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It was a warm July day and just happened to be the day my bestie Summer was getting married to Gyth. Being ill was not an option and yet I couldn’t stop it if I tried. I was sure I knew the reason and it was time to face reality.
Which started with the one literally staring me in the face from the white porcelain bowl.
Landon was rubbing my back as he held my hair back. He was quiet for some time until the vomiting slowed before he finally spoke up.
“Baby, don’t you think it’s time you took that test that’s been under the counter for weeks now?” His tone was feather soft and soothing but still brought panic.
“How did you know?” I asked him, looking up with a shocked expression on my face.
I had never told Landon I bought the test, and we hadn’t talked about the possibility of needing one since the morning at the table before I went out with the girls. I knew he was walking on eggshells around the subject and trying to let me work through it but didn’t realize he knew about my purchase.
I had missed my period but with all the changes, emotions, dealing with finally being free of the crazy couple stalking me after the confrontation, and helping get things ready for Summer’s wedding, well, I let myself stay in a state of denial.
To add to all that, I was also about to launch my new novel, and Landon and I had been working on the children’s book too.
Landon cut into my thoughts and what he said was spot on.
“Because I know you. Even if you are scared, you would want to know and be prepared when the time was right. You may have sat on it longer than some would have, but I knew when you came around you would need to know right then.”
He’d let my hair go, but his hand still rubbed slow circles on my back. I just wished it would curb the anxiety. But it was time, so I rose to my feet slowly, and Landon’s hand fell away. As much as I wanted his touch back, I needed a few minutes alone.
“Scoot, I am so not peeing on a stick with you in the room,” I said in a matter-of-fact tone, but also a little tease in my voice. It was my way of trying to lighten the mood. But by the look on Landon’s face, it didn’t work.
“Alley, let’s do this together. Don’t make me leave again, please.”
His pleading tone and the wordagainsent a one, two punch to my gut. My dismissal of him and sending him away last time had a huge effect on him, but my sorrow and ability to fully trust kept me from thinking of Landon the way I should have.
So, without saying anything I leaned down to grab the box out from under the sink and removed the pregnancy test, tossing the box back on the counter. My head swam with dizziness and my stomach rolled with more nausea, but I pushed it down. And even though I am sure I could pee on my own and then let Landon join me for the results, I decided actions speak louder than words and I needed to show him we were in this together.
Walking the couple steps back to the toilet, I lifted my knee-length t-shirt and sat down. I’d have removed my undies if I was even wearing any, but Landon preferred for me not to when we slept. That thought had a small smile tipping up my worried lips and a little flutter in my belly took flight when I thought about the man in my bed.
When I looked over at Landon, he was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. The poor guy was probably confused at my facial expression going from one extreme to another, but it was his damn fault he was so sexy and damn good in bed.
Looking back down at the package in my hand had my belly filled with nerves instead of the lust I felt a second before. I tore open the package, removed the stick and the top, and then tossed the wrapper in the garbage. I noticed Landon had pulled the directions from the box and was scanning them before he started reading out loud.
The whole scene playing out at that moment seemed surreal.
I did as instructed, finished up, placed the cap back on, and laid the stick on the counter flat on top of the paper instructions that Landon had set down. For a minute both of us stood there in silence staring at the test and then Landon placed his hand on my upper arm and turned me into him, wrapping his arms around me.
“Baby, no matter what, everything will be okay,” he whispered.
I let his words wash through me and hoped that they were true.
I can’t say how long I stayed there in his arms, but after what had probably been several minutes Landon spoke.
“It’s time.”
Shit, I forgot that part.
Having gone through the whole process in almost a robotic state, I hadn’t thought about the time, but Landon must have been watching the clock by the door on the wall in the bathroom. Good thing he was on top of it.
I pulled back out of his arms, but he grabbed one of my hands just as I turned toward the counter. Then we both leaned over and glanced at the results together simultaneously.
“Two pink lines,” I whispered.
* * *
The sounds comingout of me for the second time that day were not pretty at all.
