Page 47 of Under the Dragon's Spell
"You're worrying again. Stop that. It'll be fine."
How often had he said those words over the past few days?
"I'd take it for you," Tyrel said. "But I'm afraid that's not possible."
I reached out for the test and he handed it to me. I stared at it. It looked so innocent in my hands. Taking a deep breath, I walked out of the room and into the bathroom.
Tyrel tried to follow after me, but I shut the door in his face, needing to be alone for this. I had no doubt at all that he would take it in stride if this test turned out negative. It was my own reaction I feared.
He knocked on the door. I ignored him.
Open up.
He sent the thought to me. It was still weird in a way, to hear him in my head. At first, he'd only been able to do it while we had eye contact, but now it seemed that wasn't required anymore. I was getting better and better at resisting his orders, too. I felt the pull, but I never had to give in to it if I didn't want to, and he knew that.
And I knew he liked it that way, so I didn't feel bad about not doing what he told me to.
"I'm going to do this now," I announced out loud so I couldn't go back on my word even as my hand shook, holding the test stick. Carefully I peeled it out of its packaging and followed the instructions. I had done this so many times it had almost become an automated process.
It'll be fine, I heard Tyrel's voice in my head, not sure whether it was memory or him actually talking to me.
When I was done, I zipped my pants back up and waited, afraid to look at the stick.
This past week, we'd talked so much about our future together, about the child we imagined we'd have… It could all come undone.
I closed my eyes and counted to ten, focused on my breathing because I felt dangerously close to a panic attack.
Waving the stick in my hand, I finally opened my eyes again. A positive test was supposed to show a pink line.
And there it was.
I almost dropped the stick, but there it fucking was!
I wiped my eyes and looked again. Could it really be?
Could I be…?
I took a deep breath, and then I felt tears well up in my eyes.
I was pregnant.
I was going to have a baby!
Finally!
I laid a hand on my belly as if to greet my little one as years of anxiety washed off me in a flood of tears.
This was really going to happen.
"Adrian?" Tyrel knocked on the door. "Are you okay?"
Okay? I was more than okay. "I'm pregnant!" I announced.
"I knew it!" Tyrel sounded about as victorious as I felt. I went to the door and opened it for him, and he swept me up in his arms before I could say another word. He was as happyabout this as I was, and I loved him for it. "I'll make an appointment with the doctor and then we can get that permit and I'll show you my island." He kissed me and I leaned into him. I couldn't wait for our real life to start.
18
ADRIAN
