Chapter Text
Mary stared at the two lines in horror. “There’s no… there’s no way this is real…” She was in the third-floor bathroom of the Adam and Eve Science Building at Trinity University, in the stall furthest from the exit, holding a pregnancy test in her shaking hands, as she recalled all the events that had led her to this moment.
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It was a Wednesday morning and Mary was staring dreamily at the boy sitting a few chairs across from her. The Spring Semester had started two weeks ago and Mary was registered for Human Development & Psychology. For the first time in class, the boy’s friend, the blond boy—Gabe? Gabriel?—, wasn’t sitting next to him today, giving Mary a clearer view.
“Listen up people,” Professor Moses called out to the crowd of students. “For this assignment, you are going to observe parents interacting with their children. Identify the different parent styles and note how the children respond to them. After that, I want you to write a report on which parenting style you think is the most effective and why.”
A few students groaned and rolled their eyes, but Professor Moses continued on.
“Please group up into pairs, I trust you can do this quickly and quietly by yourselves. You will have three in-class periods for this and the assignment will be due next Friday."
People started getting up and moving around trying to find a partner to work with.
“Uhm, excuse me, Professor Moses,” the boy called out “my friend is out today, could I partner with him?”
Professor Moses sighed. “No, please find a partner that is currently in class.”
Mary perked up at that statement. She turned to the boy. “Do you want to work together?” she asked.
“Sure,” the boy said, nodding his head. He got up and sat in the empty chair next to her “My name’s God. You?”
“M–Mary,” she stammered out. “Nice to meet you.”
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Mary and God were sitting on a park bench at a local playground, each holding a notebook. They had been sitting there for the past hour and only had a few notes written down.
“Ugh,” God said, slumping down, “this is such bullshit.”
“Maybe we should continue this assignment during the weekend.” Mary said. “There’d probably be more kids with their parents then.”
God stood up from the bench and stretched his arms. He stopped and noticed a hot dog stand, “I’m gonna go get some food. Be right back.”
“I’ll go with you too.” Mary stammered, getting up from the bench.
The duo walked to the hot dog stand. God ordered a vegi-dog with sauerkraut and Mary ordered a hotdog with ketchup and relish.
“I got it,” God said, pulling out a $20 bill.
The two went back to their bench and started eating their food.
“So… where are you from?” God asked, breaking the silence.
“Oh! Um,” Mary stuttered before regaining her composure “I’m from a small town called Nazareth. I went to a small public school there. W–What about you?”
“Well,” God begins. “I’m an only child and I come from a well off family so I was in a boarding school from 9th to 12th grade. Then I went to Trinity University because that’s the university my parents went to.”
“Huh.” Mary said. The two go back to eating their food.
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A week later, Mary was speeding across the quad, trying not to be late to her next class when she heard someone call out to her.
“Hey, you! Girl with the blue shirt!”
Mary stopped and turned around and saw a tall, blonde boy walking up to her.
“You’re uh…God’s project partner. Right?”
“Y–yeah,” Mary replied. “Why? Do you need something?”
“God wants to invite you to our frat party. It’s tonight. Can you come?”
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Mary was standing around, arms slightly folded holding a half-empty beer bottle, wearing low rise jeans, a light blue lace cami, and hair down with side-swept bangs. She observed the scene around her. Pon de Replay being blasted from the speakers. A guy swinging on the chandelier. There was a group of girls with matching Juicy tracksuits using their flip phones.
Mary was starting to get bored, the only reason she came was to talk to God again. With a sigh Mary started making her way to the exit.
“Leaving so soon?” A voice behind her asked.
Mary smiled, recognizing the voice “God!”
“Hey.” God replied with a smile “glad you could make it.”
“Me too,” Mary said, blushing a bit.
After a second of awkward silence, God takes her hand.
“Wait—where are we going?” Mary asked
“To the dance floor. Loosen up!”
God pulled Mary into the crowd of drunk students dancing. She tries her best to not laugh at God’s moves. After a few songs, a love song came on. Mary, being a bit drunk, wrapped her arms around God’s neck, their faces merely a few inches apart. After slow dancing for a bit, God closes the gap between them.
Mary woke up naked in God’s bed.
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Mary and God had been dating for about three months and Mary felt like she was on Cloud Nine. She was in her dorm, daydreaming about what her future wedding theme was going to be when she suddenly felt sick.
Trying to not wake up her roommate and cousin, Elizabeth, she rushed to the bathroom and threw up in the toilet.
Mary heard a knock on the bathroom door “Hey Mary, you okay?”
“Yeah! Everything’s fine!” Mary says between heaves.
“Are you sure? That was like the 9th time that week. Maybe it’s a stomach bug?”
Mary sighs “I’m going to skip class.”
“Okay,” Elizabeth says “text me if you need anything.”
“Will do!” Mary says with a faux positive voice before immediately hurling again.
After about ten minutes, the gagging seemed to end. Mary sat down on the cold, hard tiles. The world was spinning around her so she closed her eyes and put her head on her knees. As she collected her thoughts, her stomach dropped. She rushed out of the bathroom. She grabbed a jacket that was lying on the floor and slipped her sneakers on. She locked the door behind her and went down the stairs to exit her dorm building.
She came back with an item in a brown paper bag and went into the bathroom on the third floor of the Adam and Eve Science Building at Trinity University.
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God had just sat down on a bench in the quad after receiving a text from Mary telling him to meet her there. When he saw her, his face lit up and he waved her over.
“How are y–”
“I’m pregnant.” Mary interrupted.
God went wide-eyed and his smile slid off his face.
“My future is over,” Mary rushed, words tumbling out. “I’m going to have to drop out to take care of the baby. My parents will disown me. I’ll never get a good job, and—and—”
“Mary, Mary,” God said, quickly lowering his voice, “Just—just calm down.”
“We need to get married. Right now.” Mary said. “That's the only way that this won’t ruin my life.”
“I—I can’t.” God muttered, looking to the ground.
“What the fuck do you mean you can’t!” Mary yelled hysterically.
“Mary.” God started “You know how my family is. I come from wealth and status, unlike you. I have to marry someone who is… suitable. That’s how things work.”
“Then why the fuck did you ever date me then?” Mary asks with small tears streaming down her face.
God started laughing. “Don’t be delusional, Mary. You are just a little… fling. We were never serious.”
Mary, in disbelief, puts her face in her hands. “Fuck you, asshole,” Mary muttered. “You ruined my life.”
“Mary,” God starts, “I won’t abandon you. I can’t give you financial support due to my money being tied to my parents but… I could give you a small stipend, though it won’t be enough.”
“That—That doesn’t fix anything, bastard. Do you have any idea what happens to girls like me? I’ll be shamed and be known as a slut. It doesn’t matter how much money I have, I’ll be alone with a baby and no husband and it won’t matter how much money you give me—”
Mary chokes on her words.
“My parents will never forgive me.”
“Look, my cousin, Joseph, he’s single and… decent, not too much older than you. If you marry him before you give birth then you’ll have a husband and still be respectable. And if you marry into the family, I can make sure you’re taken care of and comfortable and that you will never need to work a day in your life again.” God said
Mary thought about it. The situation wasn’t ideal but she was desperate. She could refuse the offer and get disowned and be a broke single mom, or marry a random man and be financially supported for the rest of her life.
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On December 25th, Mary and her husband, Joseph, welcomed their son, Jesus Christ, to the world.