Chapter 001

*UNEXPECTED NEWS*

BRIDGET

The morning sun streamed through the sheer curtains of our cozy apartment, bathing the room in a golden glow.

The soft rustling of leaves outside and the distant hum of the city created a soothing background noise as I sat at the small dining table, absentmindedly stirring my now-lukewarm cup of tea. Despite the calmness of the morning, my mind was anything but at peace.

I leaned back in my chair, pressing my fingers against my temples as I thought about it again. The missed period.

It had been over a month now, and while I had initially brushed it off as stress or a simple hormonal imbalance, the nagging worry wouldn’t leave me. The thought had lingered in the back of my mind for days, but this morning, I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

With a deep breath, I stood up and walked toward the bathroom. My heartbeat quickened with every step. The pregnancy test I had bought the day before was still sitting on the sink, waiting to confirm or dispel my suspicions. My fingers trembled slightly as I picked up the small white device, my pulse echoing in my ears.

“Just do it,” I told myself, swallowing the lump in my throat. “It’s better to know than to keep guessing.”

Following the instructions carefully, I took the test, then placed it on the bathroom counter.

The next few minutes felt like the longest of my life. My eyes darted between the test strip and my reflection in the mirror. I barely recognized myself, eyes wide, lips slightly parted, chest rising and falling with every nervous breath.

The seconds ticked by agonizingly slowly. I clenched my fists, debating whether I even wanted to look at the result.

A part of me desperately hoped for one line, while another, quieter part of me… was hoping for two.

Finally, I forced myself to glance down at the small device in my hand, My breath hitched.

“Two red lines” I blinked, my hands tightening around the test as if I could change the outcome by simply willing it away. “What the f...” I whispered, barely able to form the words. My stomach twisted into knots as a thousand thoughts rushed through my mind at once.

“Derrick, What would he say? How would he react? Would he be happy? Worried? Angry?” I swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the sink as the realization hit me in full force. *I’m pregnant.*

For a moment, panic clawed at my chest. This wasn’t something we had planned. We were already preparing for our wedding. Was this too much, too soon? But then, as I stared at my reflection, something shifted. The initial shock slowly melted into something softer, something warmer.

A rush of excitement flooded through me, an indescribable sense of joy spreading from the tips of my fingers to the very core of my being.

I placed a hand on my still-flat belly, the corners of my lips twitching into a small, hesitant smile. “There’s a life growing inside me. A part of me. A part of Derrick.”

My gaze softened as I whispered, “The universe must have remembered us.”

I let out a shaky laugh, rubbing my belly in slow, gentle circles. *This changes everything… but maybe, just maybe, it changes things for the better.*

Derrick had a stable job now, our wedding was right around the corner. Maybe this was fate’s way of giving us something even more beautiful to look forward to.

I could already picture the moment I would tell him. Would he be shocked? Overwhelmed? I hoped he would be happy, that he would pull me into his arms and whisper promises of forever. The thought alone made my heart swell.

Excited but nervous, I quickly cleaned up, placing the test back into its box and tucking it away safely. I would wait. Tomorrow, when Derrick came home from work, I would tell him. And then, our journey as a family would truly begin.

As I walked back into the living room, the sunlight seemed brighter, the air lighter. I couldn’t help but smile as I glanced around our apartment.

The place we had built together, filled with memories and love. The thought of adding a little one to our lives filled me with a sense of purpose I hadn’t felt before.

I sat down on the couch, pulling a blanket over my legs, and let my mind wander. *What would our baby look like? Would they have Derrick’s eyes? My smile?* I imagined tiny hands gripping my fingers, soft coos filling the quiet moments of our days.

The idea of holding our child, of watching Derrick cradle them in his arms, brought tears to my eyes.

But then, a flicker of doubt crept in. *What if Derrick isn’t ready? What if this isn’t what he wants?* I shook my head, pushing the thought away.

Derrick had always been my rock, my partner in everything. If anyone could handle this, it was him.

I reached for my phone, scrolling through photos of us laughing at the beach, dancing in the kitchen, cuddled up on the couch. Each picture reminded me of how far we’d come, how much we’d built together. This baby would only add to that, not take away from it.

As the day went on, I found myself planning in my head. “We’ll need to turn the spare room into a nursery. Maybe paint it a soft yellow or green. And baby clothes. oh, the tiny socks and onesies!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at myself, feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.

The day was finally here, Derrick finally came home after days of patiently waiting to break the good news, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement.

The aroma of chamomile filled the air, a comforting scent that usually soothed my nerves.

He walked through the door, his tie loosened and a tired smile on his face. “Hey babe,” I smiled up at him, my heart pounding. “Hey. How was your day?” “Long,” he said, sinking onto the couch across the room.”

He always had a happy and cheerful demeanor whenever he came home from work. But today, something felt off. Derrick, my boyfriend of six years, sat across from me, his expression unreadable.

His fingers tapped nervously on the table, a habit he only displayed when he was anxious or about to deliver bad news.