Page 82 of You're All I Need

So will Caden’s…

I take the first set of tests out of the box and lift the toilet seat. I read through the directions, which are pretty self-explanatory, but I still read every single word. I can’t mess this up. When I’ve completed my little assignment, I pull down my shorts and underwear and do what I’m supposed to do.

When it’s done, I carefully place the pee stick flat on the vanity and finish the other part of using the bathroom. Once my shorts are pulled up and I’ve flushed, I realize I didn’t set a timer. It says in three minutes I’d have the results.

Needing something to do with my hands, I wash them. Just as I reach for the hand towel to dry them off, I glance down at the test. There’s a single word printed across the little screen.

Pregnant.

“Are you almost done? I’m dying out here.”

With my eyes glued to that one word, I carefully pick up the stick and head for the door. I remember to at least grab the little plastic cover and place it over the end so I’m not walking around with fresh pee in my hand. The moment I open the door, she’s there, her eyes wide as she waits.

“It says…”Breathe.“It says, I’m pregnant.”

Her hand covers her mouth, and I’m not sure if it’s to cover her shock or her smile. “Really?”

I nod, holding out the life-changing device in my hand.

“Holy shit, Adrienne.”

Closing my eyes again, I take another deep breath. “What am I going to do?” I whisper, not just to her but myself as well.

“You’re going to drink some water and take another. These things aren’t always accurate, right?”

I shrug, having no clue, but I do as instructed. She takes the used test from me and places it on a paper plate and then hands both the bottle of water and a fresh, unopened pregnancy test over.

When the second test comes back with the same result, I walk into the kitchen and fall into one of the chairs. “What am I going to do, Stevie?”

She takes the seat beside me and reaches for my hand. “You’re going to do what you have to do, Adrienne. Take a few days and collect your thoughts. Then, decide what you’re gonna do about Caden.”

I sigh and shake my head. “I’m on the pill. I know it’s not one-hundred-percent, but this shouldn’t have happened.” I close my eyes, recalling the night. “One time. One time we didn’t weara condom.” I don’t tell her he pulled out too, because that’s a little personal, but I definitely think it.

“Maybe he has some sort of super sperm,” she suggests with a smile.

My eyes roll. “He doesn’t need any help inflating his ego.”

After a few beats, she asks, “You are going to tell him, right?”

I consider my options, realizing quickly I don’t really have one. I have to tell him. It’s the right thing to do, regardless of the outcome. Whether or not he chooses to be involved will be up to him. “Yeah, I’ll tell him. It’ll be his decision whether or not he wants to participate in this baby’s life.”

This baby.

I’m going to have a baby.

Holy shit!

I drop my head into my hands. “He’s going to hate me.”

“No, he’s not,” she insists.

“Yes, he is. The last thing he wants is to be tied down, Stevie. You know how he is.”

“I do,” she agrees. “He’s been playing with fire for years, Adrienne. Any one of those instances where he slept with a woman could have resulted in this exact thing. Condoms aren’t one-hundred-percent foolproof either.”

“Yeah, but I doubt he’ll see it that way.”

He’ll blame me.

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