Glide With The Breeze

Cassie stared down at the test in her hand. The little pink plus sign stared back up at her. It was a menacing look it gave her, one that made her want to hit something. But she didn't. She kept her composure and slid the stick back into the box it had come from and dropped it in the garbage.

"Sometimes these things are wrong," she said out loud to herself.

She knew she wouldn't be able to keep her mind off it and told herself she would take another one in a week. Deep down, though, she knew what it was going to say. It was the reason she had taken the test in the first place. Her body chemistry had changed and she felt different in a way she hadn't in a long time.

Sighing, she walked out of her bathroom and grabbed her purse from the desk, pulling out the pack of cigarettes and the lighter it contained and tossed them in the garbage as well. It would be a long time before she would be able to have another one and didn't want the temptation of knowing she had them.

After emptying the garbage cans, she returned to her room and fell onto her bed, mentally beating herself up. She and Alex had discussed the subject of children at great length and had come to the mutual agreement that it was best for them to wait a few years. They were both still young, and though Cassie had been wanting a baby for a few years, she recognized that the time was not right.

She laid there, weighing her options. She wondered if she should even tell Alex and revisit the subject matter with him or if she should just nip it in the bud right then and tell him afterward. Logic quickly won out. She knew there really were no options, only right and wrong. Her hand rested on her stomach and she racked her brain trying to remember where the boys were that day and when they would be back.

*****

Alex looked at his ringing phone that he had just pulled out of his pocket. A smile slid across his face when he saw her name flashing across the screen.

"Hello, beautiful," he said as he answered it. Though he couldn't see it, he knew it made her smile.

"Hey," she said. Something about her tone was different, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I just miss you," she said quietly. "When are you going to be back in LA again?" she asked.

Alex let out a quiet laugh. "Nine days. I'll be there for two and a half days and then be gone for another week and a half," he explained. "I miss you, too."

"Okay," she said simply and fell quiet.

After a few moments of silence, he started to become concerned. She rarely called just to say she missed him. And she usually knew where he was and when he would be home.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied quickly. "Nothing's wrong. I just," she paused and sighed very quietly, "I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Oh," he said, "Alright. What's up?" he asked.

He could feel her hesitate and grew even more concerned. "I think it's better if we talk about it when you get here next week," she said.

Alex frowned, "Should I be worried?" he asked.

Again, Cassie was quick to respond. "No. No, no, no. Everything is fine. It's just one of those things I feel more comfortable talking about face to face, you know?" she asked. Her tone had changed dramatically, as though she knew she had caused concern and was intentionally trying to calm his nerves.

*****

With the exception of the time it took to retake the pregnancy test, Cassie had spent the better part of the day cleaning the house, trying to keep herself busy and her mind occupied until Alex got there. The same pink plus sign had glared at her that morning, as she had known it would.

She was washing dishes when she heard the door open. The person who entered the house didn't say anything but she heard the footsteps making their way toward the kitchen. It wasn't long before a pair of arms slid around her waist. A chill ran down her spine as Alex pressed his lips gently to her neck and breathed in her scent.

Shutting off the water, she turned around grabbed his face with her wet hands and pressed her lips hard against his. It had been a couple days since he'd last shaved and his stubble roughly rubbed against her skin. Her hands left his face and moved to the back of his neck and his arms tightened around her waist, drawing her closer to him.

When their lips parted, Cassie pressed herself against Alex's body. Though he wanted to enjoy it, their phone conversation from the week prior had been haunting his thoughts and he was worried.

"I missed you," she mumbled quietly. Her hands slipped off the back of his neck as she let her arms fall and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I missed you too," he replied. "What did-" he began.

He was cut off by her lips pressing against his again. She shifted a little, getting him to loosen his hold on her and she slid her hands underneath his shirt. Her fingers glided up and down his skin, sending shivers down his spine. She kissed him with eagerness and force that made him forget all his previous concerns.

He pulled away momentarily and asked, "Where's Angie?"

"Either at work or your house waiting for Rian," she replied, taking his hand and leading him up the stairs to her bedroom.

It didn't take long for clothes to be shed and bare skin to be explored as if it was the first time. His fingers brushed her hips as she straddled his own and leaned forward to reacquaint their lips. As the kiss became more heated, his hand left her body and reached into the nightstand drawer for a condom. Cassie slid her hand down his arm and took the condom from him, tossing it back into the drawer.

"I love you," she said against his lips.

Her statement caught Alex off guard. Though he knew it was true, Cassie was very rarely the first to say it. In a way, it caused his concern from earlier to increase. But before he had a chance to object, Cassie closed the space between them.

Awhile later, they laid on their backs next to each other on Cassie's bed. After a few minutes of silence he rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow.

Alex cleared his throat, getting Cassie's attention. "So," he began, "What's up?" he asked.

She continued staring up at the ceiling and merely shrugged. "Same as usual. Work and stuff. The things I would tell you when we talked while you were gone. Nothing new has happened since I talked to you last night."

Though he was slightly frustrated by her response, Alex let out a quiet chuckle. "I know. I've just had this feeling I couldn't shake that something was wrong," he told her honestly.

"Everything's fine," she said.

He sighed quietly. "What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked.

Cassie turned her head to look at him. After a moment of silence, she reached out and grabbed his hand, guiding it to her body. Keeping her hands on top of his, she looked down at them resting on top of her stomach and then looked back up at Alex. He looked back at her curiously, no sign of understanding on his face.

"I'm pregnant."