Page 59 of Patch's Bride
My face warms. “I’m fine. It’s probably just indigestion.”
“Don’t try to downplay this,” she says. “I’m a nurse and that means I know the signs.”
She reaches into the white pharmacy bag and pulls out three small boxes. They’re all pregnancy tests.
When I freeze, she pats her stomach. “Trust me. I know about these things.”
“I didn’t say anything about being pregnant.”
“You didn’t have to. You look like me before I realized I was pregnant. Take the tests, Beth. You’ll sleep better knowing one way or the other.”
“Why did you buy three?” I ask.
“One’s never enough,” she insists. “If you want to be sure, you have to replicate the results. It’s called science.”
Maybe she’s right. I take the boxes and head towards the bathroom. Thank God Patch’s office has a private half bath. Privacy matters when you’re carrying around pregnancy test kits in a small medical office like this one. Sharon follows me, tryingto look inconspicuous. When I close the door, she hovers. I can hear her pacing outside the door.
My hands tremble a little as I unwrap the first test kit and follow the instructions.
The first test sits on the edge of the sink. The pink line appears faster than I expect. I stare at it until my vision blurs. The little plastic window fills with color. It’s positive.
I set it down and reach for the second one. My hands shake, but I manage to get through it. I wait again. The seconds crawl by. The result is the same.
My chest tightens. I press my palm against my stomach and take a slow breath. The third test is still in the box, unopened. I pick it up and go through the motions again. When the line forms, I already know what it will say. Yeah, it’s positive too.
I line them up in a row on the counter. My reflection in the mirror looks different. It feels like I’ve turned into a mother just by realizing that I’m pregnant. I cover my mouth with both hands and stare down at the proof sitting in front of me. I’m going to be a mother.
The door rattles once. “You alive in there?” Sharon’s voice carries through.
When I don’t answer, she doesn’t wait for permission. The door cracks open, and she peers around it, one hand braced on the frame. Her eyes drop to the counter, and then her whole face lights up and her jaw drops. “Oh my God,” she says. “All three?”
When I nod, she starts laughing. “You’re pregnant, girl. Look at that. You are pregnant.”
Her words echo in my head. “I can’t believe it,” I say.
“I can,” she responds. “You’re young and fertile.”
I gather the tests carefully in both hands and carry them out to Patch’s office. His desk is clean, neat, everything in its place. I set the three tests right in the center, lined up straight, the test windows all facing his chair.
Sharon laughs softly behind me. “He’s going to lose his mind.”
“I know,” I whisper. “That’s why I want him to see them first.”
She smiles. “He’ll remember this forever.”
We both step back and look at the desk.
She hustles out of his office when we hear him coming.
Patch walks in, his eyes are down, and he’s scrolling through patient notes on his tablet. His other hand comes up to rub at the back of his neck. He doesn’t notice the surprise on the desk right away.
He sets the tablet down, reaches for a pen, then pauses. His hand hovers over the desk. His eyes catch the first test. Then the second. Then the third. His hand falls to his side. And he just stares at them for a long moment.
I don’t say anything.
Patch picks up one of the tests, turns it over, like he’s making sure he’s seeing it right. He sets it down and picks up another. And then he finally looks up at me. His mouth opens, but no sound comes out.
The next thing I know, he’s in front of me, lifting me off my feet. His arms are tight around my waist. He buries his face in my neck and pulls me close.
