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Christine sat there, a stoic statue, as tears slowly dripped from her downturned eyes. “I need to know,” she said, her voice faltering.
“It’s going to be okay,” he murmured into her ear.
“How is this going to be okay?” she replied weakly, her face buried against his chest. “I’m scared, Atticus. What if the baby gets hurt? This is a terrible world to bring a baby into right now.”
The sound of his breathing quickened, and he squirmed uncomfortably beneath the weight of her words. “I’m sure the child is—” I started to say.
“I don’t even know if it’s true. Could just be another mind fuck from Lord Nathan,” she replied, cutting me off.
Before anyone had time to fully digest what was said, the bedroom door flew open with a loud bang and Augustus rushed in, a box of tests thrust into Christine’s hands. “Got these from the pharmacy across the street. Please hurry,” he pleaded with her.
With her head shaking slowly in disbelief, Christine made her way into the bathroom, and Atticus turned toward Augustus, his usually vibrant face now drained of all color, a look of sheer anguish across it.
“What do we do if it is positive?” he asked softly, not wanting Christine to hear him from the other room.
Augustus sighed heavily, his brow furrowed in worry. “Well, whatever happens, we will have to support her,” he said firmly, looking between me and Atticus for agreement. I didn’t know how I felt about this. We both nodded before turning our attention back to the bathroom door expectantly, waiting for Christine to emerge with news of our fate.
The room was silent as we all waited for Christine. I felt a heavy weight on my chest, knowing whatever the results were, our lives would be drastically different. It didn’t take long before Christine opened the door and thrust a thin-looking stick into Atticus’s hands.
He read it quickly and then locked eyes with Christine, both of them filled with an emotion that none of us could fathom. He took a deep breath before finally speaking. “You’re pregnant,” he said quietly.
This announcement sent shockwaves through the room. I had suspected that this was what was happening, but hearing it confirmed knocked the wind out of me. Christine gasped and Augustus swore loudly as reality sank in.
Christine stared at Atticus, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. She let out a shaky breath before breaking down into tears, her entire body shaking from the magnitude of what she just learned. Atticus wrapped his arms around her and held her close as she sobbed uncontrollably against his chest.
We all stood there in silence, not knowing what to say or do next. Finally Augustus spoke up, his voice gentle but firm. “No matter what,” he said, looking between Atticus and Christine for emphasis, “we are all here to support you.” Silence stretched for a lingering moment until he spoke again. “Is it…is it mine?”
“I don’t know,” Christine answered. “Maybe? Probably? Possibly?”
Augustus stood up and rolled his shoulders back, like a man preparing for war. “Whatever the answer is, we will do everything in our power to keep you safe and raise this child. Together.”
I felt like I was watching a train wreck. This couldn’t be happening. It was all too much to take in. I had to get out. I walked out of the bedroom and across the hallway to my room, closing the door behind me. I collapsed against the door, my whole body shaking with fear and frustration. I dropped down to the floor, my head in my hands. I felt my throat tighten, and my eyes burned from being squeezed shut so tightly. How could this be happening? How could everything that was so good and happy just be ripped away from me so quickly?
A baby changed everything. Christine would have to choose Augustus. They’d have a happy little family and forget all about me. All about us.
An ache welled up inside my chest, and I tried to ignore it. I held my breath, like that would somehow stop the inevitable conversation. I rolled to the side and leaned against the wall while thinking about everything.
My door creaked open and a pair of footsteps fell across the carpet. My hands covered my face, doing nothing to hide my tears. I felt a hand gently touch my shoulder, and I looked up to see Christine kneeling down beside me. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was blotchy. But when she saw me looking at her, she smiled softly and reached out to give me a hug.
“Everything is going to be okay,” she said. “We’ll figure this out, together.”
I didn’t believe it for a second, but I hugged her back. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice hoarse with emotion. “I should be taking care of you, not crying in this damn room.”
My eyes burned with unshed tears as I felt her soft hand rub my back. “You need time to process,” Christine said. “I’ve been through so much in the past few days. But right now, I need my best friend to tell me everything is going to be okay.”
I barely heard her words as my thoughts raced through my head. I felt like I was watching my life slowly slip away from me, like a life preserver being pulled from my grip by a cruel and merciless God. I felt my heart sink lower and lower, unable to find the strength to keep fighting.
“I love you,” I whispered as we held each other. “I love you so much. How do you feel? Do you need anything?”
“I need a second opinion,” she joked. “I’ve always wanted kids, but this is sudden. And not exactly the best time to get pregnant. Now it’s not my life I have to take care of.” She looked down at her stomach.
I looked up at her and smiled. “It’s going to be okay,” I said. I felt a small sliver of hope well up inside me. “You can do this. I know it’s hard, but you’re strong. You have always been strong.”
I could always tell when she was using her “strong” face. Her eyes squeezed shut and her lips pursed together. She turned her head and looked away. She breathed in deep before turning back to me. “We will do this together, right?” she asked, her voice shaking. “Whatever is happening, we’ll stay together, right?”
“I’ll stay with you as long as you’ll have me,” I said, my face crumpling up as I tried to fight against the tears. I’d chosen my words carefully. Christine would leave once this baby was born.
I wanted to believe that everything would be alright, that I still mattered once the baby came and we both would be able to move on. But deep down, I knew the truth. The moment this baby arrived, she’d forget about me and build a life with the father of her child. That was something I couldn’t ignore, no matter how much I wanted to.
