Raven explained all this with a huge grin on her face. Annoying. “I did take it for a couple weeks. I still doubt I’m pregnant.”
“Go pee on the damn stick, River! I’ve barely been able to sleep since I bought it last night.” When River still hesitated, Raven brought out her trump card. “If you are pregnant, we can plan a wedding in a couple of weeks, so you aren’t the size of the O Building when you say ‘I Do.’”
“Oh Christ,” River tore the box open, grabbed the directions, and ran to the separate toilet room.
Remove test stick from wrapper and take off the Overcap. Hold stick by Thumb Grip, with the Absorbent Tip pointed down, and the Result Window facing away from body. Place Absorbent Tip into your urine stream for 5 seconds only.
No problem. No big deal. River thought as she finished peeing on the plastic stick. Raven was being dramatic. Gathering her stick, she met Raven by the vanity, who was attempting to pluck a stray eyebrow hair with one hand while rocking her baby with the opposite arm. Lord have mercy.Am I ready for motherhood?
“Three minutes. Two and a half now.” Raven tossed her tweezers down, and they both stared at the pink and white stick.
Raven turned to River with wide eyes. “Guess it didn’t need the full three minutes.”
“Two lines. Oh my God, Rave. Two lines!”
Raven grabbed one of River’s hands and squeezed. “You are happy, right?”
“I’m a whole bunch of things. Shocked. Scared. Super shocked,” she added again and smiled. “But yes, very happy. Patrick is going to flip the F out!”
“Do you want to tell him privately or while he and his brother are cooking our breakfast?” Raven asked, laughing. Obviously giddy with excitement.
“I think now. I don’t think I could act normal until we left.”
“Okay, text Row and see if she’s here or if she’s coming.”
“She’s already here,” Rowan said as she slowly walked into the bathroom. “And very, very hungover. Remind me to kill Jo and Saoirse.” Rowan was about to take Daniel from Raven when her gaze landed on all the bright pink trash littering the counter.
River knew when her eyes landed on the stick because her mouth dropped open, then closed, then dropped open again. “Oh my God, Raven. Are you pregnant? Again?”
“Nope,” Raven smirked, popping the p.
“Then... who?” Her eyes whipped to River, her alcohol-befuddled mind finally connecting the dots. “River? No way! I can’t believe it.”
“Shall we go shock another O’Faolain with impending fatherhood?”
* * *
Patrick heardthe girls coming down the hallway. His dad and Bran were helping with breakfast, but they all three turned at the hushed giggling. They were holding hands and grinning until they realized they were being watched, then quickly pulled their hands away. All three were blushing, their fair skin a map of emotion.
Patrick had just pulled the bacon and sausage and asked Bran to put them in the warmer. Buttermilk biscuits were in the top oven, and the hashbrowns were already crisping away in the bottom. He’d used Bran’s new badass Skeppshult cast iron pan. While he’d cooked the bacon, Pat looked up the Swedish company and ordered several sizes for himself. The only thing left were pancakes, eggs, and gravy.
He hadn’t planned on making biscuits and gravy this morning, but Bran and Dad pouted until he agreed. Patrick was about to start cracking eggs— Bran had at least made the pancake batter— when he noticed the girls were all standing awkwardly side-by-side, side-eyeing each other, and he even saw Raven elbow River.
“Out with it,” Patrick laughed at their identical wide eyes. “You guys are up to something.”
“They’ve been whispering to each other for ten minutes straight.” Bran shrugged his shoulders at Raven’s, “Hey!”
Dad crossed his arms, a look of boredom on his face that he might have pulled off, except the intensity in his eyes called bullshit. Giving up on his eggs for now, he fully turned, giving River his undivided attention. Rowan and Raven shoved her forward. Patrick was considering that there might be something in the building’s water making all the women living here crazy. Raven was off last night too.
River ran her hands along her leggings like she was nervous. Tainted water forgotten; he was getting nervous.
“Guess what, Patrick?
Umm... “What?” Patrick quickly glanced at his father and brother. They looked slightly alarmed.
“I’m pregnant.”
It took Patrick less than a second to cross the room and pull River tight against his chest. He couldn’t even speak. He was overwhelmed in the best way possible. Their family remained silent, letting them have this moment. “River. Christ,” he murmured into the soft hair on her crown. “I can’t... believe... How?”
