It Takes A Man

Oh, I could not reassure her

I couldn't say what I had planned

Couldn't put three words together

So I just took her hand

~ Chris Young

Patricia stared at the calendar again. Then flipped back to the previous month. No little marks she used to mark that time there. Maybe she just forgot to put them down. She didn't miss two months. There was no way. She stared at the blank space where last months dots should've been. They had gone to Manchester for the week for Alfie and Ella's wedding. She would've remembered being on a vacation and having it.

There was no way she could be though. No way. They were safe. Sure there was nothing scandalous about it. They had been married for three years. It's just kids were not part of the plan. Well maybe not. They never talked about having kids. It wasn't that she didn't want kids, it was just she was sure that Eddie didn't. She wasn't positive that she was yet. She hadn't taken a test and right now she didn't plan on it.

Patricia decided instead of continuing to worry about it. She would try to distract herself. She pulled her laptop from the laptop bag next to her and moved from her office chair to the living room. She plopped herself on the couch and settled her feet on the coffee table. She opted to log into chum chatter for her distraction. Of course Joy had posted several new pictures of Jacqueline, aka Jackie, her and Jerome's seven month old.

Patricia did not want to think of babies. Of course she couldn't avoid that forever, she and Eddie were supposed to go over to the Clarke's for dinner. She had a general idea of how the dinner would go. They would catch up and talk. Then Jerome and Eddie would go outside and talk well Jerome grilled. Then she and Joy would sit in the living room, Joy cooing over Jackie, before eventually asking Patricia when she and Eddie planned on having kids. Then Patricia would try to change the subject, and maybe tonight Patricia wouldn't be able to.

As it turned out her laptop was not a good distraction. She found herself googling pregnancy symptoms almost immediately. Then she found herself mentally checking them off as she read. Patricia could have put an end to her worry and just gone to the pharmacy down the corner and bought a pregnancy test. She should've but she didn't. She had driven herself insane, and was soon slamming the lid on her laptop closed.

"Okay what did I do now," she heard someone ask.

"Huh?"

"I just thought I had done something. I mean the second I stepped into the living room you slammed your laptop shut," Eddie murmured.

"No it's not you. What time is it?"

"Six thirty."

"I'm gonna go get changed. I'm assuming you'll want to do the same. We need to leave in half an hour," she commented, setting her laptop on the coffee table.

Patricia scrambled upstairs and into the bedroom she shared with her husband. She made her way to the closet and pulled a baggy red shirt off a hanger. The shirt would fall off her shoulders and it was comfortable, so it was perfect for dinner with two of her friends. She found a pair of black skinny jeans laying on the floor. She was set to go.

She hurried into their bathroom to dress and fix her hair and makeup. She pulled the shirt she was wearing off over her head and threw it in the direction of their clothes hamper. She shimmied out of the sweat pants she had been wearing and tossed them in the same direction. She tugged her skinny jeans up her legs and over her hips, she let out a growl when she couldn't button them. They weren't that tight, but she couldn't get the button closed. She took a deep breathe in another attempt, she got them buttoned that time.

"Okay Patricia, either you're getting fat or you're pregnant," she grumbled quietly. She had never had problems with those jeans until today. She would've rather continued her possibly being pregnant denial. She knew she'd have to take a test eventually. She'd have to face her fears eventually. What if she was? What would she tell Eddie? What if he didn't want kids?

"Yacker you almost done in there," she snapped out of her focus, hearing Eddie knocking on the door.

"Five minutes."

She pulled the red shirt over her head then looked in the mirror. She decided to go makeup less. She didn't feel like attempting her make up right now. She knew she'd end up holding Jackie, and she knew from past experience that Jackie was quite the fan of tugging at her hair. This factor lead Patricia to pulling her curls into a messy ponytail.

She looked at herself once more in the mirror. She shook her head upon the reflection she saw in the mirror. She was several months pregnant in the mirror, and she looked scared. Maybe that's because she was. She was terrified of the idea that she could possibly be on her way to being a mother.

"Hurry up Yacker, we need to get out of the door," he scoffed.

"Fine fine fine," she growled snapping out of her trance. She scrambled out of the bathroom. She just wanted to clear her head for a few minutes.

"What's up with you anyways? You're acting weird," he grumbled as she stepped into their bedroom.

"Nothing."

"You can tell me anything you know that Yacker," he sighed.

"I thought you said we had to go. We can't leave if you're talking," she snapped. She wasn't ready to talk about what was going through her mind just yet. He didn't respond instead just headed out their bedroom door. It was then that she noticed then he ditched his button up shirt and dress pants for a t-shirt and jeans. She dragged herself behind him and down the stairs. She couldn't help but wonder if I fight was on the horizon. She had been nothing but mean to him tonight. Even into their late twenties they'd continue to tease and prank each other, but even she had to admit she was being a bit unreasonable tonight. Patricia knew she should tell him what was bugging her, but she'd put it off. She'd push it to the back of her mind. Tomorrow she'd figure it out.

**O**
They had been at the Clarkes for nearly an hour and she had not done a good job of distracting herself. Now that the husbands were outside the girls would be left to chat. Joy was holding Jackie. Patricia had been trying to avoid holding her. It appeared Joy had noticed.

"What's with you tonight?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing my butt. I have my idea as to what you're hiding, because I remember those signs, but."

"Then what do you think I'm hiding," Patricia snapped quickly. Of course Joy would know. Joy had been there a little more than a year ago.

"You think you're pregnant, and if I know you, you're in a state of denial and refuse to take a test," Joy huffed. Patricia let out a sigh. Joy hit the nail right on the head. Patricia was silent. She didn't want to admit to Joy she was right. She didn't want to admit out loud her thoughts. She was scared.

"I'm right aren't I? Here's what you're going to do Patty. You're going to walk to the pharmacy down at the corner. You're going to buy a test. You are going to come back here and take it. If it's negative you can move on and stop worrying. Well if it's positive I suppose you'll have to tell Eddie."

"But-"

"No buts Patricia I can cover if they come in and wonder where you are, but you should be safe for about fifteen minutes, and it should take you ten. Just go," Joy practically shouted.

Patricia didn't know what snapped in her, but soon she was grabbing her purse and heading out the front door. She felt like she was walking slower than normal. It was only about three minutes away, but she had to pick and buy a test. She had no clue what to look for. What was a good test? Why didn't she ask Joy before she left? It was too late to ask more questions she was there. It was almost moment of truth time.

She found the section easily, it was tucked at the back of the pretty empty store. She stared at the choices. No idea which one to purchase. Her eyes settled on one that didn't have weird signals, instead simply would say the words pregnant or not pregnant. She dragged herself to the counter to pay.

It was the walk back to the house that time seemed to speed up, what felt like an hour walk to the store seemed like only a few seconds that she walked back through the front door. The pharmacy bag in hand. She dropped her purse where it was previously and headed straight to the bathroom. She gave Joy a wave so she knew Patricia had returned. She glanced back once more to see her settling Jackie into her play pen. She figured that meant Joy would be waiting for her outside the bathroom then.

Time slowed again as she waited for the results. Five minutes more like five hours. Patricia's phone finally rang on the counter. Time was up, time to see the results. She looked at the test. Pregnant. She was pregnant. Then she started to cry. What if Eddie didn't want kids? His dad had run out on him, maybe he would run out on her and their baby. She pulled the garbage can from under the sink and buried the test at the bottom. She washed her hands and tried to clean up her face, so it looked like she hadn't been crying. She was thankful she hadn't worn makeup.

As the redness in her face went away, she decided it was time to face Joy. She figured Joy was waiting just on the other side of the door.

"What did it say Patty?"

"Positive," Patricia responded weakly.

"You should be happy."

"What if Eddie doesn't want kids? What if he leaves me? His dad left him, he could leave me."

"First Eddie is not Sweetie. Second I'm ninety perfect sure Jerome would consider killing Eddie if he dare left you. Third even if he did you would still have Jerome and I and everyone else from Anubis. Fourth have you and Eddie even talked about kids? Actually I guess its too late for that now. Patty you're going to be a mom and a great one. You're amazing with Jackie. I don't know if this will help at all, but Eddie is equally as great with Jackie. He was the one to refer to himself as her uncle. Jerome and I did not start that. I think he's wanted kids Patricia."

Patricia didn't know what to say, and thankfully didn't have to say anything. Jerome and Eddie were back in the house with the food. Patricia would have plenty of time to figure out where to go next. Figure out how to tell him. Joy's words echoed through her mind the rest of the evening.

**O**

"Can we talk," Patricia questioned out of the blue. The ride home had gone much better than the one to the Clarkes. She wasn't trying to distract herself from the subject anymore. She had just simply been trying to figure out how to tell him.

"We were talking Yacker," Eddie stated.

"No I mean like can you pull over."

"Why? We're almost home."

"Can you please just pull over?"

"What is it that you want to talk about that can't be said well I drive? What is it that can't wait?"

"Please," she pleaded quietly.

"Fine," he huffed pulling their car over to the side of the road.

"Thank you."

"So what is it? Oh my god. Are you going to tell me you want a divorce? What did I do Patricia? I thought things were going great. Now you're going to tell me you want a divorce. That's why you've been acting so weird. Joy knows too doesn't she. She was acting weird. I-"

"Will you just shut up for a second slimeball. I don't want a divorce. I'm having your baby for god's sake," the words came spewing out. She hadn't planned on saying them like that. Now that she had said it she didn't need to say anything else.

"Wait. You're pregnant," he asked. She didn't say anything just nodded her head. The car fell silent. She wanted him to say something again. Maybe he needed to take it in. They hadn't talked about kids before. His dad hadn't been around when he was a kid. Maybe he was scared and that's why he was silent. She felt his fingers intertwining with hers between the seats. She gave his hand a squeeze, and then he lifted their hands up. He kissed hers before dropping their joined hands back between them. Then they sat in silence, and oddly everything felt okay.

So I feel the need to dedicate this chapter to SeddieLover945 because they're fab. No seriously go read their fics. I love them so much, and just I really do think they're awesome, and yeah :D

I HIT 200 REVIEWS ON THIS. I'M SCREAMING! I also hit 200 on Nothing Personal the other day. I'm just wow. Anyways the sequel to Nothing Personal is five days away.

Anyways I hope you enjoyed this.