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.
Keegan and Ashley sat in unbearable silence. Keegan wanted so badly to break it - he knew he should be saying something comforting to Ashley, or diffusing the tension with an ill-timed joke, or even just talking about nothing in particular so that the thick quiet didn’t feel like it was choking them. Nothing came to mind, however. Keegan just stared straight ahead and his eyes glanced down to the timer on Ashley’s phone which was ticking down patiently, as if it didn’t really care how much weight was resting on it. Keegan wanted to be the timer. His knee jerked and he coughed, but that was the only contribution he made in the remaining three minutes until the alarm went off. Keegan felt like he was going to jump out of his skin. He watched as Ashley stood up and then he followed dumbly, knowing he couldn’t just sit there anymore.
Was it possible to feel this sick with anticipation? Keegan gave Ashley a brave smile as she picked up the test and his hand reached forward to give her elbow a soft squeeze. He had meant what he said; they were in this together, no matter where it was one line or two lines. He wasn’t going anywhere. As Ashley glanced down and took the longest seconds of Keegan’s life to tell him whether not they were parents, Keegan felt practically bowled over as she grinned at him. “Thank God,” he breathed. Hm. Maybe that was a little harsh. “I mean..I’m just happy we have more time.” Better. Much better.
Keegan pulled Ashley into a hug, feeling shaky at how close they had come to dealing with something they weren’t prepared for. “Condoms,” he uttered. “We’re using a condom every time you forget your birth control. We’re going to be so careful.” Pulling back, Keegan cupped Ashley’s cheek. “You’re okay, right? You’re not disappointed? Are you happy?”
