Finding Emma

three

"Eva!" I shout as I arrive home, slamming the apartment door as I drop my backpack on its hook and slip off my shoes.

Only Scout greets me, hopping up on my legs and begging for attention. I give him a couple rubs behind his ears before walking down the hallway.

"Eva?"

Silence. I frown. Eva wasn't at school today, and when I walked into the bakery on my way up Mom said she was still feeling sick and stayed in. Since Brianna and another one of my mom's employees, Liam, are both scheduled to work this afternoon, I was off the hook. Mom was finishing up a final batch of pastries for the evening, and then it would be up to Brianna and Liam to finish the close.

I knock on Eva's bedroom door, but with still no response, I crack the door open, peering in. Standard pop music is emanating from a small speaker on top of her dresser, but the room is empty. I step in, noticing light seeping through the gap under the bathroom door.

"Eva!" I holler, opening up her bathroom door swiftly. I find her small frame leaning over her toilet, shudders coursing through her body.

"Oh God, Eva, are you okay?" I rush to her side, grabbing her long dark blonde hair and pulling it into a quick ponytail.

"I'm... fine," she squeaks unconvincingly, before heaving again.

"Um, no you aren't," I argue, rubbing small circles into her back, hoping it'll ease some of the irritation. Whenever we got sick to our stomachs as kids, Mom would do the same thing. It always helped me. "Maybe we should take you to the doctor?"

"No!" Eva yelps. I stare at her with a furrowed brow, greatly confused by the outburst and the tinge of fear I detect in her voice. "No, I can't go to the doctor."

I hesitate. "Why not?"

She takes a deep breath, moving away from the toilet to lean her back against the wall. "I just... don't want to, okay?" she mutters weakly.

"Eva, it might just be a stomach bug or some food poisoning. We could get you some meds," I reason, but she shakes her head halfway through my statement. Her hazel eyes meet mine.

"It's not a stomach bug," she murmurs, her eyes glistening with tears.

Something in my gut sinks as my mind clicks the puzzle pieces together. It can't be what I think, can it? Eva has always been the quiet, subdued, good girl. Perfect grades, small and sincere friend group, and no boyfriend... That I was aware of.
"What do you mean it's not a stomach bug?" I question, my tone hardening.

Suddenly, Eva bursts into sobs. "I'm sorry, Emma, it wasn't supposed to happen," she stammers, leaning her head against me.

"Okay, hold up, Eva, breathe," I grab her arm, making her look at me. "Did you take a test?"

She nods, sniffling. "This morning. I don't know what to do, Emma, oh my God!"

I wrap my arms around her in a bear hug as she dissolves into sobs again, her tears soaking my shirt. "It's okay, Eva, we can work it out," I assure her, rubbing her back. "It's going to be okay, we just have to tell Mom so we can—"

She jerks away, eyes widening. "Tell Mom? No! She's going to kill me!"

I cock my head at her with an 'are you serious' look. "First off, Mom is not going to kill you. Yeah, she'll be upset for a little while, you know how she is. But she'll know what to do to help you—she is a mom after all. Second, do you honestly think you can hide the fact that you're pregnant from our parents? Be realistic, Eva."

My sister covers her face with her hands, rocking back and forth. Her sweatpants are wrinkled and her t-shirt stretched, like she's been tugging on it too much.