"Morning Sickness"

Jacquie tried to push through the rest of the morning, but as she sat on the couch, sipping her coffee and going over the party plans in her head, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. At first, she had attributed her queasiness to a stomach bug or a side effect of eating something that didn't agree with her, but as the minutes ticked by, she began to feel a growing sense of unease. It started as a gentle wave, but soon turned into a full-blown tsunami of nausea that left her feeling dizzy and disoriented. Jacquie's mind started to reel as she thought back to her conversation with Noah about starting a family. Could it be? No, it was impossible. She was on birth control, wasn't she? As the doubts swirled in her head, Jacquie suddenly felt a surge of panic. She knew she had to get out of there, and fast. She jumped up from the couch, trying to play it cool, and called out to Noah, "Hey, I think I left my phone upstairs. I'll just go grab it real quick." Noah looked up from his book, slightly distracted, and nodded, "Okay, I'll start getting the party decorations ready. I'll meet you downstairs in a bit." Jacquie nodded and quickly made her way upstairs, her heart racing with every step. As she entered the bathroom, she was hit with a wave of nausea that she couldn't ignore. She rushed to the toilet and was sick, her body shuddering with the effort. Noah, who had been settling in to start unpacking the decorations, suddenly heard Jacquie's distress and sprang into action. He dropped what he was doing and sprinted upstairs, concern etched on his face. "Jacquie? Jacquie, are you okay?" he called out, pounding on the bathroom door. Jacquie slowly got to her feet, still feeling a bit shaky, and opened the door to find Noah standing there, his eyes filled with worry. "I'm...I'm fine," she stammered, trying to reassure him. Noah didn't look convinced. He gently took Jacquie by the shoulders and led her to the sink, turning on the faucet to let her rinse her mouth. As he handed her a glass of water, his eyes locked onto hers, filled with a deep concern. "What's going on, Jacquie? You're not okay. You look pale and you're shaking. Is it something I cooked? Did you eat something bad?" Jacquie took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. She wasn't sure what was happening, but she knew she had to tell Noah the truth. She looked up at him, her eyes searching for reassurance. "I don't know, Noah. I just...I don't know." Noah's expression softened, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "We'll figure it out, okay? We'll get through this together." As Jacquie leaned into his embrace, she couldn't help but wonder if her life was about to change in ways she never thought possible.