“I’m also a bit late.”
“Oh…” My pulse picks up again. I’m scared to get too excited. What would the likelihood be? We’ve already had several negatives. I don’t want her to see disappointment in any way, shape, or form if there aren’t two pink lines. I reach out and grab her hand.
“I’m nervous,” I whisper, looking up at the ceiling before glancing her way. She’s biting her nail again.
“Me too.”
“Do you have a good feeling?”
“I feel like I’m going to throw up.”
We both lean our heads back against the wall and laugh before I let out an anxious groan. I reach forward and grab the stick, then grab her hand, like I should’ve gotten to do years ago. I set it in between us, turning to face her crisscross applesauce, as Holly calls it, and she mirrors me.
“Who knew a stick could freak out the adults?”
“I love your sense of humor in tense moments, Bryn.”
“Had to try something.”
“Flip it.”
“No, you flip it. I’m scared.”
I take a deep breath and reach forward, and Brynleigh grabs my wrist.
“Wait– what if I’m not?”
“Then we try again. It’s okay.”
“What if I can’t get pregnant again?”
Her eyes fill with trepidation, so I lift her palm and kiss it, pressing it over her snakebite tattoo on my heart.
“You and me, always. No matter what. We can face anything.”
“But you want babies.”
“Then we’ll adopt, surrogacy, whatever you want. I’ll find a way to make you feel whole.”
“I love you,” she whispers, and my heart cracks for her. For me. For us. We want this so damn badly.
“I love you more.”
“Okay, flip it, I can’t look first.” She slams her eyes shut just as I start to turn it.
I take another deep breath, bracing to be strong for us both, and lose it.
“One or two lines, Trys?”
I reach out and pull her into my lap, crushing my lips against hers fiercely. She pulls back a little, catching my cheeks in her hands and wiping away a tear.
“I’m sorry, Trystan. We’ll try again,” her chin wobbles, “I’ll–”
“Two…” I silence her words with my answer, sucking in her gasp as I deliver another reverent kiss.
“What?”
I pull the test between us to show her the proof, the tangible evidence that pieces of us are growing a tiny human within her. A tiny heart full of her and me growing within her.Tears streak down our faces, and we’re both a shaking mess with this new reality.
