Page 96 of Two Wrongs

“Don’t give me that look,” he chides. “I’m not firing you, but I really do want you to go to the doctor.”

I nod, and the movement sends a wave of dizziness washing over me and I wobble on my feet. Patrick jumps up and catches me as I faint.

When I open my eyes, I’m laying on the ground with my purse under my head. I blink, and try to sit up. Patrick puts his hand on my shoulder and guides me to lay back down.

“Don’t try to get up. I called Hattie. She’s off today, so she’ll be here any minute.”

“What happened?” I ask, still feeling a bit groggy.

“You fainted. And before you ask, you’ve only been out about a minute. Just long enough for me to lay you down and prop up your head.”

“Wren, are you okay?” I can hear the panic in Hattie’s voice as she comes around the side of the building.

“I’m fine,” I assure her, but my voice sounds weak.

Her eyes narrow. “You are not fine, and you are going to the doctor. You’ve been feeling sick all week.”

“It’s just a bug,” I grumble.

She holds out her hand and helps me onto my feet. “You know, I think we can go home. I thought your marriage has been rocky for six months, but— Never mind. Let’s go.”

“You’re not making any sense,” I grumble.

“Then ignore me. I think you fainted because you’re a little dehydrated. I’ve got Gatorade in the fridge at home.”

Hattie helps me to the car and gets me settled on the couch. She sets a large red sports drink next to me and the remote. “Veg out here for a bit.” She hikes her purse up on her shoulder. “I’m going to go run an errand real quick.”

I’m dozing off when she returns. She looks at the empty bottle, and hands me a paper bag. “I hope you need to pee.”

My forehead scrunches together in confusion. “That’s an odd thing to say,” I mutter. It becomes really clear when I pull out a cardboard box containing two pregnancy tests.

Hattie crouches down in front of me. “Is it possible?”

I nod. I can’t believe it never occurred to me. I get up to hurry in the bathroom.

My hands shake as I open the box. There’s tape on the end and I accidentally rip it straight down the middle, making me drop one of the tests. “Shit,” I mutter to myself and pick it up.

“Everything okay in there?”

“My hands won’t stop shaking, and I ripped the box.”

Hattie cracks open the door. “Take a deep breath. We’ll deal with whatever it says, but knowledge is power. It’s easy, just open the package, take the cap off and pee on it. But, catch it mid-stream.”

“Right, okay.” Seems simple enough. Amazing that something so innocuous can alter the entire course of my life. Well, I guess it only confirms that my life will never be the same.

When I’m done, I set it on the sink, wash my hands, and go back to the living room. “Can you set a timer?”

I zone out, trying not to think about what will happen if it’s positive. Griffin already had his life turned upside down by an accidental pregnancy. He’s trying to fix things with Liam. Mostly, I’m afraid of what will happen if he has to choose between Liam and my baby.

Hattie rubs my arm. “I know the timing of this is bad. He’s got another child on the way, but you are his wife.”

“I still want a divorce,” I insist.

“You’re not a resident yet, and if you are pregnant, they’re going to make you wait until after the baby is born. Did you get any answers about whether or not the papers you filed back in Harriston were sent to the court?” she asks.

I drop down on the couch, and put my head in my hands. “I don’t know how to do any of this.”

She sits next to me and rubs my back. “There’s no rush. We don’t even know what the test is going to say.” She chuckles. “Hell, you could already be divorced. Call that lawyer you used first. Burying your head in the sand won’t make these problems go away.”