not long after i was divorced, a friend introduced me to a man, also recently divorced, and we became lovers. i was very vulnerable at the time. i got pregnant by him because we had unprotected sex.

my longing for a family was so great because of my broken marriage. but after i got pregnant, this lover did not step up in any way, and it was becoming clear that he was unstable, so i chose to have an abortion. i was already supporting my 4 year old daughter on my teacher’s salary, with child support of only $383 a month from my ex-husband, and i did not think i could afford a second child on my own, much less have the time and energy to care for a baby while working and caring for a 4 year old. i felt my living daughter would pay the price, and i could not do that to her, so i chose an abortion. i desperately wanted a second child, but i could not see how i could possibly take care of two children on my own and hold down my teaching job at the same time. i didn’t think i would have either time or money. the father of my unborn baby checked out completely, and i later learned that i was the second woman he had done this to. i am still sad that about the child i gave up, a child i have always felt was supposed to be mine, but i know i made the right choice for my daughter and do not regret my decision.