Page 37 of The Paris Chapter

‘Yes. I’m taking a pregnancy test.’

I just caught my phone before I dropped it on the floor. ‘What? You’re what?’

‘Well, you know I’ve been tired and feeling like I had the flu coming? Well, I realised I’m late. So, yeah…’

‘You let me talk about Ethan!’ I cried, forgetting to be quiet.

‘I was trying to distract myself.’

‘So, hang on, you’re FaceTiming me while you take a pregnancy test?’ I propped the phone up on the counter against the fruit bowl while I made my tea, shaking my head. ‘Only you.’

‘We promised when we were sixteen, we said we would always take them together,’ she hissed.

I nodded. We had a friend who’d had a scare and we agreed we would never want to be alone if we had to do one. ‘You couldn’t wait until I come home?’

‘You know Luke will be wondering why I’m not PMS-ing soon.’

‘Luke is too good at buying chocolate for that,’ I agreed. He knew her too well for her to hide it from him. I made my tea and took a sip. ‘How do you feel?’

‘I don’t know. We’ve always said that we would have a family, but before now it felt so long off. I thought in my thirties… Then I reminded myself, I only have a couple more years until I am thirty. How did that happen?’

I nodded. ‘I know. I still think of us as teenagers.’

She twirled a strand of her hair: a nervous habit. ‘It’s scary. I’m scared. But I have good butterflies too.’

‘You guys will make the best parents,’ I told her sincerely. ‘And I’m godmother and aunt, okay?’

Her phone alarm buzzed. ‘Oh God, it’s time to look. No, Tessa, I can’t do it. I don’t know what I want the answer to be! Help!’

‘You’ll only know when you see it,’ I said.

‘Can you look for me?’ she asked, a hopeful expression on her face.

‘Seriously?’ We stared at one another. Years of friendship flashed before my eyes. I’d been there for everything. So had she. This was just another chapter. ‘Okay.’ I took a breath and put my mug down. ‘Hold it up to the screen.’

She carefully picked up the test and then slowly turned it to face the iPhone camera.

‘Can you see it?’ she asked. ‘Tell me. But only if you think I can handle it. If you think it’s good news. Will I like the answer? Tessa? Tessa?’

To my side, I could feel Ethan walking into the kitchen, but I kept my eyes on Carly. I beckoned him closer with my finger. ‘Yes to it all. You’re pregnant, Carly.’

‘What?’ She went very still.

‘You’re pregnant!’ I cried. ‘God’s sake, turn the test around so you can see for yourself!’

‘Oh, yeah, good idea.’ She turned it slowly and her mouth fell open. ‘Oh my God. Oh my God.’ She stumbled backwards and hit the bath and screamed. She fell back against the basin just as the bathroom door opened.

‘Are you okay? Carly? Tessa, is that you?’ Luke walked in, looking confused and worried.

Carly hopped about, swearing in pain.

I bit my lip because this was just them to a T. ‘Guys, you’re having a baby!’ I shouted, clapping my hands.

‘We’re what?’ Luke cried.

Carly managed to hop towards him with the test.

‘Are you joking?’

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