Chapter 153. At Last, With Child

“I’m not pregnant,” I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath. “I can’t be pregnant.” I shook my head in frantic denial, closing my eyes as I tried to force the thought away. God, let this be a nightmare. Please let this be unreal, I begged silently, squeezing the little plastic stick so tightly that my knuckles whitened and a sharp pain shot through my fingers. I barely noticed.

When I finally opened my eyes, my heart lurched. Staring back at me from the tiny window on the test strip was an unmistakable plus sign—strong, clear, positive. My mouth fell open in stunned disbelief. I’d taken four tests already this week, each one identical, yet seeing it again felt impossible. I blinked as if the repeated focus might erase the sign. Yet there it was.

This can’t be true, I thought, though every instinct in my body knew otherwise. I had noticed the warning signs—the queasiness creeping up every morning, the sudden bouts of nausea that knocked me flat, tender breasts tha