Disclaimer: Sam and Jo are not mine, Sarah, however, is.
Chapter 36:
Jo settled herself in the car, seeing Sam turn to face her out of the corner of her eye.
"What is it Jo?" When Sam got no reply she asked again, "What's wrong, tell me, please." Her voice sounding desperate, nervous, scared.
"When Stuart…when he raped me, he didn't use any protection. I'm late, it's only two days late, but I've never been late before, never."
"Have you taken a test?"
"I can't bring myself to."
"You have to Jo. So that if you are, you can decide what you want to do."
'What does that mean? You want me to have an abortion? Is that what you're saying? You want me to kill my baby? A baby that could be ours, if we wanted it to be."
"You want children?" Sam avoided the other questions thrown at her, unable to answer them truthfully.
"I might not have a choice."
"You'll always have a choice."
"So you do want me to have an abortion?"
"It's got to be your choice."
"That's not an answer Sam."
"I can't tell you what you want to hear. I want to be able to; I want to want the baby, if there is one. But I can't, I'll be Stuart's baby, your rapist's baby."
"No Sam, it could be our baby. I don't think I could bring myself to kill a baby."
"Take a test Jo, we might not even have this dilemma to worry about."
"That's what you want, for me to not be pregnant."
"What and you want to be pregnant?"
"I dunno, maybe. I don't what it to be Stuart's baby, but, I dunno, maybe."
"Why didn't you tell me Jo?"
"Because we are just starting out. You're meant to have been with someone for ages before you think about kids."
"You're meant to be with someone for ages before you think about marriage but that didn't stop us."
"I suppose."
"Take a test. There's a chemist around the corner. Then we can talk about this if you are pregnant."
"And where am I gonna take the test Sam?"
"The toilets in the pub."
"Oh, I, dunno."
"How can you wait? How can you have already have waited two days? We need to know Jo, this is important, it's now and it's real, you can't blank it out."
"I know."
"Do you want me to go and buy the test for you?"
"I'll come with you."
"Okay."
Sam looked at the selection. She picked up one and read the instruction. "This sounds so complicated." She muttered to herself. She replaced the test and picked up another. She flipped it over and read the instructions out loud. "'Clear, easy and simple. The new technologically advanced screen will now either say 'Pregnant' or 'Not pregnant' making it simple to see straight away.' Well, that sounds easier." Sam commented.
Jo laughed at the blonde; herself finding the first one Sam picked up simple enough to understand.
"What? We need to be sure that we're reading it correctly. Is this one okay?" She asked, holding up the one that she had found simple.
"Yeah, it's fine."
Sam walked up to the till, exchanging a warm greeting with the woman behind the counter. "Hey Sarah. How are you? I haven't seen you in years."
"Hey Sam, I'm fine thanks, you?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. You married or anything?"
"Yeah, six years ago. Harry Stiller, remember him?"
"Yeah, of course I do. I always thought you two were suited. Any kids?"
"Yeah, two, Kayla, who's four. And Mattie, who's one and a half. I see you might be expecting," She signalled towards the pregnancy test the blonde was holding, "You married?"
"Oh, this isn't for me actually. I'm engaged."
"Test for your friend is it?" Sarah asked, signalling towards Jo who was now looking at the make-up section.
"Yeah. She's not a friend exactly. Jo." Sam called over to the woman engrossed in the make-up isle.
Jo walked over to Sam, "Yeah?"
"Jo, this is Sarah, she used to be my best friend in school. Sarah, this is Jo, my fiancée."
"Oh right. How long have you been together then?" Sarah asked, sounding genuinely interested.
"Um," Sam thought back, counting the days, "Two weeks today."
"What, is that how long you've been engaged?"
"No. We've been engaged, er, nine days."
"That's so soon."
"I suppose. I know I want to be with her though."
"How long have you known each other then?"
"Oh, um, a couple of years I think. We work together."
"Oh right, and it's taken you all this time to get together?"
"Yeah, well, I wasn't exactly, I wasn't, I was straight."
"Oh I see. I was kind of shocked when you introduced us, sorry Jo, I feel like you're being left out of the conversation a bit."
"Oh that's alright, you two catch up, don't mind me, I might go and have another look at your make-up."
"Oh, sure, yeah." When Jo had gone to the other side of the shop Sarah continued. "Well, as I was saying, you've been through virtually the entire male population here, it was a shock for you to introduce me to a woman."
"She makes me happy."
"Are you sure?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you don't seem too close."