Look East | A Hozier Fanfiction |

34

Andrew hummed the chorus to Gangsta's Paradise as he washed his hands. He knocked a bottle of Molly's hair product off the vanity and it clattered into the bin. He dried his hands and went to to dig the bottle out. It had sunk to the bottom of the bin, crushing layers of tissues. As he pulled the bottle out and moved to replace it on the vanity, something caught his eye. A white plastic handle stuck up between crumpled tissues. He reached in and picked it up, his heart racing as he saw the brand name in blue lettering on the side.

Clearblue.

It was a pregnancy test. His stomach dropped to his feet when he saw the result.

Pregnant.

He leaned against the vanity heavily as the word on the tiny digital screen looked up at him. His heart stopped for a solid ten seconds and if Clementine hadn't licked his finger tips, he'd have forgotten to breathe. He pulled his hand back from the dog's mouth and dropped the test stick on the vanity.

"Fuck," he whispered, gasping for air.

He looked in the bin again to see if he could tell how long the test was in there. The test didn't say how far along Molly was.

Breathe, he told himself. He gripped the edge of the vanity so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His chest was tight. Bin day is tomorrow, so it can't be any older than six days, he thought.

Taking several deep breaths, he forced his fingers through his hair roughly, hoping to ground himself a bit. Molly was pregnant.

She hasn't told me yet, he realized. Why?

She wasn't the type to do one of those cute announcements he'd seen his friends' wives and girlfriends do. Hell, she wasn't even the type to want a baby to begin with.

For a brief moment, an image of a child running along Greystones Beach laughing and shouting as he did as a child lit up his mind's eye. It had Molly's smile and his eyes. He felt a twinge in his heart at the thought.

She hasn't told you because she doesn't intend on telling you, his mind told him.

He shook his head. Molly would never keep something like this from him. She'd never just make a decision about something like this without him. Would she?

Doubt crept into his mind and he pushed off the vanity, moving through the bedroom with Clementine at his heels. She took the stairs behind him, her collar jingling quietly. Andrew headed to Molly's office, knowing she didn't have class that day. He stopped outside the office, trying to compose himself. Clementine sat next to him, looking up with her big brown eyes and her ears peeled back against her head.

Breathe, he reminded himself. She hasn't done anything wrong yet. Maybe she's planning on telling you. Maybe she wants to confirm it with her doctor first.

He knocked and waited a second before entering. Molly was sat at her desk, several textbooks open in front of her. She looked up as she closed a book and stood.

"Hey," she said cheerfully. "I can't talk long. I've got to go to an appointment."

"How long have you known?" he asked, point-blank.

She froze, looking at him in confusion. "How - how long have I known what?" she asked.

He closed the gap between them slightly. "How long have you known?" he asked again, slower this time.

She narrowed her eyes, still unsure. "Andrew, I don't know what you're talking about."

"How far along are you?" he asked finally. "I saw the test. Don't lie to me."