High Hopes

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Almost three months of fall go by without Claire really noticing the leaves of the trees changing from their usual green to a kaleidoscope of amazing colors, nor the air turning cooler and crisper. At work she's kept busy with campaign after campaign, first they focus on Halloween, then Thanksgiving and ultimately Christmas. Her social life continues as normal, for the most part. Charlotte throws less of her impromptu dinner parties, preferring to spend most of her Saturday nights alone with Steve, but somehow it doesn't matter as everyone has other things to do as the festive season fever starts to grip New York.

Claire, with a lot of help from Henry's mother, finally finds a venue for the wedding reception that suits their needs. Charlotte, elected maid of honor, taking her role very seriously, sets about choosing the perfect wedding invitations. Claire explains to Candace that if it weren't for the tiny issue of distance, she would certainly have been given the title of chief bridesmaid.

A week before Thanksgiving, Claire gets a bee in her bonnet to do a little bit of a clear out of her bathroom cupboards. Unsure of where the extra energy has come from, she utilises it, as lately she's been feeling rather weary. Looking in her toiletry drawer, seeing the very full tampon boxes, she realises that she hasn't used any for quite a while. It makes her wonder when her last cycle was, but it's a fleeting thought as she gets interrupted by her cellphone ringing.

The afternoon of Thanksgiving, she suddenly remembers that she meant to check her dates. Immediately checking her phone diary, where she records this important information, she sees it's been three months at least since her last period. Initially she puts it down to the stress of losing Will, then a hectic time at work. But after thinking it through a bit more, appreciating the evidence that lately her breasts have been more tender than normal and she's picked up a little bit of extra weight, she starts to think.

Henry commented on my weight recently saying I looked healthier carrying a little bit extra. I'd been pleased, not thinking anything of it. Being on the pill, we've never had to think about using condoms, but now I wonder if somehow the pill failed?

Being a holiday, she struggles to find an open drug store, but eventually she locates one where she's able to purchase a home pregnancy test. Once she's back home, she reads the instructions on the back of the box first. Opening the package, she removes the stick that she needs to pee on. Waiting the required five minutes for the test result is awfully stressful. After what feels like fifteen minutes, Claire takes a look at the stick. The result is a very clear positive. Oh my God, I'm pregnant! What the hell is Henry going to think about this news? We haven't exactly spoken about having children. What if he doesn't want kids? I guess I'm going to find out.

Thanksgiving dinner is held at Henry's parents' home every year. It's a grand affair, absolutely not the time nor place to inform Henry that he's going to be a father. So Claire keeps the news to herself. After tossing and turning all night, getting up the next morning, she feels like she's been run over by a bus. Later that morning she makes a doctor's appointment.

The obstetrician comes highly recommended by Claire's regular doctor. Sitting in the waiting room, looking at a number of women in various stages of pregnancy, frightens her. Being pregnant was never something she planned for, certainly not before marriage. The thought of having to do it alone, like some of these women are clearly doing, is not a thought she entertains. After a night of processing the idea, she's come to the conclusion that even if Henry wasn't planning on having children right now either, he will probably get excited when he discovers that he's going to be a dad.

"Claire Reynolds?" calls a lovely young assistant in a long white lab coat.

"Yes."

"Come with me please." She follows the woman towards the private office where she's shown a seat opposite a thin, pale-faced woman with gray hair worn in the typical shorter style of an older person.

She smiles comfortingly at Claire. "Miss Reynolds, I believe you've taken a home test?"

"Yes. Please call me Claire."

"Thank you, Claire. I assume it was a positive result then, so we will do a second urine test to confirm. Afterwards we'll talk about your options."

A second urine test confirms what Claire already knows, so once again she sits in front of the experienced obstetrician. They confirm dates, discovering that conception will have been somewhere in the last ten days of August, making her around three months pregnant with a due date at the end of May.

"Are you in a relationship, Claire?"

"Yes. I'm engaged. We're getting married in March."

"Congratulations. Have you considered that you'll be seven months pregnant in March?"

"Oh my God, no I hadn't thought about that at all!"

Reaching out to touch her arm gently, she says, "You might want to rethink the wedding date then, unless you don't plan on keeping the baby?"

"Oh no. I'm definitely having this baby."

"I'm glad to hear that. I'll write a prescription for prenatal vitamins, give you some documentation on excellent prenatal classes and recommend that you keep away from alcohol."

Claire nods her head. "Thank you."

On the way back to her apartment, processing everything the obstetrician told her, she only then comprehends the significance of the dates of the baby's conception. Up until then she'd assumed that this baby was Henry's, but with a sudden tightening of her chest she grasps the fact that actually either Henry or Will could be the father! How am I going to know who this baby belongs to?

Powering up her laptop, searching for the information, she finds out that the only way she can determine who the actual father is, is by doing a prenatal paternity test. After reviewing the risks of the test, she makes an executive decision to skip it. Will's not in the picture, I'm marrying Henry. I have to tell Henry about the baby, it's not something I can hide from him for the next six months. Besides he has a right to know that he's going to be a father. When the baby's born I will get a DNA sample from Henry and do a paternity test then to make sure it is his.

Thinking about the fact that both Henry and her are essentially blonde and Will is dark haired, another harrowing thought hits her. What if the baby's born with very dark hair?