Harder Than You Know

Two Weeks Later

I sat in the kitchen on a stool in front of the island. Alex set a plate of chicken and mac n cheese, still my favorite food. I smiled at him, thanking him softly. I hadn't been feeling extremely well the last few days. Alex had came home with other day sick, and I was pretty positive I had it.

"How you feeling baby?" He asked curiously, wrapping his arm around my waist and laying his head on the crook of my neck.

"Oh, I've definitely felt better. But it is what it is." I replied.

"Yeah, I understand. Michaela's coming over later, by the way. I'm going with Rian to help him find something for Kara's birthday. You'll be fine, right?"

"Mhm. I'll be a-okay. We'll probably just hang out and watch a movie." I informed him.

"Alright, I'll see you later love." He kissed my cheek, and exited the house through the front door. When I was finished eating, I took a short shower, and dressed in comfortable clothes. I looked on the wall in the bathroom, noticing the calender hanging beside the mirror. I counted a few days back, then looked back to last month.

What. The. Fuck. There was no way I could be four days late. I'd never been late on my period in my life. I began hyperventilating, putting my hand on the sink to hold myself up. I had been throwing up lately, and my appetite had changed over the last few weeks. No. No way. I wasn't sick with what Alex had..

I leaned against the sink with my entire body now, trying my best not to fall. The front door opened, and Michaela called my name out. I couldn't squeak an 'up here' out, although my breathing had slowed down. She opened the bathroom door, and rushed to my side.

"Fuck, are you okay?" She asked, worried.

"No, I'm not Michaela. My periods four fucking days late." I told her, still not believing it.

"Serious?" She asked, amazed.

"Yes I'm fucking serious! Why would I joke about this Michaela!" I cried, tears starting to pour.

"Well, just calm down okay. We're going to go to Walmart, and get a few pregnancy test. Then, we're going to come back here and take them. Let's go." She drug my out from the house, driving us to the walmart. This is exactly what it was like before, when.. well, you know..

We parked, and she led me towards the aisle where they were located. She grabbed three, and shoved them into a little carry basket. I heard a low, chattering voice in the next aisle.

"Michaela, that's Alex!" I whispered harshly. Her eyes grew into the sizes of saucers, and she drug me the opposite direction of the voices. I wasn't sure why they were over here, but I didn't want to find out. We darted through aisle, getting a few odd looks on the way.

"Go out, wait in the car," She told me, tossing me the keys, "I'll get some things to cover them in, in case they see or anything. Go!" I took off running, hoping it wouldn't hurt the baby.. if there was one. I was almost out to the car when someone called my name. I turned slowly, Alex and Rian looking at me confused.

"What are you doing?" Rian asked.

"Um.. oh. Michaela had to get a few things, and I was just.. starting the car." I managed to sputter out.

"Mhm.. Well.. Rian had to pick up a few things, and now we're going to go where ever he planned." Alex informed me. I nodded my head, smiling at him nervously. He didn't seem to notice, luckily. Michaela came out, and you couldn't see the things she had bought.

"Oh, fancy seeing you two here. What brings you here?" She asked, playing it off easily.

"Just picking up a few things. And you.." Alex asked, motioning to the bag.

"This? Oh, picked up a few menstrual cycle things for me, and Addison wanted sour worms, so we decided to go ahead and come." She told them.

"...Oh. Well, no need explaining that. We'll be leaving now." Alex laughed. He kissed my lips softly, and hugged Michaela before the two of them left. We both got in her car, sighing with relief.

"Pads, Michaela?" I asked, amazed at her story.

"Yeah, it makes guys uncomfortable. So, they don't pressure the conversation on anymore." I made an 'o' shape with my mouth, understanding. I would need to keep that one in mind.

We pulled up into the driveway, rushing up to the bathroom. I decided to drink a can of mountain dew first, to make sure I had enough pee for the stupid fucking sticks. I sighed, finishing with each, and setting them all on the counter. Ten bloody minutes till the little signs would determine the future. Michaela gave me the gummy worms she had actually bought, which occupied my time when I began throwing the nasty ones at the wall.

Ten minutes later, we both looked at all of the sticks...