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My mind races with possibilities as I continue to sip my water. A sense of unease settles in the pit of my stomach, and I wonder what could be causing this sudden bout of sickness. Is it stress? Anxiety? Or something else entirely?
“Hey, Lily.” Meg waves at me as she enters the shelter. I’d almost forgotten she was also coming in to volunteer today.
“Hey.” I put on a smile, but she’s not convinced.
“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I don’t know,” I say, shrugging weakly. “I’ve been feeling tired and sick to my stomach all morning. It just hit me suddenly while I was sorting through donations.”
“Have you eaten anything?” She pulls up a chair beside me.
“Nothing unusual. Just had my usual breakfast before coming here.”
“Strange,” she murmurs, brows furrowing in thought. Then, with a teasing smirk, she gives me a funny look. “You sure you’re not pregnant or something?”
She means it as a joke, but my jaw has dropped, and adrenaline rushes through me.
Her eyebrows raise. “Wait…”
Could I really be pregnant? “Meg, I… Felix and I did spend one night together. Before we set boundaries and promised never to do something like that again.”
“Really?” Her eyes widen in surprise.
“Yes, but could I… I couldn’t be… we used protection, and…”
“And protection can fail.” She studies my face.
I suck in a sharp breath. “Do you think I really could be?”
“Only one way to find out.” She grabs my hand. “Come on, we’ll go get a test right now.”
I nod, my heart pounding as we quickly gather our belongings and head out the door. I feel bad about leaving the sorting behind, but I wouldn’t be able to focus on it anyway with the possibility of an unplanned pregnancy hanging over my head.
The air outside smells of car exhaust and freshly blooming flowers, a jarring contrast to the musty scent of the shelter. As we stride across the parking lot, the gravel crunches beneath our feet, amplifying my racing thoughts.
“Deep breaths, Lily.” Meg unlocks her car. “No matter what happens, it’ll be okay.”
“Thanks. I know.” I manage a weak smile as I slide into the passenger seat.
We speed through the city streets, the buildings blurring past as my mind races with possibilities. What if I am pregnant? How will this change everything between Felix and me?
We pull into the drugstore parking lot, and the bright fluorescent lights inside the store only serve to heighten my anxiety. Meg grabs a basket, and we head straight for the family planning aisle. I stare at the array of pregnancy tests, each box boasting a different level of accuracy or early detection. My hands tremble as I select three different brands, hoping that multiple tests will provide a clear answer.
“Ready?” Meg asks, squeezing my shoulder in support.
“Ready,” I confirm, even though I’m anything but.
We check out and head for the restrooms, my heart thundering in my ears. The bathroom is empty, eerily quiet except for the gentle hum of the overhead lights. Meg waits outside of the stalls while I lock myself in the first one.
I take a deep breath and follow the instructions on each test, then put them on the back of the toilet to wait an agonizing three minutes for the results.
My mind races. This is insane. I can’t be pregnant!
And what if I am?
Finally, the results start to appear. On the first test are two lines.
“Positive,” I whisper, staring at the first test.
