Strength In Our Bonds (The Strength in Generations Accompanying Book)

The Winter Ball Aftermath

"Martine?" asked Leiria, looking over at her husband, who was currently pacing as if his life depended upon it.

"Hm?" He didn't stop.

"You don't think that having a baby will affect my illness in any way, do you? Because that's what's been scaring me about the thought of having children."

"What do you mean?" asked Martine, finally stopping and turning toward Leiria.

"Well, you know how some women get sick during the beginning? Or, or all the pain that happens during childbirth? These are things I already go through when I'm sick. I'm just hoping that the fact that I do already go through these things doesn't make them more painful and unbearable than it would be for a woman who isn't sick."

Martine looked over at her again. "We should've waited."

"No, no, we had already waited so long." Leiria smiled. "I don't regret it. I just... didn't think of any of this until now, when I probably should've already."

"These have been the most nerve-racking three minutes of my life," Martine confessed.

"I know. I'm nervous too." Leiria stood, and grasped Martine's hands. "It'll be okay. Okay? We can do this. Now, I think it should be ready now."

"Time to find out if we're gonna be parents."

Martine took a deep breath, grasped Leiria's hand, and they walked into the bathroom together.

"Ready?" asked Leiria.

Martine nodded. "Ready."

Leiria nodded in response, and looked down at the pregnancy test she'd taken.

"It's negative. Um, I think." She squinted. "Martine, come over here, please. Does this look like one line or two?"

"Uh..." Martine hurried over, and frowned in confusion. "I don't know."

"We probably should have bought a more modern pregnancy test."

"Yep." Martine nodded. "Well, I think the pharmacy is still open- I'll run over there and see if they have any."

~ * ~

The next morning when Aurelie awakened, she felt a little dizzy, but that was nothing in comparison to the fact that she had no idea where she was. This was not her room, nor was it her parents' house.

"Are you all right, dear?" she heard Harlan ask beside her.

The events of the previous night all came flooding back to Aurelie then. "As all right as someone can be after they've slept with their ex-boyfriend."

"I apologize, I shouldn't have let it go so far," Harlan said, clearly sounding upset.

"Neither of us should have, but we both just wanted it so badly, and now..." Aurelie sighed, "My life is such a mess."

Aurelie put her face into her hands and began to cry.

"It's not supposed to be this hard! I finished high school early, I have a job I love, and I'm not ugly. Why do I keep feeling like I'm failing at life?"

"Please don't cry, Aurelie." Harlan held her close.

"Why are you comforting me?" she asked. "I'm here crying about my first-world problems when there are people like you who have actual problems. You should hate me! You should want to slap me or something! ...Right?"

"Not once have I ever seen you cry. Not when I told you about my childhood, not even when we broke up. You mustn't weigh your problems against others'. What matters is what's hurt Aurelie to the point where she feels she needs to cry."