I Choose You

Forty-Four

Mare

Thank God Eve's door is open since I would have zapped it off its hinges.

I march into her room unannounced. She looks up at me, cradling her baby girl.

"All done with wedding plans this early?" She asks me brightly when my face of shock isn't lightening up. She continues to study me, and when she meets my eyes, then she looks concerned. She walks across her room and puts Coriane in her crib. Coriane coos in protest, but then she plays with the toys in her bed.

"What is it, Mare?" Eve asks me, sitting on her bed.

"How did you find out about Coriane?" I ask her abruptly.

She looks shocked that I'd asked that, I'm shocked that I did as well, I never dreamt that I would.

"Well, after Cal and I, well, ya know," She stops to straighten out her posture. "After about 3 weeks I started showing the obvious symptoms, throwing up, running out of breath, all that fun stuff."

"But how did you know it was Coriane and not just stress?" I question her hurriedly.

"I took a test, simple as that," She looks at me like I'm stupid. "Well, I took about 10 since I was freaking out." She chuckles a bit. I continue to stare at her with fear. I can feel my bones shake at this conversation. I knew it would eventually come up after Maven and I had been married for a year or so and when I was ready and saw it coming, not now.

"Why are you asking me this?" Eve asks me. I have no clue what I am supposed to say to that.

I stare at her, hoping she will understand what I am trying to convey right now. Apparently, she doesn't. I don't know how I am supposed to explain to Eve that I am terrified that I might be pregnant, and it might be Cal's because I was drunk, and we had sex. But it might be Maven's since we had sex before we got married.

You can't.

She continues to stare at me, the thought didn't click in for her yet. That fact makes me feel even more stupid, making the fear running through my veins escalate even more. When the silence continues, all I can hear is my heartbeat. Or is it my heartbeat?

Then the look of shock appears on her face as well, her hands go to cup her face.

I nod my head before she can say anything. But then she does.

"I-Is it Cal's?" She asks me quietly. When her words ring through my ears, the salty tears fill up in my eyes.

"I don't know," I respond shakily, my words coming out as half sobs. I feel some tears trickle out of my eyes, racing down my cheeks. I don't even bother to wipe them away.

"Could it be Maven's?" She asks me, a little bit louder, with concern in her tone.

"Possibly," I breathe in harshly, gasping for air after I choked out a sob. "Hopefully."

Eve walks up to me and gives me a warm, comforting hug. My face goes against her chest and her arms wrap around my waist, not as strong as a normal hug.

"I don't even know if I am pregnant and I'm freaking out," I whisper to her, she lets loose of our embrace and looks at me with her gray eyes.

"I have a test in my bathroom if you want to use it," She tells me softly. I inhale shakily, more tears running down my face.

"I'm terrified," I squeak.

"I was too when this time came for me as well, but it all worked out in the end," Eve says in a motherly tone.

"I know it will, but I can't- not now. I am going to be married in a week, and what if it's Cal's? That'll wreck everything," I full-on sob at my words.