Ruth woke up the next morning and dashed, once again, to the bathroom. Noah groaned as he heard his wife be sick. He got up and went into the en-suite and took hold of Ruth’s hair once again.
“I really hate you, Noah Edward Hardy.” Ruth complained. Noah rubbed her back as Ruth was sick again. She groaned and flushed the toilet.
“Feeling a bit better?” Noah asked as Ruth tied her hair up in a messy bun and stood up. She looked her husband in the eye,
“I’m having a shower, trying to keep something down then going Boots.” She complained as she stripped from her pyjama shorts and top. Noah looked on, his eyes pleased at what he saw. Ruth chucked her top at him, wrapping around his head. She stood in the shower and switched it on. Noah chuckled, walked downstairs, and made his breakfast. Fifteen minutes later, Ruth was downstairs in her tatty skinny jeans, baggy jumper, and old converses, sipping water and nibbling dry biscuits as Noah ate Coco Pops. She glared at him, still feeling a little queasy. Noah smiled sympathetically at her. She placed her glass of water down on the counter and grabbed her purse.
“Want anything in town?” Ruth asked, looking at her messy hair in the mirror, her skin still as pale as paste from her sickness.
“Get some paracetamol while you’re out. You’re gonna need some.” Noah suggested.
“I’m getting a piss stick.” She said as she opened the front door.
“Hurry back, sweetheart.” Noah called as the door shut. He placed his dishes in the dishwasher. He sat on the sofa and sighed. His phone in his tatty dressing gown buzzed. Message ID: Tom Spencer.
“Hey! How was Cyprus?” Tom asked,
“Brilliant thanks. I need to ask you something…” Noah replied.
“What’s up?”
“I think Ru’s pregnant…”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. What do I do?”
“What’s the first hint?”
“She’s been very sick the past few mornings, and last night.”
“Dude, you’re screwed. You didn’t plan and Ruth is gonna panic.”
“She seems pretty okay at the moment.”
“That’s amazing.”
“I know, and I’m terrified, so I have no idea what she’s thinking.”
“I imagine its chaos.”
“How’s having 2?”
“An absolute nightmare. All Sammy does is screaming.”
“Sammy Spencer. Good name.” Noah chuckled as he sent the text. He heard the front door open and Ruth come back in.
“I’ve got work tomorrow and I feel like shite.” Ruth complained as she kicked her shoes off before heading into the bathroom. Noah looked at her as she passed by. She chugged a glass of water before going into the bathroom. About ten minutes later Ruth came out, staring at the stick. Noah looked at her with worried eyes, the same panic reflected in Ruth’s own.
“Gotta give it a few more minutes for an answer.” Ruth complained. Ruth placed the stick on the counter on top of some kitchen roll and hugged onto Noah like a limpet. Eventually, the time was up. Ruth looked at the stick. Positive. Her heart leapt a little, but also sank. She hadn’t planned this, but it was someone growing inside her, and she felt responsible for someone else, completely responsible for another life, for the first time in her own life. Noah looked at Ruth in shock and surprise.
“We’re pregnant.” Ruth whispered, shock in her voice. Noah’s hands shook a little in shock, in fear, but he knew it would all work, it always did, somehow.
“Are you okay, Ru?” Noah asked weakly, simply from shock and surprise.
“Yeah, we’re gonna have a baby.” She whispered, her eyes lighting up and kissing her husband gently, they smiled at one another, giggling.
“We’re gonna be parents.” Noah laughed in a little shock.
“We are.” Ruth giggled.
“We’re gonna be crap at it.”
“Nah, we’re gonna be brilliant.” Ruth beamed, her face beginning to fill with colour, happiness coating it. She was so glad, finally a reason to her life, one that she had never been able to define before.