AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Of course! We’re sisters now, right?”
“Is there any chance you could be pregnant?” Olivia asked.
My stomach plummeted to my knees, and I felt like I was going to throw up again. I couldn’t be pregnant, could I? Granted, I hadn’t gotten my period in a couple of months, but I chalked it up to the combination of stress and hormonal changes brought on by my birth control. Sebastian and I had been careful, too … except for the plane. A wave of horror overtook me as I remembered Sebastian retrieving that ancient condom, only for it to end up in shreds on the floor of the jet. Another wave of dread overtook me as I remembered my fearmongering vaguely Catholic high school sex ed: It only took one time to get pregnant. My palms started to sweat.
“Maybe,” I squeaked. “I haven’t had my period in a couple of months. I figured it was a placebo, y’know? But there was one time where … ugh.” I looked around to make sure the shop was still empty. “The condom broke,” I whispered.
Olivia walked behind the counter and pulled me into a hug. I let myself lean my head on her shoulder.
“I’m so stupid! How could I?” I started to whimper, but then I became irritated.
“Hey, it’s okay. Accidents happen. Joey wasn’t planned,” Olivia soothed.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I mean, we were talking about maybe trying for a baby. We’d only been married for a year. It was still fresh, y’know? But then, when they lowered my dose, it was too low … and I got pregnant. It was definitely a shock at first, but we survived. So, let’s get you a test for peace of mind, okay? And then, if you’re not pregnant, you should talk to your doctor because … you’re looking a little rough,” Olivia murmured.
I sniffled and wiped the tears from my eyes. While the girls who grew up around me always dreamed of becoming moms, that wasn’t my dream until relatively recently. I started picturing Sebastian as a father after watching him dote on Joey. Then, I watched him with Olivia and saw that the people in his family treated each other with kindness and respect.
For the first time in my life, I wanted a family of my own, especially since I knew Sebastian would support me and The Cookie Cove no matter what. He even mentioned going on paternity leave the other day. I knew there was no way I would be doing this alone, Sebastian and Olivia wouldn’t allow it, and even my father would be thrilled to be a grandfather. I knew I had my whole life ahead of me.
This marriage wasn’t a death sentence. It was a catalyst. Sebastian and I were already proving to be invaluable business partners for each other. I could only assume that we would make excellent parents. My mother had presented me with a crash course in what kind of mom I didn’t want to be. I realized that if I had a daughter, I could be a role model for her. I could show her that it was possible to chase her dreams and raise a family. I could encourage her to pursue her interests and help her with her college applications. I could break the cycle of silent suffering in loveless marriages that haunted my family like a long-suffering ghost.
“Let’s get a test. But there’s no way I can be seen shopping for a pregnancy test in Boston. People will talk.”
Olivia nodded. “That’s exactly why I moved. Here.” She pulled her phone out of her purse. “We’ll make Sebastian grab you one. And you can take it at my house, so you don’t have to do the whole agonizing drive back.” Olivia declared.
Chapter 15
Sebastian
Sebastian
“Youwantmetodo what?!” I barked into the phone.
“I need you to buy a couple of pregnancy tests for Becca,” Olivia clarified for the third time in the span of five minutes.
“What makes you think she’s pregnant?” I grunted back.
“Sebastian, she’s nauseous, her boobs hurt, she’s tired all the time. Those are classic first-trimester symptoms.”
“But that could mean anything!” I retorted. I could hear Olivia rolling her eyes through the phone.
“Sebastian, quick question.”
“Yeah?”
“Have you ever been pregnant?” Olivia asked.
“I mean, no,” I sputtered.
“Right, so you don’t know what it’s like, do you?” Olivia said.
“Okay, fine. You have a point. But where am I even supposed to find a pregnancy test?” I balked.
Due to my strict “no breakfast” policy, I’d never had to buy anyone a pregnancy test. If there were any little Sebastian’s running around in the world right now, I knew nothing about them. But this was different. This was Becca. Olivia was right. Becca had been exhausted the past few weeks. I thought of her peculiar morning diet. Could peanut butter and honey sandwiches count as a craving? I thought cravings were only strange combinations of food, like pickles and ice cream.
“You can get them at the pharmacy, dumbass. Just go to CVS. It’ll be in the aisles near the back. You can’t miss it. Becca and I are going to my house, Joey’s spending the night with Mom. You can meet us there,” Olivia instructed.
