I smile. “You’re the only person I will allow to call my brother stupid. How is my stupid brother doing?”
“How would I know? I walked away when he waved.”
“You’re so dramatic when it comes to how much you dislike him. He’s not that bad.”
“Whatever. He’s got a stick up his ass. Thinks he’s God’s gift to the world.”
I shrug my shoulders. I’m not sure I can argue with that. Walker does not lack confidence in himself. But deep down, he is a good guy. He has his own issues he suppresses. It wasn’t easy, being raised by our parents.
“All right”—Jessie stands after I’ve finished my bar and water— “let’s at least open this box and read the instructions.”
She pulls the instructions out and takes a seat on the coffee table in front of me. “Okay. So, you place the applicator under a steady stream of urine for five seconds. Then place the cap back on, put it on a flat surface, and wait three minutes. That’s easy. You think you can pee for five seconds?”
I take a shaky breath. “I think so.”
She hands me one of the tests. “You got this.”
We walk into my bedroom, and she takes a seat on my bed. I walk into the bathroom and close the door. I follow the instructions and put the cap back on when I’m done, then place it on the countertop.
I open the door and lean against the bed. “Okay. Tell me when it’s been three minutes.”
She holds her phone in her hand. “Already started the timer,” she says.
We both watch the seconds go by, no words to be spoken in a moment like this. It feels like the longest three minutes of my life and the shortest at the same time.
The alarm sounds. “Okay,” she says softly, “go check.”
I nod my head, then stand on shaky legs. I brace myself as I walk to the bathroom. No matter what the result is, my heart is on the line. Because truth be told, when I think of having a baby with Roman, a rush of happiness runs through me. If only it were that easy.
“What am I looking for again?” I shout as I stand at the counter, refusing to look just yet.
“Two lines equals pregnant. One line, not pregnant. And it says even if the second line is extremely faint, it’s still positive.”
At first glance, I see one solid line. I pick up the stick to confirm, and then I see it. Another very faint line, but definitely another line.
“Holy shit,” I whisper to myself.
I drop the stick, which clatters in the sink as I fall to the ground.
“Eva!” Jessie shouts, then appears at the door. “Oh my God. Honey.” She is on the floor next to me in an instant, taking me in her arms.
A sob tears through me as my world gets flipped on its axis. I clutch on to Jessie’s shirt as the fear surrounds me, making each breath harder to take.
“It’s okay.” She squeezes me. “I promise. We’re going to figure this out.”
“He’s … going … to … hate me,” I utter through the pain.
“Nooo, nooo. Of course he won’t hate you.”
Even I can hear the uncertainty in her words. I let the tears free themselves, using my body to expend all the energy it has left until I’m limp and broken in her arms.
“Let’s go lie in bed. You need to rest,” Jessie instructs.
She stands first and pulls me up, then holds on to me until I’m tucked in bed. She disappears from my room, only to return with another bottle of water.
“You need to stay hydrated.”
I take the bottle from her and down half of it in one gulp. She lies on top of the covers, facing me. We don’t speak for a while, the reality of it all settling in.