“Could be.” Mehar settled into the backseat, a small smile on her face. “But it could also be something.”
The CVS run was an experience.
Serenity marched into that store like a woman on a mission. Grabbed a basket. Headed straight for the family planning aisle. And proceeded to grab every pregnancy test on the shelf.
“Serenity. That’s like eight tests.”
“Nine.” She tossed another one in the basket. “First Response. Clear Blue. The generic brand. We’re covering all our bases.”
“I don’t need NINE tests?—”
“You need at least three. The rest are backup.” She was already heading toward the register. “Oh, and we need snacks. Can’t take a pregnancy test on an empty stomach. That’s like… bad luck or something.”
“That’s not a thing.”
“It’s a thing now. I just made it a thing.”
Mehar was laughing quietly behind us. Actually laughing. The sound was so foreign, so unexpected, that I almost stopped in my tracks.
My sister was laughing in a CVS while we bought pregnancy tests. A month ago, she couldn’t even leave her house without Ahmad’s permission.
Life was wild.
Serenity grabbed chips, gummy bears, and three bottles of water. “For hydration. You gotta pee on the sticks, so you gotta hydrate.”
“Thank you for that reminder.”
“I’m helpful like that.”
We paid and got back on the road. My stomach was still uneasy, but now it was mixed with something else.
Anticipation.
Was I pregnant?
The thought alone made my head spin. A baby. Prime’s baby. Growing inside me while the world around us burned.
Part of me wanted it to be true. Wanted something good to come out of all this chaos. Wanted to give Prime the family I knew he secretly dreamed about.
But another part of me was terrified. How could I bring a child into this mess? Yusef was still out there, being tortured by a madman. My sister was dead. I was living under a stolen identity. And the man I loved was currently at war with one of the most dangerous people in DC.
This was not exactly ideal baby-making circumstances.
But then again, when had anything in my life been ideal?
The beach house was dark when we pulled up.
We filed inside, Serenity flipping on lights as we went. I didn’t stop to breathe, didn’t stop to think. Just headed straight for the bathroom, the CVS bag burning a hole in my hand.
“Come get us when it’s time to wait,” Serenity called after me. “We’re doing the three minutes together!”
I handled my business, set the test face down on the counter, and opened the door.
They were already standing in the hallway. Waiting.
“Three minutes,” I said.
Three minutes.
