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It had become like that between us now: polite and distant. Both our minds, I knew, were reliving that fight every single waking moment.

***

Things remained the same, but I didn't have the energy to confront him about his accusations. Not when my body was continuing to betray me. Even the smell of eggs sent me rushing to the bathroom and left me retching in the pot.

On the fifth or sixth morning, the maid appeared with my usual eggs, toast, and bacon. I tried to eat a bit, but threw it all up.

“Screw this shit,” I groaned as I made my way back to bed. And that’s when it hit me.

The sickness came at the smell of food. Always, food. At other times, I was fine. Weak and dizzy, but fine.

Just then, a nagging suspicion began to form in my mind. I'd been too caught up in our fight and then my illness to notice what should have been obvious: I couldn't remember my last period. I'd lost track of time in this house.

My mind raced with possibilities as I lay in bed, the realization sinking in. The pieces were starting to come together in a way that I couldn’t ignore.

Could it be? Was it even possible?

What was I going to do? I needed…help.

In that moment, I knew I couldn’t just walk out and buy what I needed. I also didn’t want to risk having it delivered. What if someone saw? What if I had to involve others before I knew for certain?

There was only one feasible possibility.

With shaky hands, I reached for my phone and dialed Elena's number.

“Elena? It's Larissa.” My voice sounded strange to my own ears. “I need your help.”

“Larissa?” She sounded confused by my call. Of course she did; she was Gio’s sister. But as I explained, her eagerness to help was all I needed to know I’d made the right call.

Over an hour later, Elena slipped into my bedroom, her eyes widening at my appearance.

“You look like death warmed over,” she said as she leaned in for a hug.

“Thanks. Always good for my ego.” I managed a weak smile, and then she pulled out a paper bag and handed it to me.

“I got what you asked for,” she said carefully, kindly.

“Thank you, Elena. I’m so sorry to have bothered you.”

“Hush now,” she grasped my hand and shook her head. “There’s no need to apologize.”

I nodded and peered into the bag, my heart stuttering at the sight of the pregnancy test inside.

“You sure you're...?” Elena trailed off, perching at the edge of my bed.

I shrugged, afraid to say it aloud. “I don’t know for certain. I've been sick every morning. I'm late. And I just—I have this feeling.”

Elena squeezed my hand. “No matter what, I'm here. Let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

Elena helped me to the bathroom, opening the door for me. “I’ll be right out here,” she said with a gentle smile. I nodded, too nervous to say anything, and closed the door behind me.

I peeled open the box and followed the test instructions with shaking hands. As the minutes ticked by, the seconds dragged on like an eternity, and I felt my heart pounding in my chest. The anticipation was suffocating, and I knew my life could change in three whole minutes.

At last, the time was up. I drew in a shaky breath and glanced down at the test in my trembling hands.

Two pink lines.

My heart stopped. Everything around me seemed to fade into the background, leaving only me and that undeniable confirmation that things would never be the same again. Life, as I knew it, had changed.