Carrying His Baby

She also knew that Hallie would talk when she was ready, and not before. She had just given Hallie and extra hug as they said goodbye, and whispered that she would be there for her.

That had nearly moved Hallie to tears. Overemotional, she thought, pregnant women were overemotional.

She passed the diapers and her heart beat faster. She did not want to be pregnant. Sure, she wanted to have kids at some point, but not now. She wasn’t ready for it now. She didn’t have her cottage, and she couldn’t even afford to have more than yogurt for dinner if she wanted to keep saving for her cottage. At least she worked in catering and there was always food to take home.

Defiantly, she picked up a large pack of tampons. There, that was proof that she definitely believed that she was going to have to use tampons. She was not pregnant.

She was just doing this for peace of mind.

She got one test, then decided to be really thorough and get three. They could be a bit inaccurate, especially early. She would probably need at least two negatives to really stop worrying.

She felt her face heat as she paid for them. Did the girl at the register actually check her hand for a wedding ring? What century was she living in?

Hallie got her bag and walked the rest of the way home in a huff.

She lived in a loft, and she loved in.

It wasn’t the best neighborhood, though there was quite a bit of gentrification going on. Honestly, Hallie thought it was losing its charm with every step of that.

She walked up the stairs and opened her door. As usual, she felt a rush of relief when she did.

Her calm space, she thought, as she walked straight to the kitchenette to put that day’s leftovers in the fridge.

Hallie liked elements. She liked designing and decorating according to elements. She had gone with earth, water, air and fire elements through the loft. The kitchenette was air. She loved how she could manage a window box of herbs there. She liked cooking with those.

Everything was a light green, with dashes of red to make them pop.

Her living space was done in shades of blue with ruby red throw pillows and curtains of striped blue and red. Her bedroom was done in a pale pink that made her feel like a princess.

It was tiny, but she loved it, and it was hers, for now. She had made it a home with her own touches. There was a rug in bleeding blues and greens that she had hooked herself. It had taken her ages and she had messed up here and there, but she was proud of it.

She poured herself a glass of juice and sat down on her couch. She considered getting a book and reading. She rarely got home before seven. She should probably use it to do something silly, like eat ice cream and watch a silly movie.

And she was stalling, she admitted to herself. She was stalling because she didn’t want to go into the bathroom and pee on that damn stick.

She was being a coward.

That made her get up and get the pee sticks. She was nobody’s coward. She would do it, and then life would go right back to normal.

She took a book with her so that the five minute wait wouldn’t be a problem. She did it and set it aside, telling herself she would read, and not peek before the five minutes were up.

She managed about one minute, her heart thumping, her breathing getting shallow, before she grabbed the stick and checked.

Well, duh, she thought – there was nothing yet.

She waited another two minutes, reading the same sentence over and over again, before she grabbed the stick again.

There was no mistaking it. It said she was pregnant.

“No no no no no,” said Hallie, putting it down by the sink and backing away from it as if it might explode.

It must be faulty. That’s what it was. It must have something wrong with it. She couldn’t be pregnant.

She didn’t want to try another test. Definitely not alone.

A bit wild-eyed, she grabbed her phone and dialed Bridget’s phone.

“Bridget?”

“Hallie, what’s wrong?”

Hallie could almost see Bridget’s blue eyes widening in concern, her chestnut hair standing up in spikes because she’s run her hand through it absent-mindedly.

“Bridget, can you come over? I need you to come over. Please?”

There was no hesitation from Bridget.

“Of course, honey. You sit tight. I’ll be right there.”

Hallie sat outside the bathroom until she heard her doorbell ring. Scrambling up, she ran to the door and opened it.

“Hallie, what’s wrong?”

Concern radiated off Bridget in waves.

“I… Okay, I need to tell you something, first.”

Bridget led Hallie over to the couch and sat down, holding her hands.

“That night, after the party, I… Well, I went back to Aldous Banks’s place with him. I slept with him.”

Bridget grinned.

“Yeah, I figured, and I was pretty pissed off that you didn’t tell me the juicy details, Hal.”

“I can’t remember if we used a condom.”

“But aren’t you… No, you went off the pill.”

“I did, and I’m about five days late!”

The words came out as a wail.

“Hallie, you know the change in weather, and all the stress – that Banks event was stress enough, but you’ve had so much to do now. You’ll probably get it in a few days.”

But she could see the doubt in Bridget’s eyes.

Bridget saw the misery in Hallie’s dark eyes and her face changed.

“Did you get a test?”

She nodded.

“It said you’re pregnant.”

Hallie sighed. And she nodded.

“It might be a mistake. It happens, you know, those tests aren’t exactly infallible. I’ll go get another.”

“I have two more,” said Hallie, her voice small.

“Well then, pee on them.”

“I have to drink something first.”

Bridget cracked a smile, got up, and, at home in Hallie’s place, got her a bottle of juice from the fridge.

“Well then, drink up!”

Hallie did, downing two bottles of OJ.

“Bridget…”

Hallie had Bridget’s hand in a death grip.

“I can’t be pregnant. I can’t. It’s not time. The plan is for me to meet somebody great, get married, live in that cottage by the sea, or river, or lake, or something, have a small catering business, and then get pregnant.”

Bridget smiled.

“Well, you know life doesn’t always work out according to plan,” she told Hallie.

“Yes, but this is my life, and it has to go according to my plan!” wailed Hallie.

“I know, honey. But we’ll handle it, no matter what. You’ve got friends. Not the least me,” reminded Bridget.

Left with nothing to say, Hallie leaned on Bridget’s shoulder and urged her bladder to hurry up.

“Right. Right, I’ll… Go pee on another stick, then,” she said, attempted to grin and walked to the bathroom.

This time, she held it, not taking her eye off it, until the result popped up again.

Pregnant. Pink cross for pregnant. That was definitely a pink cross. On two sticks.