Page 85 of Man Seeking Woman

'Take a wild guess.'

'Are you serious?'Gaping mouth face, fireworks, and an eggplant followed that text. Not sure what the eggplant stood for, but I had a few guesses.

'I think so.'

'The test was positive?'

'I didn't take a test yet, but I can feel it.'

'I'm coming over.'Her last text came through, and I knew I had at least twenty minutes before she got there.

Stretching out in bed, I sprawled across the mattress, taking up as much of the king sized bed as I could. Dragging myself out of the bed, I made my way to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.

How much caffeine am I allowed while pregnant?

Watching the liquid as it trickled into the glass pot, I knew I should do some research, maybe grab a few books on being pregnant, because I didn't have a damn clue.

As a teacher, I knew all about early development, and how children learn and absorb information. But carrying a child inside my body was totally knew to me.

“Ella, can I fix you some breakfast?” Valerie asked as she walked into the kitchen with a basket of laundry. August's maid had come back about a month ago, and I still wasn't used to having someone there to clean up after me.

After moving me in, August gave her some extra time off so we could get into our own rhythm. The first few days after she got back were the most awkward. Valerie would come in and laugh at me when she saw me doing dishes or cleaning the bathroom.

I would get super nervous and slightly freak out when I heard the door and someone moving around the apartment when I knew August was already gone. The first time I almost took her head off with a plunger from the bathroom. Luckily, she was good about it and had a great sense of humor.

Valerie was a small woman, much shorter than myself and I was barely five foot three. Her hair was super curly and gray, and she liked to wear the same outfits you'd see on a maid at a hotel.

“Oh, no, thank you though.” Giving her a smile, I poured myself a cup of coffee and went to sit in the living room to wait for Kay.

“Alright, well if you get hungry, just let me know.” Pushing the basket against her hip, she went off in the direction of the laundry room.

The bell rang, causing Valerie to shuffle her way through the apartment and to the door.

“Ella, Ella, Ella, the cavalierly has arrived!” Kayla blurted out, strutting through the living room like a peacock showing off their feathers. Only her feathers were two grocery bags in her hands.

“Oh God, what do you have?” Curling my legs up onto the couch, I cradled my cup in both palms.

“I have the answer,” she said, her smile growing wider.

“The answer to what?”

Kayla let out a devious chuckle as she dumped the contents of her bags onto the coffee table. “Pregnant or not pregnant, that is the question.”

“You are such a dork, you know that?”

“I do, but this dork is going to help you know for sure. So,” she said, holding out her arms. “Are you ready to find out if you have a tiny little parasite growing inside your belly?”

“When you put it like that—” Laughing, I leaned forward and grabbed one of the boxes. “Why did you get so many? Don't we only need one?”

“Maybe, but I've never done this before, have you?” Giving her a look, she arched a brow. “See, so we're pregnancy test virgins. Consider it like finding the right condom, we need to try them all out. The last thing you want to do is go with one and get the wrong result.” Fixing the boxes, she flipped them all over so we could see the front. “Which one do you want to try first?”

Scanning each one, I didn't have a clue where to begin. I swear, that girl bought one of every pregnancy test on the shelf. There were line tests, easy to read tests, digital, non-digital, quick response, and early detection.

“How about this one?” Holding up the classic, one or two stripe test, my brows bounced up to my hairline.

“Looks good to me, go for it.” Kayla rearranged the tests on the table, pointing at a bright pink box. “I'd do this one next.”

Flipping the box in my hand, I tapped it with my nail. “What if it says I am?”

---