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I nod, head back to my office, and pick up my purse. My patient is no longer in there. It makes me wonder why he left but at this point I don’t care. I only have so much time before I have to search for another restroom.The nerves of sharing my soul this weekend are why I’m tied in knots. I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about the outcome. There’s no baby on the horizon.
When I reach the main floor, there’s a crowd outside the glass doors. Instead of going through there, I take the back entrance and jump into a cab. My phone rings. The caller ID readsUnknown. I decline.
The car ride is yet another bad idea, another wave of nausea hits me, and I barely make it down before puking one more time. Joy. As I’m about to open the door of the building, a brilliant idea sparks. An at-home test.
If anything, I can find out if I’m just freaking out about speaking up about my past, or… a baby? I can’t think of any other reason why I’m puking my brains out. When I reach the pharmacy, my only thought is going in and out with several boxes of proof that I’m in no way pregnant.
Buzz, buzz, another ringtone. Damn.
Unknown: Thea where are you, I need to find you, sweetheart.
Unknown: Thea, pick up that phone. This is urgent.
I ignore the urgency of the call and focus on the display where thousands if not millions of brands promise they’ll give me an accurate result. Next to them, condoms and lubricants. The irony.
My only solution is to grab three different types of tests, three boxes of each. I place the boxes on top of the register, add a pack of gum, swipe my debit card, and wait for my receipt.
The young woman at the counter hands me my receipt and the bag with the tests. Her eyes meet mine and she smirks. “You’re that girl in the magazines.” She points at the stand next to the candy and the gum.
Aggie Levitz Back In Action
By Christine Tovey
I scoop up the first magazine and flip through the pages until I see old pictures, recent pictures, and headlines in bold words.
Wild Child Doesn’t Fall Far From Rocker Tree
By Christine Tovey
Actress Aggie Levitz arrested for possession of cocaine late Thursday night. This is the second arrest for the Sophie Knows It All star this year alone. Levitz’s publicist refused to comment on the matter…
My heart thunders. This can’t be happening.
She’s not back. I haven’t done anything.
I rush out of the pharmacy, running the couple of blocks that separate me from my shelter. Everyone’s eyes are on me. After all this time… how?
Who found me?
Why would people even care about me anymore?
I haven’t worked in years or done anything stupid. I go back from where I came from, maybe I can hide in the pharmacy’s bathroom. Have I? My phone rings again, I pick it up this time.
“Thea, where are you?” a rough voice with a desperate tone asks. “Sweetheart, I have to find you. This is Arthur Bradley.”
“Right across from the pharmacy that’s close to your place.”
“Stay where you’re at,” he orders. “I should be there soon. Everything is going to be okay.”
A black SUV with tinted windows screeches tires right in front of me within seconds of me hanging up. The passenger door opens, and Arthur curls his fingers, calling me. This reminds me of some crazy action movie. The moment I jump in, the doors are locked, and before I can buckle in, he gives me a tight hug.
“I worried I wouldn’t get to you in time.” He sighs with relief. “Buckle up, sweetheart.”
“Did you see the magazines?” A whimper escapes me as I ask. “Couldn’t they wait until next Monday after I had talked to them?”
“Life is never easy, sweetheart.” He squeezes my hand. “Why weren’t you at the practice?”
I don’t answer. For a few minutes, I close my eyes and wish for the day to be over. But they flutter open knowing that avoiding the obvious isn’t smart.
