Crestfallen [COMPLETED]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ - 12

Joanna

"I will drop you," I said grabbing the car keys from the table.
"Not necessary, Jo. I . . ."
"I will," I replied sternly.

I parked the car outside the centre and glanced over at Alex. His palms were kneaded together and he looked uncertain.

"Alex." He turned my way his gaze softer.
"I know you didn't want to come for therapy. But I want you to say everything. Everything on your mind. Things you couldn't say to me. You need to, please."

"I will try, Jo."

I waited outside the room. Waiting for his first session to get over and well both anxiously.

The door opened and he emerged out, his stance relaxed.

How do you feel?, I asked him, my expressions strained.

"Good," he said with the smallest of smiles and a knot loosened in my chest.
I pulled him closer to me in a hug and he looked at me unexpectedly.

"You scare me so much, Alex," I breathed against his hair.
He held me tight against himself kissing my earlobe tenderly.

"I am sorry."

"It's okay," I smile caressing his back.

............................................................

I walked across the room, feeling the dull ache in my neck intensify. The pain was becoming unbearable, but I tried to push it aside, i had a lot of pending cases to go through right now.

I reached for something on the table, and Alex grabbed my hand gently .

"Joanna, go and sleep," Alex said, his voice laced with concern. "You have working so hard these days  and please don't worry so much about me."

Bending down on my knees beside the sofa where he sat, I reached out to touch his face.

"I am fine if you are fine," I whispered softly, my voice barely above a murmur.

He foreheads our pressed together.

"I feel better, baby," Alex said, his voice filled with reassurance. "The therapy sessions are going well. I promise I will get better "
"Nice."
A smile tugged at my lips as I leaned into him, relishing the closeness we shared.

.............................................................

I hadn't been feeling good lately. Body ache, persistent fatigue, breathlessness, and nausea. I doubted all these symptoms were just because of stress.

I was strolling around casually in the supermarket across our neighbourhood, shopping for a few necessities, and my eyes accidentally landed on the pregnancy kit aisle.

My hands trembled as indecision crept in me. But I decided to buy it. I needed to end my doubts once and for all.

Alex was sound asleep. I unwrapped the test kit in the washroom.
Time stood still as I waited for the results.
The kit slipped from my hand, the two lines haunting me like a nightmare.

The realization hit me like a tidal wave, sweeping me off my feet and leaving me gasping for air.

Pregnant.

The word echoed in my mind, a mixture of shock and disbelief washing over me.

All the weeks following our unprotected sex, had lead to this.

I was pregnant. A life was breathing inside my womb.

If only I had been more careful.

Up until this point, I had never considered having children.