This can’t be happening to me. I never put too much thought into becoming a mother. With the busy lifestyle I have in thecity, when would I have time to find a husband, let alone raise a child?
Meeting Jon and dating him was never expected, but a baby? That’s just insane to think about. How would I explain that to people? How the hell would I be able to tell Jon…
By the time Dani returns, I’m a complete mess, pacing the apartment with a racing heart. She reaches into the grocery bag and hands me a box with a digital pregnancy test. I stare at it for a moment and still can’t believe I’m about to go through with this.
“Want me to come in with you?” Dani asks with a concerned look on her face, but I shake my head no.
“I should do this alone. But I’ll come out immediately after.” I take the longer-than-usual stroll into our shared bathroom and take the test. As it sits on the sink, blinking, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. My face is as white as the snow lying on the ground outside, and I begin contemplating my life.
I haven’t accomplished nearly enough in my life to have a child. Can I actually go through with this? Would I even make a good mother?
Dani knocks on the door, and I open it. “Well? What does it say?”
“I don’t know. It’s still doing its thing. Dani…What the hell am I going to do?”
She grabs me and hugs me tightly. “We don’t know anything yet. But if you are, we will get through it together, like we do everything else. Remember my scare in high school? You never left my side, and now it’s time for me to return the favor.”
With tears clouding my vision, I pull away from her and smile. But it’s short-lived as the test beeps and my eyes shoot down to see the wordpositiveblinking on the little microscreen.
It feels as if all the air has been stolen from the room, and I nearly fall to the floor.
“Hey, hey,” Dani says, pulling me into her again. “It’ll be okay. We will figure this out.”
“What am I going to do?” I begin to sob on her shoulder. “What about my future?”
My career is all I have and now what? Jon…
What is he going to say? Does he even want a child? He is so successful, and of course, I had to come along and ruin that for him.
I have to tell him, but I don’t know how.
Maybe I’ll wait until the time is right…If there is ever a right time to drop this sort of bomb on someone’s life.
Although I did try the same tactic with Jones Construction, and look how that turned out.
Maybe he won’t completely lose his mind like I am currently. Maybe he will see this news as great news.
Or…Maybe he will completely lose his mind and turn his back on me like my family has.
26
JONATHAN
Lizzy:I’m sorry, but I won’t be in today. I’m under the weather.
As I read her text, a bit of sadness washes over me because I won’t get to see her today. Yet, I’m surprised.
Lizzy never calls off work, even when she’s sick. She is one to push through whatever she’s feeling or going through.
It’s one of the many things that impresses me the most about her. I can always count on her being here. So for her to call off, it must be bad. Thinking back to yesterday, she did seem off, not herself at all.
Maybe everything is finally catching up to her and is taking a toll on her body. I don’t hold it against her because she has been killing it at work, helping me with anything I need.
But doing this alone is nearly impossible. Walking to my open office door, I peek my head out to see if anyone has any free time, but the pickings are slim since most of my employees are still on vacation until after New Year’s.
As if luck is on my side, Chase walks out of his office and heads toward the printer. “Ah, Chase,” I call out, gathering his attention. “Are you busy with something today?”
“No, Boss, just tying up a few last-minute emails,” he replies with a smile. “Need something?”
