"You're certain that you're pregnant?" Joanna questions.
"Isn't that what the cards said?"
"It doesn't matter what the cards said."
"I took a test."
"Maybe it was wrong," Joanna suggests.
"You're just as scared of what this might mean as I am, aren't you?"
"I am concerned. Ingrid this has never happened before. I don't know what this means."
"I don't want to talk about this anymore. I need to take a shower."
Joanna smirks, "So you can put some clean pajama's on?"
"It's almost five o'clock."
"I'll be downstairs."
"Okay."
"We are not finished talking about this."
"Okay," Ingrid agrees.
Ingrid gathers clean clothes, and heads for the bathroom. Joanna leaves Ingrid's room, and heads down the stairs. While Ingrid is in the shower Joanna sits in the kitchen sipping a cup of tea. Wendy, and Freya finally return. They enter the kitchen, and eye each other as they approach the table.
"What is in the bag?" Joanna questions, pointing to the paper bag that Wendy is carrying.
"Nothing."
"I talked to Ingrid. I know."
"What do you know?" Wendy cocks an eyebrow.
"That we are going to be having a new magical being in this house sometime in the near future."
"She told you?" Freya responds in disbelief.
"Yes," Joanna locks eyes with her, "So why don't you tell me what's in the bag."
Wendy places the bag in front of her. Joanna unrolls the top of the bag, and peers inside. She studies the contents, and the turns to her sister.
"I just thought maybe the first test was wrong."
"So you bought half a dozen more?"
"Yes," Wendy confirms.
"She tried to clear the shelf," Freya reveals.
"So now half of East End is going to think that I'm pregnant," Wendy adds.
Ingrid opens the bathroom door, and finds her aunt, mother, and sister in the hallway waiting on her. They lean against the wall. Wendy stands in the middle holding a paper bag. Ingrid arches her eyebrow.
"Can I help you?"
"We thought maybe the first test was wrong," Freya explains.
"I doubt it. They are pretty accurate," Ingrid argues.
"It couldn't hurt to take another one, could it?" Joanna questions.
"Or six," Wendy comments.
"They are supposed to be taken in the morning..."
Wendy cuts her off, "Humor us. Just take one more, now."
Ingrid rolls her eyes, as Wendy reaches into the bag. She holds out the box.
"Please," Wendy begs.
Ingrid takes the box from her hand, and returns to the bathroom. She pees on the stick, and then lays it on top of the box which rests on the counter. She exits the bathroom, and three eager faces stare back at her.
"What did it say?" Freya questions.
"It takes a few minutes," Ingrid explains.
"We can wait," Wendy insists.
They stand in the hallway in complete silence for the next few minutes. Freya pulls her phone out of her pocket. She looks at her sister.
"It's been three minutes," she reveals.
"I don't want to look," Ingrid insists.
"I'll do it," Joanna volunteers, taking a step forward. There are no arguments as she enters the bathroom. She takes a deep breath, and stops at the bathroom counter. She exhales, and looks down at the test in front of her. She shakes her head in disbelief. She takes a moment to regain her composure, and then she leaves the room.
"What did it say?" Freya wonders.
Joanna locks eyes with Ingrid, "I'm sorry. The results haven't changed."
Wendy shakes her head in disbelief, "So we're saying that she's actually pregnant?"
Joanna nods, "Yes."
Several days have passed, and Ingrid has refused to discuss it since that night. She ignores the sideways glances from her family. It is a hot topic for discussion when she's not around. Freya comes down the stairs into the kitchen. She takes a seat at the table, and finds that Wendy, and Joanna are already awake.
"Ingrid's not coming down for breakfast?" Wendy questions.
"I just assumed that she already ate," Freya admits.
Joanna cocks an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"She's not here. She must have left for work early," Freya reveals.
Joanna looks at her watch, "The library doesn't open until nine. It's barely seven thirty."
Freya shrugs, "I don't know."
Joanna looks over at Wendy. Freya watches the silent conversation they carry on with their eyes.
"Should we be worried?"
"Of course not," Joanna insists.
"Really, Joanna? Ingrid is pregnant with a ghostly baby. It shouldn't even be a possibility."
Freya smirks. Joanna looks at her questioningly, "What?"
"If it's a boy she can name it Casper," she jokes.
She sits in an exam room in a doctor's office. After a series of questions the doctor begins. Ingrid takes a deep breath, and tries to calm herself. She tries to remind herself that the whole situation is impossible. She tells herself that all of this is some sort of cruel joke, or maybe just a mistake. She stares at the screen, nervously hoping that nothing appears. She looks away briefly, and then the doctor breaks the silence.
"Ingrid?"
She briefly looks up at the doctor, who points at the screen. She turns and looks at the screen. She sees the image on the screen, and her heart skips a beat.
"There's your baby," the doctor reveals.
She watches in silence as the doctor does a series of measurements.
"It looks like you're about six weeks along."
Ingrid doesn't say anything in response. The doctor turns the volume up on the monitor. Ingrid listens carefully. The doctor points to the screen.
"That is the baby's heart. What you're hearing is the heartbeat."