The Beat Goes On

I glanced down at the plastic stick. My fingers gripped it so tightly, my knuckles were nearly white.
“Abbey?” Rob popped his head around the bathroom door, balancing Ella on his hip. They both stared at me curiously with those beautiful blue eyes of theirs. “You ready?”
I looked up at Rob, watching his eyes fall to the pregnancy test in my hands. For a second, I thought I saw his face go a shade whiter. His eyes widened and he nodded slowly, backing out of the bedroom.
“Is Mommy coming?” Ella’s little squeal echoed in the bedroom.
“Yeah…” Rob sounded strained. “She’s just getting ready, love.”
…
“You have to watch, Mommy.” Ella looked at me, pleading, as I swiped a bit of blush across her cheeks. I hated that the dance studio wanted my four-year-old to wear makeup.
“I promise I will Elle.” I smiled at her and kissed her lips before I put on that goddamn lipstick.
“Will Daddy watch too?” She smiled brightly. It was funny how she asked these questions, as if she really didn’t know the answer.
“Of course he will.”
“Well…” Ella furrowed her brow. “Where is he?”
Rob had met my family in the auditorium so they could save seats. He’d told Ella to “break a leg” which had left her a little startled. I tried explaining what he really meant but it was still lost on her.
I spotted the back of Rob’s head from the double doors. He had hardly said anything since we left the flat, but he hadn’t let me go. He’d held my hand the entire cab ride over to the high school and walked me backstage with his arm around my shoulder. I knew he was worried.
“Hey!” Grace saw me first and jumped up from her seat. She smelled like nail polish when I hugged her. Then I noticed her hands were flexed and she quickly blew across her nails. “Last minute,” she shrugged.
I sat down beside Rob, who smiled a little. I shook my head slightly, avoiding any possible conversation. He kissed my temple and wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“We’re going to be fine,” Rob whispered in my ear. “Don’t worry, alright?”
In a little less than ten minutes, the lights went out and the curtain opened. We sat through several dances before Ella’s. I mindlessly pointed when I spotted her on stage. Rob smiled. Ella looked completely uninterested in her black and white polka-dotted tutu. She looked out in the audience, frowning. I wanted Rob to wave so I elbowed him. We sat there, nearly jumping up and down in our seats to get her attention. Ella spotted us and, without missing a beat, started dancing to the Michael Jackson song blaring out of the speakers.
I grinned. Ella hit most of her steps, that dazzling smile of hers never leaving her face. As the dances continued, my mind wandered to the pregnancy test. I hadn’t even realized that I’d begun to cry. Rob pulled me into his side and kissed my forehead.
…
“So.” Rob closed the bedroom door quietly. “Are you?”
He sat down on the bed cross-legged in front of me. I buried my head in my head in my hands and shook it furiously. Tears streamed down my face but I didn’t even bother to wipe them away. Rob opened his arms instinctively and I crawled into his lap.
“Well,” He pressed his lips to my temple. “We will figure this out, alright?”
“I don’t know what to do.” I sobbed, burying my face in his t-shirt.
“Abbey,” Rob sighed. “Right now, you need to get some sleep. Call Doctor Valler tomorrow, I’ll go with you.”