Rachel
I woke up this morning thinking about my period. Not a fun subject, but when I started thinking about how long it had been since Miles and I had sex at school, I realized it was over two weeks ago, and I should've already started my period. And wasn't it possible that a condom could've broken in the past? I sat up quickly and felt sick to my stomach.
"No, Rachel," I said out loud to myself. "Don't make yourself sick over this shit." Miles was picking me up in thirty minutes to take me to the gynecologist. I shuddered just thinking about it. I had never been before, and I didn't want my mom to know that I had made an appointment. So, I did some snooping and found the name of her doctor.
I tossed the covers off and drug myself out of bed and to the shower. Twenty-five minutes later, I was waiting on the sidewalk outside my house, attempting to avoid my mom, who was in the basement working in her salon.
Miles pulled up and I ran gratefully to the Jeep, my hair flying behind me. I jumped in and kissed him on the cheek. "Morning baby," I said happily. Just seeing him made me feel more at ease.
"Morning, beautiful. You seem happier today," he noted as he drove away from the curb.
"Just being with you makes me feel better," I said, reaching over and taking his hand in mine.
"Where's your doctor's office?"
"Emerald Coast OB/GYN... Over on 23rd by the mall," I responded, turning up the radio.
"All right, that'll only take us a few minutes."
When we pulled up to the doctor's office, I felt my heart start to race. "Will you come in with me?" I asked as he opened my door.
"Of course, babe. Anything you want."
We only had to wait a few minutes before the nurse stepped out into the waiting room and called, "Rachel Cross?"
I took a deep breath and we stood up, following her to the exam room.
***
"Are you sure you want me in here?" Miles asked uncomfortably, eyeing the stirrups on the end of the exam table.
I gulped. "I'm not sure I want me in here," I murmured, and Miles laughed.
"You're going to be fine, Rachel. Just breathe."
I did as requested, and in a few minutes, Dr. Adams came into the room. She was around 50, tall and pretty with ginger red hair. "Good morning, Ms. Cross. Who do you have with you today?"
"Good morning Dr. Adams. This is my boyfriend, Miles Jefferson." I idly wondered if she had been keeping up with the news. She didn't react, though; she just smiled.
"Nice to meet you both. Rachel, do you want Miles to stay here for the exam?" she asked, looking between us.
Miles looked like he literally would rather be stuck in a hailstorm without the top on his Jeep, so I shook my head. "No. Can he come in after?" I asked, still holding his hand. He looked relieved.
"Of course. Miles, if you want to go back to the waiting room, I'll send a nurse to get you once we are done."
"Okay, I'll be right outside, babe," he said, kissing my temple and running his hand through my hair.
"Okay," I squeaked as he went out the door, closing it with a soft click.
"All right, Rachel. Let's get acquainted a bit before we get started. Tell me, are you and Miles sexually active?"
This would be the first adult I'd admitted this to – but my dad always told me that you should never lie to your lawyer or your doctor – so I told the truth. "Yes. Since March."
She nodded, writing on my chart. "Is he your first sexual partner?"
"Yes. And I'm his."
"Very good. And do you use protection every time?"
"All except twice... that's kind of what brought me here today."
"Ah," she said simply. "All right. I assume you aren't on birth control."
I shook my head. "I was hoping you could help with that."
"Absolutely. When was your last menstrual period?"
"About six weeks ago... I'm about two weeks late," I murmured, feeling sick to my stomach.
"Oh, well, then. I guess the first thing we need to do is a pregnancy test. We'll do a urine test with immediate results and a blood test to be sure. Then we'll do a pelvic exam, and I'll give you a prescription for the pill. Sound good?" she asked warmly, and I felt myself relax a little.
"Yes. Sounds good."
"Very well." She handed me a foil package. "Pee on this stick," she said, and I almost laughed at the blunt instruction. "Bring it back and we'll wait for the results.
A minute or so later, I returned, holding the stick out carefully. She took it and placed it on the counter, setting a three-minute timer.
In those three minutes, so many thoughts ran through my mind: what if it's positive? What will we do? Where will we live? Will we still go to Florida State? What will my parents say?"
Finally, after what really seemed like an eternity, the timer sounded. I sat up straight, watching as she inspected it.
When she looked up at me, I knew.
"It's negative, Rachel."
I fell back against the examination table. "Thank God," I breathed, feeling the weight of the last few days leave my shoulders.
"Yes. We will still do the blood test just to be sure, but I'm confident in these results. Have you been under stress lately?"
I almost laughed out loud. "You could say that."
"That's probably why your period is late. It should show soon. Now, let's do the pelvic exam."
***
After the exam – which has to be one of the worst things a woman has to go through, by the way – I got my prescription and made my way back to the waiting room.
Miles stood up as soon as he saw me, his blue eyes dark with apprehension. I ran toward him and threw my arms around his neck. "I'm not pregnant," I whispered in his ear.
He echoed my words from earlier. "Oh, thank God." He put his hands on my cheeks and looked into my eyes. "I want you to know, though, Rachel... one day, a long time from now, you're the only woman I want to mother my children."
I melted then and there, and he kissed me deeply, right there in the waiting room.
Luke
"Luke!" my dad yelled frantically from the living room. I jumped up and rushed downstairs.
"What is it, Dad?" I asked. But when I walked through the door and saw his face, I knew it was bad.
He was gripping his cell phone in his hand, his face white.
"I – uh," he stammered.
"What, Dad? Are you okay? Is Mom okay?"
"I – uh, that was our attorney... something's happened to William."
"What happened to William?" I asked, my voice dry and crackly.
"He's dead."