Run on for a Long Time

Eliza sat down on the bed next to Murphy and woke him up. "What's wrong?" he asked, immediately concerned.

"Nothing really. I just..." she paused as she chose her words for what she was about to say. "I have something really important to tell you."

"Well, what is it?"

"I...I might be pregnant."

"Might be?"

Eliza shrugged, "I'm not sure. Eunice and I got a couple of tests, one came up positive, the other one was negative. So I still don't actually know."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I wanted to make sure, but since I still don't actually know, I figured I'd go ahead and tell you. Plus, Eunice kept going on and on about how I needed to tell you."

Murphy didn't say anything, he just sat there staring at Eliza. He had never thought of having a baby before. Before Eliza, he had never even thought that there was even the slightest possibility that he'd ever get married. Even after she had come into his life, he still had never dreamed of having a baby. Idiot! he chastised himself, that's why you're supposed to wear a condom!

Murphy's silence was making Eliza nervous so she asked, "Are you mad?"

"No! Of course not, why would I be mad?"

Eliza shrugged, "I don't know...you just weren't saying anything, so I assumed-"

"I'm not mad," he cut her off. "I'm just...I don't know. I never thought about having a kid before.

Eliza looked down at her lap, and Murphy put a finger under her chin to make her look back up at him.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded, "I'm...nervous...and a little scared. I'm not sure that I'm ready for this, and with someone after us, well, this really isn't a good time to be pregnant." She closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek.

Murphy wiped the tear away with his thumb, then cupped her face with his hands. "Look at me," he said softly.

Eliza opened her eyes.

"We'll get through this. Don't worry. We'll find this guy, and we'll get rid of him. Then we'll plan the wedding for as soon as possible, that way if you are pregnant, no one even has to know that you were pregnant before we were married. Well, except for the two of us and Eunice."

"Why does it matter if people know whether or not I'm pregnant now?"

"It doesn't. But Paul scares me sometimes, and I'm honestly afraid of what he'd do if he knew....well...you know."

Eliza grinned, "My dad scares you?"

"Don't all dads scare their daughter's fiancés?"

Eliza shrugged, "Maybe."

Murphy leaned forward and kissed Eliza. With his forehead pressed against her's he took her hands in his and whispered, "No matter what happens, we'll get through this perfectly fine. And we'll get married, and even if you're not pregnant now, we'll still have a bunch of babies."

"How many?"

"However many you want."

"Ten?"

Murphy pulled away and stared at Eliza. "You want ten children?"

She laughed and shook her head, "No. Not that many. Two is fine."

Murphy nodded, "Two is perfect."