“I'm so glad you came back today. I really needed the help,” Tracey tells me.
I'm having a hard time concentrating on what she is saying. I don't feel right. In fact, I feel kind of faint as I grip the countertop for support.
Tracey turns around as she finishes wiping a table and notices me. “Cece? Are you feeling all right?” she asks with concern. She has always been very caring and motherly. I need that right now.
I have to admit what I'm going through. “No, I think I might be pregnant,” I say, covering my stomach with my free hand. “I’m feeling faint.”
“Oh, my goodness! Well, come with me,” she says, grabbing her purse.
I lean on her for support as we walk to the drug store across the street. My boss leads us down the aisles until we find the pregnancy tests. She buys one for me, and we go back across the road to the coffee shop. Once we are inside, she flips the sign to closed.
“Go ahead. No one is here,” she says.
I take the test and go into the bathroom. I kind of already know, but I need to be sure. I take the test. Afterward, I sit nervously on the floor, waiting for the results. My stomach turns. I don't know if it is from morning sickness or anxiety. This is probably the most stressful time in my life. I keep glancing at the time on my phone, but the minutes seem to take forever to change.
Time is up. I take a deep breath as I stand up, feeling the knot in my stomach growing. I look at the test because I know I can't put it off any longer. The results are positive, just like I expected. I sit back down. I feel like I'm going to faint.
What the hell am I supposed to do now? I can't tell Ben that I'm carrying his baby, nor can I go back to him. I try and take some deep breaths to calm my nerves since I feel so lost and confused right now.
Throwing the packaging from the test away, I get up and pace. What I really need to do is get home. I'm so damn tired from work. Now I'm emotionally drained from everything that has happened. I just want to rest and tune everything out for a while. I'm going to have a lot of thinking to do about this baby, and I wanted to be well-rested when I do that.
Chapter 15 - Ben
I wanted today to be a good day. I was hoping it would be when I was on my way home from work, but that was a foolish thought. As long as Isabel is around, nothing good can happen. Cece was the only good thing in my life, aside from Katie, and now that is ruined. All thanks to Isabel.
I honestly don't know if things can get any worse than they are right now. I'm stuck in this house with Isabel, and I can't get rid of her. Apparently, she was dumped by her tennis coach and is now back to stay. This is all I need.
I pick up my phone and look at it again. No calls, no texts. It remains silent. Cece hasn't answered or returned any of my calls. I dropped by her place when I was out earlier. She didn't answer her door either, so I don't know how else to get ahold of her. It's like she doesn't want to be found, although, after recent events, I can't really blame her. Still, I would like the chance to try and explain to make things right between us.
I need to get ahold of her. I need to talk and explain everything to her, but I haven't had a moment's peace with Isabel here. Katie was thrilled to see her mommy when she woke up from her nap the other day, but now she has been crying on and off, saying that she misses Cece. I don't know what to do, and I feel like I'm going to go insane. I tried going into my office, but Isabel followed me in there. The woman won't leave me alone. I forgot how frustrating that is. She's bitchy, and she's clingy. I don't even remember why I married her.
Now I'm outside in the backyard, pacing back and forth. I try calling Cece again, but still no answer. I hang up and clench the phone tightly in frustration. I think Isabel is somewhere inside. Katie was trying to show her something, but she wasn't paying attention. That's what led to Katie crying about missing Cece.
I can't believe things are happening this way. Everything was so perfect a few days ago. I wish I could go back to that time. I was finally starting to feel better about everything, all thanks to Cece. Now, all that has gone to hell because Isabel showed up.