I sobbed when I realized that each stick gave the same outcome as the others.
As I continued to sob, Lory turned me toward her and hugged me tightly. “Is sobbing a good sign or a bad sign?”
I still couldn’t put the words together. I was too overwhelmed.
Courtney snatched the sticks out of my hand and said, “Let me see.” She paused for a quick second. “Oh god, Willow.”
My tears fell as Courtney joined in on the hug. How was I going to tell Nicholas about this?
They eventually let me go so I could wash my face and blow my nose. When I came out of the bathroom, they were waiting for me with wide smiles, and I still hadn’t said a word.
“I’m happy for you,” Lory remarked. It was reassuring to see that she was genuinely thrilled. Even if she believed I was too young or that it was too soon for me to start a family, she knew that this was what I wanted and she supported me. She always had my back and always would. That was all I needed right then.
I smiled while attempting to hold back my tears. Nicholas would instantly go into freakout mode if he saw me upset.
“I want to make it special, but I’m not sure how to tell him. He really wants children.”
I started pacing again, making sure I didn’t give up more information than I needed to. None of them knew the horrible things Rosemary had done to him in the past.
“I don’t know. I think I should consult a doctor for confirmation before I say something to him. It would be worse if I told him and it turned out to be a false positive.”
Courtney stopped me short and I was stopped by Courtney, who put her hands on my shoulders, and made me turn to face her. Take a deep breath, Willow.”
I inhaled deeply a few times, following her words.
“The baby is what matters. Nicholas won’t be interested in any elaborate reveals, so you don’t need to have one. The news itself is what matters.” She was waiting for my agreement. “You still have the gift you got for him months ago, right?”
I found a silver baby’s spoon during one of our shopping trips. I couldn’t help but get it at the time and I even had it engraved so that I would present it to Nicholas when the time came. Finally, the moment had come.
“Yes,” I responded quickly and walked over to the closet and found it tucked inside the underwear drawer for safe hiding.
I took it out and cracked open the package. I brushed my fingertips over the carved lettering as the silver glistened. “The World’s Best Dad.” It would imply that the child will physically be born with a silver spoon in his or her mouth. I was hoping he would enjoy the little pun.
Lory gave me some sound advice when I came back. “You may be concerned that this is a false positive, and I understand that fear, but I don’t think you should be. These tests are fairly accurate, and they all three produced the same result. I believe you ought to inform Nicholas as soon as he arrives.”
Courtney agreed with a nod. “I believe he should be the first person to know. Of course, we were there, so it can’t be helped.”
They were right. The likelihood that I’m not really pregnant was low. “Okay,” I said softly, clutching the dinner box tightly. “We should head downstairs and get ready.”
We had made the decision to have a simple dinner of pasta salads, grilled chicken, and vegetables. That left us with very little to put together before the guys arrived. I opened a bottle of water for myself and then poured a glass of wine for Lory and Courtney
As we waited, my stomach was in a tangle of agitation.
“Willow, everything all right?” Laura softly questioned after watching me for a long time.
I tried to play it off and nod, but I didn’t think she bought it.
The boys didn’t take long to show up, and I hardly had a chance to say hello when Courtney and Lory dragged Francis and Geoffrey outside under the pretext of learning how to turn on the grill.
I rolled my eyes and then walked over to Nicholas. “Why are they acting so weird?”
I shrugged and grinned as I took hold of his hand and escorted him into the lounge. I kept my cool since I didn’t want to blurt it out. Before I lost my composure, I put the neatly wrapped box in his lap. We sat down on the couch next to one another and he smiled, unsure as to why he was the one getting the gift.
His cheeks were flushed and told me he had been out and about the whole day.
“You brought me a gift?” He raised my hand and kissed the knuckles. “What is the occasion?”
I gulped in anxiety. “You’ll understand it when you open the gift.”
He laughed. “Your birthday is coming up soon. I ought to be the one giving you gifts.”
I held onto his hand. “Right now is not the time to bring that up. Open the box before I explode.” I was unable to contain myself any longer.
“Okay, okay. I am.” He chuckled as he removed the box’s lid.
As I watched him remove the spoon and read the writing, I held my breath. His lips opened as if he were going to speak, but he remained silent. I leaned over as his hazy eyes finally found mine and he hesitantly smiled. close to him so that our shoulders were touching.
Really, he murmured. “You’re expecting?”
He appeared to be in shock. I grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss.
“Yes. I took three tests and they all came out positive.”
He pulled me into his lap, making it so that I was straddling him. He wrapped his hands around me and made a noise that I couldn’t quite recognize.
Was that a laugh? A sob?
I was unable to see his face since he had buried it in the crook of my neck.
I softly called, “Nicholas?”
The sole response was a tiny shudder across his body. As I gave him the space he needed to gather himself, I ran my fingers through his hair.