Page 44 of Stolen Hours

“Have you been eating cereal straight out of the box?” Jesse came over to her, a look of suppressed excitement on his face.

“Mmhm.” Sophie squeaked.

“But you tested, right?”

She bit her lip, then shook her head guiltily. “I... I got my period, or I thought I did, just a couple of days after we came home. I thought for sure I had my timing wrong, and I wasted our ‘baby moon.’ I mean, I know now it wasn’t wasted at all. It made things so much better, and I’ve stopped stressing about things, and so have you. I didn’t test. I mean, that was early for that month, and it’s been almost six weeks now—”

“As we abide by the Bi-Monthly Treaty signed over sex, crab rangoon, and double cheese pizza, yeah,” Jesse laughed, gently taking the box from her hand.

“So, I was early.”

“But technically, babe, I wonder if you’re late,” Jesse murmured, hugging her to his chest. “Weren’t you telling me there are times when you get these little spots, but it’s not because it’s a period? It’s the sign that it worked? What’s it called?”

Sophie has tried to put everything she’d been obsessing over, every little symptom, every technical term, out of her head and just enjoy being married to her best friend and the love of her life, trying to appreciate the baby they already had, even if it was clear he wanted a sibling. Still, when Jesse asked, the words came right back. “Implantation bleeding.”

“Go take a test. I know we have a giant economy pack in our bathroom,” Jesse urged.

“But I just went! It says it has to be first thing inthe morning.”

“Go test! Just because. Please?”

Sophie held up a hand in protest. For months, they had tried. Nothing. The empty tests with one line instead of two mocked her.

“I don’t want to.”

Jesse’s face fell, and she could see he was trying to say the right thing, mouth moving, then stopping in silence.

“But I will, just for you.”

Sophie trotted up the stairs, wincing when she heard the doorbell ring. Mr. Minegold AKA Dad, was there to pick J.J. up early and take him for a “Grandpa Weekend.”

I’m just going to keep my happy face on. It’s okay. We’ll try again. Or not. We’ll try other things. A family has lots of ways to grow. J.J. will have friends who are so different from him, and they can all be different together.

A litany of positivity and self-comforting phrases raced through her mind as she undid the wrapper on a pregnancy test, used it, washed up, and stared at the little blue-and-white test accusingly.

One line.

Of course.

Of course, it’s also only been ten seconds. The fluid was still moving across the strip.

One line. One line.

Two lines.

What??

Two lines, no. No, no, but yes, that’s definitely a second line, and it’s a super clear line, and it’s a dark line, and, “Jessseeeeee!” A banshee-like crow of joy ripped from her throat, and then she was silent, pale lips quivering, praying out every not-quite-formed thank you she could think of, to God, to the fae, to the people in her life.

Jesse was beside her that fast, eyes wide. “What? What did it say?”

“Look! Look, it is! We are!” she babbled, pointing at the stick on the bathroom sink before launching herself into his arms.

“Mama!” J.J. was calling for her in the bedroom.

“Mama is right!” she cheered. “Dad! J.J.! Want to know some very good news?”

“I want to!” J.J. chirped from Mr. Minegold’s arms, and Sophie could see from the older man’s beaming smile that he’d heard and understood the whole thing.