Chapter 72 Unexpected
Mia’s POV
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Weekend sunlight filtered through my curtains, painting warm stripes across my bed. For once, I let myself luxuriate in the quiet morning, no alarm pushing me toward meetings or site visits Gas’s gentle snoring from his bed in the corner provided a soothing backdrop as I stretched, my muscles protesting slightly from yesterday’s workout.
“Just five more minutes,” I mumbled into my pillow, though I knew it was closer to nine than my usual six AM. The sounds of Mom puttering in the kitchen drifted through my door the gentle clink of her favorite teacup, the rustle of newspaper pages turning.
When I finally dragged myself up, the wooden floor was cool under my bare feet. I padded to the window, pulling back the curtains to reveal a perfect autumn morning. The maple tree outside my window was just starting to turn golden at its edges.
“Time to adult,” I told my reflection as I moved through my morning routine. The face in the mirror looked different lately- more relaxed, maybe. The dark circles under my eyes had faded, and my cheeks had filled out slightly now that I was actually eating regular meals again.
The apartment needed tidying – working late on the children’s center designs had left various sketches and material samples scattered across every surface. I gathered papers into neat stacks, watered Mom’s rapidly multiplying plant collection, and started a load of laundry.
It wasn’t until I was organizing the bathroom cabinet that I froze, a box of tampons in my hand. When was my last…?
“No,” I whispered, the box clattering into the sink. “No, no, no.”
I grabbed my phone, fingers shaking as I pulled up my period tracking app. The little calendar stared back at me accusingly. Six weeks. How had I not noticed for six weeks?
“It’s just stress,” I told my reflection firmly. “The hospital, Mom’s recovery, the move – of course I’m irregular.”
But my mind kept circling back to that night. Scarlett’s birthday. Paradise. Kyle. The memories I’d been trying so hard to forget came rushing back – his hands, his mouth, the way he’d… No. He’d used protection. I distinctly remembered seeing the evidence in the trash the next morning.
“Mia?” Mom’s voice carried through the door. “Everything okay in there?”
“Fine!” My voice came out higher than intended. “Just… organizing!”
“Well, come eat something when you’re done. I made pancakes.”
Pancakes. The thought made my stomach roll unexpectedly. Come to think of it, hadn’t I been feeling queasy lately? I’d blamed it on takeout, on working too hard, on anything but…
“This isn’t happening.” But even as I said the words, more signs clicked into place. The exhaustion I’d attributed to stress. The way certain smells had been bothering me. The slight tenderness in my breasts that I’d ignored.
My keys were in my hand before I’d consciously decided to move. “Mom?” I called, grabbing my jacket. “I need to run to the store. Back in twenty!”
“But your pancakes-”
“Save them for me!”
I half–ran to the corner pharmacy. I tried to calm down but failed.
“Can I help you find anything?” The pharmacist’s cheerful voice made me jump.
“No! I mean, no thank you. I’m good.”
I grabbed three different tests, avoiding eye contact with the cashier as I paid. The walk home felt endless, the paper bag
Chapter 72 Unexpected
burning a hole in my jacket pocket.
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Gas greeted me at the door with his usual enthusiasm, but even his joyful face couldn’t calm my racing heart.
“Honey?” Mom appeared in the hallway. “Your pancakes are getting cold.”
“Sorry, I just need to…” I gestured vaguely toward the bathroom, probably looking as panicked as I felt.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Everything okay?”
“Fine. Everything’s fine.”
I locked the bathroom door with trembling fingers, emptying my purchases onto the counter. Three tests. Surely they couldn’t all be wrong?
The instructions blurred as I read them, my hands shaking so badly I almost dropped the first stick.
Three minutes. That’s all I had to wait. Three minutes that felt like three years as I paced the small space, trying to breathe normally.
Gas whined outside the door, picking up on my anxiety. “I’m okay, buddy,” I called softly, but my voice cracked on the words. The first line appeared slowly, then the second. Clear and undeniable. Positive.
“No.” I ripped open the second test with numb fingers. “No, no, no ”
But the result was the same. And the third. Three identical pink lines stared back at me, each one feeling like another nail in my carefully constructed new life.
I sank onto the closed toilet lid, my legs refusing to hold me up any longer. This couldn’t be happening.
Gas managed to nose the door open – I must not have locked it properly in my panic. He bounded in, tail wagging as he snatched one of the tests off the counter.
“Gas, no!” But he was already racing out, proud of his new toy.
I couldn’t even summon the energy to chase him. My hand drifted to my still–flat stomach, remembering the last time I’d made this discovery. The joy, the hope, the dreams of a future that had shattered on cold marble stairs.
A soft knock made me jump. “Mia?” Mom’s voice was gentle. “Can I come in?”
I looked at the remaining tests on the counter, at my tear–streaked face in the mirror. No point hiding it – she’d know something was wrong the moment she saw me.
“Yeah,” I managed.
She took in the scene quickly – the tests, my position, the obvious tears. Without a word, she closed the door and sat on the edge of the tub, opening her arms.
I fell into them like I was eight years old again, seeking comfort after a scraped knee. Her familiar scent wrapped around me as the tears came in earnest.
“Oh, baby girl.” She stroked my hair, letting me cry it out. When the sobs finally quieted, she asked softly, “Kyle?”
I nodded against her shoulder. “That night… Scarlett’s birthday. We were drunk, and…”
“Shh.” Her hands never stopped their soothing motion. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.”
“How?” My voice cracked. “I just signed the divorce papers. He’s probably planning his future with Taylor, and I’m…” Fresh tears threatened.
“First of all,” Mom’s voice held that steel I remembered from childhood, “we’re not going to panic. Second, this baby is yours. Yours to celebrate or… not. Your choice, your body, your decision.
Chapter 72 Unexpected
+25 BONUS
I pulled back slightly, wiping my eyes. “I can’t… I couldn’t…”
“I know.” She smiled sadly. “You’ve wanted to be a mother for so long. Even when you were little, playing with your dolls, I knew you’d be an amazing mom someday.”
“But not like this.” I gestured helplessly at the tests. “Not alone.”
“You’re not alone.” She took my hands in hers. “You have me, Scarlett, your friends. And whatever you decide about Kyle…”
“I can’t tell him.” The words burst out. “Not after everything.”
Mom was quiet for a moment, considering. “Maybe. Maybe not. But that’s a decision for another day. Right now, we need to get you to a doctor, make sure everything’s okay.”
As if on cue, Gas trotted back in, the stolen test gone. Little bad dog
“What am I going to do?” I whispered, but this time the question felt less overwhelming.
“Right now?” Mom stood, pulling me up with her. “You’re going to eat something. Those pancakes are getting cold, and if I remember correctly, maple syrup cravings start early.”
“Mom…”
“Then we’ll call your doctor, make an appointment. And then…” She squeezed my hands. “Then we’ll take it one day at a time. Together.”
I looked at my reflection again – still scared, still uncertain, but not alone. Never alone, not anymore.
A baby. My baby.
“One day at a time,” I repeated softly.
Mom’s smile in the mirror was bright enough to chase away some of the shadows. “That’s my girl.”
“Mom?” I turned to face her properly. “Thank you.”
She pulled me into another hug, and for a moment I was safe in her arms, just a daughter seeking comfort from her mother. But when she pulled back, her eyes were full of pride.
“You’re stronger than you know, Mia. You always have been.” She wiped a stray tear from my cheek. “Now, pancakes.”
This time, the mention of food didn’t make my stomach roll. Instead, I found myself suddenly starving.
My hand brushed my stomach again, and this time, the touch felt like a promise.
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