“I’m late.”
“Did we set a definite time?” I ask, confused.
“No, Mac, I’m late. As in my period is late.”
“Oh. Oh! How long?”
“A few days.”
“That’s not so bad.”
“I stopped taking my birth control the day before the wedding. We decided we’ve wasted so much time that we’re ready to move forward. That included marriage and babies.”
“Really?” I ask, feeling hot tears well in my eyes. “I’m so happy for you, Lara.” I lean into her, and she meets me in the middle for a tight hug.
“Anyway,” she says, wiping at her eyes. “I wanted to take a test, but I didn’t want to do it by myself. And Colby is so excited I didn’t want him to be disappointed if it’s negative.”
“Isn’t it too early to tell? I mean, don’t you need some time before the home test can pick it up?”
“Yes, but there are some home kits that detect early. I bought one of every kind.” She points to the bag.
“I can see that.” I laugh, looking at the bag.
“How long will Rip be working?”
“He said he’d be home around noon.”
“That gives us about an hour and a half, give or take, before he comes home.”
“You sure you don’t want Colby with you when you take them?”
She nods. “I’m sure. Mac, I wish you could have seen his face when we talked about starting a family. He lit up like a Christmas tree. I don’t want to disappoint him. If I’m not, we’ll continue to try, and he won’t be disappointed. Besides, I really doubt that I am. I mean, it’s been a month and a handful of days since I stopped my birth control pills. From what I’ve read, it could take some time.”
“Okay, well, let’s head up. We can use the spare bedroom, just in case Rip happens to come home early.”
“Good idea.” Laramie stands and grasps the bag. “Can you grab a couple of bottles of water? I drank two on the way here, but I might need more.” She holds up the bag as proof.
“Sure, I’ll be right up.”
In the kitchen, I grab four bottles of water just in case. She’s got several tests in the bag. Stepping into the bedroom, I see the tests spilled out on the bed, with one of the boxes open. “Laramie, I’ve got water.”
“I’m good for now. I’m starting with one, and we’ll go from there,” she tells me through the bathroom door.
Placing the water bottles on the nightstand, I take a seat on the bed and pick up one of the tests, reading the box. My mind wanders to my last period, and I freeze. I can’t remember. Wait, I do. It was the week before I took the bar exam. I remember being relieved that I wouldn’t have to deal with Aunt Flo while testing. That was— “Oh, no.”
“What?” Laramie asks, appearing beside me. I stare up at her, but I can’t seem to form words. “McKenna, talk to me,” she says, reaching for my hands.
All I can do is shake my head, over and over again. This can’t be right. This can’t be happening. I’m just starting my career, and then this thing with Rip is new. He’s going to think I trapped him. Just like my father. It’s too soon. I refuse to let him feel like he has no choice but to be with me because he got me pregnant. Oh. My. God. I might be pregnant.
“McKenna!” Laramie says forcefully. “Talk to me.”
“Lara—” I start and swallow hard. “I’m late.”
“What?”
I hold up a pregnancy test. “I… was thinking about you and how happy I was for you, and then I realized I couldn’t remember my last period. I had to think, and it was the week before the bar exam.”
“Okay. Well, that was stressful, as well as your gramps having a heart attack. You’re worried about your results, and you’re in a new-ish relationship. That’s a lot going on. I’m sure your cycle is just thrown off.”
“I can’t be pregnant.”
“Would it be that bad?” she asks. “I mean, you’d make me an aunt.” She smiles.
“It’s too soon. It’s my parents all over again,” I tell her, and her smile drops from her face. “I’m so stupid. Here I am trying to make something of myself, and instead, I let history repeat itself.”
“First of all, I don’t want you to refer to yourself as anything like your parents. You and I both know that you’re nothing like either of them. Second of all, my brother isn’t trapped. He’s in love with you.”
“We’ve been dating for like a minute, Laramie. This is what happened with my parents too. Dad felt trapped. He felt like his only option was to marry my mother. Only they never made it to the altar. He disappeared, and she slipped into a state of depression and got hooked on drugs after I was born. I caused that. It was me and my existence. I can’t do that to him. I can’t.”
“Let’s start with one of these.” She holds up a pregnancy test. “Before you start jumping to conclusions, let’s see what we’re working with. And as far as your existence, he’d be lost without you, McKenna. I know your parents messed you up, but believe this when I tell you that Rip loves you. If the test is positive, he’s going to love your baby too. Do you need to call Maggie?”
Laramie is the only person other than my grandparents who knows that I’ve seen a counselor since I was seven. It’s not a frequent thing, usually two or three times a year, just to keep those insecurities that I live with at bay. “Okay.” I wipe the tears from my cheeks. “I’m glad you’re here. I couldn’t do this on my own.”
“Regardless of the results, you won’t be alone. You have my brother, me, our friends, your grandparents, my parents. You have a huge support system.”
“What did your test say?” I ask, realizing I’ve made this moment about me when it was supposed to be about her.
“I haven’t checked yet.”
“Go. Go look.” I push on her arm, and she laughs.
“Come with me.”
She grabs another pregnancy test, I’m assuming for her to take another, and one for me, and together we make our way into the bathroom. Together, we stare down at the test that’s flashing the word pregnant.
“Oh my,” she whispers. “I’m-I’m going to have a baby.” Her arms wrap around me in a fierce hug, and her body shakes with her tears.
“I’m so happy for you,” I tell her. I am. She and Colby have waited a long time to start their lives together. I understand they wanted to be older and make sure that the love they found as teenagers was real. It was a good plan not to rush into anything. So to see them starting the next phase of their life as a married couple and soon-to-be parents makes my heart swell for them. I couldn’t be happier.
“I’m going to take another,” she says, releasing me and wiping the tears from her cheeks. “And you need to take the first.” She hands me a box. “I’m going to step out of the room. Let me know when you’re ready.”
“I don’t know that I’ll ever be ready,” I tell her honestly. At least not right now. Not when I’ve been dating the guy for almost two months, and I’m already pregnant?