Chapter Twenty Six

Chevelle


I’m curled up on Caprice’s bed reading a book, feeling like death warmed over, when Caprice peeks her head around the door.

“Do you have a minute?” she asks, biting her bottom lip the same way that I do when I’m nervous.

“Sure, what’s up?” Dogearing the page I was reading, I put it down and watch her walk over with her hands hidden behind her back.

“Umm…so…” she sits down on the bed at my feet and brings a brown paper bag to her lap, still biting her bottom lap. She’s looking everywhere but at me and her nerves are causing me to be nervous.

“Caprice what’s going on?” I say as I grab the bag out of her hands and dump its contents onto the bed. “A box of pregnancy tests?” I question, staring at the box as I cover my mouth, trying to wrap my head around what I think she’s trying to tell me. *My little sister thinks that she might be pregnant?* “Caprice, I’m here for you no matter what the tests say. Please know that…” I say, reaching out my hand and grasping hers.

“Chevy…it’s not for me…” she trails off as tears begin to build in her eyes. “You’re so sick and sleep all the time. I know that you think it’s because River broke your heart, but I think you need to be sure.” She squeezes my hand and tries to smile as tears begin to fall upon her cheeks. “And I will be here for you no matter what those tests say. No matter what.”

Disbelief washes over me as I stare at the box of tests in front of me. *She thinks that I might be pregnant?* I try to think back to when my last period was…*I should have started by now…but stress will mess with your periods…right?*

“I can’t be pregnant…” I whisper, in denial as I begin to cry.

“Shh…Hey, it’s okay. Let’s take it one step at a time, okay? Let’s not jump to any conclusions, let’s just take the tests and see what they say, okay?” she nods her head, trying to convince me as she pulls me in for a hug. “Everything will be okay, no matter what they say.” She murmurs into my ear as she strokes the hair trailing down my back.

Picking up the box, I head towards the bathroom, nevermore thankful that she has her own than I am at this moment.

“Let me know when you’ve peed on it and I’ll set the timer on my phone for three minutes. Unless you want me to come in there with you…” she looks unsure and as much as I appreciate all of her support, I need to do this on my own.

“It’s okay. I’ll let you know when I’m done so you can start the timer.” I say as I shut the bathroom door. I lean against it, tears flowing down my cheeks. *I might be pregnant…*lowering my hand to my belly, I stroke my smooth belly, already knowing what the test is going to say without taking it.

*I’m pregnant with River’s baby.*

*River and I are having a baby.*

“Are you done yet?” Caprice says as she knocks on the door.

“Umm…just give me a minute…” I say as I pull my pants down and sit down on the toilet. Opening up the box, I pull out one of the packages, open it and remove the cap from the test. I read the instructions and then pee on the stick.

I stare at it as the test begins to process, two little pink lines popping up before I even get the lid placed back on the stick.

Sitting the test on the counter, I pull my pants up, flush, and then wash my hands. Caprice opens the door just as I begin to dry them.

“You didn’t tell me to start the timer…” she says, holding up her phone with the timer up on the screen, ready for the start button to be pushed.

“There was no need for a timer…” I say as I reach for the test and show it to her. “It turned positive immediately…”

“Oh, shit!” she whisper shouts and then throws her arms around me. “Chevy…”

“I’m going to have a baby…” I cry into her hair as she tightens her arms around me, hugging me tighter.

“You know that you have to talk to him now, right?” she says, drawing back and looking me in the eyes, “He has a right to know that he’s going to be a dad.”

“I know…” I murmur as I slide to the floor, the pain in my chest that had finally started to recede coming back at the thought of facing him. “I will tell him, but I need a little time to wrap my head around everything first…please don’t say anything.”

Caprice lays her head against my shoulder, wrapping her arms around me once more, “You know I won’t say anything. It’s your secret to tell, not mine.”

“Thank you…” I whisper as we both sit in the bathroom floor, curled up together as I cry.

We must have eventually fallen asleep while sitting there, because I wake up sometime later and I’m lying down, my face pressed against the brown bathroom carpet. Caprice’s head is lying against my hip and I know that if I move, I’m going to wake her up and possibly cause her to hardcore faceplant it into the carpet. My bladder doesn’t seem to care about whether she gets woken up or not though as it yells at me that it desperately needs relief.

“Hey, Caprice…” I say, placing my hand on her shoulder and wiggling it a little bit to rouse her, “I need to pee. Can you get off me, please?”

She mumbles something unintelligible but sits up and then leans her head and back against the bathroom cabinet.

I take care of my business and stare at the positive test that must have fallen on the floor earlier. *I can’t believe that I’m pregnant…I’m going to be a mom…*

“You okay?” she mumbles as she swings her head my way, eyes just barely open.

“Just trying to wrap my head around *that*,” I say, pointing to the test on the ground, “and trying to figure out how I’m going to tell River. I guess we have a lot that we need to talk about.”

“Yeah, I guess you do. I can get a hold of him for you, if you want me to.” She offers but I know that I need to do this on my own.

“Thanks, but I need to do this on my own…” I wash my hands and then turn back to her, “Can I borrow your phone? I guess there’s no time like the present to drop an *I’m pregnant!* bomb on the guy who knocked you up.”

She just laughs and hands me her phone as she gets up off the floor and then stretches out, her back popping several times before she’s done. “The floor may not have been the best spot to fall asleep, my back is killing me!” she complains as she follows me out of the bathroom.

“Tell me about it.” I say as I slip on a pair of boots and then grab my jacket off of her desk chair. “I’ll be back, okay? I’m going to go for a walk, I need some fresh air to think.” I say, waiving her phone at her to let her know that I’m going to go call him.

The sun is setting by the time I get to the park a few blocks from the house. It was a cool walk, but I needed the time to prepare myself for talking to him, hearing his voice, and dropping such a large bomb on him.

I sit in one of the three swings on the swing set and press River’s name and put it to my ear as it begins to dial.

“Caprice, is she okay?” River answers after two rings, worry evident in his voice. “Caprice? Is chevy okay?” he repeats when I don’t say anything.

My heart is beating out of my chest and suddenly I’m crying at the sound of his voice.

“River…” I murmur, “I…” Something hits me in the back of the head, causing an instant headache as I lose my grip on the phone and fall to the ground. Something is placed over my nose and mouth and then everything goes black.