I sit back down at the table, my hands folded in my lap to hide their trembling.
Before Grant can ask another question, the doorbell rings.
“That’s Sophie’s mom!” April jumps up from her chair and grabs her backpack from where it’s been sitting by the door since yesterday. “We’re doing a project together for school today, remember?”
“I remember.” I stand and follow her to the door, grateful for the distraction.
Sophie’s mom waves from the driveway, and I wave back. April gives me a quick hug, then runs out to the car.
“Have fun, sweetheart!” I call after her.
“Love you, Mom! Bye, Grant!”
“See you later,” Grant calls from the kitchen.
My heart swells with pride as I watch the car pull away. April has come so far over the past few weeks. She’s making friends, adjusting to her new school, and thriving in ways I never could have imagined back when we first moved here.
I close the door and lean against it for a moment, trying to gather my courage.
It’s just Grant and me now. No more distractions or excuses. I have to tell him.
My nerves return with a vengeance, making my stomach flip and my hands shake. When I walk back into the kitchen, Grant is already clearing the breakfast dishes.
“Grant?” My voice comes out smaller than I intended.
He turns and his brow furrows as he immediately picks up on my tone. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. I don’t think so, anyway. I just… I need to show you something.”
“Okay.” He draws the word out as he sets down the plate he’s holding, then gives me his full attention. “What is it?”
“Upstairs. Can you come upstairs with me?”
I can tell from his expression that his concern is deepening by the second, but he nods and follows me without any other questions.
We walk up the stairs together, and every step feels impossibly heavy. My heart is in my throat, and when we reach the bathroom, all I can do is silently push the door open and motion for him to come inside.
“Heather, what’s going on?”
I don’t answer. Instead, I open the bathroom cabinet and pull out the box with the pregnancy test inside, then hand it to him.
He takes it and stares at the two distinct lines for an excruciatingly long moment. Then his eyes snap up to mine.
“Is this… are you…?”
“I’m pregnant.” The words tumble out in a rush. “I took the test this morning while you and April were eating breakfast. I’ve been feeling sick for weeks, and I thought it was just stress from everything with Steven. But it didn’t go away, and I realized itmight be something else, so I bought a test, and I just took it, and it’s positive.”
He’s completely still, and his expression has gone from concerned to completely unreadable.
My nerves spike into full panic. “I know we didn’t plan this. I know we’ve only been together for a few months, and we haven’t even talked about the future or what we are or if you even want more kids. I’m so sorry if this isn’t what you wanted, but I swear it was a total surprise to me too.”
“Heather.” His voice cuts through my rambling. “Stop.”
I stop talking, but my breath is still coming out in short gasps.
He sets the test down on the counter and steps closer to me. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”
“I’m fine. Just nauseous in the mornings, but that’s normal.”
