Amy paced back and forth in the bathroom, unable to keep still as she waited for the timer on her phone to go off. Her heart was racing, and she wrung her hands nervously.
In just a few minutes, she would know if her suspicions were correct. If the little white stick sitting on the counter would confirm that their lives were about to change forever.
Amy had noticed the signs over the past few weeks - the fatigue, the nausea, the cramping. She'd written them off at first, thinking it was just stress or maybe a bug going around. But the possibility nagged at the back of her mind until she finally bought a pregnancy test.
Now, here she was, moments away from a result that could alter the course of their future. She and Shadow had talked about having kids someday, but they hadn't planned on it happening so soon. They had only been married for a year. Of course, they hadn't exactly been careful either…
The timer on her phone beeped, and Amy froze. This was it. The moment of truth.
She picked up the pregnancy test with trembling hands and looked down at the result window. Two pink lines stared back at her.
Positive.
Amy's eyes welled up with tears as she stared at the lines, confirming her suspicions. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with a mixture of fear and joy. She took a deep breath in an attempt to compose herself, realizing she needed to tell Shadow the news.
With the pregnancy test in hand, Amy headed to the living room to wait for Shadow to get home from work. She set the positive test down on the coffee table, then got up and paced some more to try and calm her nerves.
When Shadow finally walked in the front door, Amy practically pounced into his arms.
"Shadow, I have something to tell you," she said, pulling him over to sit on the couch.
Shadow looked at her with concern. "What is it? Are you alright?"
Amy smiled and picked up the pregnancy test, holding it up for him to see. "We're going to have a baby."
Shadow's eyes went wide, darting between Amy and the pregnancy test. "You... you're…" he stammered, seemingly at a loss for words.
Amy nodded. "I'm pregnant, Shadow."
Shadow stared wordlessly for a few more seconds; his mouth opened and closed several times as he struggled to find the right words. His usual composed demeanor was shattered. Then, he pulled Amy into a tight embrace.
"A baby," he said in wonderment. "Our baby."
They embraced for a long moment, both overwhelmed but excited.
Once they pulled back from the hug, Shadow placed a hand gently on her stomach.
"Can you believe it?" Amy whispered, placing her hand on top of Shadow's. "Our little miracle."
Shadow nodded, looking thoughtful. "We'll have to start preparing the spare room for the nursery. And baby-proofing the house." A hint of underlying nervousness entered his voice.
Amy gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "We've got time to prepare. We'll take it one step at a time."
Shadow took a deep breath and pulled her close again. They cuddled together on the couch until Amy drifted asleep in Shadow's arms. It had been an emotionally charged evening with the pregnancy news, and he knew she must be exhausted.
Carefully, Shadow scooped Amy up and carried her to their bedroom. He tucked her under the covers and kissed her forehead softly before returning to the living room.
His gaze fell on the positive pregnancy test, still sitting on the coffee table. He picked it up, staring at the two little pink lines, evidence of the new life growing inside his wife.
A baby. He was going to be a father.
Shadow sank onto the couch, turning the pregnancy test over in his hands. Now that the initial shock and joy had faded, the reality of the situation was hitting him like a ton of bricks. Fatherhood was always something abstract, a "someday" event. But someday was now. While he knew Amy would be a wonderful mother, doubts plagued him about his own abilities.
Could someone like him, with his grim origins and violent past, really be a good father?
He was created to be the Ultimate Life Form, designed for power, not parental instincts. What did he have to pass on, except hybrid genes and a painful history?
This baby deserved so much better than him...
No. Shadow shook his head, banishing the thought. With Amy by his side, her gentle guidance and unconditional love, he could overcome his uncertainty and inexperience. She always brought out the best in him, saw the light within him that he struggled to see in himself, and made him feel like he could achieve anything. If Amy had faith in him, he owed it to her and their baby to have faith in himself, too.
There were still many months until the baby's arrival. He had time to prepare, to learn as much as he could about infants and parenting.
Shadow carefully set the pregnancy test back on the table. He would talk to her tomorrow, share his concerns so they could face them together, and they would start planning for their future together as a family. A family Shadow never dreamed he could have but now intended to cherish with his whole heart.
