“You’ve been busy.” Abby stands, and with ease and grace I wish I possessed in this moment, she gathers our papers and books from the table and stuffs them into our bags.
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going to go buy you a pregnancy test.”
“What? No.” I shake my head and then repeat myself. “No.”
“What do you mean, no? How else are we going to find out if you’ve got a baby baking in that oven of yours?”
“There is no baby in my oven,” I hiss. “I don’t even have a damn oven.”
“You have an oven.”
“There is no oven.”
“Enough with the oven,” she shouts, quickly looking around the library to make sure no one heard her. “Let’s go before we get kicked out.”
It’s a good thing Abby drove here, because my whole body is numb. By the time we make it to the drug store, I’ve got my head buried between my knees because I’m seconds away from hyperventilating. I don’t even remember the drive back to Lincoln’s. I finally look up when Abby says my name.
“Huh?”
“Come on, we’re here.” She opens my car door and drags me inside. “What time does Lincoln get home?”
“Not for a while. I’m supposed to meet him at his dad’s later.”
“Good. Here. Go take the test. I bought three.”
“Why three?”
“Because everyone knows if the first one is positive, it’s probably wrong, and you’ll need two more to confirm it.”
“Good thinking.”
“I’ve got your back. Always. Now go.”
But I don’t. I stand there with the plastic bag in my hands and stare at the bathroom door.
“What are you waiting for?”
“I don’t want to do it alone.”
Abby grabs the bag from my hands and leads me to the bathroom. She rips the box open and hands me a stick. “Here.”
I look at the pregnancy test in my hand like it’s a bomb about to go off.
“I love you, Ads, but I am not holding that while you pee on it.”
“I know,” I mumble. “I’m just trying to get up the courage.”
“Take as long as you need.”
“What if it’s positive?”
Abby’s face softens. She grabs my shoulders and smiles. “One thing at a time, okay? Let’s worry about that if it’s positive. It’s probably going to be negative, and you’re worrying over nothing.”
“You’re right. Let’s do this.” I shut the door, pee on the stick as described on the box, set the stick on the back of the toilet, and walk out.”
“Well?”