Aunt Edith rushes into the kitchen. "Did you go to the store?" I ask her. "Yes I did." She replies. She reaches into her purse and pulls out a small box. She sets it on the table in front of me. I look at it with wide eyes. "A pregnancy test?" I ask in shock. "Yes. I think you should go take it now." She instructs me. We share a look that lasts several seconds. Silently I get up from the table. I grab the box and disappear into the bathroom. With trembling hands I open the box and take the test. When I'm done, there's a quiet knock on the door. I open it and Aunt Edith walks in. She knows I need her comfort right now. She stands with me and holds my hand. We wait for the results together.
She glances at her watch repeatedly. Finally it is time. She squeezes my hand reassuringly. I take a deep breath and grab the test off the counter. I hold it up in front of us. Together we stare at the second pink line that has formed. My face pales and I grip aunt Edith's hand. I hold onto it tightly for comfort. I'm filled with fear and apprehension. I'm sobbing loudly, almost hysterically. My vision is blurred by my tears. It finally dawns on me that the test is positive. I was so overwhelmed by emotions that it took my brain a while to comprehend this. "Susana look at me!" Aunt Edith says loudly. She tries to snap me out of my daze.
Her hand rests gently on my cheek. When I turn to look at her I notice the heartbroken expression on her face. With a loud gasp I realize the severity of the situation. I'm pregnant with Mikah's baby. I drop the test. It flatters on the floor. My hands cover my mouth and I start to tremble. Aunt Edith grabs my shoulders. "Its okay. It's all right. Everything is fine." She repeats these words over and over like a mantra. She speaks soothingly as she guides me out of the bathroom. She leads me to the couch and sits me down. She fetches me a glass of water and a cool wet cloth. She dabs the cloth across my forehead and cheeks. A gesture from my childhood, whenever I was worked up and had a fever. I'm numb from the shock. I sit there and let her care for me. It's all I can do.
Chapter 13 - Susana
It's five months later and I can finally rest my hand on my prominent baby bump. There are so many things that go along with being pregnant. One of them is morning sickness. It made it almost impossible to do anything for a few months. Now it is manageable. It is a nice day outside so Aunt Edith and I decided to take advantage of this good weather. We have spent all morning baby shopping together. A few months ago we got all the furniture set up, and some light painting and things to make the nursery better.
There is not much left to do now. Besides, Aunt Edith doesn't want me to exert myself. She pushes the shopping cart while I waddle along slowly behind her. I never expected that pregnancy could make your muscles ache this much. "Oh Susana look how cute!" Aunt Edith exclaims. She holds up a variety pack of onesies with various animals printed on them. "Yes! We definitely need those!" I reply with a smile. She grabs two packages and sets them in the basket. We continue walking through the store and smiling at all of the cute things. Today we are just getting the remaining small items for the nursery. "What do you think of these bedding sets?" She asks me.
We stop in the middle of the aisle and peruse the packages. I select a gender neutral color one with zoo animals printed on it. "I think I'll go with this one." I decide. She grabs it from me and sets it in the basket. She is fussing over me more than usual. If she thinks something will strain the baby in any way she won't let me do it. I smile and continue walking. As it turns out, we are both excited for this baby to be born. Actually, it seems like this event is bringing us closer together. I didn't think that was possible. Aside from shopping, aunt Edith often stays up late to read parenting books with me. She shares advice and tricks that she learned while raising us kids.
I really value her advice and input right now. I have resigned myself to being a single mother, so I can really use all of the help that I can get. I'm thrilled I'm having the baby. An exciting new part of my life is going to start. Deep down I still miss Mikah. Nothing has filled the void that he left in my life and my heart. I look over my shoulder. "Aunt Edith? I'm going to use the bathroom real quick." I announce. "Okay dear. Take your time. I'll meet you by the register." She replies. I nod my head and walk off. We are in a large department store. I follow all the signs until I reach the bathroom. To my relief it's empty. I use it eagerly. Another effect of pregnancy is having to pee constantly. Still, it's not as bad as the morning sickness.