Passion's Instinct

Seventy Three

Hayden

Over the last month , Natalie had been having pregnancy-like symptoms. I was so nervous. What if she was pregnant again? I didn't think I could do it.

Deep inside, I hoped with all of me that she wasn't.

At first I didn't think it was possible, but when Natalie mentioned something about being off the pills for a week or so, that's when I got worried.

I was at a hockey meet, sitting there and listening the coach and other officials ramble on about budgets and other boring stuff for this year. The only thing I could think of was Natalie and the possible results after she took the test. She said she would text me when she found out, and I kept checking my phone every two minutes just incase.

I pulled it out of my pocket again. Nothing.

"Come on, babe," I whispered to myself, breathing out.

"Christensen," Coach barked, and my head snapped up in response. I straightened. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, Coach. All good."

He averted his eyes from me with a permanent scowl on his face, stepping down from the podium and sitting back in his seat while the next person went up and started speaking.

Coach didn't like the time of year. The long, boring meetings. The monotone speakers. The budget talks. The hours spent listening to them.

Finally, as I sat there staring at the wall daydreaming, my phone vibed, and my stomach dropped, and I slowly pulled it out of my pocket. I looked at the screen, and...

It was a text from my mother.

My shoulders slumped, and I unlocked my phone and viewed her text.

Hi, honey, it reads, I was just going to ask you what the exact date was when you first enrolled in acting school. I couldn't do the math. LOL thanks Hayden-poo!

LOL? Seriously, Mom? And the 'Hayden-poo' thing!

Not again...

I gritted my teeth. All of that build-up and it was my mother, asking me what the exact date was that I enrolled in my acting school as a teenager. How would I remember that? Why doesn't she, she's my mother!

By then, I was sure my face was red with frustration as I shifted in my seat. I still couldn't believe how nervous I was, and when I finally got a text, it was just my mom asking a stupid question that didn't even matter. Why couldn't she have just sent me that text later? Or not at all?

I didn't even bother to answer as I shoved my phone back in my pocket, flustered an angry. The only words I heard from the speaker's mouth are "this meeting is dismissed," and I didn't stick around afterward to talk. I ran out of the building and straight to my car, getting in and pulling out.

Once I reached the highway, I was racing, looking behind me every so often to make sure someone wasn't going to run into me as I cut in front of them in their lane. People honked their horns at me, but when I made eye contact with them, I just smiled and waved my hand, mouthing sorry.

I was almost home when I heard the sirens behind me. My stomach dropped. Reluctantly, I looked in my rear view mirror and saw flashing blue and red lights. A police car. Following me.

"Come on," I whispered to myself as I pulled over to a shoulder. "The second time this year."

I waited with the window down in my car for the police, and it was was a woman, with red hair and freckles scattered across her cheeks. "Sir," she started, "I'm afraid you were way over the speed limit. I'm going to have to give you a ticket for this."

I sighed, looking up at her. "Please, officer, I need to get home. Listen, I don't know if my wife is pregnant or not with our fourth and I need to know now. She hasn't texted me, and I'm not even sure if --"

Officer Kerry, the name I read from her tag, held up a hand. "You don't have to tell me your life story, sir. If it's that urgent, then fine. I'll let you go. This time. From scanning your license plate, I see that you have a real issue with speeding. Next time around you're going to court."

"Thank you. So much. I really appreciate it!" I said as she waved and walked away. I rolled up my window and let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness."

***********************************

As soon as I got home that afternoon, I turned my car off and sprinted inside and straight into the kitchen, where I knew Natalie would be. Sure enough, she was in there, at the counter making dinner.

"Natalie!" I said, rushing over to her and grabbing her shoulders, shaking them. "So? Tell me, what were the results?"

"No."

"No what?" I asked nervously.

"No, as in no, I'm not pregnant."

"YES!" I half-whispered, half-yelled. I hugged her for a quick second, then pulled away. "Sorry," I said, and I smiled, then ran downstairs to my den.

Let me just say...

Four kids is too much.

Thank goodness.