1960s: Pregnant, and now what?
Even though they have been away from home most of the summer, and really would prefer to just stay at home on the last day of vacation, Thomas and Betty still make the trip to Strangerville to see Arthur and Audie's new baby. Betty and Audie dotes on the baby in the bedroom, an adorable little girl, while the men talk in the living room.
The kids are a lot less interested in a useless little baby. Michael and Carl play on the junglegym, and the three girls play hopscotch outside on the sidewalk. For Susan it's a bit unusual, but great fun, to have girls to play with - even if they are a bit younger than her.
Before heading home, they eat in the garden while the children can't decide whether they want to eat or play. It's a good day, even if the Thomas and the family are all very tired when they return home.
Barbara, however, is having a less fantastic day. Ever since the pill was approved by the FDA, she's been trying to stay on it, with only temporary success. The first doctor refused to even hand out the pill at all, saying it was "immoral", the second, third and fourth would only prescribe them to married women "according to the law". Through friends, she was finally referred to a more friendly and understanding doctor, who prescribed them for "menstrual pains", but then that doctor moved, and she was back to square one, and the use of her diaphragm.
While not as reliable, it has been working. Until it didn't. And now she's pregnant. Catching Dough at the art centre, she figures she might as well pull the band aid off fast, pulls him into the photo studio while no one is there, and tells him. Only Doug does not take it well. For him this is a disaster. He has no intention of becoming a father, no plans to get married and play happy family. "Get rid of it!" he tells her.
"That's illegal!"
"So? It's not like it's not being done! I am certain some of the others have had it. Why make a big deal out of it?"
"Because it can be dangerous! I could die, or ruin the chance of ever having a baby in the future, should I want one."
But Dough isn't listening, he's certain the dangerous are overstated, and so what if she can't get pregnant again, then they wouldn't have to worry in the future!" The longer the argument goes on, the angrier both get and by the time Dough storms off to work, Barbs is just as furious as he is, but more determined than ever to keep the baby. No one will tell her what to do!
The kids are a lot less interested in a useless little baby. Michael and Carl play on the junglegym, and the three girls play hopscotch outside on the sidewalk. For Susan it's a bit unusual, but great fun, to have girls to play with - even if they are a bit younger than her.
Before heading home, they eat in the garden while the children can't decide whether they want to eat or play. It's a good day, even if the Thomas and the family are all very tired when they return home.
Barbara, however, is having a less fantastic day. Ever since the pill was approved by the FDA, she's been trying to stay on it, with only temporary success. The first doctor refused to even hand out the pill at all, saying it was "immoral", the second, third and fourth would only prescribe them to married women "according to the law". Through friends, she was finally referred to a more friendly and understanding doctor, who prescribed them for "menstrual pains", but then that doctor moved, and she was back to square one, and the use of her diaphragm.
While not as reliable, it has been working. Until it didn't. And now she's pregnant. Catching Dough at the art centre, she figures she might as well pull the band aid off fast, pulls him into the photo studio while no one is there, and tells him. Only Doug does not take it well. For him this is a disaster. He has no intention of becoming a father, no plans to get married and play happy family. "Get rid of it!" he tells her.
"That's illegal!"
"So? It's not like it's not being done! I am certain some of the others have had it. Why make a big deal out of it?"
"Because it can be dangerous! I could die, or ruin the chance of ever having a baby in the future, should I want one."
But Dough isn't listening, he's certain the dangerous are overstated, and so what if she can't get pregnant again, then they wouldn't have to worry in the future!" The longer the argument goes on, the angrier both get and by the time Dough storms off to work, Barbs is just as furious as he is, but more determined than ever to keep the baby. No one will tell her what to do!
Barbara spends the rest of the afternoon painting angry paintings, some more artistic and others more... on point.
Once at home that night, the fighting continues as neither is willing to budge an inch. She might not have wanted this pregnancy, but Barbara will not be risking her life and health because someone tells her to, and Dough is refusing to even discuss being a parent.
"It's my body - my choice!" Barbs screams at him.
"If it's your choice, then you can handle it yourself too!" Doug yells. "Don't expect to sponge off me!"
"Since when I have ever?!? I make my own money and you know it!"
"Good, because you're getting zilch from me. You're on your own!"
That night she sleeps alone in their bed, pretending she's not crying her heart out, muffling her sobs with the pillow. Doug, in his turn, has an uncomfortable night on their second hand bumpy sofa.
Once at home that night, the fighting continues as neither is willing to budge an inch. She might not have wanted this pregnancy, but Barbara will not be risking her life and health because someone tells her to, and Dough is refusing to even discuss being a parent.
"It's my body - my choice!" Barbs screams at him.
"If it's your choice, then you can handle it yourself too!" Doug yells. "Don't expect to sponge off me!"
"Since when I have ever?!? I make my own money and you know it!"
"Good, because you're getting zilch from me. You're on your own!"
That night she sleeps alone in their bed, pretending she's not crying her heart out, muffling her sobs with the pillow. Doug, in his turn, has an uncomfortable night on their second hand bumpy sofa.
The next morning, the two can barely look at each other. Already at dinner they're at it again, and matters go from bad to worse until Barbara storms out of the house. "Don't expect me to be here when you get back!" Doug yells after her.
"Good!" she yells as she slams the door behind her. What she really wants to do is curl up somewhere and cry, but it's Steven's birthday and she has a long drive ahead of her to Oasis Springs. She hopes she can calm down before the party starts and keep from telling anyone what is going on.
A party is really the last thing on Barbaras mind this day, but at least it will get her away for a day. So she goes, and talks and entertains people at the party while pretending that nothing is wrong, grateful that there is no baby bump yet. There are moments, like when she actually talks - not fights - with her father, or when Arthur is asking her how she is, that she is tempted to tell all, but this is not the time nor the place. She needs to figure this one out on her own.
The party itself is a success, as usual when Betty hosts. The kids play, the adults talk, there is dinner and then Betty helps Steven blow out the candles on his cake. By the time everyone leaves he and Susan goes to bed in a redecorated bedroom, more fit for a five- and nine-year-old than toddlers.
Staying in a motel overnight, Barbara doesn't return home until the afternoon the day after. When she does, she finds it empty. While she's been away, Doug has gathered his things, and a few of their things too, and simply left.
When Gordon arrives after work, he tries to console her. "He'd made up his mind," he said. "There was no stopping him."
"It was better this way," Barbs says, trying to sound braver than she feels. "If he was too much of a coward to face me, then so be it."
"What will you do now?" Gordon asks.
"What I've always done," Barbara answers, but this time Gordon doesn't let her off the hook.
"Doug's gone, and with him most of the money we had. I'm leaving too, you know that. And you do not have steady employment. Even if you could afford the house on your own, which you know you can't, there is no way the landlord will let you stay without a steady income."
"I'll figure something out."
"You could come with me to San Myshuno," Gordon offers. "Plenty of art coming from there now. We could hook up with an art collective, make up a cover story for the baby if you still want to keep it." But Barbara shakes her head.
"My family is here, and this is my home. I'm not going anywhere. I'll figure something out."
There is nothing more Gordon can do than to wish her good luck.
Eviction comes faster than she'd expected. A single mother with no steady income? There is no way she'd be able to stay, so she goes to the one woman she thinks might want to help her without adding a guilt trip at the same time. Her aunt Alice.
She tells Alice everything. The pregnancy, the fight, the fact that in a matter of days she'll be out of a home.
"Well that's the easy part," Alice says. "You'll just stay here until we find you something. Now onto the important part - have you told your mother yet?" Barbara admits that she hasn't, that in fact she hasn't told anyone other than Gordon, Alice and the idiot that unfortunately is the father (her words).
"My birthday is coming up soon," Alice says. "I want you to tell your mother before then, let her tell your father, blame it on Doug, on how he used you and then you cry a little. I can help you with that if you need to learn, your father will be putty in your hands before you're through with him."
"Auntie! How often did you pull that one on your father?"
"Not often enough," Alice laughs. "I just ran away instead. I wish I had known then what I know now. But first, get some rest."
"Good!" she yells as she slams the door behind her. What she really wants to do is curl up somewhere and cry, but it's Steven's birthday and she has a long drive ahead of her to Oasis Springs. She hopes she can calm down before the party starts and keep from telling anyone what is going on.
A party is really the last thing on Barbaras mind this day, but at least it will get her away for a day. So she goes, and talks and entertains people at the party while pretending that nothing is wrong, grateful that there is no baby bump yet. There are moments, like when she actually talks - not fights - with her father, or when Arthur is asking her how she is, that she is tempted to tell all, but this is not the time nor the place. She needs to figure this one out on her own.
The party itself is a success, as usual when Betty hosts. The kids play, the adults talk, there is dinner and then Betty helps Steven blow out the candles on his cake. By the time everyone leaves he and Susan goes to bed in a redecorated bedroom, more fit for a five- and nine-year-old than toddlers.
Staying in a motel overnight, Barbara doesn't return home until the afternoon the day after. When she does, she finds it empty. While she's been away, Doug has gathered his things, and a few of their things too, and simply left.
When Gordon arrives after work, he tries to console her. "He'd made up his mind," he said. "There was no stopping him."
"It was better this way," Barbs says, trying to sound braver than she feels. "If he was too much of a coward to face me, then so be it."
"What will you do now?" Gordon asks.
"What I've always done," Barbara answers, but this time Gordon doesn't let her off the hook.
"Doug's gone, and with him most of the money we had. I'm leaving too, you know that. And you do not have steady employment. Even if you could afford the house on your own, which you know you can't, there is no way the landlord will let you stay without a steady income."
"I'll figure something out."
"You could come with me to San Myshuno," Gordon offers. "Plenty of art coming from there now. We could hook up with an art collective, make up a cover story for the baby if you still want to keep it." But Barbara shakes her head.
"My family is here, and this is my home. I'm not going anywhere. I'll figure something out."
There is nothing more Gordon can do than to wish her good luck.
Eviction comes faster than she'd expected. A single mother with no steady income? There is no way she'd be able to stay, so she goes to the one woman she thinks might want to help her without adding a guilt trip at the same time. Her aunt Alice.
She tells Alice everything. The pregnancy, the fight, the fact that in a matter of days she'll be out of a home.
"Well that's the easy part," Alice says. "You'll just stay here until we find you something. Now onto the important part - have you told your mother yet?" Barbara admits that she hasn't, that in fact she hasn't told anyone other than Gordon, Alice and the idiot that unfortunately is the father (her words).
"My birthday is coming up soon," Alice says. "I want you to tell your mother before then, let her tell your father, blame it on Doug, on how he used you and then you cry a little. I can help you with that if you need to learn, your father will be putty in your hands before you're through with him."
"Auntie! How often did you pull that one on your father?"
"Not often enough," Alice laughs. "I just ran away instead. I wish I had known then what I know now. But first, get some rest."
Over the next few days Barbara settles into the house. The more time she spends there the more she gets to like Cora and the better she gets to know her aunt. Alice takes her shopping for some "not horrid" clothes that will still work with the pregnancy and tells her stories about herself, Anna and Josephine growing up. Barbara is surprised of how much there is to learn, and how much there is she didn't know.
"I always knew Anna was more independent, but I still always thought she and Johnny had been married forever. You know like mum and grandma, just women who got married and live life based on that."
"Don't ever call your grandmother someone who 'just got married'" Alice reprimands her, telling her more about Abigail. About how she moved to a new town, to a new job, to support herself when her parents died rather than just let some distant relative marry her off to some random man. "She was strong," Alice says. "Much stronger than anyone else I ever knew apart from Anna. You should have seen their fights. Both were just as convinced that they were right, and neither wanted to back down. With time, they found common ground, but that took a lot of years."
"Why did I never know about these things?" Barbara asked.
"Did you ever ask to find out?" Alice asks before reminding her, again, that she needs to speak to her mother.
While Barbara can see the point in breaking the news for her mother first, she is almost just as nervous to tell her mother as she is her father. It's a bit ridiculous, she tries to tell herself. She's a grown woman, over 30 years old, and she is afraid her parents won't like her.
Still, that's it. She doesn't want to disappoint them (more than she already has). But to her surprise, her mother's reaction is at first positive.
"Finally, now you can get married and put all that nonsense about living together without marriage behind you."
"Well... about that..."
Josephine isn't at all as happy about what Josephine tells her next, but like Alice predicted she's more angry at Doug than her daughter, even if she does throw in "how could you be so stupid?" into the conversation more than once. But when push comes to shove, she will always support her daughter, especially against such a horrible man. She even promises to break the news to Nash for her.
"I always knew Anna was more independent, but I still always thought she and Johnny had been married forever. You know like mum and grandma, just women who got married and live life based on that."
"Don't ever call your grandmother someone who 'just got married'" Alice reprimands her, telling her more about Abigail. About how she moved to a new town, to a new job, to support herself when her parents died rather than just let some distant relative marry her off to some random man. "She was strong," Alice says. "Much stronger than anyone else I ever knew apart from Anna. You should have seen their fights. Both were just as convinced that they were right, and neither wanted to back down. With time, they found common ground, but that took a lot of years."
"Why did I never know about these things?" Barbara asked.
"Did you ever ask to find out?" Alice asks before reminding her, again, that she needs to speak to her mother.
While Barbara can see the point in breaking the news for her mother first, she is almost just as nervous to tell her mother as she is her father. It's a bit ridiculous, she tries to tell herself. She's a grown woman, over 30 years old, and she is afraid her parents won't like her.
Still, that's it. She doesn't want to disappoint them (more than she already has). But to her surprise, her mother's reaction is at first positive.
"Finally, now you can get married and put all that nonsense about living together without marriage behind you."
"Well... about that..."
Josephine isn't at all as happy about what Josephine tells her next, but like Alice predicted she's more angry at Doug than her daughter, even if she does throw in "how could you be so stupid?" into the conversation more than once. But when push comes to shove, she will always support her daughter, especially against such a horrible man. She even promises to break the news to Nash for her.
Barbara is planning to talk to her father on the same day as Alice's and Cora's birthday party. Though their birthdays are a bit apart, they have decided to celebrate at the same time. Before it's time to begin, Alice take care to put on make up and get ready. She might be turning 70, but she'd be damned if she shows her age. This is Hollywood after all, aging doesn't go over well. Cora is less concerned, but she never cared as much about appearances as Alice.
The party goes well. People eat, drink, talk and have fun.
Barbara, however, wants to talk to her father alone, and so the two goes outside to speak alone. Like she feared he's furious about the situation, but as Alice predicted not at her, but at Doug. Barbara doesn't even have to fake tears. And while Barbara has always claimed her independence, and refused to do what others tell her to do, she's glad that she can once more talk to her parents without the constant arguing. And in the little bit more emotional state she might possibly be in due to the pregnancy, it feels good to get a hug from her daddy once again.
The party goes well. People eat, drink, talk and have fun.
Barbara, however, wants to talk to her father alone, and so the two goes outside to speak alone. Like she feared he's furious about the situation, but as Alice predicted not at her, but at Doug. Barbara doesn't even have to fake tears. And while Barbara has always claimed her independence, and refused to do what others tell her to do, she's glad that she can once more talk to her parents without the constant arguing. And in the little bit more emotional state she might possibly be in due to the pregnancy, it feels good to get a hug from her daddy once again.
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