So sorry for leaving you guys hanging. This pandemic has me struggling so I'm not sure if I have the energy to finish the story but I'll try my best.


Chapter 4

Approximately four and a half hours had passed since Eric left. Aside from updating her lover once an hour, Calleigh had only used the toilet and brushed her teeth. The test laid wrapped in a now crinkled brown bag on the floor beside her.

Meanwhile, at the lab, Natalia found Eric hanging his lab coat on the rack. He seemed to have gotten a short break from the case they were working on. She knew all too well that he might sneak off to Calleigh's house. So she called her cell phone quickly.

"Yea, Calleigh. How's it going? Uhm, someone's ready to carry lunch for you," she informed.

"Oh no," she panicked on the other end.

"So?"

"I haven't yet, Nat," Calleigh said through tears, "I don't want him, could you…?"

"Okay, okay. I got you covered."

Natalia hurried along the hallway over to him. He eyed her suspiciously as they stood in front of the elevator.

"Where you goin'?" She asked.

"I'm going for lunch, you know that."

"Same, except Calleigh asked me to get her lunch," she added smugly.

His expression fell into one of confusion with a very distinct hint of anger.

"Natalia," he said her name sternly in a Spanish accent, "one of us has to stay here in the lab…"

"And that someone's gonna be you because she asked me and not you. Sorry." She strolled into the empty elevator as the doors slid open.

"You know what's going on and you won't tell me!" He struggled to keep his voice down. Others in the lab stared in his direction shortly before carrying on with their work.


Lunch was the furthest thing from Calleigh's mind. She sat on the carpet at the foot of the bed. Natalia's take-out box was basically empty and hers was almost full.

"You need your strength, Calleigh," she urged.

"I know, I know," she replied, leaning back onto the chest of drawers.

Visible beads of sweat coated her skin despite the air conditioning being at a cool 64 degrees.

"Okay," Natalia took Calleigh's meal from her hands and replaced it with the test, "the sooner you know, the better…"

"I don't even know if he wants a kid…" she cried.

"Calleigh," Natalia knelt down before her and held her shoulders, "we have to find out the truth first. Come on."

She stood up and held her friend's hand. Natalia gave her a nudge towards the bathroom. She finally gave in and timidly closed the door behind her. Images of her life flashed across her eyes like a time lapse in a movie. She took the test.

"You okay, Cal?" Natalia questioned nervously from the door frame on which she leaned.

"Yeah," she replied in a flat tone.

The rush of water from the faucet filled the silence just before she exited. The two returned to their positions on the carpet. And they waited. Those were the longest nine minutes Calleigh had ever waited in her life. Her stomach felt like it had risen into her chest.

When the time was up she grabbed the test and stared. Natalia witnessed her whole body go rigid. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

"Calleigh," she prompted, "what does it say?"

Silence still befell them until she grabbed her hand. There were two bright blue lines. A positive.

"Calleigh, you're pregnant," she said out loud. Before she dissolved in tears Natalia drew her into a hug. "It's okay, it's going to be fine."


Eventually Natalia returned to work leaving her alone once more. The phone rang about four times and all the calls were from Eric. How was she going to tell him? Calleigh laid on the floor in the same spot watching a fifth call come in on her phone until it was missed. Eric was going to be pissed. She replied to him via text so that she didn't have a surprise visit from him.

'I was sleeping,' she lied.

'Ok. What do you want for dinner?'

'Anything'

'You okay?'

'Yes, Eric.'

She then tossed the phone aside, ignoring the rest of his messages. Time seemed to be frozen. She was unsure if this was good news or bad news. A fetus… a future baby… her own child! What was she going to do? Endless thoughts engulfed her mind all at once.


"Calleigh?"

She jumped up at the sound of her name and the room began spinning. Somehow she had made it into the bed. Suddenly she realized the dim lighting outside her windows and that Eric was home.

"Hey, I've been calling you," he stepped into the room.

His frustration disappeared off his face when he saw her. Blonde, disheveled strands of hair adorned her puffy and frightened face. She wore the same clothes that he left her in that morning. This was unlike her. He picked up her cell phone off the floor and placed it beside her.

"What's going on?" His tone lowered to one of concern, "Natalia won't tell me anything and you don't look well. Calleigh, I'm worried." Eric all but begged.

For the millionth time that day she couldn't fight the tears and her cheeks stung because of it. He knelt so that they were at eye level. His beautiful brown eyes stared lovingly into her soul.

"Eric," she began, her voice thick with emotion and her face wincing.

"What?"

"I'm pregnant."

"What?" He repeated in shock.

Calleigh retrieved the test and gave it to him. He gazed at the stick for a couple seconds until she started sobbing. Eric dropped the test on the side table and took her into his arms.

"It's okay," he hushed even though he couldn't process the information himself.

"I'm sorry," she wept into his neck.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?"

"It's all my fault…"

"It's as much my fault as it is yours," he said calmly.

"I thought you'd be upset."

"No," he responded, "I'm just, in shock."

She faced him instantly, "You're not mad?"

"No, but - you seem upset."

"Only because I thought you'd be."

"Is this what you want?" He asked hesitantly. Eric's eyes were full of sorrow as he worried about her response.

Calleigh seemed just as worried, "Is it what you want?"

"Calleigh, you know I want kids…"

"But," she replied through sniffles, "I don't know if you'd want them with me."

He pulled away from her and said, "there's no other person I'd rather have children with."

The brightest smile lit up her face before she wrapped her arms around his neck. The feeling of relief washed over her and her heart rate slowed.

"It's just a surprise," he continued, "the timing is just - sudden. It's hard to wrap my brain around it."

Calleigh's gaze fell to her lap, "this wasn't how it was supposed to happen."

"Life's not perfect, Calleigh," he reassured, "How did you plan it?"

"I," she hesitated and looked up at him, "I thought I'd be married first… because I want a stable life for my child, our child. It's so weird saying that… not weird because it's your child just…"

"I know, I know, relax," he laughed at her blunder. "Yeah, it is weird to say it out loud. And just because we're not married doesn't mean the baby won't have a stable life. I'm not going anywhere. Let's just take this one step at a time. Okay?"

"Yeah," Calleigh smiled and snuggled into his chest.

They sat on the edge of the bed for a couple minutes before her stomach rumbled.

"Oh, I forgot, I have dinner downstairs," he said.

"Just like that?" She wondered.

"Just like that, I guess," he responded in a daze.

"It hasn't sunken in yet, right?"

Eric let out a big sigh, "No."

Seeing her smirking gave him joy and reassurance so he stood up and placed her on her feet. Before she knew it they were locked in a lingering kiss.


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