"Ugg," Kayla grunted, leaning back on the couch. "I can't believe we ate all of that."

Kim laughed. "Don't look at me. You were gobbling it down like it was your last meal."

"Thanks a lot," Kayla said sarcastically. "I'm not normally a big ice cream eater, but it sure tasted good tonight. Besides, your niece helped too."

Kayla glanced at Stephanie who was back on the floor playing. She had toddled over when Kayla had brought out the ice cream. Apparently, even at her age, ice cream was a known quantity.

Kim smiled and then smirked. "Yeah, she did. I guess she takes after her mother, huh?"

"At least when it comes to ice cream," Kayla said. "But she definitely has Steve's sense of adventure."

Without warning, Kayla felt a now all-too-familiar wave of nausea crash over her. She sat up, took deep breaths, and tried to control it.

"Are you okay?" Kim looked concerned.

Kayla nodded, but did not speak. She did not trust her body enough to make even a small movement just yet. After a few seconds, the wave passed and Kayla relaxed again.

"Okay, Kay. . . . What's going on?"

Kayla looked at her sister curiously. "What do you mean?"

Kim looked back, clearly exasperated. "I mean you were dizzy not that long ago, and now you looked about as green as Kermit the Frog. You're not coming down with that flu that's going around, are you?"

Kayla did not answer for a moment. At this point, she was pretty confident it was not the flu, no matter what she had tried to tell herself this morning. No strain of flu she had ever encountered had caused her to be starving one minute and queasy the next. Plus, she had no other symptoms that would suggest the flu.

"Kay?" Kim was waiting for an answer.

Finally, Kayla shook her head. "No, I'm sure I don't have the flu."

Kim's eyes narrowed at Kayla's words. Kayla could all but see the wheels turning in her sister's head. Knowing Kim would finally get there, Kayla waited patiently.

After a few moments, Kayla's patience was rewarded as Kim's eyes flew open wide. "Kay!" she said, excitedly. "Are you . . . pregnant?"

Kayla could not help but smile at Kim's reaction. "I don't know for sure, but I definitely have all the signs. I've been nauseated the last few mornings, more tired than usual, and I was craving that ice cream tonight."

"Those are the classic symptoms," Kim agreed. Then she raised a brow. "What about the most important one?"

Kayla sighed. That was the reason she had been unable to keep pretending it was just a case of the flu. "I'm definitely late," she admitted. "It's just been so crazy lately. . . . I didn't even realize it until the other signs kicked in."

"But you haven't taken a test to be sure?"

Kayla shook her head. "It was only this morning that I really put it all together. I did pick up a test at the hospital today. I just haven't talked myself into taking it yet."

Kim looked at Kayla curiously. "Why would you have to talk yourself into it? Would being pregnant be a bad thing?"

"No," Kayla said quickly. "Having another child would be wonderful." She took a deep breath and leaned back on the couch again. "It's just that Steve and I haven't even talked about it. It's kind of been one crisis after another since he got back. I'm just not sure the timing is all that great."

Kim chuckled slightly. "Well, if you are pregnant, the timing is just going to have to be fine." She put her arm around Kayla's shoulders. "Besides, you know Steve will be thrilled."

"I know," Kayla agreed. "He was so scared about being a father before Stephanie was born. And then he kept talking about how we were going to fill the house up with kids." She chuckled. "I guess he decided fatherhood wasn't so bad after all."

"He's always been wonderful with kids," Kim said. "And I think a little boy would be just perfect for him."

Kayla rolled her eyes. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I don't even know for sure that I'm pregnant."

"Well then, maybe it's time you found out." Kim grinned. "Go take that test." Then she paused. "Unless you want to wait for Steve."

Kayla pondered the question for a moment. Maybe she should wait for Steve and then take the test. On the other hand, she didn't know what time he would be home and she didn't want to wait another day. Besides, if she confirmed her pregnancy, then she could give him the news. One of her great regrets was that she had not been the one to tell him about her pregnancy with Stephanie.

Finally, she shook her head. "No, I don't want to wait. I need to know if I'm pregnant and, if I wait for Steve, who knows when I might finally get to take that test."

Kim smiled and clapped her hands. "Then go take it. I want to know if I'm going to be an aunt - I mean, again."

Kayla stood and walked to her purse, pulling the test out. She read the directions and then turned to Kim. "I guess we'll know in about ten minutes or so." Then, taking a deep breath, she began walking toward the bathroom.

A few minutes later she returned to the living room and smiled at Kim, who was now down on the floor playing with Stephanie. Joining them, Kayla said, "Now all we have to do is wait."

"I'm not even sure what we're waiting for," Kim teased. "We both know what that test is going to show."

Kayla just rolled her eyes and focused her attention on her daughter. The minutes crawled by and Kim smirked every time she caught Kayla looking at the clock. Finally, just when Kayla thought she could not take it anymore, the ten minutes finally expired. She jumped up and headed straight for the bathroom at nearly a jog. Even Kim's chuckles from the living room didn't slow her down.

When she reached the bedroom, she slowed. It hit her how much her life could change when she looked at the test. Unbidden, she remembered the first time she had waited for a pregnancy test. She had been married to Jack at the time, and had mistaken the symptoms of Harper's poisoning for a possible pregnancy. Even as hopeless as things had seemed to be for her and Steve at that time and even with all the problems that a pregnancy have been caused, Kayla had been very disappointed when the test was negative.

Shaking those thoughts from her mind, Kayla walked into the bathroom and slowly approached the test. She suddenly realized how much she wanted the test to be positive. It no longer mattered that she and Steve had not discussed it, or that the timing may not be perfect. All that mattered was the possibility that she and Steve had created another life from their love.

With shaky hands, she reached for the test. She picked it up and stared at it for several long moments. Then she smiled and felt a tear spring to her eye. It was positive. Feeling nearly faint with relief, she sat down on the toilet seat. She could not tear her eyes from the test. Then she heard her sister's voice from the doorway.

"Congratulations, baby sister," Kim said. She was holding Stephanie and turned to the little girl. "You're going to be a big sister in a few months. Isn't that exciting?"

Stephanie just stared at her aunt. The her face broke into a big grin and she began giggling. Kayla and Kim joined in the laughter. As the laughter died down and the three of them made their way back to the living room, one thought dominated Kayla's mind.

I can't wait to tell Steve.