Jana Hayes

I kicked my daughter out when she was 17. She told me she was pregnant. I handed her a suitcase and said, "Figure it out." That was 9 years ago. I volunteer at the women's shelter on Route 4 now. Tuesday nights. Folding towels, sorting donations. It makes me feel decent. Last Tuesday, the intake coordinator left a file on the counter. Open. My daughter's name. Megan Leigh Rowan. Intake date: March 14, 2018. Three months after I put her out. She was 17 weeks pregnant. She gave birth in the shelter bathroom because she couldn't afford the ER copay. Under "Emergency Contact," she wrote: None. Under "Family Support": None. Under "Reason for Seeking Shelter," one sentence. I had to sit on the floor when I read it. She wrote, "My mother found out...