Two pink lines

Mallory

Two pink lines.

Surely this a joke.

Maybe I should take the other one just to make sure.

I looked up and showed Serena, tears building in my eyes. "I-it's not true..it's probably faulty. Right?"

Serena didn't say anything right away. She just looked at me, then at the test, her lips pressing together.

"Take the other one," she said softly.

My hands shook as I grabbed the second test and ripped open the box. I barely remembered taking it, my heart pounding so hard I thought I might pass out.

I set it on the sink and waited. The longest three minutes of my life.

Serena stood beside me, watching the test like it might change if we stared hard enough.

But when the timer went off, and I picked it up, my stomach dropped.

Two pink lines. Again.

I let out a shaky breath, my whole body going cold.

"Fuck," I whispered.

Serena reached for me, her hands warm against my freezing arms. "Okay. Okay, Mal, breathe."

I blinked at her. "Breathe?" My voice cracked. "Serena, I'm pregnant."

She squeezed my arms. "I know. But you need to breathe, okay?"

I tried, but it felt like my chest was caving in. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Not to me.

Not now.

What would mammy think? She's gonna be so disappointed in me.

Serena guided me to sit on the edge of the bath, crouching in front of me.

"Look, we don't have to figure everything out right now," she said. "Just take a second."

A tear slipped down my cheek. "What am I supposed to do?"

Serena hesitated. "Are you gonna tell Kian?"

My breath hitched. Kian.

How the fuck was I supposed to tell him?

Serena kept her hands on my knees, waiting for me to say something, but my mind was blank.

Tell Kian?

How was I supposed to do that?

What if he freaked out? What if he didn't want this?

What if he wanted me to get rid of it?

My stomach twisted, nausea rising in my throat.

"I don't know," I admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "I don't- I can't even think right now."

Serena gave my knee a small squeeze. "That's okay. You don't have to do anything right now."

I swallowed hard, looking down at the two tests in my hands.

Two pink lines.

No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't change them.

I was pregnant.

And I had no idea what the fuck I was going to do.