Chapter 3
The glance was so quick that a normal person wouldn't have noticed it.
But Emily noticed. She didn't say a word, just moved out of the way and went back to her bedroom.
That evening, when Frank got home from work, Emily had prepared a full homemade dinner.
He cleaned his plate, went back for seconds, and praised her cooking three separate times. Sophia didn't eat much, but she tried a little of every dish.
After dinner, Frank took a call and went out to the balcony to talk for about ten minutes.
While Emily was clearing the table, Sophia stayed at the dining table. "Emily, have you ever thought about having kids?" she asked.
Emily paused for a moment. "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"Oh, nothing," Sophia replied with a smile, absentmindedly twisting the plastic bracelet on her wrist. "I just figured, you and Frank have been married for so long.
"Having a kid would make things a lot more fun around here."
Emily stacked the last plate and carried them to the kitchen.
As she passed by Sophia, she paused for a moment. "I took a pregnancy test. I'm pregnant."
Sophia froze for a second. Then, a look slowly spread across her face. And Emily had never seen before.
It wasn't surprise, and it wasn't happiness for her. It was a genuine sense of relief she was desperately trying to hide.
It was like a gambler hearing the winning number.
"Congratulations, Emily," Sophia said.
Emily walked into the kitchen and put the plates in the sink.
She turned the faucet on full blast, the rushing water drowning out everything else.
On Saturday, Frank said he wanted to take Emily back home to visit Helen Sanders.
Sophia didn't go. She said she had a doctor's appointment.
When they arrived at the Sanders family's house, Helen was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching TV.
Emily called out, "Helen," but Helen didn't even look at her. She said, "Oh, you're here," without glancing up.
Frank went into the kitchen to get some water.
Emily sat down across from Helen. "Mom, I need to tell you something. I'm pregnant."
Helen finally looked up. She stared at Emily for three seconds, her face blank, then asked, "How long have you been pregnant?"
"A little over a month," Emily replied.
"Did you get it checked at the hospital?" Helen asked.
"The test showed two lines," Emily replied.
Helen nodded. "Make sure to get a blood test at the hospital and a thorough check-up.
"Don't rush things. Those home tests aren't always reliable."
Emily waited for her to say something else. Maybe a congratulations, a bit of happiness, or even telling her to avoid cold food.
Helen picked up the remote and changed the channel. "Alright, I got it," she said flatly.
Emily sat there, her hands resting on her knees.
Frank came out of the kitchen with two glasses of water, handing one to Emily and setting the other down next to Helen.
"Mom, Emily's pregnant," Frank said.
Helen glanced at her son. "She just told me."
Frank grinned. "So, are you excited? You're about to be a grandma."
Helen shot Emily a quick look, then finally squeezed out, "I'm happy. Just take care of yourself."
With that, she went right back to watching TV.
On the way home, Emily sat in the passenger seat while Frank drove.
He said, "That's how my mom is. Don't let it bother you. She's actually pretty happy."
"Yeah," Emily replied.
"Tomorrow, I'll take you to the hospital for a proper check-up and a blood test to see the results," Frank said softly.
Emily turned her head, watching the streetlights blur past outside the window.
"Your mom didn't seem even a little surprised," she said.
"What?" Frank asked.
"When I told her I was pregnant, her first reaction was to ask how long. She wasn't surprised, just wanted to confirm it," Emily explained.
Frank let out a laugh. "She's old, and her reactions are slow."
Emily stayed quiet.
When they got home, Sophia was already back. She was sitting on the couch in the living room, scrolling through her phone.
As soon as she saw them walk in, she jumped to her feet. "You're back? Emily, you must be exhausted."
As Emily walked past her, she caught a whiff of that unmistakable hospital disinfectant smell.
*****
That night, Emily lay in bed, unable to sleep. Frank's breathing had already evened out.
She turned to look at him. Five years ago, when she first saw his face, he'd helped her chase down a thief who'd snatched her bag outside the mall.
He was sweating buckets, having run two whole blocks, and when he came back, he grinned and said, "It's okay now. I scared the guy off."
Emily had given up her three-year-old bakery studio to marry him.
Back then, everyone said she was crazy. Her mom had asked, "Is a man really worth throwing away your whole career for?"
She'd said it was worth it.
Now, the man she'd thought was worth it was lying next to her, sleeping soundly.
The baby she was carrying was never meant to be theirs, not in his mind. It was all because of Sophia's pills.
Emily rolled over, facing the wall, her hands pressed under the pillow. Her fingers curled up one by one, then relaxed again.
On the day of the hospital check-up, Frank took half a day off.
He stayed with Emily the whole time, including helping her register, getting her blood drawn, and sitting through the ultrasound.
While they waited for the results, he went to the vending machine and bought her a bottle of warm water and a bag of cookies.
He said, "If you're hungry, have a couple of bites. I'll take you to your favorite pasta place for lunch."
Emily took the water, twisted off the cap, and took a sip.