“At her age, she should be babysitting her grandchildren, not giving birth! It’s disgusting!” Amanda said, judging Jane behind her back.
“Tell me about it,” another elderly woman said. “What’s the baby going to call her? Grandma? Imagine going to parent-teacher conferences with gray hair while all the other moms are in their thirties.”
At that comment, all the women laughed in agreement.
“Who would want a child from her?” Amanda laughed mockingly.
A couple of days later, Amanda saw Jane at the grocery store. She was standing near a food shelf caressing her round belly with her hand. Amanda rushed to Jane with a burning interest to learn the name of her baby’s father.

Amanda and the women at her book club quickly judged a pregnant 50-year-old woman without knowing the entire story.

It was only when they learned the true nature of her pregnancy that they regretted their actions.Amanda was in her 60s and was happily single. She never married, nor did she have any children. To keep herself busy, she hosts the weekly neighborhood book club in her house, where women who lived in the area would gather every Saturday.

Amanda only ever got along with the people in her book club through the years. She loved order, so every time a neighbor’s child would break a flower pot or dirty her side of the street, she would get angry. Because of this, the children were afraid of Amanda.

They steered clear of her front yard and never offered her any baked goods and juices they sold every summer, which other neighbors happily supported.