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THIRTY-SEVEN
HADLEY
This is not the trip I expected to have when I left Seaside and headed toward Seattle. Everything was fine. I was fine. Yes, I missed Theo and the kids, but it was tolerable. And then I started feeling sick somewhere in Idaho. It was only for a day, and the next day I felt well enough to keep going. Then I felt sick again. I’ve been parked in an RV campground somewhere in Montana, hoping to feel well enough to turn around and go home since the universe seems to have other plans.
But when Theo calls, I break. All I want is for him to come and get me but I’m too stubborn to give in and call back. I am woman, hear me roar? Not so much.
Since I don’t have a mother to call and ask for advice, and I’m pretty much no contact with Curtis, I turn to Jolene.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she coos. “Have you taken a pregnancy test?”
I laugh. “No, ’cause there’s no way I’m pregnant. I’m on the pill.”
“Bless your heart, Hadley. Don’t you know it’s not one hundred percent effective? There’s always a chance and if you two fuck like bunnies, then I bet his swimmers found their way home.”
“I can’t believe you said that,” I moan.
“And I can’t believe you haven’t taken a pregnancy test.”
Truth is pregnancy crossed my mind. I am never the best at keeping track of my cycles and I’ve been a bit careless with my birth control, taking it when I remember.
“Not without Theo,” I tell her. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“Then it seems to me you know what to do. Tuck your tail between your legs and get on back to Seaside.”
She gives me some advice on how to deal with the nausea of morning sickness, even as I insist I’m not pregnant.
“That dog don’t hunt with me, honey,” she tells me before hanging up. “You’re pregnant. I’d bet my life.”
The next morning, I leave the RV park and drive to the closest drug store, purchasing the necessary supplies to hopefully get me through the next few days on my journey back to Seaside. I also pick up a few pregnancy tests because my gut tells me Jolene is probably right.
My GPS says it’s a ten-hour drive, but because I keep pulling over to puke my guts out, it takes almost two days. I arrive back in Seaside by mid-morning and instantly feel relieved knowing Theo and the kids aren’t home.
After a long nap and a hot shower, I finally call Theo.
“Hey,” I greet him once he answers. “Sorry I didn’t call you back.”
“It’s okay. Are you feeling better?” There’s a sadness in his tone and I regret not letting him know I am returning.
“Yes. Better than okay.”
“That’s good to hear.” He sighs and I picture him running a hand through his dark hair. “I hate asking this but when are you coming home.”
“I already am.” I laugh before telling him I decided two days ago to come home. “There’s something we need to talk about, though.”
Three boxes are stacked on the bathroom counter, waiting for me to open. It’s hard to ignore them, and it’s even harder to not say anything to him.
“I’ll be home in two hours,” he assures me.
“Don’t rush. Get here as soon as you can.”
The call ends and I still feel exhausted from not only spending two days on the road but also from being sick. I let myself sink into the plush mattress, my head resting on a mountain of pillows, and instantly fall asleep.
When I wake, Theo is standing over me, his hand on my knee and one of the pregnancy tests in his hand. “Is this what we have to talk about?” He holds up the box, and though he doesn’t sound angry, this isn’t the homecoming I had in mind.
“Yes,” I croak.
He sits down on the edge of the bed and sighs. “Fuck, Hadley. Do you really think you’re pregnant?”
