Chapter 4
Monica paced the tiny length of the bathroom in the apartment she, Andrew and Gloria had rented for the time being. It was right down the street from the Tuckers' and it was nice to have somewhere to stay throughout all this. Monica had attended the doctor's office a few days ago and had embryos implanted. She had also been instructed to wait a few days before taking a pregnancy test. Today was the four-day mark and she should have taken one yesterday, but it was too nerve-wracking and she had put it off. Now she stood in the bathroom after forcing herself to finally take one.
Checking the clock on the wall for what must have been the billionth time in five minutes, she suddenly caught her breath, realizing that time was up and she could check the results. But she couldn't. Yes she had to! No, she couldn't. What if it was negative? What she tell the Tuckers? What would she tell her friends…what would she tell herself?
Taking one last, deep breath, she composed herself and approached the bathroom counter, where the pregnancy test was resting. It took her a good thirty seconds before she could open her eyes and look at it, but when she did, she felt her heart stop dead in her chest and she had to cover her mouth with one hand just to keep from screaming.
"Gloria! Andrew!" She shouted as loudly as her lungs would allow throughout the apartment. Gloria and Andrew had been sitting in the living room reading magazines, completely unaware of what was taking place with their friend. But when they heard her scream for them, they exchanged unbelievably brief glances and leapt up from their seats before bolting to the bathroom.
Approaching the door, Andrew recalled the urgency in his friend's voice and didn't bother with knocking. He swung open the door and entered with Gloria. Upon entering, the sight before them made their hearts leap into their throats. Monica stood before them with tears streaming over her angelic features and a pregnancy test in her hands.
They stared back at her with expectant glances and she let out a quick sob before turning the test over so they could also see the result. POSITIVE.
In obvious disbelief, both Andrew and Gloria were both overcome with tears as well and they both wrapped Monica in a proud, excited embrace. "You're really going to do this?" Gloria confirmed as she wiped a single tear away from under her glasses. Monica stared back at her charge through blurred vision as well and nodded. "Yeah," she breathed in disbelief of what she was saying, "I'm going to have a baby." But even as the words escaped her mouth, they brought an entirely new set of tears to her hazel eyes. Andrew rushed forward again and embraced her, kissing the top of her head lovingly. It was just all so hard to take in. Monica was pregnant. Monica was going to have a baby!
"I'm so proud of you." He whispered in her ear but then he did something that almost made Monica laugh out loud. He slid his embrace down from her shoulders until he was on his knees on the bathroom floor with his arms wrapped around her waist and his cheek was resting against her still-flat stomach. "Hi baby."