At Ashley’s insistence that she wanted to take the test now, Keegan’s stomach did a nervous flip but he bravely nodded. He was one of those people who always pushed something stressful far away so that he wouldn’t have to think about it. Far, far away. “Okay. We’ll take the test,” he spoke and then his brows furrowed as Ashley confessed what he didn’t think she’d ever think about him. Hadn’t Keegan proved that he really was in this for the long haul? The two of them had had their fair share of drama over the past year and if that hadn’t scared Keegan off..this wouldn’t either. “I’m not going anywhere,” Keegan promised and picked up her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze. “Whatever that test says, we’re in this together. Okay? We’re always in this together.” Keegan pressed his lips together and gave Ashley a small smile before letting go of her hand and standing up straight. Ashley was opening up the box and Keegan turned around to exit the bathroom, watching as the door shut.
Keegan couldn’t even sit. All he could do was stand there, dumbly staring at the door and his fingers twisting nervously by his sides. He shoved his hands into the pocket of his jeans to give them something to do and once he heard the toilet flush and the sink tap turn on, Keegan straightened up. This was going to be the longest wait of his life. He gave Ashley another weak smile as she opened the door and then Keegan sank onto the edge of the bed, his elbows against his knees and his eyes staring straight ahead.
Ashley nodded her head along as Keegan promised her that he wasn’t leaving. Deep down inside, she knew all of this. She knew that Keegan was in love with her and something like this wouldn’t scare him away and leave her alone to face it. After all, he had proven it the countless times he had saved her from her past with her crazy ex. But she couldn’t help but still have some insecurities, especially after all she had been through in her life. “I know. I just needed to hear you say it. I’m just scared.” The blonde sprung up on her tiptoes and gently pressed her lips against his cheek before she turned on her heel and made her way into the bathroom.
Her eyes stayed locked on the small pink box sitting on the counter. Who ever knew that a little pink box could be so intimidating? Ashley’s stomach turned over with nerves as she ripped open the side and pulled the small plastic stick out. She held the instructions in one hand, while mimicking the written words with the stick in her opposite hand. When she was done, she placed the test upon the counter and anxiously waited. Three minutes. It only took three minutes to figure out which path her life would take. Three minutes and life as she knew it could be changed forever. After washing her hands, she returned to her bedroom and joined her boyfriend on the edge of the bed. Silence filled the room. She wasn’t sure what to say and she figured Keegan’s mind was flooding with thoughts of his own, just like hers currently was. After setting a timer on her phone, the three short minutes seemed to drag on. Any other time, they would have passed by her without a second thought in her mind. But now, they seemed like a lifetime.
Ashley’s mind was lost in thoughts about what her future could possibly look like. Her life would be changing diapers and lacking sleep for the first few years of this potential baby’s life. Diapers, play dates, baby clothes, was all that was swirling around her mind. That was, until her cell phone timer had finally gone off, revealing that the three agonizing minutes were finally up. After quickly discarding the alarm and throwing her phone to the side, the woman locked eyes with Keegan. This was it. They were about to find out their future by one simple glance of a stick. Ashley walked into the adjoining bathroom and picked up the stick. She was too nervous to look at it right off the bat. Plus she wanted Keegan right by her side for the big reveal. Once she was in the doorway of the bathroom, she got the courage to open her eyes and look down at the test. "Negative.” Relief washed over her. She wasn’t pregnant. At least not according to this test. She let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding as a smile of relief spread across her face. “We’re not having a baby,” she repeated, still not believing they had managed to dodge a bullet so early in their relationship.
