“I’m not trying to pressure you, it’s just that she heard a lot about you from us and wanted to meet you. You can choose not to go if you aren’t comfortable with it”, he hurriedly explained hoping not to ease my mind, but I was far from being stressed out about the news since it meant that Seth had fully accepted me as his. I was excited and wished I could go to her at that moment except that she had traveled and wasn’t returning until the next two months.
Our last semester started with hugs of welcome and stories of the vacation as we arrived. The thought of finally leaving this school in a few months made us all giddy and excited judging by the smiles everyone wore on their faces as they checked in into our dorms.
Whoever said “it gets better once you got the hang of it” deserves a massive punishment. There was nothing easy or better about how our last semester was going. We barely had time for other activities with all the assignments and projects we had. We sometimes had to even spend some nights at the library. Seth as understanding as he was, never pressured me into talking for long whenever he called, or meeting since he claims it might distract me.
We managed to successfully find a day to visit Seth’s mom after her travel and I could feel myself getting unusually tensed as the days went by.
Meeting Seth’s mom for the first time was like stepping into a whole new world. I’d imagined it in so many ways, each one more nerve-wracking than the last. The day of the meeting, my stomach was a tangled mess of anticipation and anxiety. I even spent way too long trying to pick out the perfect outfit. Seth kept telling me his mom was “really nice,” but that didn’t do much to calm my nerves. Meeting the family was always a big deal, after all.
When we pulled up to the house, I was struck by how perfectly it matched the picture Seth had painted of his upbringing. It was charmingly cozy, with a welcoming front porch and a garden that looked like it had been tended with a lot of love. Seth squeezed my hand as we approached the door, a small gesture of reassurance that didn’t quite ease my nerves but was sweet all the same.
As soon as the door opened, Seth’s mom stood there with a warm smile that immediately made me feel a bit more at ease. She was petite with a kind face and eyes that sparkled with genuine curiosity and kindness. I couldn’t help but notice how she carried herself—elegantly, yet with a down-to-earth warmth. It was like she was personally inviting me into her world.
“Penny, it’s so nice to finally meet you!” she said, her voice melodic and full of warmth. She pulled me into a hug that was unexpectedly affectionate and comforting, like a cozy blanket on a chilly day.
“Hi! It’s great to meet you too,” I managed to reply, trying not to let my nerves show. Her genuine greeting made me feel more at ease right away.
We settled into the living room, and Seth’s mom was an excellent host. She guided me through a selection of appetizers and engaged me in conversation with such natural grace that I started to relax. There was something incredibly sincere about the way she talked about her family and her interests, it was clear she genuinely cared about the people around her.
After having dinner, we sat together and had some snacks while watching a movie. My phone rang and I excused myself to answer when I realised it was mom calling. We spoke for a while and when she was assured that I was well, she hang up and let me be. I decided to return to the room after taking a little rest but stopped when I heard what was discussed.
“I like her and wouldn’t want her to get hurt. She isn’t like the ones you usually flaunted with in the past and I’m happy you seem stable lately. You may be my son but she’s also another’s child, and in as much as I wouldn’t want to see you hurt, I wouldn’t want the same for her. So I want you both to be sure of yourselves before getting any deeper than you are. If you aren’t ready to take responsibilities for your actions, then I suggest you end this relationship before you both get hurt. I know you understand what you have to do”, she advised and I didn’t know how to feel about it. She meant well by what she said and I was happy that she had finally accepted me into her family, but I was worried about what Seth might do if he realized I wasn’t the one he really wanted. I trust but I just couldn’t help feeling insecure about the whole situation.
Claire, Seth’s mom, suggested I stayed over for the night but I declined. She hesitantly let me go insisting that I visit her again. I bid her goodnight and was led to the car by Seth who looked lost in thoughts. The smile I had on my face the rest of the night disappeared the moment I entered the car and I suddenly felt tired. I leaned against the seat trying to calm myself.
“What’s wrong?”, I heard snapping me from my thoughts. I looked in his direction to find him already looking at me. I tried to smile to ease his tensed expression but stopped when I noticed he was getting worse.
“Nothing, just tired. I want to take a nap, please wake me when we arrive”, I responded trying to escape from his prying eyes. He hummed and placed a kiss on my forehead as if to assure me that everything was fine and I need not to worry. I inclined the seat back a bit and leaned against it turning away from him, as if to hide my existence from him.
I woke up feeling better than I was earlier and sat upright only to find Seth’s gaze on me. I was startled at how deep his look was that I shrunk a little into myself.
“How long have I been asleep?”, I asked rubbing my eyes. He sighed and sat up avoiding my questioning gaze.
“We just arrived at your dorm”, he replied not saying anything else. I hummed in response and prepared to get off but stopped when I felt that something was wrong. I bid him goodnight and was about to leave when he held my hand.
“You know you can talk to me, right? I’m always here when you need someone to talk to, it doesn’t matter if it’s important or not. I’m always ready to listen to you”, he assured and I tried to smile despite the tug at my heart.
“I know”. I turned to him and placed a quick kiss on his lips hoping he didn’t think anymore about my actions during the night. I retired to my room to find it empty, guess Ezra had gone out for the night. I contemplated on whether to ask Seth stay with me for the rest of the night but decided against it. The more I stayed with him, the more I felt I might dump all my insecurities on him, and that did not sit well with me, despite his insistence on relying on him.
The days passed in a blur amid the storm of assignments and excitements knowing we were closer to finally leaving all the stress behind. Some weeks after visiting Seth’s mom, I started to notice small changes in my body, but brushed them off. It started with the fatigue after a day’s work. I normally paced myself when it came to school activities so as to not fall sick, so it was strange how easily I could feel tired after a little work. At first I brushed it off as stress from the numerous assignments and projects we had to complete towards our graduation and also finding ways in between to spend with Seth. However, it became overwhelming and no matter how much sleep I got, I just couldn’t get rid of the tiredness.
Then came the nausea. My stomach churned randomly, especially in the mornings. At first, I convinced myself it was just nerves or maybe something I ate. I’d skip breakfast to avoid feeling queasy, but that only made things worse. Ezra noticed, of course. She teased me about starting some new diet, and I laughed it off, but deep down, I knew something didn’t feel right.
It wasn’t until my period was late—by more than a week—that the worry started to settle in. I’ve always been regular, so it was unusual. Still, I tried to convince myself it was just stress. That can mess with your cycle, right? But a small, nagging voice inside me whispered what I was too afraid to admit.
One evening, as Seth and I sat in his room watching a movie, I noticed a dull ache in my chest. My breasts felt sore and tender, which wasn’t completely abnormal, but it wouldn’t go away. I shifted uncomfortably, trying to focus on the film, but all I could think was ‘What if?’
It wasn’t until that weekend, when Ezra and I had planned a night out with some friends, that I really couldn’t ignore it anymore. As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready, a wave of dizziness hit me out of nowhere. I had to sit down, feeling lightheaded. Ezra knocked on the door, asking if I was okay. I brushed it off, forcing a smile, but I knew something wasn’t right.
Later that night, while everyone was drinking and laughing, I just felt off. My nausea came back with a vengeance, and the smell of alcohol made it worse. I stuck to sipping water, trying to act normal, but inside, I couldn’t stop wondering why I felt like this. By the time we got home, I knew I couldn’t keep brushing it off.
The next morning, I went to the pharmacy and bought a pregnancy test. My hands were shaking as I paid for it. Back in our dorm room, I locked myself in the bathroom, my heart pounding while I waited for the results.
And then… two pink lines. I stared at them, feeling like the world had just tilted on its axis. This was real. I was pregnant. The fatigue, the nausea, the missed period—it all led to this moment.
Now, I just had to figure out what to do next.
YOU ARE READING
MY BEST ADDICTION
RomanceI always thought addictions were overrated until I met him. He who came like a storm and turned my already wavy life into a tsunami. Everything about him was as dark and bright as the night sky full of stars and as bittersweet as a wine. Despite th...
