AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As the retching subsided, my mind raced with possible reasons for my sudden illness. Could it have been something I ate last night? Was it the pancakes and bacon I had just eaten? Or was it something more serious, like a stomach bug or food poisoning?
A sudden thought flickered through my mind, but I immediately dismissed it. There was no way that I could be pregnant.
Still, I couldn't shake the idea from my mind. What if it was possible? What if I was one of the few who had slipped through the cracks and become pregnant despite my precautions? Hunter and I were careful but there was that first time. We hadn't remembered to use protection then.
The idea seemed absurd, and I pushed it to the back of my mind. After a few minutes, I composed myself and stood up shakily. I rinsed out my mouth with water and looked at myself in the mirror. My face was pale and clammy, and there were dark circles under my eyes. I must've been more tired than I had thought. I had felt perfectly fine just that morning and now it looked like the whole day was about to be turned on its head.
I made my way back to the room, feeling exhausted and unwell. I crawled into bed and pulled the covers over my head, hoping to sleep off the sickness.
As I stepped out of the bathroom, Mom was waiting for me with a concerned look on her face. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked.
I shook my head, feeling embarrassed about my earlier bout of sickness. "Not really," I said. "I still feel pretty nauseous."
My mom put a hand on my forehead, checking for a fever. "You're not running a temperature," she said. "Maybe it's something you ate? Or maybe you're just coming down with a bug?"
I shrugged, not sure what to say. I didn't want to alarm my mom by mentioning my thoughts about pregnancy. But as we stood there in the hallway, the idea refused to be ignored.
"Mom," I said hesitantly. "Do you think... do you think it's possible that I could be pregnant?"
My mom looked at me with surprise, but then a knowing expression crossed her face. "Have you missed your period?" she asked gently.
I had no idea, my periods could be irregular, coming late every few months. So, I never worried much if they didn't come when they were supposed to and now I didn’t know if I was, in fact, pregnant. The very thought of a baby was scary. I felt my eyes fill with tears of their own volition.
"Oh honey, don't cry, it'll be fine."
Mom took my hand, leading me to the living room. "Sit down," she said, "and let's talk."
I settled on the couch with her beside me.
"I'm guessing you and Hunter have..." She trailed off, as though searching for the right words to use.
"Sex?" I asked. "Yes, we have Mom. We're consenting adults in a relationship,” I replied. I didn't want my mom to talk to me like I was still her little baby girl. I could be pregnant for all I knew. I wasn't a baby anymore.
"Yes, having sex. Did you use protection?" She asked.
"Yes, we have, Mom but we didn't the first night we were together. We didn't think about it,” I said.
"Then you should get a pregnancy test. Your probably not pregnant, but we should make sure,”
My goodness! Pregnancy! I didn't want a baby right now. My cafe was just taking off and Hunter and I had only just started dating, I couldn't have a baby now.
"Oh Mom, what do I do? What if I'm pregnant?" I sobbed. I heard clattering upstairs and realized Dad was home. I didn't want him to know yet, so I dabbed at my face and pasted a smile on my face that felt more like a grimace.
"Don’t say anything to Father,” I whispered.
"He'll find out eventually," Mother said.
"I know, but I want to tell him myself."
After our conversation on the couch, Mom went back to her bedroom to give me some space. I lay there for a while longer, still feeling nervous and unsure about what to do next.
Eventually, I forced myself to get up and start my day. I got dressed and headed out to my car, my mind still reeling with the possibility that I could be pregnant.
The drive to the store felt like it took forever. I tried to keep my mind occupied by listening to music, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the pregnancy test.
When I finally arrived at the drugstore, I went straight to the family planning aisle and scanned the shelves for the test. It felt strange to be buying something so personal in such a public place, but I knew it was necessary.
I selected a test and paid for it quickly, trying to avoid eye contact with the cashier. As I walked out of the store, the test burning a hole in my pocket, I couldn't help but feel like the whole world knew my secret. The pregnancy test sat in its box on the passenger seat beside me, taunting me with its potential to change my life forever as I drove back home.
