This Story Takes Place in The Bahamas. The characters are Bahamian so they may speak in Bahamian Dialect at times. I would love to hear your opinions!

As she walked through Lynden Pindling International Airport, people stared at her protruding belly.

"No respect!" she muttered as she tried to hide her stomach with her bag.

"The sooner I get rid of this, the better!" After checking in, she sat in the departure area, anxiously waiting for her boarding call.

She noticed parents with their young children, and she saw how happy the parents looked. She could picture herself in their place.....almost.

"Boarding call for flight number 516 Chickcharnee Air, going to Congo Town, South Andros."

Finally, it was time.

"May I have your boarding pass, please?" asked the flight attendant sweetly.

It made her angry to think that anyone could be happy when she was in this condition, it was like nobody cared.

"I hope you enjoy your flight!"

Looking out the plane window, she thought about everything that had happened in the past year. What a fool I was, she thought.

"Welcome to Congo Town, South Andros, I hope you enjoy your stay!" said the pilot over the speakers.

"Humph! I'll be doing the Congo when all of this is over!" she said a little too loudly.

The man behind her laughed and said, "Don't you mean the Conga?"

"Whatever!" she snapped, "I know what I'm talking about!"

After angrily snatching up her rather empty leather bag, she walked outside of the small airport.

She looked around until she saw a short lady wearing a floral dress that fluttered in the slight breeze. She put on her biggest smile for her mom, Mrs. Dori L. Gibson, and walked over the worn parking lot towards her.

"Mommy, I'm so happy to see you!" she said in her happiest, sweetest, and most innocent voice. Her mother's smile quickly faded when she saw her daughter's swollen abdomen.

"You pregnant!"

"It's 'you're pregnant', mommy." She corrected, slightly annoyed.

"Who you tink you talkin' to, correcting me!" her mother said, almost shouting.

"Sorry." she quickly muttered.

"Let's go home and den we kin talk 'bout dis." her mother said, casting one last disdainful glance at her stomach.

The car ride to The Bluff settlement was very peaceful. There were a lot of trees and people walking along the road. The houses were nothing like those in Nassau. They were small, some were broken down with no windows, peeling paint and holes in the roof... and yet, it was somehow more beautiful than Nassau. People were happier here, too. Who couldn't be, when there was no traffic!

As she was praising the beauty of South Andros, her mother also had some thoughts running through her mind: Is my daughter here to stay? What will the neighbors say when they see her? Oh, My Lord! What Dave kin say?

Dave was Dori's husband, and a generally agreeable man... he does have a really uh, let's say sensitive spot for his daughter.

"Oh, lord!" Dori exclaimed.

"What is it, Mommy?" (pronounced: moo- me)

"Well, now ya see I, done forget to tell Dave you was coming, and you pregnant too so..."

"Mommy!". she exclaimed.

" Don't worry about dat now. We home."

The house was just as she remembered. White, with red trim around the roof, it was longer than broad, so it easily held 6 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a tv room with a spacious kitchen and dining room. She wouldn't say it out loud and clear, but it felt good to be home.

As she walked through the metal door, she hit her head against the screen door. She had forgotten that her parents had two back doors. She smelled something she hadn't smelled in a long time, but she instantly knew what it was. Pea soup and dumplings! Looks like I might actually enjoy my stay here, she thought.

"Dave was in da room when I leave, so go check there." her mother said, while checking the steaming pot.

As she walked through the hallway, she couldn't help but feel nervous. Her dad hadn't seen or talked to her in almost 2 years, and she didn't leave on good terms. The memories of that fateful night came flooding back to her, shouting, pleading, angry words, the darkness...she pushed them back to the furthest corners of her mind, where they had been kept for the past 2 years.

She knocked gently on the door of her parents' room.

"Come in." a voice answered. The voice sounded dry, brittle, hoarse, and weak all at the same time.

The room was very dark. "Do you mind if I turn on the lights?"

"If you have to." he said gruffly, obviously annoyed.

Light engulfed the room, she took in every little detail, like how the picture of her at the beach was still on the bedside table. Their rug looked the same. The only difference she noticed was they had repainted their room a luxurious blue. It was a greenish-blue or maybe aquamarine, but whatever it was, she loved it. She snapped back to reality when her dad, who was in shock, spoke.

"What...what you doin' here!" he noticed her stomach.

"How dare you come back here after disgracin' me, and now you pregnant too? Get out! Get out!" he screamed at her, sitting up in bed, waving his finger at her. His voice was no longer weak and brittle.

Her Mommy came running from the kitchen as fast as she could.

"Dave! Dave! Shut your mouth, you should be ashamed of yourself, she was gone for 2 years, and she finally come back and you acting like a mad man."

"She disgraced me! She disgraced us!" He said, almost pleading for her to understand.

"Oh, please!" Dori said, rolling her eyes."Put the past in da past!"

"Mommy, can you just show me to my room, please?"

I should have never come here, she thought. No, I can't talk like this, there's no other way out. Her room looked untouched. It was still painted a very calming baby blue, but over the years, it had started to peel. She dropped her bag on the bed with a humph. She began unpacking, a few peasant shirts, some jeans, 2 or 3 loose dresses, and her most comfortable shoes and socks. After putting her clothes into her drawers, she slumped down on the bed. The bed creaked and groaned underneath her from years of not being used. She took a deep breath and gave herself a pep talk. Come on girly, it doesn't matter what he says, you're here for one reason and one reason only. Let's do this. She slowly walked out of her room and into the hallway to the kitchen.

Let's do this.

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