I gulped and grabbed the box out of Leo's hand. That was the single thing I urgently searched for but it was my bad luck that Leo got his hands on it before me. I avoided eye contact and hastily shoved the test in my bag before I stood, stumbling in the process.
Leo got to his feet just as quickly and grabbed me. "Easy, you don't want to fall again."
I shrugged his hold off and kept my eyes fixed to the ground. "I'm fine, thanks for the help. I'll see you around."
"Mila," Leo grabbed my wrist before I could walk off. "Are you... are you pregnant?"
I internally flinched at his words, took in a small breath, put on a pokerface, and squarely looked at him. "Not that it's any of your business but I'm a doctor, you'd find all kinds of medically related things in my bag."
"Speaking of, I think you're coming down with something," I tried to shift the focus to him. "Take a Tylenol or Advil and have an early night. If you don't have any, stop by my place once you change out of your wet clothes."
"Mils," Leo spoke softly and searched my features. "You know you can come to me about anything, right?"
"No, I don't" I pulled my wrist out of his grasp and looked back into his curious yet concerned brown gaze. "Not anymore at least."
Leo opened his mouth to speak but closed it again with a sigh and gave me a defeated look. I didn't want to talk about the pregnancy test that no one was supposed to know about so I paid no attention to Leo's weirdness. "Take care of that fever and don't hesitate to call me if you need anything."
"So, I can come to you for anything but you can't come to me?"
"I haven't been the one who's pulled away," I flatly said and when Leo had no answer, I walked off without a second glance.
When I got back into my apartment, I leaned against the door and let out the biggest breath. I felt my heart beat against the leather of my bag that was clutched to my chest. I didn't want to know what went through Leo's head but most of all, I didn't want him to tell Dad about the test. Leo might've changed but I still had faith in him and his discretion when it came to me.
I shook away my thoughts and decided not to think about the damn test. I needed a shower and some food first, then I'd deal with everything else. I dropped a quick text to Mitchell and informed him I was safely in my apartment and was going to take a shower.
After a much-needed, hot shower I sat crossed-legged on my couch, dressed in cozy pajamas. The television was on but I didn't pay it any attention, it merely filled the silent room. My attention was solely focused on the pregnancy test on the coffee table.
I decided to get tested after I missed two periods in a row. Considering I was on the pill, I found it a little odd last month when I only spotted for two days but my period never arrived. However, it wasn't uncommon given that I was under a lot of stress in the last month but when my period didn't arrive this month, I grew a little concerned.
Mitchell and I were always safe and we stopped using protection a week after I went on the pill. However, I also knew that other than abstinence, nothing was one hundred percent to prevent pregnancy.
I tried to push back the idea of being pregnant for over a week, I thought my period would arrive a little later but the doctor in me knew I only fooled myself. My anxiety was through the roof, I was terrified to take the test.
Was I ready to have a baby? Hell no. I'd just started my career and had a lot more growing up to do if I were ever to become a mother. Not too long ago, the idea of being in a committed, long-term relationship scared me. I was just getting used to the ropes of sharing my life with someone I loved so there was no way I was ready to take on the responsibility of a child.
Did Mitchell know about the pregnancy scare? Hell no. Mitchell loved kids and was way more ready than me to take our relationship ten steps further. I knew if I told him about the test, he'd be nothing but supportive but I'd also feel pressured to act as if it was something I wanted when in reality, I didn't at that moment in time. I also didn't want things to get weird if the test turned out negative and he was left disappointed and I was relieved.
I exhaled deeply through my lips and ran a hand over my face. I hated the way I felt and a part of me was angry that I was in this predicament. I told no one, it just so happened that Leo spotted the test and probably read the fear on my face which confirmed his doubts.
I leaned forward, picked up the test, and glanced at it as if it were my nemesis. I took in a deep breath and read over the instructions on the box even though I knew how it worked. "Might as well get this over with," I muttered under my breath. "But first, I need to fill my bladder."
I knew I made an excuse to stall but my mind was already made. I dropped the test on the sofa, got up, and headed to the kitchen to make myself a cup of green tea. Perhaps the tea would've calmed my nerves and made this easier, although I knew until I took the test, I was going to be a nervous wreck.
After I took way longer than usual to make a cup of tea, I sat with my legs tucked underneath as I stared at the test that taunted me. I couldn't blame anyone for my situation except my ovaries but even that was childish.
I took baby sips of the warm tea, my heart raced and it felt as if butterflies took up permanent residence in my stomach. I needed to be a big girl, get the test done with, and depending on the results, I would take the matter further with Mitchell.
Just as I was about to put down the cup of half-filled tea and take the test, my doorbell rang. I glanced at the door with a frown and wondered who it could've been at seven PM. I quickly hid the test behind a cushion and made my way to the front door.
I checked through the peephole and frowned when I saw the back of a head. I recognized the brown hair so I unlocked the door and stood at the threshold.
"Hey, Mils," Leo turned around the minute the door opened and greeted. "I'm out of Advil, got spare for a friend?"
I nodded. "Sure, wait here."
The times I invited Leo inside, he refused, and now that I didn't want him to come in, he invited himself in. When I got back with a box of Advil, Leo already made himself at home on the couch with one leg crossed over the other.
"That tea looks great," he pointed to my mug.
"You don't like green tea," I mused and handed him the Advil.
"I like coffee," Leo grinned.
"Don't you have any at your place?"
Leo shook his head. "I'm out."
"Liar."
"Do I need an excuse to spend time with my best friend?"
"Best friend?" I raised a brow. "I'm not sure that title still applies to me."
"Of course, it does."
"Actions prove otherwise," I muttered to myself under my breath and either Leo didn't hear or pretended not to because he seemed unphased. "Look, Leo, I had a long day and you're coming down with something, I think you should have dinner and get some rest."
"Is that a nice way of telling me to get lost?" Leo feigned hurt and placed a hand over his chest.
"No, I'd tell you to get lost if that's what I wanted," I flatly stated. "But you don't look so good, you need to sleep off the fever and I do not recommend coffee in your condition."
"You're brutal today," Leo dramatically flinched as if I punched him. "One insult after the other."
I rolled my eyes and tugged at his arm. "You can't act like my best friend only when it suits you."
Leo didn't move an inch and sat in his spot. "I'm always your best friend but you're not acting like it right now. You refuse to even make me a cup of coffee."
"You," I used as much strength as I could to pull him to his feet. "You don't need coffee; you need that nasty concoction that looks like Shrek's phlegm and tastes as if it came out of his ass."
"Then make it for me."
"I can't, it's your family recipe," I irritably snapped and let go of his hand. I stumbled a little but before I could fall again, Leo gripped my wrist and pulled me forward.
"Oomph!" With the force, half of my body fell on top of him and the other on the couch. I was way too close to Leo, his cologne danced around my nose, his breathing ticked my face and his above normal body temperature radiated off me.
I felt his gaze on me and looked up for a second to see him staring at me before I quickly shifted to the other seat. I sighed and glared at him. "You can't take a hint."
"Mila," Leo seriously said and shifted in his seat to face me. "What's going on? Talk to me."
The Leo I knew and adored was rarely ever serious with me so I knew exactly what he meant – he referred to the pregnancy test. "No more playing nice," I announced and avoided eye contact. "I'm not in the mood for company so please leave."
"You're scared," Leo softly spoke and ignored my previous sentence. "That's why I came over, not for Advil or coffee or even a visit. I saw how scared you were earlier and came to remind you that you don't have to go through anything alone."
I swallowed and looked anywhere but at Leo as my heart rummaged against my rib cage. "I have no idea what you're talking about, I'm perfectly fine."
"Mila, look at me," Leo took both my hands in his. "Look at me, Chubbles."
It felt like eons since he called me by that awful nickname but it worked because my gaze slowly lifted to meet his. Leo searched my features and I had to admit that the sincerity in his eyes and the warmth from his hands comforted me a fraction. "Does Clarke know?"
I shut my eyes, looked away, and took in a deep breath. "Leo..."
"You can lie to everyone but I can see right through you," Leo said. "I know that test was for you."
I snapped my eyes in his direction. "I don't think this is any of your business."
"It isn't but I can tell when you feel helpless, scared, and alone," he softly spoke. "I've seen this look on you one too many times and when you feel this way, it becomes my business."
I took in a shaky breath and my anxiety grew with the mere thought of speaking out loud about this. "He doesn't know," I whispered.
"Shit, Mils," Leo breathed. "How did this happen?"
"I had sex," I replied in a 'duh' tone.
"I know, I mean..." Leo trailed off, took in a breath, and scooted closer. "You need to tell him, Mila, it's only the right thing to do."
"I know," I admitted. "But I'm..." I trailed off with a sigh. "I'm scared."
"Of?" Leo asked. "Rejection? His reaction? Whether he'd support you or not?"
"No," My brows knitted together with conviction strong in my tone. "To none of the above. I know he will support me no matter what. I'm just... just scared okay."
"I'm not ready to be a mother, I don't even think I'd be a good one," I ranted in one breath. "I have so much more growing up to do, I can't take on a responsibility of a child when I've just opened myself up to relationships."
"Hey," Leo squeezed my hand. "Don't get ahead of yourself, for all we know this is a false alarm. But we can't know for sure until and unless you take the test."
I swallowed a lump in my throat and nodded. "I know."
"And the sooner you take it, the sooner you'll stop feeling this way."
"I know."
"Clarke should be here with you," Leo mumbled under his breath. "He should support and make you feel better."
"It's not his fault he isn't here," I defended Mitchell. "If he knew, he'd be here without a doubt."
"Why haven't you told him?"
"Because..." I didn't have an answer that made sense when spoken out loud. "I'm scared. He might be ready for this but I'm not."
"Should the test be positive, are you scared he'll pressure you into going ahead with it?"
"Mitchell wouldn't pressure me into anything but regardless, if it's positive, I'm going ahead with it, no questions asked."
Leo nodded and loosened his grip on my hand. "Take the test, Mils and if you want, I'll be right here with you."
"While I pee?" I widened my eyes.
Leo rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No, Payaso, I mean I'll wait with you until you get the results. You and your bladder are on your own."
I half smiled and appreciated that he was there, his comfort helped more than I led on. I licked my dry lips and nodded. "Okay."
Leo gestured with his eyes in the direction of my bedroom. "Go on, I'll be right here."
I placed my hand over his and gratefully smiled but my smile faded when I felt just how warm his skin was. "You really need to take that Advil, you're burning up."
"Don't worry about me, I'm fine, it's probably just a cold from getting wet in the rain." Leo pulled his hand away. "Let's tackle one thing at a time and right now you're a bigger priority."
I knew I needed to get this done and over with. So, with a sigh, I nodded, reached for the test behind the cushion, and stood.
"You seriously hid it?" Leo raised a brow.
I rolled my eyes at Leo's judgment and reserved my comments, I had way too much on my mind to think of a snarky comeback. I took in a deep breath, gripped onto the box tightly, and decided to just get it over with. I was so nervous that I wasn't sure if I'd be able to pee.
Just as I was about to leave the living room and head towards the bathroom, the front doorbell once again rang. I glanced over my shoulder at the door and made my way towards it but Leo stopped me. "Go, I'll get the door."
"No, this is still my home," I insisted and handed Leo the test. "I'll get it, you go hide this in the top drawer in my room."
"Mila," Leo drawled.
"Just go," I shoved the test in his hands and pushed his chest.
I straightened out non-existent creases over my tank top and headed towards the door. When I opened the door, my eyes widened and my mouth parted. "Mitch?"
Dimples appeared on each of Mitchell's cheeks as he grinned. He appeared to have just gotten off work, he wore a white button-down shirt with a tie but the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and matched with dark slacks. Mitchell held a brown, takeout bag in his hands and I felt a little bad that I didn't match the smile he wore.
"Hi, you," Mitchell kissed my forehead and walked past me into the apartment. "I hope you haven't cooked anything yet, I brought us dinner."
Under normal circumstances, I would've been over the moon to see Mitchell but at that moment I was a little nervous. Leo was in my bedroom hiding a pregnancy test and I hoped he did as he was told and didn't walk out with the damn test in his hands. I couldn't imagine what Mitchell would've assumed if Leo were to walk out of my bedroom with a pregnancy test.
I composed myself and shut the door behind me. Mitchell walked to the kitchen and put down the bag while I took slow steps towards him. Mitchell turned around and approached me with a warm gaze. He caressed his way up from my arms to my shoulders and lowered his gaze to study my features. "Are you alright? You look a little... disorientated?"
I blinked and offered a small smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. It's just been a long day." I rested my cheek against his chest and wrapped one arm around him. "I'm glad you're here."
Mitchell wrapped one arm around me and kissed the top of my head. "Don't flatter yourself, I didn't come here for you. I'm not used to eating alone so I'm just using you for company."
I rolled my eyes but smiled as I pulled away. "It's okay, I'm just using you for sex."
Mitchell raised a brow and his mouth twitched at the side. "Then I'm at your service, Ma'am." He gripped my chin between his fingertips and leaned down to kiss me but before our lips were able to touch, Leo's voice entered the room.
"Alright, Amore, I kep..." I pulled back with a jolt and thanked the heavens above Leo stopped midway.
Mitchell froze for a second and the warm, loving gaze he wore seconds ago was replaced with a nonchalant but curious stare. He pulled completely away and turned around to where Leo stood a few feet away.
The last time Mitchell furiously stormed out just because Leo lived in the same building and even though he promised to do better, a small part of me was still afraid he was going to lose his shit.
And this time Leo walked out of my bedroom.
Mitchell's brows furrowed as he glanced between me and Leo before he stared at me with a questioning look.
"Mitchell," Leo broke the ice, stepped forward, and offered his hand to shake. "Nice to see you again."
"Yeah," Mitchell slowly peeled his eyes away from me and thankfully shook Leo's hand. "You too."
Leo glanced at me, half-grinned, and pulled out the Advil I gave him earlier. "Thanks, Mils, I found it in your top drawer."
I let out a breath and was more than grateful to Leo for clearing the air without having me say anything. I smiled and nodded, "Anytime, eat something, take two, and have an early night. You'll feel better."
Leo nodded. "Will do." He tapped Mitchell's shoulder, "I'll leave you two to it."
"I'll walk you out," I said to Leo, and before I followed him to the door, I gave Mitchell's arm a small squeeze and his softened gaze assured me he wasn't mad.
"I'll freshen up and then we can have dinner," Mitchell said.
As Mitchell headed to the bathroom, I met up with Leo who was already halfway out the door. I let out a breath and looked at him gratefully. "Thank you."
"Talk to him, Mils," Leo spoke softly. "I know he'll be by your side no matter what."
I nodded. "Thanks again and take care of that fever, alright."
"Top drawer, I kept it under your million pairs of socks," Leo chuckled. He flicked my nose and smiled, "I'll see you tomorrow, and remember, you're never alone."
I offered a small smile and after saying goodnight, Leo left. As soon as I shut the door, I heard Mitchell's footsteps coming from the bathroom.
"I didn't know you already had a license for medical house calls," Mitchell who removed his tie and undid the top few buttons of his shirt mused.
"I don't. I bumped into Leo on my up when I got back from work, he didn't look so good so I offered for him to collect some medication."
"Is he alright?" Mitchell asked – probably to be courteous.
"He will be, he probably has a cold from getting wet in the rain. That's all he was here for, I –"
"Hey," Mitchell approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You don't need to explain your every action, you know I trust you more than anything."
"I know but last time –"
"Last time I was a jealous asshole," Mitchell cut me off. "So," Mitchell lowered his hand to my waist and yanked me forward. "What are we having first? Dinner or dessert?"
"Isn't dinner generally first?"
"It's preferred but not a rule," Mitchell's fingers slowly slipped under my tank top.
I had way too much on my mind to give into Mitchell at that moment. I was so stressed out that his touch didn't affect me as much as it usually did. "I vote dinner."
"Dinner it is," Mitchell agreed. I tried to squirm out of his hold but he tightened his hands around me and scrutinized my features. "Are you sure you're alright? You don't seem like yourself."
I assured him with a smile. "Yeah, I need to eat and perhaps have an early night, it's been a long day."
"Let's eat," Mitchell gestured to the kitchen. "You relax, I'm at your service."
"You don't have to; I just need to get plates and –"
"I want to," Mitchell cut me off and walked me to the couch. "Eating in the living room isn't usually my style but I think the couch is comfier than the dining table."
Mitchell made me sit and pecked my lips lovingly. "Get comfortable," he paused and moved his hand to my belly, "I'll be right back to feed the gremlin."
I froze and wondered what he meant by that. "Gremlin?"
"Your stomach that growls so loudly when you're hungry," Mitchell elaborated and walked off.
I cursed myself for being paranoid, it wasn't the first time Mitchell used that word. I overthought everything and had to stop or we both would have an awful evening or worse, another fight.
But I probably should talk to him about this, the sooner the better.
I didn't have much of an appetite, I did my best to eat but my stomach refused to take anything more than a few bites.
"Not hungry?"
I took a small bite, shook my head, and smiled as I chewed. "I had late lunch."
I didn't lie because I did have lunch later than usual but that wasn't the only reason I didn't have an appetite.
"But you seemed eager to eat a few minutes ago," Mitchell's curious gaze sat fixated on me.
"Yes, because the sooner I'm done with dinner, the quicker I can go to bed," I replied and took another bite. "It was a long, busy day. I was on my feet almost the entire day and dealt with some difficult patients."
Mitchell placed his larger hand over mine and his thumb drew circular patterns over my knuckles. "It's weird to see you so quiet that's why I was a little concerned but I get it. When you're done, let me clean up while you get ready for bed."
"You don't have to do that."
"No arguments."
"Mitch..."
"I said no arguments."
I sighed but smiled gratefully at him. "You're the best."
"I have my moments," Mitchell smugly grinned and half shrugged. "What say we do something this weekend? Maybe get away from the busy city and go somewhere quieter?"
"I'd love that but..." I trailed off when I recalled that Mitchell and I already had plans, I just needed to inform him. "I just remembered, Mandy and my dad invited us over for dinner this weekend."
Mitchell's grin immediately dropped and so did the fork in his hand. "Pardon?"
"I meant to tell you yesterday but it completely slipped my mind," I earnestly said. "My family wants to meet you."
"They've already met me, more than once."
I shot Mitchell a look of dismay. "At a hospital where they were mentally planning how to kill you doesn't count."
"We met other times after that, I've even spoken to Mandy over the phone when I planned to surprise you for graduation and your birthday."
"They want to officially meet you, Mitchell," I stated.
"Why?" Mitchell hated the idea and given past events, I didn't blame him. "You didn't officially meet my parents."
"That's because I lived under your parents' roof before I even acknowledged you were my friend," I pointed out. "Besides, I've had many dinners with your family, some without you present so it's only fair you at least have one dinner with my family."
Mitchell deeply sighed. "How do you know your dad isn't thinking of ways to poison me?"
I shot him a look. "Don't be ridiculous."
"I'm serious," Mitchell childishly protested. "It's not unknown that he hates me."
"Actually, he recently told me he doesn't."
"Oh?" Mitchell looked utterly surprised. "But he dislikes me."
I pursed my lips and shrugged. "I mean... he didn't say that either." I took in a breath. "My point is, I think it's time you met my family."
Mitchell remained silent for a long moment. "If it's important to you, then alright."
I genuine smile grew over my lips. "Thank you."
"But," Mitchell put up a finger. "Your dad can say whatever he wants about me, I don't care but if he says anything about my family, I'm out of there."
I understood. Dad had a habit of showing his dislike to Mitchell's family and I didn't like that either. "He won't but if he does, I'll leave with you."
Mitchell stiffly nodded and ran a hand over his face. "It's going to be a fun weekend, huh?"
"It won't be that bad," I consoled him and slipped my hand from under his to place on top. "Dad's grown a lot and knows how much you mean to me. You're both important to me so if you can at least get through one dinner being civil, it would make me happy."
"I'll do my part, I promise," Mitchell assured me with a smile.
Just as we were about to finish up dinner, Mitchell's phone rang. He grabbed it off the coffee table and was ready to silence it until his features lightened at the name he read over the screen. "It's Macy."
Macy was Mitchell's god sister; I attended her wedding as Mitchell's sort-of-date after our road trip. I met her a handful of times after but never enough to establish any kind of relationship with her. However, she was very dear to Mitchell's parents and Mitchell cared for her as an older sister.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you," I heard Macy's voice via the FaceTime call. "Odette was crying and the last couple of times you were over, you were the only one who could console her. Help a sister out?"
Mitchell chuckled. "Anytime, you know how much I adore her. Where is she?"
Mitchell informed me that Macy had an eight-month-old daughter whom he loved dearly. He didn't get to see her as much because Macy traveled a lot and Mitchell was always caught up with work. But Odette was a favorite not just to Mitchell but to his entire family. I'd never met Odette but heard quite a bit about her over the phone.
I instinctively pulled a face when I heard the loud cries of a baby and it scared me a little. I dealt with crying babies the times I worked in pediatrics but most of the time, the babies slept because of medication.
"Hi," Mitchell's eyes shone fondly at the baby on the screen. He clicked his fingers, spoke in a voice that adults used with babies, and pulled funny faces. Just like that, Odette stopped crying and I instead heard baby talk.
"Why is a pretty little princess like you crying?" I couldn't suppress a grin as I gazed at Mitchell lovingly talk to an eight-month-old baby. "Was mommy bothering you?"
Odette made a little sound and Mitchell easily made her laugh. I let out a laugh when Mitchell made ridiculous baby sounds.
He's so good with kids.
"Are you not alone?" Macy spoke.
"I'm with Mila," Mitchell turned the screen my way without a heads-up. I did not look presentable and felt very self-aware by Macy's beautiful features.
"Hi, Mila," Macy's blue eyes shone as she widely smiled, showing off her perfect set of teeth. "I believe you haven't met Odette."
Macy didn't give me a chance to reply, she picked up the cute, chubby eight-month-old who had golden-brown hair and big blue eyes like her mom. "Say hello to Auntie Mila."
I stared at the baby as if she were an alien from out of space and my emotions felt as if they were on overdrive. I felt like I was put on the spot and something about staring at a baby scared me. Macy held Odette so gently and nothing but love radiated off her as she kissed her daughter's forehead.
Would I ever be able to be a mom like that? Would I even be able to give a title to our relationship or would that scare me like every other relationship I've had in my life?
Mitchell must've noticed how I froze up; he immediately turned the camera in his direction. "Hey, I thought Odette wanted to talk to her uncle Mitch."
I was so absorbed in my issues, that I unintentionally was rude to Macy. I quickly composed myself, scooted closer to Mitchell, and made sure I was seen on the call.
"Anyone would choose to talk to me over you, Mitch," I teased. I waved at little Odette and smiled, "Aren't you a little cutie?"
"She's beautiful, Macy," I earnestly said.
"Thank you," Macy smiled proudly. "I hope you get to meet her in person soon, I know she'll love you."
"Not more than she loves me, though, right?" Mitchell chipped in.
"I don't think anyone can take your place in Odette's life, Mitch," Macy laughed. "You're her favorite person. I couldn't get her to stop crying and you did it in a heartbeat."
Mitchell's smile brightened his features and I could tell how fond he was of the baby on the screen who chewed on her fingers as if it were her favorite candy. Drool dripped down her chin to her neck and I hated to admit it, but I was a little grossed out while Mitchell cooed at her. "Macy, wipe her chin," Mitchell pointed at the dribble. "She'll catch a cold if it drops on her clothes."
"She'll be fine," I assured Mitchell. "Babies drool all the time."
"And it's worse now that she's teething, she bites anything she can," Macy said.
"I'll text you the name of drops you can pick up at the pharmacy that will help soothe her gums," I suggested.
"Thank you," Macy looked relieved. "I'm ready to try anything to help her. I especially hate when she gets a fever or if she's in pain."
"If you ever need any advice, I'm sure Mila will help?" Mitchell glanced at me with a hopeful glee in his eyes. I couldn't let him down nor could I let a baby struggle if I could assist.
"Sure, I'll help in any way I can," I grinned. "But I still suggest you consult with Odette's pediatrician for most things, my experience in pediatrics is limited."
Mitchell spoke to Macy and cheered Odette up for a short while longer. I slowly moved out of the frame and admired how good he was with Odette.
***
By nine-thirty that night, I couldn't stop yawning as I sat with my head on Mitchell's shoulder while he worked on his laptop. My eyes stung with sleepiness and I was more than ready to call it a night.
"I should go," Mitchell mused. "You're about to pass out."
"No," I snaked my hand around his arm and snuggled closer. "Stay with me."
"I didn't bring a change of clothes for tomorrow."
"It's fine," I sleepily mumbled. "You can borrow mine."
"I don't know," Mitchell drawled. "Wouldn't they be a little loose around my shoulders?"
"Mitch," I whined and he chuckled.
"Alright, but I'll have to leave extra early in the morning."
"Hmm-mm," I mumbled as my lids got heavier.
Mitchell shut his laptop and his arm snaked around my waist. I opened my eyes and flinched when his fingers pressed a little too hard onto my lower abdomen.
"What happened?" Mitchell pulled back and looked at me in concern.
"I must've fallen harder than I thought," I muttered to myself as I lifted my top to examine the painful area. Just above my hip bone was a blue bruise that began to form, the area wasn't inflamed but painful to the touch.
"Fall?" Mitchell's voice picked up a notch. "When did that happen?"
"Relax," I consoled him and filled him in on how I slipped earlier on my way up. Mitchell was way too paranoid for his own good, he looked as if I just told him I had a month left to live.
"It was just a silly fall, I'm perfectly fine. You don't have to worry."
Mitchell lifted my top and stared at the bruise that looked worse than it felt. He kept his eyes fixated on the mark and I shivered when he brushed his fingertips over it. My throat went dry and my breath hitched as he lowered his face and pressed a gentle kiss over my lower belly.
"Mitch," I whispered and tried to push him back. He had no idea but his simple, innocent action overwhelmed me because of the pregnancy scare.
"I know you're fine," he glanced up at me as his fingers gently brushed over my stomach. "But I don't like the idea of you in any kind of pain."
I slowly slipped his hand away, lowered my top, and tangled my fingers in his hair. I pressed my lips against his forehead and stared into his eyes. "You can't wrap me in bubble wrap, I'll be fine. Besides, it doesn't hurt as much."
Mitchell nodded and leaned forward to brush his lips over mine. "Go to bed, I'll join you in a bit."
Despite how tired I was all evening, I struggled to sleep that night. As promised, Mitchell got into bed about an hour after me. As soon as I heard him enter the room, I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. He spooned me from behind and kissed the side of my head before he fell asleep.
I was wrapped in his arms and for the first time, his warmth and steady breathing didn't act as a lullaby. My mind was too occupied, I wanted to tell Mitchell about my missed periods but after I saw the way he was with Odette, I changed my mind. The last thing I wanted was to give him false hope and I was also scared that I wouldn't react the way he probably would've wanted me to.
The way he kissed my stomach later also added to my anxiety, I did not doubt that Mitchell would've supported me no matter what but I was also nowhere near ready to bring another life into this world. I could tell he would be excited should I be pregnant but I'd be the furthest from it.
I had way too many fears about being a mother and one of them was the fear of loss. After my mom, I feared losing people and even though I'd become better at letting people in, I was still a work in progress.
I sighed deeply and squirmed in Mitchell's hold. I couldn't take the way I felt anymore, I needed to get the test over and done with or I would lose my mind. Mitchell was sound asleep, I gently peeled myself out of his hold and he rolled onto his back as I slipped out of bed.
With a pounding heart, I found the pregnancy test Leo hid and made my way to the bathroom.
The three minutes I had to wait for the results felt like three lifetimes. With closed eyes, I sat on the edge of the bathtub with the test in my hand while my phone timer clicked. My heartbeat got louder and heavier by the second until the timer went off. I took in a deep breath and mustered the courage to open my eyes before I looked at the results.
A/N Any idea what the result is? Should Mila have talked to Mitch about this or is it understandable why she's so quiet about it?
Let me know your thoughts,
Till then,
Tina