Chapter 20 - The Two-Line Result
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Three months later, the summer heat hung heavy over the farmhouse. The windows were wide open, letting in the sound of cicadas and the distant hum of a lawnmower.
Grace stood in the small downstairs bathroom, staring at the white plastic stick resting on the edge of the porcelain sink.
Three minutes. The box said to wait three minutes.
Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. She gripped the edge of the sink, closing her eyes. She remembered the panic she felt seven years ago when she saw the positive result in a dingy apartment bathroom, wondering how she would protect her child from the Cole family empire.
She took a deep breath and opened her eyes.
Two solid pink lines.
Tears immediately spilled over her eyelashes. But this time, they were not tears of terror. They were tears of pure, unadulterated joy.
She picked up the test and walked out into the living room.
Nathan was on his hands and knees on the rug, helping Lily build a complicated castle out of magnetic tiles. He had a blue tile stuck to his forehead, much to Lily’s delight.
Grace stood in the doorway, unable to speak. She just held her hand against her mouth, crying silently.
Nathan looked up, the blue tile falling off his face. He saw her tears and immediately stood up, his face pale with worry.
“Grace? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
She shook her head rapidly. She walked over to him, ignoring Lily’s confused stare, and pressed the plastic stick directly into his large, calloused hand.
Nathan looked down at it.
He stared at the two pink lines for what felt like an eternity. His breath hitched. He looked up at Grace, his eyes wide, rapidly filling with moisture.
“Are you serious?” he whispered, his voice cracking.
Grace nodded, a massive smile finally breaking through her tears. “I’m pregnant.”
Nathan let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob. He pulled her into his arms, lifting her off the ground and spinning her around the living room.
“What’s happening?” Lily demanded, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. “Why is Daddy crying?”
Nathan set Grace down carefully. He knelt in front of his daughter, wiping his eyes.
“Lily,” Nathan said, his voice trembling with happiness. “Do you remember when you asked if you could have a baby brother or sister?”
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Lily’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. “Are we getting one?!”
“Yes,” Grace said, kneeling beside Nathan and pulling Lily into a family hug. “We’re getting one.”
