It had been at least a few minutes since Cate left to go on her walk.

The girls stood by the bedroom door waiting for Rory. A few minutes later, he came

walking over. There was CJ with him. CJ produced a bag and handed it to Kerry. " Here.

I found this rummaging through the garbage bins. It may help you in your search."

Bridget reached in with a rubber glove, and pulled out a home pregnancy test. "Eeew!"

she said with a disgusted look on her face. Kerry took the box from her, and looked in the

box. There was the kit, and the stick said Positive on it. She shrieked. " MOM IS

PREGNANT?" CJ put his hand to Kerry's mouth. "Shh… We don't want her to know

we know, right?" Kerry composed herself, and then said, " Right." Bridget quickly

handed the bag back to CJ, and he went to dispose of it. Then they went into her room.

Each one of them went and searched, and found nothing else that may be suspicious.

Then they heard walking up the stairs. Cate was coming upstairs. They all ran out of the

room as quickly as possible. Kerry and Bridget ran and closed their bedroom door behind

them. Out of breath, they were processing thoughts that encircled in their heads. Their

mother may be pregnant. They couldn't believe it.

The girls kept up this charade as long as they could. They were still shocked over what it

may unfold to be, and more often, things got suspicious. Ed came over to see Cate a lot

more, and they seemed to be talking secretly. Rory tried to find out what they were

saying, but Cate shooed him away. Ed sometimes even stayed the night. Rory found him

sleeping next to Cate one night, while he was looking for matches. As he told Kerry,

Bridget, and CJ, Jim walked by. He looked at them sternly, his glasses on his nose, and

said," Stop talking about your mother like that. You know better not to swear to secrecy.

Tell your mother what your noticing, and maybe she'll come clean. I know she's hiding

something, something real big." CJ looked at his cousins. They all agreed.

To be continued…