Lone Winter - The Rebellion 2

 

After two weeks of agonizing over the pregnancy, Zoe decides to tell Jeb first. She hopes he will be calm and help her reach a decision. Instead, he is furious, upset with how this could ruin his scholarship and future. He demands that Zoe get an abortion immediately, but Zoe is unsure about what she wants. Unwilling to hear her side, Jeb breaks off their burgeoning relationship and leaves Zoe in tears.

Zoe goes so far as to make an appointment for an abortion, but she quickly cancels it. She realizes she wants to have this baby, for better or worse. She needs to tell her parents and hopes for their support. Unfortunately, they are disappointed and devasted that she is continuing the cycle. They argue viciously, and her parents refuse to support her in any way if she goes through with the pregnancy.

Despite her parents' reaction, she is still determined to have this child. Zoe tries to work on her parenting skills by spending time with her baby brother. As her pregnancy progresses, she worries about what will happen between her and her family - her parents are actively ignoring her as much as possible. Slowly, she begins to plan. Zoe looks into options for graduating high school early and starts to pawn some of her belongings to save money.

In Zoe's second trimester, her parents suddenly inform her that they are also expecting...and they are having a baby who was planned and that they want. They say Zoe may continue to live in the unfinished attic if she wishes, but they will need her room for a new nursery. They remind her that they will not help with her own child in any way. She will need to pay rent and expenses once her baby is born. 

Zoe is shocked by her parents decision to have another child right now, while they actively punish her for choosing to bring her baby into the world. She feels angry, hurt, and alone. In a fit of depression, she decides she needs to leave the family home and cut ties completely. Zoe begins to steal belongings from her parents to sell so she can find her own place. Her parents fail to notice some of their more expensive art and decor items missing, and Zoe soon has several thousand dollars put away.

Her parents take a weekend vacation to Sulani with Christopher, and Zoe uses the opportunity to make her escape without informing anyone. She is able to purchase a converted storage crate, and furnishes it with secondhand furniture. It's tiny, but it's all hers. Now in her third trimester, she prepares to bring her baby into the world alone. She is scared but excited to finally meet her child.