3:09

CHAPTER 5 - THE OMEN

She couldn't sit still anymore. The anticipation was unnerving. Her hands trembled with anticipation and Aaron, taking notice of this, placed his own trembling hand in hers.

"Why is she so late? What else could she possibly have on that's more important than us right now?" Cara murmured to him.

"She's a doctor. She's probably looking to buy a sweet new car right now as we speak. Hey that reminds me, do you think the car spot is fine? It's nearly been two hours now." He looked at the clock on the wall and then back to her.

Cara's expression said it all. She immediately displayed a face of dismay towards him, like a child being told there's no more Halloween candy left.

"Is that seriously what you're thinking about right now?" she sarcastically replied.

Aaron removed his hand from her grip upon hearing her remark. Unsurprisingly, he was met with yet another face of dismay, which was incomparable from the last.

Cara's voice began to heighten. "You know... Sometimes I just wish you would be more...!"

*CREAK*

"Sorry... I'm so sorry I'm late you two. You wouldn't believe the drama that can happen in a couple of minutes."

Cara left her sentence unsaid and turned her attention to the desk.

She cleared her throat, "Elaine, how is everything going with our results? Is there anything out of the ordinary we should know about?"

Doctor Elaine raised her index finger, "Hold on, hold on... Don't jump the gun. I'm going to log in now and tell you everything you need to know. It's all gonna be fine, trust me."

Cara straightened her posture on the grey office chair, while Elaine typed and clicked away on her desktop with a face of pure focus.

"Right... here we are. So, the good news is you've both all completed everything you need. The stage we are currently at is called the Luteal Phase. I've explained this all to you before but I'll reiterate it because of protocols. This phase involves a two-week period between the embryo transfer and the pregnancy test. It's kind of the make-or-break of the IVF procedure."

Cara grabbed Aaron's hand and had no intention of letting go. He interlocked his fingers and hers with ease.

Doctor Elaine continued, "The progesterone medication, which you will start taking today, can often cause things like nausea, tiredness and some discomfort. They are completely normal, but, if you are getting a little concerned or if it's too much for you to handle you can always contact us or speak with me anytime."

Cara interrupted, "What happens if two weeks go by and I have the test and it comes back negative? What are we gonna do then? Was it all for nothing? Did it not work properly? Is it common for women to get negative tests back...?"

Doctor Elaine looked down at her desk and then directly at Cara.

"Listen to me. Take a breath" she reassured.

Aaron released his grip from her hand, freeing his wife from any unnecessary tension in the situation. Cara listened to Elaine, taking a breath while looking at her husband who did the same.

"You're going to be okay. Do you want to know how I came to that conclusion? You are fighters. You don't give up... clearly" she remarked. "I see this spark in you... both of you. At times you're going to think everything is going wrong. Then and only then, will you learn to be the best person you can both be for each other."

Elaine shifted her eyesight to Aaron, who straightened his posture upon locking eyes with him. "This goes without saying Aaron. You... need... to... be... there... for... her..."

"Is that even a question? Of course I will. I can't believe you would even say that to me. Clearly you don't know me well enough" he replied begrudgingly.

"I'm sorry" she confessed, "It's just something I think your wife needed to hear."

Cara began to creak a smile. She quickly stood up from her seat and walked closer to Elaine's desk.

"Thank you for everything you've done for us. I know that I've been a handful during this whole process and I really appreciate your time. So... I guess we're on our own from now on aren't we? Cara questioned.

"Well I'm not going to raise the baby am I?" she responded. "Now get out of here before you decide to plan a second pregnancy."

"Are you kidding me? One at a time thank you very much" she giggled.

Cara gave an exaggerated sigh of relief as she shook Elaine's hand with a firm grip, exiting the room. She browsed the many signs and sights in the facility, in which she had seen at least a dozen times. Suddenly, she noticed a teary eyed, possibly middle-aged woman, crying distinctively in the hallway. Before she could pause and think about the purpose of the weeping, Aaron had already opened the door for her, hastily guiding her out.

"Honey, what do you think she was crying about?" she asked as she gripped the car door.

"Well... if I was to make a guess, I hate to say it, but I think she lost her baby" he calmly answered. "Oh well, what can you do."

"Yeah... what can you do..." Cara murmured under her breath.

The car drive home was nothing short of silent. Every couple of minutes Aaron swiftly glanced at his wife, to which there was no subsequent glance back. Her focus was on the dense trees, rusted road signs and sunset of a mid-Autumn haze. As Aaron manoeuvred into the driveway of their home, Cara mumbled under her breath.

"It's not going to work."

They both sat in their warm and slightly dirty car, taking a minute. The longest minute of their lives. As though it would never end. They both knew what they were thinking, but didn't want to say it, as it would let down the other. The negative thoughts wouldn't get any easier. They would just move away for a while, then come back to a place they once called home, like a fly returning to a dog's ear in the Summer.

"It has to work. It has to" he promised.