**Warning: This article contains discussions about abortion which some readers may find distressing.**
Pregnant Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) had a big change of heart in tonight’s EastEnders (23rd January), as she announced that she wanted to keep her baby after all.
The underage youngster previously vowed to have an abortion, and as she prepared for the appointment, mum Stacey (Lacey Turner) tried to explain what would happen when she took the first of two tablets at the clinic.
Lily was keen to avoid talking about it as adoptive dad Martin Fowler (James Bye) promised to collect them both after lunch. She then made an excuse to go out, offering to go to the shop. Sitting on the swings, Lily worried about the daunting day ahead, just as Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) and Ricky Mitchell Jr (Frankie Day) passed by.
Viewers know that young Ricky is the father of Lily’s baby, but he is still unaware of this fact. As they left, Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) spotted Lily looking scared and upset, and she pulled her into a comforting hug.
While Stacey waited at home, Kat took Lily to the cab office for a private chat. Lily asked Kat if she had considered an abortion when she was pregnant at a similar age, but Kat explained that it was too late for her and all decisions were taken out of her hands at the time.
Kat assured Lily that the decision was hers alone, and listened as Lily recounted looking up the size of her baby online, as she’s now around 10 weeks pregnant.
For the first time, the baby felt real to her, and she didn’t know if she could have a termination after all. So Kat took Lily home and told Stacey and Martin that she wouldn’t be attending her appointment that day. Stacey was affronted when Kat implied that Lily had felt pressured, but Stacey later asked Martin why their daughter didn’t feel she could talk to her.
Martin also spotted Ricky Jr checking on Lily outside, and he quickly worked out that the young boy was the father – but Lily begged Martin to keep this news quiet. Alone, the parents continued to worry over Lily until she interrupted to reveal she had made her final decision.
Lily firmly explained that she was keeping her baby. What will this mean for Ricky Jr and the two extended families at the heart of this story?
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can visit the British Pregnancy Advisory Service for more information and contact 03457 30 40 30 for support.
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