Around ten, Larry came to the house, to talk to Alan, who had been doing crosswords
"I was...wondering if I could pick at your expertise..." the physicist said with a twitch.
"Of course, Larry!" Alan said gently, as he sat back down, and gestured for the physicist to do the same.
"Well, Laurell found my colonge sickening this morning..." Larry began tenatively. "And I couldn't help but think...you know..."
"Well..." Alan wanted to be gentle. A part of him felt that Laurell could be expecting. Margaret had a similar reaction to cologne when she was pregnant with each of the boys. "Do you usually use that cologne?"
"I use it often enough." Larry said after some thought.
"All I can tell you is to that the best thing to do would be to take a home pregnancy test"
"I don' t know if I can bear it..." Larry said.
"You should be glad that you've got that option!"Alan told him. "Back in the day,my wifeand I had to wait a week before the doctor could tell us."
Instead of answering him, Larry just sat down in petrified thought. He worried about whether he could make a good father, especially at his age. He would be Alan's age when the child was a teenager!
The retiree understood how Larry felt. He had gone through the same thing when Margaret told him that she was pregnant with Don.
"Perhaps a strong drink is in order?" Horatio suggested. He had been doing errands, and other things in the house.
"It is VERY much in order" Larry said tenatively, and with much anxiety.
"If you'll excuse me sir,I shall prepare it" Horatio went to get the drink.
TBC