⊰ 13 ⊱ Consequence of Doubt

This can’t be real…

I sit on the cold bathroom floor, my back pressed against the locked door, and my knees pulled up to my chest. In my hands, I hold the pregnancy test, its two unmistakable lines staring back at me like a cruel joke.

Positive. It’s fucking positive.

I want to laugh, cry, and scream all at the same time.

This can’t be happening… Not now. Not like this.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath as I try to calm the storm raging inside me.

It could be false, right? Don’t people get false positives all the time?

…

It’s the nocebo effect. I’m probably manifesting my own symptoms.

…

No. You’re in denial.

I’ve been ignoring the signs for weeks now—my missed period, the constant exhaustion, the way my body feels like a stranger to me. I thought it was all because of the wedding and the stress that came with it, but I’m