Chapter 84: The Abortion
The brothers had agreed to check out the foundation’s storehouse that night, determined to uncover whatever was being hidden there. Steve had taken the lead, already waiting in the car while Mara finished up.
As she walked past the clinic, something caught her eye a woman sitting on the steps, silently weeping. Her fingers trembled as she clutched a crumpled piece of paper.
Mara hesitated for a moment before sitting beside her.
The paper slipped from the woman’s grip, fluttering to the ground. Mara picked it up and glanced at it. Her heart clenched. It was a medical form, an authorization for an abortion.
She turned to the woman, her voice gentle. "You’re pregnant?"
The woman nodded, her tears falling freely now. "I...I can’t do this," she choked out. "I don’t want to carry the baby of my rapist." Her pain was raw, almost unbearable to witness.
Mara’s chest tightened. She reached for the woman’s hand. "You don’t have to go through this alone. I can help you," she said, her voice firm with sincerity.
The woman looked at her, eyes filled with conflict. But before she could respond, a nurse stepped out, calling her name. "It’s time for your procedure."
Mara tightened her grip. "Please," she pleaded, desperation lacing her voice. "Talk to me first. You don’t have to decide right now."
But the woman pulled away, her steps hesitant as she walked inside.
Mara felt helpless. She wanted to do more, to say something that would change everything, but what could she do? She had no right to decide for her.