Life-Changing Results

Three days had passed since Ashley's mom's anniversary, and she had been putting off taking the pregnancy test for far too long. She couldn't shake off the feeling of uncertainty that had been growing inside her. Finally, she decided to take the test and face the reality of her situation. She walked into the bathroom, her heart racing with anticipation, and took a deep breath before peeing on the stick. As she waited for the results, her mind began to wander to all the things that could go wrong. What would Ethan say? Would he be happy or scared? What about her job? She was Ashley's boss's assistant, and she had no idea how he would react to the news. And then there was Ender - her and Ender had been a team for so long, just the two of them. How would he adjust to having a baby in the picture? The minutes ticked by, and Ashley's anxiety grew. She took a deep breath and looked down at the test. Two pink lines stared back at her, and Ashley's world came crashing down. She was pregnant. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, and she couldn't catch her breath. Ashley sat down on the edge of the bathtub, trying to process the news. She thought about Ethan, and how he would react. She thought about her job, and whether she would still have it. And she thought about Ender, and how he would adjust to having a baby in the picture. For now, Ashley pushed all those thoughts aside and focused on the immediate task at hand - dropping Ender off at school. She put on a brave face, trying to act normal, and headed out the door with Ender. As they walked to school, Ender chattered excitedly about his day, oblivious to the bombshell that had just dropped into Ashley's life. Ashley smiled and listened, trying to savor the moment. When they arrived at school, Ashley gave Ender a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Have a great day, sweetie," she said, trying to sound cheerful. Ender grinned and headed off to class. Ashley watched him go, feeling a pang of nostalgia. It was just the two of them for so long, and now...now everything was changing. As she turned to head back to her car, her phone rang. It was Ender's school. "Hi, Ashley, it's Ender's teacher. He forgot his homework and he's really upset. Can you bring it to him?" Ashley's heart sank. She had completely forgotten about Ender's homework, and now she had to go back to the house and get it. She sighed and headed back to the house, her mind still reeling from the news. As she walked in the door, she called out to Ethan. "Hey, Ethan! I need to talk to you about something." Ethan looked up from his phone, concern etched on his face. "What's wrong?" Ashley took a deep breath, her hands shaking slightly. "I took the test. I'm pregnant." Ethan's expression changed, and Ashley braced herself for his reaction.