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The Job of a Mother

It was ironic, considering her line of work, that she couldn’t have children. All these years she had handled human life, and yet, the doctor kindly told Teri, she was woefully incapable of producing her own.

Of course, Oscar stayed strong – but couldn’t hide his hurt at the confirmation of a long-standing suspicion.

Perhaps it’s divine intervention, Teri thought, sitting silently opposite her husband of five years at dinner that evening.

Perhaps this is my punishment.

“We’ll adopt, Teri.”

The words cut through the silence like a ray of light on a cloudy day. Teri knew how important real family was to her husband – she’d been expecting divorce, not discussion; a beaming smile spread across her worry-lined face.

With effort, Oscar turned the edges of his mouth slightly upwards, even as he imagined his wife’s conversation with the adpotion agency:

“Name?”

“Teri Lane.”

“Relationship status?”

“Happily married.”

“Occupation?”

A pause.

“…Nurse.”

She wouldn’t tell them she was an abortionist.

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