The Prodigal's Return

“I’m not sure how much I can help your friend, since I don’t know her,” she reasoned out loud. “But I do know what I’d tell you or any of my girls if I learned you were getting into a relationship like the one you’re describing.”

Defensiveness crept across Traci’s expression. “If you’re going to tell me that good girls wait and that I’m…that my friend’s going to hell if she doesn’t, don’t bother. I’ve heard it all before.”

“No, I’d be the last person to preach that to you.”

Qualifying what it meant to be good was one of the most overused weapons adults wielded. Guilt and recrimination didn’t get the job done. That kind of moral certainty pushed kids away, instead of teaching them to honor themselves and the responsibility that goes along with making their own decisions.

When she’d been Traci’s age, hadn’t she gone out of her way to do the exact opposite of her parents’ by-the-book vision for her life? Culminating in getting herself pregnant in an alcohol-induced haze with a boy she couldn’t even remember.

Honesty. Information. Trust.

That’s what Traci needed from someone. And it looked as if Jenn had just been volunteered.

“I’d ask a good friend like you to be very careful.” She weighed each word before she said it. “Teenage boys, even older guys, don’t always see relationships the same way teenage girls do.”

“He’s not just interested in sex.” Freckles stood out in sharp contrast with the flush spreading down Traci’s neck. “He’s not that kind of guy. It’s just that…”

“All I’m saying is that he might not have as much at stake in this as your friend does. I’d want her to think carefully before she did anything she couldn’t take back.”

“And if she’s already thought it through?”

Traci’s certainty geared Jenn into action. “And she doesn’t want to talk with her parents?”

“Not a chance.”

“Then your friend has to protect herself. I’d like to have the chance to talk with her. Very real consequences come with what she’s doing. But nothing’s more important than making sure she protects herself.”

“What…what if her guy doesn’t want to use protection?”

“That’s a deal-breaker, sweetie.” Jenn’s hands curled into fists above her knees. She was advising the only child of one of her father’s senior deacons about safe sex. Nothing like jumping off a cliff without a parachute.

But conversations like this were exactly why she’d chosen the work she did. They were unpredictable. Priceless. Life-changing.

“That would leave you…” she began. “It would leave your friend unprotected from infectious disease. Things like AIDS.”

“What about the pill?”

“The pill doesn’t protect you from disease, Traci.”

“But, what if he’s sure he’s clean?”

“What if he’s lying?” Jenn managed not to snort. Barely.

“He’s not.”

“How can you be sure?”

“He says he’s never been with anyone but her, okay!” Traci pulled her legs up, drew her knees to her chest and locked her arms around them. “He says she’s his first.”

“And you believe him?” Jenn blurted out before her brain overcame her shock at the girl’s naiveté.

Her social-worker mojo couldn’t have picked a worse time to bail.

“Fine. Forget I asked.” Traci scooted to the edge of the booth.

“Wait.” Jenn caught hold of her arm. “I’m sorry, all right? But you’ve got to admit, you’ve laid an awful lot on me for a Saturday lunch at Freddy’s. Give me a chance here.”

Tension trembled down Traci’s arm.

“I don’t want to see you or your friend get hurt,” Jenn pressed. “And if you weren’t a little worried about that happening, why did you come to me for advice?”

“Are you saying you’ll help me?” The teenager looked every bit the scared seventeen-year-old she didn’t want to be. “You’ll help me, and you won’t tell my folks?”

“So, we are talking about you. Not a friend?”

“Yeah.” Traci’s head dropped. She slid back into the booth.

“But we’re not talking about Brett?” Jenn’s stomach churned.

“No.” Traci shook her head and stared at her lap. “He still thinks…I mean, everyone still thinks we’re together. But it’s over.”

“Then why are you still dating him?”

“This other guy, he lives in another town. It’s not like we can get together here. If I broke up with Brett, how would I explain where I’ve been when I…you know…”

“When you’re with your other guy?” This upstanding, almost virginal college dropout who was letting Traci lie and sneak around, but who only had her best interest at heart.

“I…I’m afraid to keep sleeping with him without protection, but my mom knows every doctor in town, and he doesn’t like condoms.” Traci’s expression begged Jenn to see the sense in her desperate, messed-up logic.

“So you’re already having unprotected sex.” Jenn held her breath and hoped for a miracle. “For how long?”

“A month—” Traci picked lint from the paper napkin she’d wadded into a ball “—maybe two.”

It was all too obvious, suddenly, what they were really talking about.

“When was your last period, Traci?”

Tears welled in the teenager’s eyes.

Well, damn.

“Have you taken a home pregnancy test?”

“N-no.” Traci wiped at her eyes. Chewed on the corner of her mouth. “I…I didn’t want to…”

“You didn’t want to know?”

If only blissful ignorance were as effective as prophylactics.