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“I’m not sure yet, hence the tests?” Aisling replied, feeling a little annoyed.
“Oh, you’re pregnant alright. It’s written all over your face.” She made a swirling motion with her hand that included Aisling’s body, too, making her even more flustered.
“Let’s get out of here.”
“That was weird,” Devon said. “Talk about nervy.”
“Yeah, weird is right. People have a lot of balls.”
Devon bit his tongue to keep from laughing because it was obvious that she was ticked off about the cashier’s observation. “Do you want to pick up something for dinner while we’re down here?”
“No. I just want to get home and do this test now. That cashier has me all discombobulated.”
“Okay, home it is.”
The trip up the mountain had the same effect it always did on Devon. A feeling of separation from the world to safety and relief.
“I love it up here,” Aisling said, reading his mind.
“You took the words out of my mouth.”
They could hear the dogs barking as the car pulled into the garage. “Poor babies are never home alone anymore.”
“I hope they didn’t get into the trash,” Aisling said.
They went into the house, and the dogs were just happy to see them, sniffing to see if they’d been unfaithful.
“I’ll be back,” she said. “Please don’t hover by the door.”
“I promise.”
He watched her walk back to his parents’ bedroom, a tinge of disbelief passing over him again. No matter how much time would pass, the idea that they were both dead, that Mike and Aisling had taken over their bedroom, and now Mike was dead was just too much to fathom.
Listening, he thought he heard water running. A few moments later, she came out, glassy-eyed, holding the stick.
“Don’t touch. I peed on it,” she said. “Just read it.”
He looked at it. Pregnant. He looked up at her, and she was happy, smiling, but there was a hint of hysteria there, too.
“Congratulations,” he said softly. “I can’t believe it.”
“I can’t either. It must have been destined, because I’m careful, if you get my drift.”
“Well, whatever, you’re going to have a baby! What next?”
“You know, this is going to seem weird, but I think I want to go home. I can’t explain it, but I want to be in our house. I hope you understand, Devon. I just want to go there tonight. We’ll talk later, okay?”
She bustled around, gathering her things while Devon stood in the middle of the living room, shocked, nodding his head. “Okay.”
She didn’t try to make apologies or explain any more. With her arms full of her belongings, she called Ralph over. “Come on, buddy, we’re going home.” And then to Devon, “I’ll call you tonight.”
“Sure, okay.”
She left, with the dog behind her, and shut the door. Devon stood in the middle of the living room and watched her drive out of the parking lot, disappearing down the driveway. A tremor in his jaw scared him, like he was going to start crying, but he pulled it together.
“Come on, Till. Let’s go for a walk.”
Even Tilly seemed confused, likewhere’s Ralph?They’d been together daily for the past six weeks, and suddenly, he was gone, without her.
