Chapter 1: Test
She had been thinking of it all day, she was pretty sure that she was pregnant because all the signs were there. She just wasn't ready or didn't feel it at least. Her husband said that right up until Alexis was born he didn't feel ready but then when she was born it was as if he was. He had a daughter that depended on him and her mother to survive. If he could do it at twenty five then she surely could at thirty six.
She had also been thinking of how to tell him, he had been at home all day and she wasn't about to find out one of the most life changing events in a public bathroom even if it was at her place of work. She hoped that a magical speech would come to her if or when the time came.
On the way home she had stopped at the pharmacy to get the tests throwing some other things into the basket so that it wasn't so glaringly obvious but it had been the most uncomfortable purchase ever. The only one that might even compare was buying condoms for the first time. Fortunately teenagers now had self-checkouts so would be able to avoid that but damn pregnancy tests came in a security box so she couldn't use that option.
She noticed that the elderly woman not so subtly glanced at her left hand to see if she was married clearly glad to see that she was. It was amazing how times had changed, fifty years ago people like the cashier would look down on an unmarried mother now nearly half of children were born out of wedlock. Kate believed in that to but not so much like her Aunt Theresa who would say "no good ever came from a child born out of wedlock." She knew people who had had children out of wedlock and their children were absolutely adorable.
Finally she managed to leave the store and make her way home, glad that there was unusually little traffic on the road. She prayed that her husband was enthralled in his writing that she could slip in and find out for sure.
She managed to walk through the door and was not greeted so made her swift way to their en-suite not wanting to risk going upstairs to find either her mother-in-law or step-daughter there. She did, however, see her husband typing away at his computer with earphones in.
Quietly she deposited the shopping bag on the counter in the bathroom and dug immediately for the tests. She opened the box read the instructions and got straight to it. All the time thinking how she was going to tell her husband.
She dug her phone out of her pocket to set the timer then placed it alongside the three tests that rested on the counter. For a moment she stood there biting her lip. Maybe she didn't have to tell him.
She walked through to the office, removed the earphones and took his hands so to pull him along with her. Fortunately, Rick remained silent even though he was confused. He knew that she would speak when she was ready.
She continued to pull him until they were both sat on the side of the bath facing the counter. He had caught sight of her phone and three sticks which were on the counter but he still didn't say anything nor did she. They still held hands because she had refused to let go still incredibly nervous as to what the results would yield.
There was no tick tock from her phone as there would be a clock but mentally there was. Her heart rate increased and, gosh, this was the longest three minutes of her life. She could feel him looking at her but still neither of them spoke.
She hadn't noticed that her head had lowered and her vision now at the floor so when the alarm sounded her head shot up. Frozen she didn't move until Rick, who had stood when he realised she hadn't, pulled her up. They looked at one another briefly before taking that final step where they would be able to see the test results.
Both gasped when they saw the three sticks that gave the same answer, she was pregnant.
Kate was surprised at how happy she was, earlier she was scared but no was relieved. Rick was too having seen the smile on her face.
A few months ago having had a conversation that resulted in they would stop using protection but not change the frequency of their love making. If they did then it would take the magic out of it. They both wanted children and Kate knew that her biological clock was ticking especially because neither of them wanted their child to be a single child. Even though there was Alexis, she was old enough to be their parent rather than sister. They wanted two of a similar age. However, Kate told him flat out that if her pregnancy was anything like her mother's, a complicated one, then there would be no more. In response he hoped for twins to which she pushed him back down on the bed, rolled her eyes and walked off to get herself some water.
Rick pulled her in for a hug which turned out to be more forceful than he hoped because she turned right into him with enough might to send him stumbling.
Kate chuckled, "I'm pregnant."