Until You Met Me
One Hundred & One
“Molly? Are you OK in there?” Gerard asked as he gently tapped on the closed bathroom door, his ear pressed against it so that he could listen for any sign of movement. Molly had been inside for a while. After he had gotten home and placed the pharmacy bag into her hands, Molly had made a beeline for the bathroom, and before Gerard had had the chance to follow, she had pushed the door closed, leaving him to pace outside, waiting for any sign about what was happening inside. He didn’t want to push too hard. The fact that Molly had closed the door told him that she needed a little space, and he didn’t want to intrude on it, but waiting outside without any idea about what was happening on the other side of the door had started to get at him. He wanted to be there for her. Whatever the results of the tests he’d given to her, he wanted to be by her side, reassuring her that it was alright, and he was struggling with the fact that he wasn’t.
Keeping his ear pressed to the door, he listened for a few more seconds before he knocked again. “Molly” he called again.
“The door’s not locked” Molly answered.
Gerard glanced down at the door handle before he turned it, smiling ruefully when the door swung open. Shaking his head, he shuffled into the room before he saw Molly who was sat on the floor, staring down at the tests which were settled, face down, next to her.
Molly looked up at the sound of the door opening, a shy smile on her face. “I haven’t looked yet” she said.
Gerard nodded his head as he crossed the room, sliding down the wall until he was sat by her side. “Because you wanted to do it with me?” he chirped, offering her a lopsided smile.
Molly couldn’t help smiling back at him, more than a little grateful that he had opted to make a joke rather than ask her why she had hesitated. She wasn’t quite ready to admit that, in amongst all of the happiness and excitement that she felt about her potential pregnancy, there was an overwhelming sense of fear that she would turn the test over and see that it was negative. It shouldn’t have scared her as much as it did. Aside from a handful of comments that she and Gerard had made throughout their relationship, they hadn’t seriously discussed the prospect of starting a family, but it didn’t change the fact that she knew how upset she would be if she saw the word ‘negative’ on the screen of the tests that sat in front of her.
“Something like that” Molly replied.
Gerard wordlessly twined their fingers together, allowing him to lift Molly’s hand so that he could touch a gentle kiss to the back of it.
Molly exhaled a shaky breath before she leant forwards, turning the two tests over. Lingering over them, she studied the results for a few seconds before she leant back against the wall, a dazed expression on her face. Gerard frowned at her, not sure what to make of the look on her face, before he leant over and checked the results himself. Sputtering out a slightly surprised noise, he sunk back against the wall, allowing the room to fall silent until Molly let out a soft hiccuped sob.
Gerard, who’d been staring down at the floor, looked up at the sound, a slow smile growing across his face. Leaning forwards, he gently brushed his thumb along her cheekbone, wiping away her tears before he pressed his lips to her forehead. “You’re having our baby” he whispered softly.
Molly didn’t say anything. She didn’t know that she could. Instead, she squeezed her eyes closed, allowing her tears to trickle down her cheeks as Gerard gently dusted her face with kisses. She could feel his smile against her cheeks, and she could hear the warmth in his voice, but she couldn’t find her voice to tell him how happy she was. It was overwhelming, and exciting, and she was thrilled, but the words just wouldn’t come.
Gerard gently pushed her hair behind her ear. “Are you OK?” he asked.
Molly nodded. “Yeah” she squeaked “Just...I don’t know. I’m feeling a lot of things, and I can’t focus on one thing for long enough” she added.
“Are they good things?” Gerard prodded, his smile slightly more cautious.
Molly grinned at him, not hesitating to nod. “Yes” she insisted “I am thrilled. A little dazed, but thrilled” she added.
Gerard brushed his thumb along her cheekbone again, brushing away a few more tears that had slipped out of her eyes, before he pushed himself forwards again, collecting the tests from their spot on the floor. Pushing himself up to his feet, he wrapped them in tissue before he tucked them into his pocket, allowing him to turn back and offer his hand out towards Molly. “Come on” he said “You probably need to lay down or something” he added.
Molly placed her hand into his, allowing him to tug her back to her feet, before she stepped towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug that Gerard didn’t hesitate to return, smiling gently. After a long moment, they both backed out of the hug before they wandered into the bedroom. Molly moved straight towards her dresser, collecting a clean pair of pyjamas, whilst Gerard drew the blinds.
They both moved around the room quietly, both getting ready to go to bed, before finally, they both climbed into bed. Exchanging a couple more giddy smiles, they cuddled together before Gerard’s hand settled on Molly’s stomach, making the two of them glance at one another again, still smiling softly. They had to talk about a lot of things, the pregnancy was going to change things, and they needed to figure out exactly how, but it was a conversation that could wait until the morning. They weren’t thinking ahead in that moment, they were just happy.
Keeping his ear pressed to the door, he listened for a few more seconds before he knocked again. “Molly” he called again.
“The door’s not locked” Molly answered.
Gerard glanced down at the door handle before he turned it, smiling ruefully when the door swung open. Shaking his head, he shuffled into the room before he saw Molly who was sat on the floor, staring down at the tests which were settled, face down, next to her.
Molly looked up at the sound of the door opening, a shy smile on her face. “I haven’t looked yet” she said.
Gerard nodded his head as he crossed the room, sliding down the wall until he was sat by her side. “Because you wanted to do it with me?” he chirped, offering her a lopsided smile.
Molly couldn’t help smiling back at him, more than a little grateful that he had opted to make a joke rather than ask her why she had hesitated. She wasn’t quite ready to admit that, in amongst all of the happiness and excitement that she felt about her potential pregnancy, there was an overwhelming sense of fear that she would turn the test over and see that it was negative. It shouldn’t have scared her as much as it did. Aside from a handful of comments that she and Gerard had made throughout their relationship, they hadn’t seriously discussed the prospect of starting a family, but it didn’t change the fact that she knew how upset she would be if she saw the word ‘negative’ on the screen of the tests that sat in front of her.
“Something like that” Molly replied.
Gerard wordlessly twined their fingers together, allowing him to lift Molly’s hand so that he could touch a gentle kiss to the back of it.
Molly exhaled a shaky breath before she leant forwards, turning the two tests over. Lingering over them, she studied the results for a few seconds before she leant back against the wall, a dazed expression on her face. Gerard frowned at her, not sure what to make of the look on her face, before he leant over and checked the results himself. Sputtering out a slightly surprised noise, he sunk back against the wall, allowing the room to fall silent until Molly let out a soft hiccuped sob.
Gerard, who’d been staring down at the floor, looked up at the sound, a slow smile growing across his face. Leaning forwards, he gently brushed his thumb along her cheekbone, wiping away her tears before he pressed his lips to her forehead. “You’re having our baby” he whispered softly.
Molly didn’t say anything. She didn’t know that she could. Instead, she squeezed her eyes closed, allowing her tears to trickle down her cheeks as Gerard gently dusted her face with kisses. She could feel his smile against her cheeks, and she could hear the warmth in his voice, but she couldn’t find her voice to tell him how happy she was. It was overwhelming, and exciting, and she was thrilled, but the words just wouldn’t come.
Gerard gently pushed her hair behind her ear. “Are you OK?” he asked.
Molly nodded. “Yeah” she squeaked “Just...I don’t know. I’m feeling a lot of things, and I can’t focus on one thing for long enough” she added.
“Are they good things?” Gerard prodded, his smile slightly more cautious.
Molly grinned at him, not hesitating to nod. “Yes” she insisted “I am thrilled. A little dazed, but thrilled” she added.
Gerard brushed his thumb along her cheekbone again, brushing away a few more tears that had slipped out of her eyes, before he pushed himself forwards again, collecting the tests from their spot on the floor. Pushing himself up to his feet, he wrapped them in tissue before he tucked them into his pocket, allowing him to turn back and offer his hand out towards Molly. “Come on” he said “You probably need to lay down or something” he added.
Molly placed her hand into his, allowing him to tug her back to her feet, before she stepped towards him, wrapping him in a tight hug that Gerard didn’t hesitate to return, smiling gently. After a long moment, they both backed out of the hug before they wandered into the bedroom. Molly moved straight towards her dresser, collecting a clean pair of pyjamas, whilst Gerard drew the blinds.
They both moved around the room quietly, both getting ready to go to bed, before finally, they both climbed into bed. Exchanging a couple more giddy smiles, they cuddled together before Gerard’s hand settled on Molly’s stomach, making the two of them glance at one another again, still smiling softly. They had to talk about a lot of things, the pregnancy was going to change things, and they needed to figure out exactly how, but it was a conversation that could wait until the morning. They weren’t thinking ahead in that moment, they were just happy.