No Happy Endings Here Poem by David Welch

Her name was Janet, she was thirty-two,
and she hadn't been in this town for years,
she'd gone to college here, back in those days,
but looking back at it now, it felt weird.

She had gotten word of a reunion,
and she'd decided it was a good time,
to do something she'd been long putting off,
something that had been consuming her mind.

You see back during Janet's senior year
she'd fell pregnant by her then boyfriend, Chet,
in panic she'd left after graduation,
and to this day hadn't told the man yet.

Her daughter Mia was now ten years old,
and was beginning to ask about this,
she felt the girl deserved to know her dad,
so she had decided to make this trip.

She knew the she could expect some drama,
what other way could a person react?
But she figured that it would be worth it,
and keep Mia on a happier track.

She knew that Chet would be there because he
had taken a job at the school recently,
headed up their athletics department,
word was he had it running swimmingly.

The first day there, by a spread with hors d'ouerves,
she spotted her Chet by the cocktail franks,
Janet took a breath to steady her nerves,
squeezed Mia's hand and walked up to the man.

His eyes went wide when he saw her approach,
he said, "Janet, isn't this a surprise?
You dropped off the earth after graduation,
I half-wondered if you were still alive! "

She smiled, and allowed him to hug her,
he said, "And who is this little one with you? "
"Her name is Mia, "Janet said slowly,
"and this sweet girl is your daughter…it's true."

The shine instantly drained from Chet's brown eyes,
and the smile disappeared from his face,
he stared, slack-jawed, at Mia where she stood,
then stammered, "I-I have to go away…"

Janet's heart raced as she walked him watch out,
she had no idea what she should do now,
her daughter stood there with tears in her eyes,
she hugged her close, and said, "He'll come around."

That night Janet didn't sleep all that much,
tossed and turned in her bed at the hotel,
she just didn't know what to expect next,
but she prayed it could somehow still end well.

In truth, she regretted deep in her heart
that she had left without a word to explain,
since Chet had always been a good boyfriend,
most men she'd dated since were a drain.

Maybe, deep down, she had hoped against hope
that he might want to raise Janet with her,
that maybe they could start over again,
and she could hear him whisper loving words.

She did not see him at the reunion,
the big night came and he was a no-show,
Janet felt sad, but figured he might need time,
so back to their hometown the two did go.

But Chet went on the alumni website,
got her email and asked if they could meet,
the place was a low-key diner he knew,
she saw him in a booth and took a seat.

She couldn't quite read him from his expression,
he kept quite neutral as he drank coffee,
then finally said, in a heavy voice,
"Janet, why didn't you ever tell me? "

She frowned and said, "I was so young back then,
I didn't know what to that, what to do,
and you were going to graduate school,
I didn't want to take all that from you.

"And maybe I thought that I could be strong,
that I didn't need a man to help me,
but maybe I thought too much of myself,
and now I just want to make Mia happy.

"She looks more like you every passing day,
and I admit that I've missed you myself.
I guess I want you to be part of her life,
and, well, maybe be part of mine as well…"

He was quiet as he took in the words,
she thought she saw some kindness in his eyes,
until he learned forwards and said, "The nerve…
to think I'd ever dare let you inside!

"Do you even understand what you've done?
Do you comprehend what you've taken away?
I missed half of my daughter's childhood,
and you think everything will just be okay?

"I never got to hear my girls first cries,
or feel her small kicks as your stomach swelled.
I never got to rock my girl to sleep,
or see her crawl like a rug-rat from hell!

I never got to hear first awkward words,
or watch her stumble through her damn first steps,
never got to read her bedtime stories,
or see the first day of school, when she left.

"Never got to bring her to my parents,
or show her things that I think she would like,
never got to tech my girl anything,
or feel the love that she'd bring to my life!

"And maybe I could've dealt with all that,
if I at least knew that she might exist,
but you bring her to men, ten, and a stranger,
and think that somehow I'd be all right with this? !

"And then you come here and imply that you
might want to pick up from where we left off?
This isn't some freakin' Hollywood script,
and I'm tempted to tell you to get lost!

"But I've already been cheated of ten years,
so I guess we'll have to make arrangements then,
but know, if it was not for that sweet girl,
I would never want to see you again."

With that he threw money down for his drink,
and stormed out of the diner in a rage,
Janet sat shattered, she just couldn't move,
and suddenly felt like she was twice her age.

She ran to her car, quickly as she could,
her face streaked red with some well-deserved tears,
spent the day questioning all of her life,
since there would be no happy endings here…