The next several days were among the most difficult Mary could remember. Her friends were beyond supportive, trying to help her focus on the positives in the situation. But, as the days wore on, she began to worry more and more about how she would break the news to Joe. She never pictured herself having this conversation with an ex-boyfriend. She'd always thought she'd have a husband and a child, in that order. Apparently, fate had another plan in mind.

She began driving past his apartment building on her way home from work. It was the only way she could think of to find out when he returned from his business trip. When she noticed his car in the parking lot, she parked next to him. If she allowed herself to think about what she was doing for even a moment, she would chicken out. So, she walked to the door and rang the bell. Immediately, she flashed on the last time she'd done this. That night had ended in tears and heartbreak. It was still hard to believe that one moment could've changed everything so fast. Now, things had changed in an even more unbelievable way.

When Joe opened the door, it was hard to say who was more surprised. "Mary! What are you doing here? Are you all right?"

"Well, it's interesting you should ask that question," she answered, smiling nervously. "May I come in?"

"Uh, sure, but this isn't really a great time….I'm meeting someone." He checked his watch.

Mary couldn't deny that his response hurt. She stepped inside, pretending not to know that the "someone" was most likely a woman. But that wasn't the most important thing right now. "Remember the last night we were together? I mean, before...you know?"

"You mean, before you caught me seeing another woman?" Joe asked.

"Right," Mary said. "That was a pretty special night."

"Yes, it was. Where are you going with this? I hate to rush you, but I do have to meet someone in just a few minutes."

"OK, then, I'll just cut to the chase. I wasn't feeling too well last week, so I took a home-pregnancy test, just so I could rule that out….."

Suddenly, all the color seemed to drain from Joe's face. "Oh, Mary."

Mary nodded. "Yes. I know this isn't really an ideal situation, but it's the situation we're in. I know we aren't together anymore, but I don't think I want to do this alone." She had always thought of herself as an independent woman, but she knew that had to change.

"Right. Of course. I wouldn't abandon my responsibilities. I know I'm not perfect, but I wouldn't do that."

"I didn't think you would," Mary said, feeling immensely relieved.

"But, on the other hand, how accurate are these home tests?" Joe asked. "I mean, maybe we're getting ourselves worried here for no reason."

"Joe, are you saying...you hope I'm not pregnant?" Mary could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"I know it sounds terrible, but, to be honest, yes. Since you left, I've found that my life is pretty good. I don't really have commitments. I'm upfront with the women I date now. I know that doesn't work for everyone, but I'm enjoying it."

"I see," Mary said, although this was something she'd never anticipated. She'd known Joe would be shocked, but she thought he would at least be hoping for a child. Even just a little bit. It was all too clear that wasn't the case.

"Look, you'll go to the doctor, just to make sure. I'll even go with you if you like."

"No, that's all right. I'll go by myself." Even though Joe was standing in front of her, and there might be another human being inside her, she'd never felt so alone in all her life.

The next day at work proved even harder than the last week had been. After Murray tried several times to get Mary's attention, she realized she wasn't going to get much done here. When she asked Lou if she could leave early, he readily agreed. When she got home, she placed a call to her doctor. Luckily, the office wasn't busy, and she was told she could come in as soon as possible.

Mary wasted no time in getting to the doctor's office. After checking her blood pressure and heart rate, the doctor asked why Mary had come to see him.

"Well, I took a home pregnancy test, and it came back positive. But I'd really like to know for sure."

The doctor smiled. "Of course. A simple urine test can tell us if you're about to become a mother. We can have the results in a couple of hours."

"OK," Mary said. She suddenly felt very nervous, realizing that the results of this test could change her life completely. She was given a specimen cup and quickly provided a sample. She handed it to a nurse. "Well, what do I do now?"

"Just go home and relax for a few hours, and we'll call you when we have the results." The woman smiled, obviously trying to put Mary at ease. But nothing could calm her anxiety.

Mary returned to her apartment, not sure what to do to pass the time. She considered going back to the newsroom, as it wasn't very late yet. But that would lead to questions she didn't want to answer. She tried reading a book, but couldn't concentrate. She thought of calling Rhoda again, but she knew her friend was probably working. She wanted to clean, since that usually comforted her when she was upset. But, of course, there wasn't much to clean.

After what seemed an eternity of pacing, the phone finally rang. She answered on the first ring. "Hello?!"

"Miss Richards, I'm calling with the results of the pregnancy test you took earlier."

"Yes?" Her heart seemed to be pounding out of her chest.

"Well, the test was negative. You aren't pregnant." The nurse seemed unsure of what reaction to expect.

"I'm not?! But the test I did at home was positive. How can that be?"

"Home tests aren't always accurate. These things happen, I'm afraid."

"OK, well, thank you for calling." Mary hung up the phone, feeling numb. She had been so sure there was a baby inside her. In the back of her mind, she'd even begun thinking of names.

As the initial shock wore off, Mary thought of what Joe had said. He clearly wasn't ready for fatherhood. Maybe it was better this way. She hated the idea of him feeling obligated to her for the sake of a child. She took a deep breath, feeling her usual optimism returning. This was a hard blow, but it wasn't over for her. Someday, she might still get to have a baby. And it would hopefully be a better situation than this would have been.

She decided she would visit Joe one more time tonight, to tell him the news. It would give them a chance to say goodbye for good. At least she'd gotten some closure with the way things had ended. It wouldn't be easy to tell her friends about this. Georgette wouldn't get to plan a baby shower after all. But she would promise her friend one thing: when the time came for her to have a shower, there would be no one else she'd rather have in charge of it. Baby or no baby, Mary knew that the one thing she could always count on in her life was her friends. As long as she had them, she knew she'd make it after all.

The End