Chapter 28.

When Callie got home, Brandon wasn't there. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking of the pregnancy test she'd bought. Passing through the kitchen, she set the paper pharmacy bag on the counter, then took the garment bag containing her wedding gown to the bedroom to store it until the big day.

On the way to her, room, she stopped, staring into the sliver of sunlight filtering through the half-opened door of the spare room. Boxes of she and Brandon's belongings were stacked inside, waiting to be unpacked. She couldn't help once again envisioning the small room as a baby nursery. Absentmindedly, she placed her hand on her stomach, wondering if there was already a baby growing inside her; a child neither she or Brandon were really ready for, but whom she knew they would love if it came into the world anyway.

Hurrying into the bedroom, she opened the closet, and carefully hung her gown inside, out of sight. She wasn't a terribly superstitious person, but she didn't want Brandon to see it before the wedding, regardless. She was tightly closing the closet door, when she heard the front door, and Brandon calling her name.

"Coming!" she called back. And in a moment of panic, she remembered the pregnancy test she'd left on the counter. Hurrying out of the room, she rushed into the kitchen, and snatched it off the counter.

Brandon gave her a perplexed look, biting into a banana. "What's that, Cal?"

"Nothing," she told him, a little too quickly. Her plan was to take the test in private, so as not to worry him without cause- or to get his hopes up and then disappoint him- if the test came out negative.

"It looks like something," he observed, chewing carefully. "Seriously, Callie. What is it?"

She sighed, knowing he wouldn't give up, and opened the bag, holding out the slim box. "If you must know, it's a pregnancy test."

Brandon's jaw tensed, his expression unreadable. "Oh."

"That's all you have to say?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Oh?"

"I just... I'm surprised. I thought you were on the pill."

"I am," she assured him. "But I guess I've been a little bit careless lately, with all the family stuff, and moving, and I just want to make sure to be safe."

He nodded, concerned. "Have you missed your period?"

She shrugged. "The pill makes me kind of irregular. I don't always get it every month." She gave him a sheepish look. "Are you mad at me?"

"Nah," he replied, shaking his head. Moving closer, she took her into his arms, hugging her close. "But no more secrets, okay?"

"Okay," she agreed, breathing in the spicy scent of his cologne.

"Well," he breathed. "I guess we should find out. You want me there with you?"

"Please?" she sighed, looking up at him pleadingly.

He planted a kiss on her forehead. "Come on."

They went to the bathroom together. Once they were inside, Callie opened the box, looking over the instructions as Brandon stood behind her, rubbing her shoulders.

When she was sure of how to do the test, she gripped the stick in her hand, glancing back at the toilet. "I don't know if I can pee in front of you," she told him, blushing.

"I'll be right outside the door," he nodded. But before he left the room, he gave her another quick hug, the stubble on his face tickling her cheek. "We'll deal with whatever the test says together. And I'll love you no matter what it says. You know that right?"

She smiled. "Yes."

He brushed her hair back, and pecked her cheek. "Good luck." Then he stepped outside the door.

Once she was alone, Callie took the test, her hands shaking. When she was finished, she set it on the counter and called Brandon back into the room to await the results with her. He stood beside her supportively, his arm around her.

"I've always liked the name Taylor," she told him, leaning against him. "It works for a boy or a girl."

He squeezed her shoulders affectionately. "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves."

Finally, after an excruciatingly slow minute passed, the test results popped up. The leaned down, studying the stick.

"It's negative," said Callie quietly. "I'm not pregnant." She should have been jumping for joy, and she was relieved, but deep down, she felt a pang of sadness. She turned to face Brandon, still holding the stick. "I know it's crazy, but... I'm a little disappointed."

Brandon nodded, pulling her closer. "It's not crazy," he sighed. "I kind of feel the same way." He sat down on the edge of the bathtub, holding his arms up. "Come here."

Callie went to stand between his legs, and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I wouldn't have minded having a baby," she confided, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "Heck, I think about it every time I walk past the spare room. And I know you would be a great dad..."

"And you would be a great mom," he replied, gently rubbing her back. He pressed his lips to her cheek, giving her a wet kiss. "I can't wait to have a baby with you someday, when we're ready. It just wasn't meant to be right now."

"When do you think we'll be ready?" she asked, encircling his neck a little tighter.

"A couple years?" he guessed. "When we're done with school. We'll want to enjoy our baby, and we'll be able to then. Besides," he teased, "I want you all to myself for now."

She lifted her face from his shoulder and smiled. "You really are perfect, aren't you?"

Laughing, he kissed her cheek. "Not by a long shot."

"I guess it is for the best that I'm not pregnant," she sighed. "I found the perfect wedding dress today, and I don't want to outgrow it before I get to wear it."

"You found a dress?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Can I see it?"

"No," she told him, shaking her head. "You have to wait until the wedding. No peeking."

He brushed his thumb across her cheek, his eyes shining with good humor. "Don't worry. I won't. I'll just have to be in suspense." He playfully smacked her butt. "Come on. Let's go start dinner."

To Be Continued... In the next chapter, we'll see a throwback to a favorite Brallie moment from the show. Which one do you think it is? Tell me your guess!