Penny climbed the stairs, clutching a Walgreens bag in her hands. Tugging at her tank top strap, she walked slowly, and bit her lip and trying to push the doubt and fear aside. The hallway was deserted. She was both pleased and a little disappointed. If Leonard had seen her, he'd likely ask where she'd been. She would lie at first and try to hide her purchase. He would tease her a little, make a little small talk, and finally figure out what was in the bag. Then she would know- his expression, the way he looked at her, his body language. Leonard's reaction would tell her what she needed to know. Her heart fluttered.
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Penny" she thought.
She walked into her apartment, leaving the door unlocked and plopped down on the couch. She sank back, pulled the pregnancy test of the bag, and opened the box. Her blonde hair was up in a ponytail and it tickled the back of her neck as she carefully unfolded the directions. She read them twice, crumpled the paper into a ball, and heaved it towards the trash can. The paper ball hit the side of the can and bounced around on the kitchen floor.
She stood up, bravely headed into the bathroom, and pulled the wrapper off the white stick. After taking a breath, she peed on the stick, carefully replaced the cap, and sat it on the side of the sink.
She washed her hands then decided to splash a little water on her face. She looked at herself in the mirror, straightened her pony tail, and adjusted her tank top. A fly buzzed around the light fixture, marring the quiet of the bathroom. The clock ticked softly from the wall.
A hiccup escaped her lips, then another and another. In spite of herself, she smiled a little. Without fail, she always got the hiccups when she was nervous.
"Relax, Penny," she told herself. "This will be just like the other times; there's nothing to panic about. Just breathe. It's only a false alarm. You're only two weeks late. Things are fine. You're just stressed. Stress can do funny things to your body, you know."
She glanced at the clock. Two more minutes. Two more minutes before things would be back to normal, she would walk across the hall and enjoy Thai food night with the guys. Two little minutes till she could relax. Penny took a deep breath and sat down on the edge of the tub. It'll be okay, she told herself. Stop worrying about nothing.
The test lay on the side of the sink. She willed herself to look away, not wanting to peek before the time was up. Nervously, she grabbed her washcloth and began picking at the edge where it was frayed a little. The small turquoise fibers littered the floor as she pulled them off, unaware of her actions. She glanced at the clock. Time was up.
Penny jumped up off the side of the tub, closed her eyes, and grabbed the stick, taking a deep breath. She slowly opened her eyes, looked down. Two lines. She was pregnant.
She closed her eyes again because the world started spinning. She tried taking a step, but felt her legs buckle under her. Penny's head hit the sink as she dropped to the floor, unconscious. Her right hand still grasped the pregnancy test, two faint blue lines visible.