One year later…
“Have you got it?” Charlize spoke out of the corner of her mouth like someone conducting a drug deal.
Brooke glanced at Ty’s retreating back as he followed Connor into the living room.
“Yeah,” Brooke whispered and tapped her handbag.
Charlize grabbed her hand and led her through the living room where the men had plonked themselves and had turned up the sound on the television for the impending basketball game. They veered out of the room, into the hallway and into Charlize and Connor’s bedroom.
Charlize peered out the door then shut it quietly.
“Okay let’s see.”
Brooke pulled the package out of her bag and handed it over. Charlize tore at the box, pulled out the three plastic strips inside and a leaflet then dropped the empty box on the bed.
She scanned the leaflet and pulled a lid off one of the strips, muttering to herself as she wandered into the adjoining bathroom.
“You’re doing it now?” Brooke called after her.
Charlize set two of the strips on the bathroom counter then yanked down her pants to sit on the toilet. “Yes, I have to while Connor’s busy with the game.”
Brooke turned away with a soft laugh. Clearly the woman was pregnant. The tinkling of pee filled the bathroom. No test needed. Already hormones were messing with her because Charlize had apparently lost her boundaries.
Brooke sat on the bed and waited.
Charlize emerged from the bathroom with the strip and set it on the dresser. “Have to wait two minutes.”
She perched herself on the bed next to Brooke and crossed her legs. “You didn’t tell Ty, did you?”
Brooke shook her head and watched Charlize glance at the strip on the dresser.
“Nope. Not a word.”
“Good, I don’t want Connor getting his hopes up again.” Her mouth curled. “We’ve been trying for over six months.”
Brooke’s chest grew heavy and she placed a hand on Charlize’s back. Dammit, she never knew what to say in these situations.
She cleared her throat. “Ty and I are going to try a fertility specialist after the wedding…”
“Really?” Charlize blinked and glanced at her.
“Yeah, apparently I still have eggs or something. But there are no guarantees.” She linked her hands in her lap and twisted the engagement ring on her finger. “Figured it’s worth a try though.”
“Of course it is,” Charlize said and smiled, wrapping her arm around Brooke. “I’m happy for you.”
Brooke sighed and looked at the dresser. “I think it’s been two minutes.”
Charlize jumped up, snatched the strip off the dresser and held it in front of her. “Two lines.” She blinked. “What’s two lines?”
She glanced around then ran into the bathroom.
“Crap.”
“What happened?” Brooke ran to the bathroom door.
Charlize peered down into the toilet. “I dropped the instructions.”
She leaned down and pulled out the instructions with two fingers and set the paper in the sink, then turned her head. “Can you read what this says?”
Brooke approached the sink and looked at the leaflet. It swelled with moisture, dark liquid blotting out the words and images. “Maybe we could dry it with a hairdryer?”
Charlize sighed and leaned against the vanity. “I don’t think so, the ink has bled.”
“Damn, maybe we could Google it?”
“Or…” Charlize said and picked up a still-wrapped test. “You could pee on one and be my control.”
“No.” Brooke shook her head and backed away.
“Please, Brooke.” Charlize’s eyes went wide and luminous.
Crap, now Brooke knew why Connor couldn’t say no to his bride. Charlize blinked and her eyes went wider.
Dammit.
Brooke snatched the test from her friend’s hand. “Fine, but this makes me godmother.”
Charlize squealed and clapped her hands. “Of course. Who else?”
Brooke pulled the cap off the end of the strip. “So I just pee on this bit?”
“Yep, that’s it.”
She set down the cap and moved to the toilet. “Turn around. Geez, Charlize.”
Charlize laughed and turned her back.
Brooke peed. Amazing really, because her bladder usually had stage fright. Not lately though. She had the bladder of a toddler recently.
“There.” She put the cap back on and set the test on the vanity next to Charlize’s.
They waited.
Charlize stepped closer and looked down at the strips. Her face fell. “Oh.”
Brooke looked at the tests. Identical. Both with two neat little lines on the display panel.
“I’m sorry, Charlize.”
She put her arm around her friend’s waist.
“There’s always next month,” Charlize whispered. Then her features crumpled completely and she cried.
Chest hurting, eyes stinging, Brooke hugged Charlize close.
“I was so sure this time.” Charlize hiccupped. “My boobs hurt, really freaking hurt, and the smell of soap makes me want to barf.”
Brooke stroked her back then stepped into the bedroom to get the tissues from the side table. Her gaze landed on the empty box on the bed. “Oh look,” she said and flipped the box over, “there are instructions on the back of the—”
The room spun.
“What?” Charlize emerged.
Brooke’s heart beat like a crazy thing.
She had to pee again.
Charlize plucked the box from her hands and looked at it. “Oh…”
“They’re broken,” Brooke said and pulled off her jacket and dumped it on the bed. “Clearly broken. Sorry, Charlize, I must have brought you the shit ones.”
Charlize shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Says here it’s ninety-nine percent accurate.”
“I’m going to pee on the other one.” Brooke stormed into the bathroom and opened the other test, went to the toilet and remarkably she still had yet more pee in her newly magical bladder.
It didn’t take two minutes for the second line to appear. It showed up as soon as the test screen changed color.
Holy fuck-balls.
“Oh my God, Brooke.” Charlize appeared next to her. “Do you know what this means?”
* * * * *
The door burst open. Connor and Ty exploded into the bedroom. Connor rushed to the bed where Charlize cried and Brooke patted her back.
“We heard screaming.” Ty sat carefully next to Brooke. “What happened?”
Brooke turned to Ty. Her ears rang and her head was light and funny like after a few too many drinks. “She just found out she’s going to be fat at our wedding.”
Ty frowned then his gaze flicked to Charlize, who held a strip out to Connor.
Connor bounced to his feet, letting out a booming roar as if he’d just witnessed the winning slam-dunk, then he scooped up Charlize and spun her around the room.
Ty grinned. “That’s awesome.”
“The thing is, Ty…” Brooke’s voice broke. “I think I will be too.” She handed Ty her two strips. He looked at them, his brow wrinkling.
Brooke handed him the box. He held the tests up against the box and his gaze flicked between the two.
He dropped the box. “These are yours?”
“Yes,” she somehow managed to whisper over her tight throat.
Ty’s jaw snapped shut and he stared at her a moment before his expression dissolved and he grabbed her. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his neck. He said stuff into her hair. She wasn’t sure what because she was too busy with a noisy cry. The back of her head seemed to be getting damp.
So he must’ve been crying too.