Chapter 19 - Violet

Nile and I were true to our word. Even though we lived in the same home and were already mates, we treated each other like we were dating for the first time. Each day, he brought home a small bouquet of flowers for me, and each night, I wrote messages of encouragement to put in his lunch box for the following day. I was giddy, happier than I had been in a long time.

Penny had picked up on the new atmosphere in the house and was equally happy. We spent long hours doing family activities and generally enjoying each other's company.

It surprised me when I woke up one morning feeling lethargic and out of sorts. I attempted to get ready for the day, but a sudden wave of nausea sent me hurling into the toilet. When I didn't come downstairs for breakfast, Nile came up to check on me. He found me curled up in my bed, still in my pajamas.

"Vi, did you miss your alarm? You're going to be late for work," he said. He sat down on the bed next to me, petting my hair gently as he attempted to get me to open my eyes.

"I'm calling in sick," I mumbled.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern evident in his tone.

"I threw up, and I feel exhausted," I said. "I just want to lay here for a while."

Nile put the back of his hand against my forehead, checking me for temperature as I continued to lie listlessly on top of the covers.

"No fever," he said. "You stay there, I'll be right back."

There was no need for the order not to move—I certainly didn't feel like going anywhere. In just a few minutes, he returned upstairs carrying a tray that held water, electrolyte replenishers, painkillers, a heating pad, ice packs, and crackers.

"Don't you think that's overkill?" I said, eyeing the wide assortment of offerings.

"I didn't know exactly what you might need, so I brought a little of everything," he admitted. "I called Walter to let him know you won't be coming in, and I'm staying home from work to take care of you."

I opened my eyes wide enough that I could roll them in his direction.

"Again, overkill," I said simply.

"Maybe, but that's what's happening, so you better get used to it, honey," he said gently.

I smiled slightly and closed my eyes again. Nile left the room to take care of Penny, and I drifted back asleep. In what felt like seconds later, I woke up to someone pulling a cover over me. When I opened my eyes, I saw that it was Penny. She had crawled into bed next to me and was cozying up under my blanket.

"Aren't you supposed to be at school?" I asked her teasingly. "I'm the one who's sick, not you."

"I told Daddy that you need me here to take care of you," she replied.

"Like father, like daughter," I said, pulling her in close.

She sighed and settled into my side. After a few minutes of cuddling, she became restless. Her tossing and turning wasn't helping my nausea, so I suggested she go make me a card to help me feel better. Her eyes brightened, and she rushed from the room, clearly planning to make the best get-well-soon card that had ever been made.

As I watched her leave the room, I had a sudden suspicion about my symptoms. The drinks and snacks Nile had brought me would have been helpful if I had the flu or another viral illness, but I didn't think that was what was going on.

There was only one way to be sure, though, and I didn't feel like causing any more upset in the household than was necessary. I'd have to go and get the test myself.

I dressed as quickly as I could and sneaked down the stairs. Luckily, Nile wasn't in the kitchen, and I made it out the back door without being stopped. He thought I was taking a nap, so I should have about an hour to get what I needed and return home without him being any the wiser.

Once I left the back garden, I walked down the street. My goal was the pharmacy just around the block, and I managed to only need to stop once on the way there. The nausea had returned with a vengeance once I had started moving, but taking a few deep breaths seemed to help it abate. I focused on the cool wind hitting my face to distract myself from the feeling that I was going to throw up again.

I hurried inside the shop doors when I spotted the sign for Pinedale Drug and made a beeline for the family planning aisle. I grabbed the first box of pregnancy tests I found, not caring about the brand. All I needed was confirmation of what was going on inside of my body so that I could stop freaking out about whether I was about to become a mom or not.

I was in such a hurry to get to the checkout that I bumped into a woman coming out of another aisle, knocking the box from my hands.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, bending down to retrieve the fallen test.

"Violet?" a familiar voice asked.

I stood up and saw that the woman I had accosted was none other than Diana. My immediate reaction was one of embarrassment and, I hated to admit it, fear. But I remembered my conversation with Nile just a few days ago and realized that Diana had lost much more than I could imagine. Her husband and daughter had both died within a short period of time. That trauma alone was enough to cause even the sweetest of souls to struggle.

"Diana, I'm sorry for bumping into you. I was in a hurry, and I didn't see you there," I said, trying to be kind. "How are you doing?"

"Don't act like you care," Diana replied haughtily.

"I assure you that I do," I said. "You're Penny's grandmother, which makes us family."

"Ha!" Diana laughed sarcastically. "I don't think so."

I saw her look down at the box in my hands, and her eyes widened before they narrowed suspiciously. A sudden urge to hide the box overcame me, but it was no use. She had already seen what I was buying.

"Got yourself knocked up, then," she spat. "I'd say more, but my son-in-law has threatened me with expulsion from the pack if I speak my mind again."

I wished there was something I could do or say to improve Diana's opinion of me, but it seemed like it was a lost cause. And right now, I had bigger fish to fry.

Without saying goodbye, I went to pay for my purchase at the counter and then walked to the in-store bathroom. I couldn't wait until I got home to find out if it was positive. I doubted I would have any privacy from Nile and Penny to take it without an audience, anyway.

I sat in the restroom and capped my used test, turning it face-down as I waited the allotted amount of time. The minutes it took for the results to appear seemed to take a lifetime, but once enough time had passed, I gathered my courage and looked at the reading.

Positive.

I was pregnant.

"Violet!" Nile shouted, barging into the restroom without a warning.

"Nile!" I said, alarmed by his sudden appearance. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"Me?! I was worried sick about you. Last thing I knew was that you were taking a nap, and then Penny came down to tell me that she couldn't find you," he said, taking me into his arms and holding me tightly.

"I'm fine, I just needed to get something," I mumbled into his chest.

"You should have asked me," Nile said. "I would have come down to get it for you."

"I know," I winced. "But I couldn't ask you to get this."

"Why not? What did you need?"

I held up the pregnancy test that was still in my hand, offering it to him limply and wordlessly. "Nervous" could hardly begin to describe the burning, fluttering feeling that began in my stomach and radiated throughout my body. We had decided to take things slow, yet here I was, pregnant with his child.

I was on edge as he looked at the positive result, wondering what his reaction would be. He looked from the test to my face with a completely unreadable expression.

"How are you feeling about it?" he asked.

I was surprised that he hadn't immediately told me what he was feeling but had asked about my own thoughts.

"Feeling?" I asked. I hadn't had time to process it yet, so I wasn't sure how else to respond.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Vi," he responded. "I was just wondering if you're alright with the test result. We hadn't talked about this yet."

I could tell that my mate was genuinely concerned about me, and it solidified my feelings about carrying his child. Whether he was happy or sad about bringing a new life into this world made no difference. I would love this tiny new life that was half me and half Nile no matter what.

My eyes welled up with tears, and I began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Whoa, Violet," Nile said, tossing the pregnancy test into the sink behind me as he wrapped his arms around me. "It's alright. I'm here. Everything's going to be OK."

His kindness only made me cry harder as I realized that my baby was going to have the most caring father in the world to call their own. I had already seen it with Penny. I only hoped that he could love our child as much as he loved the one he already had.

"I'm alright," I assured him, wiping my eyes as I calmed myself. "I love this baby already. I'm not sad, I'm just emotional. Damn hormones."

Nile hugged me tighter, playing with the hair at the nape of my neck as he held me against his chest.

"I'm overjoyed to hear that, because I can't wait to have this baby with you," he said.

We held each other until we were strong enough to let go and face the rest of the world.

"Let's go home," I said. "We've got some planning to do."