THE ONE

TEN

Two weeks later,
Faith City Hospital.

Jasmine was nervous about her test results. She had an idea but needed to be sure before jumping to any conclusions. She smiled at the nurse who escorted her into the doctor's office. With a huge smile on his face, Dr. Richard offered her a seat and relayed the test results. She was five weeks pregnant and her suspicions were correct.

The doctor offered his congratulations and referred him back to the nurse to book the next appointment. She thanked the nurse and exited the hospital, clutching onto the test result. As she drove off, her first instinct was to call Ise and share the news about her pregnancy. On the other hand, she found herself calling Austin.

"Hey, are you free?" She asked.

"Yea, I am free. Where are you?"

"Driving to our usual spot. Can you meet me there?"

"Sure. Would just wrap up with my staff meeting and meet you there soon."

"Alright. See you soon." She said and ended the call.

The drive to Pandora's view was short. She reserved a table while waiting. He arrived some minutes later.

"Thank you for coming." She said as they exchanged hugs and he kissed her cheeks.

"You are welcome. Anyways, I needed a break from work."

"How are the girls?" She asked.

He collected the menu from the waiter and handed it to her, "They are fine. Farah asks of Malia all the time and always wants to know when they can have another play date." He said.

Jasmine smiled, "We can always plan another one. Just let me know when and where." She said checking the menu and placing it back on the table.

Austin shrugged, "So, what's up? Why did you want to see me?" He asked getting straight to the point.

"I am pregnant. Just found out."

Austin jumped up in excitement, "Wow! That's good news. Congratulations." He said clapping his hands.

Jasmine smiled a little, "Thanks." She said folding her arms and leaning into her chair.

"Why aren't you happy? Did he reject it?"

"No. I haven't told him."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think having a child in our present situation is a good idea. We just found out about Malia and are trying to get used to having her in our lives. Another child seems like a whole lot of new responsibilities."

"In other words, you are afraid."

She nodded in response. Austin took her hand, "Don't be afraid. Both Malia and this new baby are blessings. Though your marriage might not be what you envisioned, you both need to continue making an effort." He said smiling at her.

Jasmine leaned forward, "Why aren't you using this to your advantage?" She asked knowing full well how he felt about her and the reasons they cannot be together. Yet, they choose to remain in each other's lives.

Austin dropped her hand and sighed, "I love you but having you in my life at the detriment of someone else's feelings is a bad idea. I know how much you care about your husband and I can also understand why you accepted another woman's child into your home. Your happiness is more important than how I truly feel about you." He said hoping she understood that being with her alone cannot compensate for her true feelings.

"I wish we had met sooner. Maybe things might have been different." She blurted out not caring if she was wrong or right for speaking up about her true feelings.