Baby Love

Faye, on Tuesday, tells her mother: “I just wanted him to like me.” Heartbreaking. No matter how far back in memory it now is, I bet every woman watching remembered this.

For Faye, the gamble didn’t pay off. The boy didn’t want to know her afterward, and that was even without knowing she got pregnant. And now she’s got a permanent souvenir, a baby girl.

In light of the rest of the week, Faye’s plan for giving birth starts to make sense. Do it secretly and leave the baby at the hospital. Don’t involve anyone else. Of course it would not work as smoothly as imagined, as she learned. But the flap and fuss she dreaded and wanted to avoid is happening. Police, social workers and families.

Faye found out her mother is not going to “send her back”, as the poor child had feared. Anna, Owen, Tim and everyone rallied around her. The baby will have a loving and supportive family. They all took that as a given.

But they didn’t ask Faye if that’s what she wanted. Maybe in the same way that they totally did not see Faye’s pregnancy weight gain, they are not seeing her lack of bonding, even enthusiasm, for her infant. Anna reminds her that the baby is hers and she will be the one responsible for her care. But it sounds much the same as maternal reminders to take care of your good clothes or those expensive shoes you wanted so badly. No one is looking at Faye, or asking her what she wants.

Faye eventually tells Sophie, and Sophie passes on a hint to Owen. And that’s where we end on Friday: Owen pointedly makes space for Faye to say what she wants to her family and the social worker. Faye takes the opportunity finally. She wants to give the baby up.

She might do so or not. But you know, whatever the decision, Owen will be the object of Anna’s wrath for even allowing the possibility to be raised. Anna seems to have already decided the future of the baby and Faye, all in the name of love.