I took out my cell phone and called Paddy, but Lucy held my hand. "Miss Trista, do not call him. Paddy hates annoying women the most."

"Are you still thinking about him at this hour? Do you know what an abortion does to your body? How old are you? I think Paddy needs to know that."

"No!" She held my hand tightly and her voice approached pleading. "I do not want to disrupt his life. To him, my child and I are just passersby in his life. That's all I have to put up with. From the moment it happened, I am ready to take the consequences."

"I can not...