As Maria walked up and down the aisle of the local drug store she couldn't decide what she needed. Anti-nausea or flu medicine. Finally getting sick of looking at the same things she started looking at the other side of the aisle, which was feminine hygiene and included pregnancy tests. Staring at all the different tests she began to wonder.
After looked at them for about ten minutes she chose a box then grabbed two more off the shelf quickly. As she walked by the anti-nausea products again and snagged a bottle with pink liquid in it then headed to pay for her purchases.
Okay, just put them on the counter and get your money out. There's nothing to be ashamed of, a lot of people buy them. Hey, sometimes guys buy them. No need to be embarrassed. It's probably not even anything to be worried about you just are making sure. You're ruling it out. Liz's probably taking one before. So why haven't I, I mean I did have sex before Liz and Max did. This is totally nothing to be ashamed of.
It was Maria's turn at the check out making her a little bit more embarrassed.
"You're pregnant." The cashier said with a smile on her face.
"What?" Maria said whipping her head to look at the cashier with wide eyes.
"You have all the classic signs. Morning sickness hence this," She picked up the pink bottle. "But, you not quite sure yet so you have these." She then pointed to the tests.
"I'm not pregnant. They're for a friend. She was too sick to come to the store." Maria tried to convince her.
"Okay, but, honey, by admitting they're really for you would explain the massive bags." The cashier pointed to her own face.
Maria hadn't even thought about what she looked like when she left the house. She just knew she was in a break between throwing up.
"Okay, fine you win, can you please just ring me up now? I'd like to leave." Maria told her to stop her from making a scene in front of the other costumers.
"That will be 33 even."
Maria thrusted the money at her and left the store quickly.
"Congratulations!" The cashier called after her.
Maria sat on the edge of the tub biting her nails while she stared at the six white sticks sitting on the edge of the sink. She looked at the mini digital clock she brought in with her. Two more minutes.
The slamming of the front door pulled her eyes from sink.
"Maria?" Michael called.
"I'm in the bathroom I'll be out in a minute!" She Shouted back to stop him from entering…she hoped. She knew she'd be upset if she was pregnant but Michael would probably blow up the house.
"You okay?" He called from out the door.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She called back.
"How are you feeling?"
"Still sick." She said a little more quietly.
"Maybe I should take you to the hospital. It might not be the stomach flu."
"Yeah." She said under her breath. She glanced at the clock once more. Times up. All the sudden Maria couldn't feel her legs and they wouldn't move. Using her hands she pushed her self up from the tub and walked to the counter with her eyes closed. Holding her breath she slowly opened them.
They were all blue. Positive.
Maria wanted to break down and cry right there. But she didn't she held it in because she knew she couldn't tell Michael right now. She threw all the tests in the garage then took the bag out and tied it up. Taking a deep breath she opened the door to see Michael leaning against the wall.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just gonna take the trash out real quick." She tried to move past him but he blocked her. Oh, my god he knows! No, he doesn't you idiot it's Michael, he's too dense to know. Just play it cool. Play it sick.
"Let me do. You should be in bed anyways." He took the bag away from her hand. She knew she needed another cover-up.
"Okay, but there's a few more that need to go out in the kitchen."
"I'll get em. You just go lay down and I'll be back in a minute." He kissed her on the cheek then left the room.
What was she going to do? She couldn't tell Michael right now, but would there ever be a time when she could. She couldn't picture Michael as a dad at this point in his life or herself as a mom. She just wasn't ready. She thought she would be out of Roswell before she started a family. She didn't want to end up like her mother, to have Michael walk out on her and the baby, leaving her to be a single parent. She just wasn't gonna have it.