At first she waited. Waited for around the end of the month to roll around, the time when her period usually arrived. And nothing.
Don't panic. Whatever you don't panic.
After work a few days later, she stopped by the drug store. She was extremely uncomfortable. How does one go about buying things like this? She had the similar experience buying her first pack of pads. Usually the clerk won't give you a second glance, but you feel as if everyone is looking at you. You feel weird, exposed, somehow.
She would just do it quickly, grab the first one she saw, and quickly go in line. Maybe she'd buy something else along with it , just to make it seem less obvious. No, she was being silly now. She had to just get it over with.
Finally she made it to the counter with the pregnancy test, and 3 other items, that she didn't really look at. The woman at the counter sported an enormous bee-hive, and wore tons of cheap make-up.
She checked out the first three items. Then she came to the Pregnancy Test. "What have we been up to?" She said, grinning suggestively, then winking.
Total mortifcation.
She knew her face was red as she quickly collected the items and ran out the store. She didn't stop running until she was all the way home. In the elevator she took was breathing heavily, partly because of running so hard, partly out of sheer nervousness. She clutched the paper bag with the test inside close to her.
Calm down, it's okay.
She walked down the hall of countless apartments and automatically, almost robotically, put the key in hole, turned it, pushed the door open, and entered the apartment. She went into the bathroom.
The test only took about 10 minutes.
10 minutes that seemed like hours.
10 minutes was all that was needed.
And she could hardly believe it when the positive sign appeared on the screen of the little white device. She sat in the bathroom on the floor, just staring at that little plus sign.
Now it's time to panic.
She placed her hands her stomach. A baby was growing inside of her, at this moment.
Many people might have cried.
But for some strange reason she laughed. She laughed until it hurt. She didn't even know why. Tears where streaming down her face, and she didn't know why!
For some inexplicable reason, she was just happy.
Minutes passed. And she was still on the bathroom floor when she heard the door open, and knew Yuki was home from work.
"Machi?" she heard his voice in the hall.
She threw the used test in the waste bin, got up slowly, straightened herself up, took a deep reassuring breath, and opened the door.
She would have to tell him eventually. Subtly.