Sweet Child O' Mine

Grace picked up the first plastic stick, she took a deep breath and looked at the small screen. The negative sign was bright and loud. She let out the breath.

“Negative.” Grace said, looking hopeful.

She then picked up the other too. Grace's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head and her heart raced fight. Both of the pregnancy tests read positive. Tears instantly sprung from her eyes and negative thoughts swirled her head.

“Two against one, I think you're pregnant Grace.” Julia saw that her best friend had tears streaming down her face. She quickly was by her side, holding and cradling the petite girl.

“It's gonna be okay, Grace, I will always be here for you.”

Grace couldn't stop sobbing all night. She felt as if her life was ruined by the stupidest mistake she ever made. Her school career was going to come to a halt as soon as the baby was coming and she knew she wasn't going to be able to return for awhile, which would put her career path to a halt as well. All she wanted was to continue going to school and become a music instructor and now she didn't know if that dream was going to ever be reached. Grace felt miserable, defeated and lonely, although Julia had stayed with her the entire night.

Grace's eyes fluttered awake, the morning nausea came right away and she spent another ten minutes emptying her contents into the toilet. She brushed her teeth and made her way to the living room where Julia had camped out for the night.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Julia said upon seeing Grace.
The kitchen smelled like pancakes, Grace couldn't help her grumbling stomach.

“Did you make breakfast?” She asked poking her head into the kitchen.

On top of the stove was a plate with a stack of pancakes and few pieces of bacon. Maple syrup and butter were on the counter next to it. Beethoven was sitting in front of the stove, staring up at the plate. Grace leaned down and pet her baby, before pouring food in his bowl. His curly tail went wild as he dug in.

“I made your favorite breakfast!” Julia couldn't help her excitement, she was proud of the pancakes she made.
“You should just live here and do this everyday.” Grace and Julia both chuckled lightly.
“I wanted to talk while you ate your breakfast?”
“Sure.” Grace grabbed her plate and sat down at the counter, covering her food in butter, than drowning it in maple syrup.
“Grace, I think this was meant to happen.”
“How was this meant to happen? You brought me to a party, I got wasted and had a one nightstand with a lead singer of a pop-punk band and I managed to get pregnant. How is that 'meant to happen'?” Grace used one had to make quotations as she shoved a fork full of pancake into her mouth.
“I'm just saying, you're doing really well in school and something like that isn't going to change anything.” Julia paused while taking a bite of her own pancakes.
“I'm gonna have to leave in the middle of a semester, how will I even start back up?”
“Just let me finish, will ya?” She glared at her friend. “I figured out, you're probably gonna be due in December, which means classes will be done for winter break and you'll be able to take your maternity leave then, which means you'll be able to start back up easily because you wouldn't be leaving in the middle of a semester.”

Grace thought that side note over and did the math in her head, she knew Julia was right. Maybe her career wasn't an unreachable goal.

“Julia, you're wrong.” Julia glared at Grace again. “But, only because you said this was meant to happen, it wasn't, but it did and I can't stop what has already happened.”
“I'm glad you accepted that.”
“I need to make a doctor appointment.” Grace sighed looking at her calender.
“You need to call John and tell him.”
“He doesn't have to know.”

After breakfast was over Grace called her doctor and set up an appointment for the following week. Her and Julia were sitting on the couch watching lifetime. Grace wanted to go for a walk and decided it was the perfect time to take Beethoven out. She felt like she hasn't spent enough time her with little pug.

“I'm gonna take Beethoven for a W-A-L-K.” Spelling the word 'walk' out because she was sure Beethoven understood her.
“I'll clean up a little, then I'll probably head home.” Julia said.
“Stick around, I'll go with you and we can go get lunch.”
“Alright.”

Grace got up off the couch and went into her bedroom. Digging in her closet, she pulled out a black racer back that quoted “indescribably delicious” and a pair of gray distressed skinny jeans. She crossed her room to her bathroom, taking off her pajamas and throwing them in her hamper. She dressed quickly, adding a few accessories and brushing out her naturally straight blonde hair. She walked out of the bathroom and into the hallway by the front door. She whistled lightly and her pug came rounding the corner. She grabbed his leach and attached it to his collar.

“I'll be back in a few!” Grace yelled into the living room.

She walked out her front door and down the steps with the overly happy pug behind her. She lived close to a park and decided to take him there. As she was walking down the street, an all black ford focus pulled up next to her.

“Hey sweetheart.” The voice that's been stuck in her head for three weeks and more so in the last twenty four hours was right next to her.
“Hi, John.” She waved lightly and continued to walk.

He slowly moved along in his car next to her.

“What can't chat for a minute?” He smiled as she stopped.
“No, I don't really want to talk to you.” She snarled.
“Awh and why not sweetheart? Was I not good enough for you?”
“No, that's not it John and stop calling me sweetheart.”
“C'mon, I'll you and your friend a ride to where ever you're going.”
“That's fine, I live right there and I'm just taking him for a walk.”
“Can I walk with you?”
“Do whatever you want.”

Grace continued to walk, as John pulled over and parked his car. He climbed out and had to do a slight jog to catch up to her. She didn't want to tell him that she was pregnant with his baby, she didn't even care to really be talking to him, but she found herself wanting to spill her guts and tell him everything. She grew up without a father, he had left when her mom was pregnant and her mom didn't re-marry until Grace was seventeen. She didn't want her son or daughter to grow up not knowing their father. It was only fair to tell him, but what would he event think? That she's a slut and it's not his? That he wants her to get abortion? That he'll want nothing to with his child?

“Ya know, I had a lot of fun with you at the party.” He said, laughing lightly.
“Yeah it was okay.”
“Psh, you were having the time of your life that night.” He smiled and laughed again.
“It was a pretty fun time, but I don't normally do those things.”
“Yeah, I know, you kept saying that over and over again all night.” Grace instantly blushed.
“Yeah, that's a tendency, to repeat things when you're beyond wasted.” Both of them laughed a bit.

She thought about that night and how she made the mistake of getting in bed with him. She wasn't like that, she wanted a relationship over sex. She couldn't believe that he had enough charm to convince Drunk Grace to get into bed with him. He was a natural smooth talker and not mention his singing voice was absolutely amazing.

“John, it's funny that I ran into you today.” She decided that right now, he needed to know, so she could start planning her babies future with or without his father.
“And why's that?” He smiled, more to himself being cocky then to her.
“I need to tell you something and however you take it, I don't really care.”
“I barely know you, how will anything you tell me effect me?” He became serious, he barely knew the girl and she was trying to say something that might hurt him? Or make him angry?
“Well, you might want to get to know me, I'm having your kid.”

John stopped walking and stared at her.

“What did you just say?”