Pregnant

I was still stunned. I couldn’t believe it. I was pregnant. I did the Clear-blue pregnancy test while my grandmother was out. I was so nervous waiting for the results and when I saw it, I stared at it for a long time before I shoved the stuff into the pocket of my jeans. My best friend, Tessa was there. She too was anxious. She was pacing up and down when I went into the living-room. When she heard me, she hurried over to me.

Tessa didn’t have to ask me what the result was. She could tell from the expression on my face. “So, what are you going to do now?” she asked, looking very worried.

“I will have to tell my grandmother when she comes home,” I sighed. I dreaded telling my grandmother. She was a Bible-thumping Christian. I wish my mother was still alive. She wouldn’t lecture me or make me feel like I had committed the cardinal sin. She and my father died in a car crash two years ago when I was seventeen. I was going through a really rough time and it was during that time that Ansel and I became close. He worked with my father. One evening he was invited to have dinner with us. I developed a huge crush on him from that moment on and it mushroomed into love when I turned seventeen.

We began to spend a lot of time together. He helped me through those tough moments following the deaths of my parents. We visited the cemetery together. We sat in the park for hours talking about my father and what a great guy he was.

“I wasn’t close to my father,” Ansel said. “He and my mother divorced when I was fourteen. I was angry with him for leaving us. After my mother died, he got in touch with me. At first, I didn’t want to have anything to do with him because I was still angry with him. Your Dad encouraged me to give him a chance. He said to me, ‘Ansel, life is too short to hold on to grudges. Let go of your anger and let God help you to find a way to forgive your father. Maybe it wasn’t easy for him to leave but he had to. You’ll never know why he left if you don’t talk to him.’ So, I decided to take your Dad’s advice and I went to see mine. He told me that he left because he wasn’t happy. He had tried to stay for my sake but it wasn’t any use. He said that he was no longer in love with my mother, although he cared for her a lot. He assured me that his leaving had nothing to do with me. We talked for a long time and my anger and resentment for him died. We have become close.”

I met Ansel’s father. The three of us had lunch together at Cozy Burrito. Mr. Kohlmann’s a very nice man. I like him very much. He looks like an older version of Ansel.

Last year he met a very nice woman named, Shelley and he married her. I went to the wedding as Ansel’s guest. The two of us had a great time. We danced most of the night and it felt wonderful. I was on cloud nine. When he took me home, outside the apartment I shared with my grandmother, we faced each other. Then, to my great surprise and joy, he leaned over and kissed me on the lips. It was more like a caress at first and then it deepened.

After kissing for some time, he raised his head and looked down at me. His face was slightly flushed. “Are you busy tomorrow?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No,” I managed to say. I was still trying to catch my breath.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow evening at my place. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

I nodded excitedly. He brushed his knuckles against my cheek before he bade me goodnight.

He cooked a wicked Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken for dinner. It was so good. Afterwards, we relaxed in the living-room, talking about so many things. In the background, soft music played.

He make a very funny remark which I was laughing at when he rose to his feet, reached down and pulled me up. “Let’s dance,” he said. And then I was in his arms and we were moving to the music. As we danced, things got heated and we started kissing. Then, he picked me up and carried me to his room where we made love for the first time. I wasn’t nervous even though it was my first time and he took his time. It was an experience I would never forget.

We have been dating since then. And now I’m pregnant. I wonder how he will react when I tell him. I said now to Tessa, “I have to go. I’m meeting Ansel for lunch.”

Tessa hugged me. “Call me if you need anything,” she urged.

“I will. Thanks, Tessa.”

She saw me to the door where we hugged again and then, I was making my way to the tube to take the train to Hyde Park and then make my way to Island Grill Restaurant and Bar.

He was waiting outside for me when I got there. We hugged and kissed. “What’s the matter?” he asked when we parted.

“Nothing,” I said. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.” It was true. I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten much for breakfast because I was so nervous about the pregnancy test. I decided that I would wait until later to tell him that I was pregnant. I wanted us to have a pleasant afternoon together. I pushed all anxious thoughts from my mind, smiled brightly, slipped my hand in his as we walked into the restaurant.

Posted for November 2020 Writing Prompts – #18 – Cozy burrito

Source: Good Therapy;