I did very little talking as Diana vented. This is a huge part of a nurse’s job! I just tried to listen and put in an ‘uh huh’ and a ‘yes’ every once in a while.

“I am a total nervous wreck! I mean, pregnant? At eighteen?” Diana whispered into the phone.

Oh…I had her pegged at sixteen. Not that eighteen was much better I considered as I thought back to where I was at at eighteen years of age! I was pretty much self absorbed and immature. Certainly not ready to safely look after another human being for more than, maybe, four hours!!

“She met this nineteen year old guy at a university pub crawl. He is in philosophy, for Pete’s sake! Philosophy! He seems like a nice young man, but seriously, philosophy? This boy could be the father of my grandchild! Ohmigod! Listen to me! I shouldn’t have to be dealing with this! Not yet anyways! Well, Amanda is head over heels for this guy, so she says. But philosophy? Does anyone hire philosophers these days? I don’t even know? Do you?”

“Um…I don’t know.” I wracked my brain. The only philosophy graduate I knew of was managing a cemetery in northern Ontario. I suppose that was good use of his degree? I didn’t know and I decided not to offer up that piece of information.

“Well, when Amanda called me last night and dropped this little bomb I told her she needed to get ahold of a pregnancy test. Of course, they can’t really go bee-bopping into town whenever they want so I thought that maybe you could help her. Can you? Can you get ahold of a pregnancy test?”

“Oh, yes, it is in the works as we speak.”

“Omigod! Really? Thank you! How are you doing that?”

“I have it on my list to pick up from the pharmacy. A couple of counselors will pick it up from the Shoppers Drug Mart this afternoon while they are in town.”

“Omigod! Will everyone at camp know? I would just DIE if Father Brian knew about this! Just DIE! What would he think of her? Ohmigod! I wonder if he would fire her? That would totally crush her. CRUSH her. She loves that camp. Will everyone know do you think?”

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“Oh no. It will be OK. I will make like it is for me if there are any questions. No worries. Mum’s the word.” Ooops. My bad! Poor choice. Thankfully Diana didn’t pick up on my gaffe.

“Do you have children Anne?” Diana asked me.

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

“And how old are they?”

“I have twin girls who are six, and a two year old son.”

“Well let me tell you this Anne.” Diana lamented. “You put your toddler to bed one day and then it seems like you wake up the next day and your adorable little babies are gone! They’re grown! They have boobs or beards! You have to savor every moment, Anne! Because before you know it, you are arranging for a complete stranger to pick up a pregnancy test for your ‘little girl’!”

Indeed.