Fate Knows How to Play ✔️ || 1 || Off the Ice Series

06 | The New Reality

ROSE

Oh god who knew there were so many options.

A woman stands beside me, a child's hands grasped in hers as she peruses the same aisle as me.

"First time?" She asks me, a sweet smile on her dark face.

I smile back, embarrassed. "Is it that obvious?"

She chuckles and shakes her head. "You've been standing here looking at the tests for ten minutes."

"I just didn't know there could be so many different types."

She smiles in understanding and reaches forward, picking two boxes out. "This one is quite cheap but comes with three for you to be sure and this one is more pricey but comes with a digital that'll tell you in words and how many weeks."

I grab them from her and look between the two.

"I recommend the digital if you want to be extra sure."

"I do." I whisper, putting the other back.

She clutches her child's hand in hers and smiles at me. "I hope you get the results you want."

"Thank you, I mean it. Thank you." A weight settles on my shoulders as I look at the box, the words blurring as the gravity of what might come from this hits me.

Oh God. I cannot have a kid. I don't even know who the father is.

I mentally chide myself. I don't know yet, for all I know I could just be late. It's happened before, granted not many times but it has happened.

"Us women have to stick together." The woman's voice penetrates my inner meltdown and I glance up at her in relief. She has no idea what her being here is doing for my mind.

I look down at the pregnancy test in my hand and scrunch my nose.

Am I really doing this?

I quickly take out my phone and snap a photo of the test, sending a photo to the group chat with the girls.

Three little dots appear under Zhalas' name almost instantly before a barrage of emojis appear.

"That was a bad idea." I whisper to myself and wish I hadn't sent the text.

My phone blares in my hand and I flinch, the device tumbling from my grip and slamming to the floor.

The noise cuts off instantly and I cringe as I bend to pick it up, finding the screen smashed and blank.

"Great." I hiss and shove the broken phone in my pocket, making my way to the checkout.

• • •

"Have you peed yet?"

"No!" I grumble, my hands shaking as I hold the cup beneath me.

"Why not?" Zhala whines, the unmistakable sound of her feet stomping.

"I can't pee knowing you're listening." I hiss

"Oh." Her voice trails off. "You have a shy bladder?" She asks sweetly and I glare at the door separating us.

"It's a thing, okay!"

"How can I help?"

"You can leave."

"No can do, babe."