Fading Echoes

Dieciséis

Irene

I regretted it. I regretted everything that happened to us that night.

This wasn't what we had agreed upon.

My period has been delayed for a month now, and I've been experiencing a strange blend of exhaustion, drowsiness, and dizziness. I confided in Maxine, one of my closest friends and a doctor. If anyone would know what to do, it was her.

"Oh God! Irene... since when?" she exclaimed, her concern evident.

I bit my lip, staring at the two boxes of pregnancy tests in front of me. I had bought them yesterday before heading home.

"I'm a month late... and I've been feeling off for almost two weeks now..." I replied, swallowing hard as I braced myself for what I already knew was coming.

But I had to be sure.

No matter what...

"Take the tests," Maxine urged. "Once you get the results, whether it's negative or positive, tell me right away so I can refer you to Chelsea, okay?"

I took a deep breath as we ended the call.

My hands trembled as I waited for the results. I took five tests-I know it sounds excessive, but I was panicking.

And that day, I knew... I was pregnant.

I stepped out of the bathroom, carefully stashing all the unused and used test kits away. I didn't want anyone to know-not yet. Maybe it was because I felt so lost...

I quickly changed my clothes, but not into my office attire. When Greggy saw me coming out of my room, confusion etched on his face.

"You're... going somewhere?" he asked, noticing that my outfit was not suitable for the office. I gulped, gripping my handbag tightly.

"No, I have to meet Chelsea. She has a personal emergency, and I need to be there for her," I lied. His eyes widened.

"Oh, do you want me to come with you? I might be able to help!" he offered eagerly, but I shook my head.

"No, it's fine. You have that meeting with the Torres Group; you can't miss that."

"Oh, yeah... Just text me if you need anything, okay? Who will drive you?" he asked.

"I can drive myself. Just have Manong Fred drop you off. I really have to go, Greg," I insisted, heading down the stairs.

As I drove, my mind raced with thoughts of how to handle this. How could I be a mom when I felt so unprepared?

When I arrived at the hospital, Chelsea and Maxine were waiting for me.

"Irene, where's Greggy?" Chelsea asked. I glanced at Maxine, who shook her head and subtly signaled for Chelsea to drop it. Chelsea sensed the tension and moved on, urging me to take the tests.

All the results came back the same: positive.

"Congratulations, Rene!!! I can't wait to see your baby bump!" they squealed, excitement shining in their eyes.

"I have a new inaanak!!!" Maxine added, both of them giggling and staring at the test results. I sat there, my hands clasped together, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Hey..." Chelsea said softly, noticing my distant expression. She moved beside me, taking my hand in hers, concern written all over her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently. I shook my head, staring down at my lap. I felt Maxine sit on my other side, her hand soothingly caressing my back.