The Timeline

24.

April 15th, 2015:

It's not everyday that you find out you're pregnant.

It's actually a once in a lifetime experience - or, more than once in a lifetime, if you plan on having more than one child.

Certainly, it's something you would usually expect when you're older, once you've been planning for a kid for a while. Certainly, it's not something you'd expect to find out at 19, after you've had a row with your psychotic older ex-boyfriend, whom you just decided you'll file a restraining order against a mere hour prior. Certainly, it's not something you expect to find out while sitting on a doctor's chair, waiting for them to tell you the type of birth control you're supposed to get since the other ones you got caused an allergic reaction. Certainly, it's not something you expect to find out while your older sister, who became a mom almost a year ago, is sitting next to you as emotional support.

Many things about Claire's finding out hadn't gone as expected.

But then, she hadn't been expecting a pregnancy announcement when she had walked into the doctor's office that afternoon.

The whole scene had gone like this, more or less.

Claire had spent a pretty emotionally tiring morning, what with the knowledge she had sent Harry what was going to be - probably - her last voice message; she had been openly attacked by Robert at LAMDA, her sacred place reserved for acting in front of her friends and some of the teachers; she had had an early lunch with her sister, although she hadn't felt exactly hungry; then she had come to the conclusion that Robert had to pay for what he had put her through, and had told her sister she wanted to file a restraining order against him.

When she had entered the gynecologist's office, later that afternoon, she had just wanted him to tell her that he had finally found the birth control pills that would've fixed her PCOs and let her take her mind off that one particular problem. One thing would've been - if not resolved - at least fixed for a while, thanks to those.

And instead, from the moment she had entered, Claire had felt that the air was thick with something that felt foreign to her, albeit a bit rueful. The face the gyno had made while staring down at the many pages of blood tests she had to run again had made something deep inside of her squirm. She had feared for the worst: did the blood tests show that she had some type of incurable disease that prevented her from taking the pills?

Anna, as well, had picked up on the atmosphere and she had grabbed Claire's hand before directing her calm and collected stare towards the doctor, who was finally looking up from the papers he was holding with a frown etched between his eyebrows.

"Miss Hartley." - he had begun saying, then, putting the papers down on the table. Stopping to take a deep breath, the man had taken off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. - "Miss Hartley, I do not know how else to break this news to you. You're pregnant."

A shocked silence had followed his words. During the lengthy moment the doctor stared at Claire while she tried to process the information, eyes wide open and lips slightly parted, while her sister had let go of her hand, the news having had the likes of a small earthquake to her mind.

From Claire's reaction, it had been evident to the doctor that she hadn't been expecting the news to be delivered to her. The doctor had asked her if she had had any symptoms during that month - apparently, that was how long she had been pregnant for, according to her levels of beta HCG in her blood.

"No, I didn't have any type of morning sickness." - Claire had stupidly answered, her mouth feeling as dry as sandpaper.

That was how Claire had found out about the myriad of little symptoms that can alert someone to a pregnancy: apart from your period being late (which wasn't a problem with Claire, considered she simply had her period twice a year if she was lucky) and the morning sicknesses (which Claire hadn't experienced at all, because maybe they happened later) symptoms of a pregnancy could include the swelling of one's breasts, alongside pains located in the area, fatigue and tiredness (something Claire experienced on the daily, especially in the last weeks), back pains (also incredibly common for Claire), headaches (common like back pains), an increase of her wees (Claire already had almost a wee each hour), cravings of certain types of food (which she had experienced lately, the most recent one the pain au chocolat from that very morning). More symptoms - which Claire had experienced as well in the past weeks - were inability to concentrate, mood swings and nasal congestions.