Chapter 61

SURPRISE

It had been a long, exhausting day for Emma. Her stomach churned, a constant reminder that something wasn’t quite right. She had been feeling off for the past few days—tired, achy, and more than a little nauseous—but today, the discomfort had taken a turn for the worse. She sat curled up on the couch, clutching a pillow to her stomach, hoping the waves of nausea would pass.

“Emma?” Abigail’s voice came from the hallway, soft but concerned. Emma glanced up and tried to muster a smile, but it was weak, almost nonexistent.

“Hey, Abs…” she croaked, her voice barely audible. Abigail entered the room, her face creased with worry. She walked over, sat down beside Emma, and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

“You don’t look good,” Abigail said, her voice laced with concern. “Have you been eating enough? You’ve barely touched anything all day.”

Emma swallowed hard, trying to push back the rising nausea. “I’m… I’m fine,” she lied, but it didn’t convince either of them.

Abigail wasn’t buying it. She reached out and pressed the back of her hand to Emma’s forehead. “You feel hot. I think you’re running a fever.”

Before Emma could protest, she was interrupted by another wave of nausea, stronger this time. Her stomach flipped, and she couldn’t fight it anymore. She rushed to the bathroom, barely making it in time before her body rejected the little food she’d managed to consume. Abigail followed closely behind, her hands steady as she held Emma’s hair back and gently rubbed her back.

After a few minutes, Emma sat back against the cool tile, her forehead resting on her knees. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked up at Abigail, embarrassed but too tired to explain.

Abigail didn’t need words to understand what had happened. She just sat with Emma, her presence calm and soothing. “Let’s get you back to bed,” she said quietly, helping Emma to her feet and leading her back to the couch.

Emma collapsed back onto the pillows, her body feeling like it was made of lead. Abigail quickly grabbed a cold cloth and draped it over her forehead.

“You need to rest,” Abigail insisted. “I’ll stay with you. You’re not alone.”

Emma nodded weakly, grateful for Abigail’s care, but feeling guilty for not telling her what had been going on. Her stomach still felt unsettled, but she couldn’t deny that a small part of her felt comforted by Abigail’s presence.

Over the next few days, Abigail stayed by Emma’s side, helping her with anything she needed—bringing her water, making sure she ate, keeping her company while she rested. Emma’s fever subsided, but the nausea lingered. By the end of the week, she was feeling a bit better, though still not herself. Abigail was a constant, her cheerful presence a balm to Emma’s fragile state.

But a week later, when Emma was finally alone at her house, she couldn’t shake the unease that had been building within her. Her body still felt off, and it wasn’t just the lingering effects of her illness. She had missed her period.

Two weeks late.

Emma sat on the edge of her bed, her thoughts a whirlwind. She hadn’t told Abigail. Hadn’t mentioned the odd symptoms that had started a few weeks ago—sore breasts, frequent trips to the bathroom, and a fatigue that had nothing to do with being sick. She hadn’t wanted to worry her friend, hadn’t wanted to admit to herself what the late period might mean.

But now, in the silence of her room, Emma knew what she had to do. She stood up, her legs feeling weak beneath her as she walked to the bathroom. She grabbed the pregnancy test from the drawer, her hands trembling slightly. She had been avoiding this moment for days, but now there was no more room for denial.

With the test in her hand, Emma sat down, her heart pounding in her chest. She tried to steady her breathing as she followed the instructions. She set the test down, forcing herself to look away from it for a few minutes, the seconds stretching into what felt like hours.Finally, she took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and looked at the result.It was positive.

Her heart skipped a beat, a rush of panic and uncertainty flooding her chest. She stood there for a long moment, staring at the test, unable to process what it meant. She felt as though the ground beneath her had shifted, her world tilting on its axis. The reality of the situation was clear—there was no denying it now.

But Emma didn’t call Abigail. She didn’t tell her. Instead, she stood there in silence, the weight of the news sinking in. She couldn’t bring herself to share this with anyone yet. Emma didn’t know what to do with this new reality, and for now, she wasn’t ready to face it.

So, she simply put the test in the trash, as if trying to hide it away, and sat back down on her bed. She stared at the wall, the uncertainty of the future pressing down on her.