“Are you depressed, Coast?” Her mother’s familiar voice came through the speaker of Bee’s cell.
“Hang up the phone.” She groaned, stumbling toward the bathroom door.
“I’ve told you about suppressing things,” Marina warned. “You get that from your father.”
“Goodbye, Marina!” Coast slammed the door shut.
With her back against it, she took a breath before stepping toward the sink. Taking in her appearance, she pinched at her cheeks and caught the weariness behind her gaze peering back at her.The hell is wrong with me?She wondered, clinging to the sink as a wave of dizziness swept over her.
“Marina, I’ll talk to you later. I just thought you might want to know where your daughter is.”
“Coast is a grown woman, Beverly. Of course, I love her and worry about her, but I also know that she can take care of herself. I’m glad that she has you there, though. I’ll be in touch.”
Coast heard the call disconnect through the door and raised her eyes to her reflection in the mirror. Uncertainty now hovered in her belly like an unfinished meal, causing it to flip anxiously as she pressed her hand against it.No way. It couldn’t fucking be!Mind rattled, she thought about her last period and tried to calculate when she’d seen it. At first, she thought it was stress, but with the other symptoms, she had to wonder if it was more.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
“I’m heading out. I’ve got some shopping to do. I left my cell phone number on the counter, in case you forgot it. There’s an omelet for you in the microwave.”
Just the mention of food had Coast gagging as she reached for her toothbrush on the counter where she’d left it from last night.
“There is also a key for the house. If you go anywhere, make sure to lock up. I should be back around six.”
“Okay.” Coast reacted. “Thanks.”
She couldn’t believe she’d called her mom. The last thing she needed was that woman in her business, trying to give her advice when her own life was a mess. Shaking her head, Coast decided to take another shower after brushing her teeth and flossing. She didn’t have to work until later tonight, so she was going to relax until then if possible.
“This ain’t no free ride, Coast. If you plan on sticking around, you have to pull your weight. Clean up after yourself at least. I need volunteers sometimes at the Haven too.”
“I have two, sometimes three jobs, Bee. I just need to breathe before I figure out my next move. This isn’t a permanent situation.”
“Nothing ever is with you,” was all she heard as her auntie shuffled away.
Coast had to start her shift atComfort Kitchenat 5:00, so she figured she might as well get her shit together so she could push through the four hours she signed up for. Later, she planned to pick up someSpeedy Eatsorders since she wouldn’t be working at the lounge tonight. Deciding on a mineral blue high waisted midi dance skirt, she paired it with a simple white baby tee and completed the look with a pair of matching slides. She grabbed her sneakers to take with her for her shift and slung her hobo bag over her shoulder. With her phone also in hand, she shuffled down the hall to the front door as keys rattled outside it.
Out of breath, arms full of groceries, Bee burst inside with her gold Chanel shades propped on top of her head as she kicked the door shut with her foot.
“Well, it’s nice to see you moving around.” She huffed.
“Don’t want to be late for work.” Coast plastered a fake smile over her lips.
“Before you go, take this with you.” Bee dug around the brown paper bag in her arms and pulled out a slim rectangular box.
The words Clear Blue were in bold print on the side, and Coast’s stomach tanked.
“I work around a lot of young people. Do you know how many girls have come into that home pregnant?” She held the test out for Coast to take.
“I’m not pregnant,” she denied.
“Then you won’t mind taking it.” Bee shrugged. “You plan on making it back for dinner? I’m making chicken parm and pasta.” She moved on casually as if she hadn’t dropped a bomb on Coast, who snatched the test from her.
“I don’t know,” she mumbled, taking the box in her hand and examining it.
She was kind of relieved that she hadn’t been the one to buy it, but she didn’t like Bee in her business. Lowering her bag onto an accent table with a fresh vase of white roses, Coast sighed and leaned against it. She was only twenty-seven years old. Most of her life she’d spent not planting roots and figuring out a way to survive while she lived out her own adventures. She’d been backpacking through Europe and slept on different campgrounds and in various hostels. With all her worldly travels, she seemed to always be looking for something but never finding it. She didn’t know what she expected in Ree Heights, but a baby damn sure wasn’t it.
Facing the inevitable, she ducked into the bathroom off to the side of Bee’s living room and quietly closed the door behind her. After following the instructions to the letter, she set the test on the back of the toilet and perched herself on the edge of the clawfoot tub. Her legs were in no condition to hold her up while she waited the allotted time for the test results. Staring at the wall, the seconds seemed to stretch too long.
“I can’t be pregnant,” she muttered.
