“What’s going on?” Ellie asked as she walked up behind Ari. “Alex is passed out in her swing, and you’re fixin’ to wake her up, Ari. ”
“Oh, sorry, Ells! I’m just excited because Heather’s pregnant!”
“What?” Ellie and I both yelled out at the same time.
“Oh my god, Ari! I am not pregnant,” I said as I turned to Sue. “Sue, this is just insane. I’m not pregnant. ”
“Humor me then,” Sue said as she put the pregnancy test in my hand.
“Fine!” I looked at all three of them standing there, staring at me. “Um, do think I could piss on the stick in private?”
Ari threw her head back and laughed. When she started jumping up and down, Ellie joined in.
“Yep! She is sooo pregnant. She keeps swearing!” Ari said as she hugged Ellie, who was laughing.
Smiling, Sue backed out of the bathroom and shut the door.
I just stood there and looked at the stick in my hand. I thought back to the last night Josh and I had been together. I closed my eyes as I remembered the sweet
passionate love he’d made to me outside in the rain. It was one of the most romantic moments of my life.
He doesn’t even remember that night. He doesn’t remember our love. He doesn’t remember whispering in my ear how much he wanted to be with me forever.
I jumped when I heard knocking on the door.
“Piss on the damn thing already, you bitch!”
I smiled. God, I love Ari. Only she could make me smile when I was dying a slow death on the inside.
I did what they had said, and then I took a piece of toilet paper and put it on the counter. I set the test down without looking at it, and I washed my hands and opened the door.
“Well?” all three of them asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t looked at it. ”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Look at it,” Ari said with her hands on her hips.
“I can’t,” I said, a tear rolling down my face. “If I am…then…I’m in this all alone. ”
“What are you talking about, Heather? Josh will be a wonderful father!” Ellie said.
I shook my head as the tears started falling faster. “He doesn’t even remember being in love with me. He doesn’t even remember the night this child was possibly conceived. Why would he…why would he want…”
Sue walked up and took me in her arms as I lost it.
“Do you want me to look at it, sweets?” Ari asked.
“Yes. ”
Ari walked by me and into the bathroom. I buried my face into Sue’s chest.
I can’t breathe.
Breathe, baby girl.
I looked up at Sue. “What did you just say?”
Sue looked at me, confused. “I didn’t say anything, sweetheart. ”