Brenda leaned forward, her brow furrowed. “Why?” she demanded. “Why can’t they know? What are you so afraid of?” Grace’s lip quivered as she spoke, her words tumbling out in a torrent of emotion. “Because they’ll ruin everything. They’ll disown me. Or worse, they’ll take him away from me.”
She looked up at Brenda, her eyes pleading. “They’re part of a conservative community—super strict. If they find out I had a baby out of wedlock, it’ll destroy them. They’ll say I’ve shamed the family, and they’ll send him away. I couldn’t let that happen.”