bad. I’ll see to it
that Lizzie graduates. I’ll stay home while she’s in school and go to classes in the
evening. I can work nights and do my homework then. It’ll all work out,” he said,
smiling at Lizzie.

Florence sneered, “You think this will be easy, do you?” she scoffed, “Well, if it were
easy everyone would be doing it that way!” she suddenly threw herself back into her
Queen Anne chair and buried her face I her hands, “Oh, what are my friends going to
say!”

“Mother,” Elizabeth started, but her mother interrupted her.
“You’ll have to leave town. I won’t allow you to tarnish our good reputations here.
Theodore, dear, go get my checkbook. I’m going to write you a check and I want yo
u to leave town tonight. You will get married and send me a copy of the marriage
certificate or I will come to get my money. Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they said in unison.

“Good,” she took her checkbook and began writing in a very elegant hand, “You may
leave as soon as Elizabeth has her things packed,” she handed the check to Frank and
stood to leave.

“G-g-goodbye, Mother,” Elizabeth said, but her mother just turned and walked up the
stairs.

Theodore opened his mouth to say something, but stopped and followed his wife. His
head hung down like he had lost a war and Elizabeth thought she saw tears glistening
on his cheek.

Elizabeth packed her clothes and the teddy bear she had been given by her father when
she was five and had the chicken pox. Frank helped her and soon they were on the
road to Tennessee. They figured they could get there and stay with Frank’s aunt until
they could get their own place.

Three hours later they were parked in front of a doublewide trailer where a plump woman with long, curly brown hair was sitting on the porch wearing a bathrobe and drinking a cup of coffee. She beamed at them as they got out of Frank’s car and hugged both of them tightly.

“I am so sorry y’all had such a rough night. Come on in, I’ll show y’all to your
rooms. Once Preacher marries y’all tomorrow you can have my room and that sweet
baby of yours will have his own room,” she said, taking Elizabeth’s bags and leading
the way inside. She set the bags down and took Elizabeth’s hands in her own,
“Everything’s gonna be alright now.”