Play It As It Lays

Maria reveals her pregnancy to Carter, throwing the phrase “I’m having a baby” into the middle of their conversation on another topic (47). The news catches Carter off guard. Maria reveals that she has been to the doctor to confirm the pregnancy. She says that the baby is Les’s, although she is not entirely sure.

Carter criticizes Maria for going to an unknown doctor to perform her pregnancy test, but his anger seems to be directed more toward Maria than Les.

Maria tries not to think about the negative affect the news of the pregnancy had on Carter: “She had at last done something that reached him, but now it was too late” (52). 

In a telephone conversation, Carter gives Maria the contact information for a doctor who will perform her abortion. Maria says she wants to keep the child, but Carter counters that if she does, he will take Kate.