Page 72 of Mating of Convenience

“You already picked a movie for tonight?” Nathan asked.

“Not really. I figured maybe we could just watch that transformers flick we didn’t get around to last time.”

“Good. I brought chips,” Nathan said casually while looking at the stick again.

“Not popcorn?”

“We can make popcorn if you want to. There’s some in the pantry. Just don’t trip over Michel again.”

“It’s not my fault your dog loves to sleep in front of the pantry.”

Nathan shrugged. “He knows where the food is.” He glanced at the stick in his hands one last time and then laid it aside. “Okay, we’re done here. Let’s watch the movie.”

I nodded. The test was negative again.

Figures.

Nathan walked out of the bathroom ahead of me and I followed.

Together we made some popcorn on the stove, filled a bowl of chips and settled on the couch. Just another Friday night.

Even Michel got up from his spot by the pantry to chill in the living room with us. I ruffled his fur as he laid down in front of me.

Meanwhile Nathan grabbed the remote from the coffee table, then paused. “Sorry, I gotta use the bathroom. Don’t start without me.”

“All right.” I watched him go and popped one of the chips into my mouth. They were chili lemon flavored, which I’d always thought was a weird combination, but tonight, they didn’t seem so bad. Exhaling, I relaxed on the couch and waited for my mate to come back.

Which he did very quickly.

With a wide-eyed look on his face.

“What?” I asked, because he was staring at me like he was bursting with a piece of news he just couldn’t find the words to articulate.

“You… we…” He shook his head and started again. “We’re having a baby!”

“What?”

“We didn’t wait long enough! The test is positive!” He waved his hand around and now I realized he was holding the test stick in it.

Wait, how…? Startling the dog, I jumped up from the couch and snatched the test stick out of Nathan’s hand and looked at it myself.

It was positive.

It was actually fucking positive.

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

I looked at Nathan again, who was still grinning as if Christmas had come early this year and Santa had personally dropped by to hand-deliver his gift--probably some insanely expensive high-tech telescope.

Holy shit, this was really happening.

“Congratulations!” Nathan said, and I threw my arms around him and kissed him. And then I separated from him and opened the drawer that held all the other unused pregnancy tests we had.

“What are you doing?” my mate asked.

“Just making sure.”

Nathan laughed, but didn’t stop me as I took another test, and then another one an hour later. It wasn’t until they were both positive that I could really start believing this.