Amelia woke with a start, unsure of her surroundings. Panic quickly dissipated as she realized she was home,
safe, in her own bed. When will this nightmare go away? It’s been twenty-eight years, and I still remember it as if it
were yesterday.
Darren felt his wife stir in the bed beside him and reached for her. When he realized she was sitting up, he
asked, “Again?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Sweetheart, we did what we had to do. You need to let go.”
She turned to face him, tears streaking down her face, “I don’t know how to do that. He was my first, and I’ll never
be able to rest until I know what happened to him.”
Darren gently pulled her down to him and stroked her back as she placed her head on his chest. “Amelia, I know.
But we were just kids and it wasn’t like your parents gave you any choice.” He felt her tears fall onto his chest.
“We have to be fair to Emily and Nate. What do you think would happen if all of a sudden we sprang on them that
they had an older brother?”
Amelia didn’t answer. She never had the answer. She just knew that her heart broke every time she went back to
the rainy night that she gave away her baby.
Every time she lay down, the life inside her began to move. Placing her hands on her expanding belly, she gently
massaged, imagining what her child would look like. Would he be blond like Darren? Or would she be dark-haired
like her? It was as if the baby knew what she was thinking as an elbow, or an ankle, jabbed her hand.
“Shh, it’s okay, Mommy’s right here,” Amelia said, tears forming in her eyes. She continued to massage and the
baby continued to kick and turn. “I’ll always be here, and I’ll always love you, no matter where we are.” She picked
up a tissue and blew her nose.
As if the baby understood, it started to hiccup. Amelia’s stomach jumped every ten seconds. She continued to
stroke her rounded middle gently, trying to soothe her unborn child.
This baby would never have to know that Amelia’s decision was not her own; that she had no choice in this
decision at all. She wasn’t supposed to get pregnant.
At seventeen, Amelia Frank had a perfect life. As the junior homecoming princess, she had met the captain of the
football team, Darren Kane. After the dance, they were inseparable. Amelia’s parents loved Darren as if he were
their own son; often including him in family functions.
Darren’s six foot two inch frame towered over Amelia’s petite five foot three inch body. He was as football player
thick as she was cheer leader tiny. Looking at the two of them next to each other, they were an image of
opposites; however listening to them speak to each other, they were very similar. Both were popular amongst
their peers and felt alone in the group.
“They are such losers,” Amelia told Darren. “They’ll say whatever they think I want to hear just so they can be
near me. But I know for a fact that Nina talks about me behind my back.”
“Why do you care?”
Her eyes glossed over with anger “I don’t treat them that way!” she said as she stomped her foot for emphasis.
Darren laughed as he replied. “Do you think I really give a crap if Doug tells Ethan that I’ve turned my back on
the team to be with you?”
“He said that?” she asked, eyes widening.
“Yeah, so what?”
“Did you?”
“Did I what?” he asked.
“Turn your back on the team to be with me?”
“Amelia!” he said, wrapping his arms around her, “Even if it were true it wouldn’t matter. I can do whatever I want.
June 12, 1969, I’m out of here and I’ll never see these guys again. But as far as you and I go, I want to be with
you forever.”
Her heart skipped a beat as her breath caught in her throat. She pulled away from him and looked at him. “You
mean it?”
He nodded his head and answered, “From the bottom of my heart.”
“I love you so much, Darren. I don’t want to think about what my life would be like without you,” she said burying
her head into his chest.
He rested his chin on the top of her head and simply said, “You don’t have to think about that.”
Darren turned nineteen on September 14, 1969. Amelia started her senior year at high school. Darren put off his
first year of college to be near her. No one knew at the time how much that decision would affect the rest of their
lives.