THE IMPOSSIBLE ☾ (THE FLASH.)

one.

Chapter [1]

You're not pregnant. You're not pregnant.
Tessa had repeated the words like a mantra, trying to convince herself even as she violently emptied her stomach into the toilet. Clutching the sides of the bowl, she groaned, struggling not to get any in her hair.

"Damn sushi," she muttered, collapsing onto the cool tile floor. She leaned against the wall, willing the nausea to pass. Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror—pale, tired, and uncertain. After rinsing her mouth and brushing her teeth (even the mint of the toothpaste made her gag), she washed her hands with trembling fingers.

A soft knock on the bathroom door made her flinch.
"Tess?" came a familiar voice—gentle, concerned.

"I'm okay, Caitlin. I'll be out in a minute!" she called back, forcing her voice to sound steady.

With a shaky breath, Tessa tied her hair into a high ponytail and gave herself one last glance in the mirror before stepping out. Caitlin Snow, her best friend and constant source of support, waited with a warm smile.

"Feel better?" Caitlin asked, tilting her head.

Tessa gave a half-hearted shrug. "Yeah... I think so?"

"Good," Caitlin said brightly. "We're meeting Barry and Iris at Jitters in twenty, so get ready."

Tessa's stomach twisted—not from illness this time, but anxiety. She hadn't seen Barry since that night—the drunken one-night stand that now lingered like a storm cloud over her thoughts. Combined with this morning's episode, a terrifying possibility had begun to form in her mind.

As they walked through the streets of Central City, the two women chatted casually. But Tessa felt distant, her thoughts looping around a single possibility she wasn't ready to confront.

Outside Jitters, Caitlin glanced around. "Looks like we're early. Barry and Iris aren't here yet."

They settled into a table near the window. Caitlin offered, "I'm going to order us something. You hungry, Tess?"

Tessa's head had been resting on her hand, but she slowly lifted it. "Mhm. A bagel sounds good."

Minutes later, Barry and Iris arrived, joining them at the table. Caitlin greeted them with her usual warmth, but Tessa stayed quiet. Her stomach growled in protest—not from hunger, but from the nausea creeping back. The moment she swallowed a bite of her bagel, her body rebelled.

She stood up abruptly. "Excuse me," she muttered before rushing to the restroom.

Damn it, she thought, gripping the sink as the bagel made a swift return. She was pale and shaking when a knock came at the door.

"Tessa? Are you okay in there?" Iris's voice was gentle but laced with worry.

"I'm okay," Tessa called back, voice hoarse. After a few minutes, she returned to the table, her expression guarded.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I'm just not feeling well."

The others looked at her with concern, but said nothing. Still, the attention made Tessa squirm. She hated being the center of worry, especially when she didn't have answers herself.

"I should probably go home," she said quietly, her body still trembling from the episode.

"I'll drive you," Caitlin offered, her voice soft and steady.

Tessa nodded and gave a brief apology to Barry and Iris. They reassured her—it was okay, they understood—but their curious glances lingered.

The car ride was quiet, tension hanging between them like fog. Caitlin kept her eyes on the road, but eventually broke the silence with a gentle, almost hesitant question.

"Are you... pregnant?"

The word hit like a punch to the gut. Tessa felt her stomach drop, her heart hammering in her chest. She didn't answer right away. Couldn't.

She wasn't ready to face that truth—not yet.