Chapter 11: Uncertainty Looms

Three days had passed since Gerald and Ashley had made their list, and now they found themselves sitting in the waiting room of a local doctor's office. The uncertainty that had been hanging in the air seemed to grow thicker with each passing minute. Ashley fidgeted with her hands, her mind racing with thoughts of what could be. She had taken a pregnancy test the day before, but she hadn't looked at the results yet. She had been too nervous, and Gerald had suggested they wait until they were at the doctor's office to get the confirmation. Gerald sat beside her, his eyes fixed on a magazine in his hands, but Ashley could tell he wasn't reading it. He was tense, his jaw clenched and his shoulders stiff. She knew he wasn't happy about the possibility of her being pregnant. They had discussed it, but she could sense his unease. As they waited, Ashley couldn't help but think about all the what-ifs. What if she was pregnant? What if she wasn't? What would it mean for their relationship? For their future? She felt a wave of nervousness wash over her, and she reached out to take Gerald's hand. He didn't react at first, but then he squeezed her hand gently. The nurse called out their name, and they stood up to follow her to the examination room. The room was small, with a single bed in the center and a desk in the corner. The nurse smiled and introduced herself, then left them alone to wait for the doctor. Ashley felt like she was going to throw up. She had been nervous about this moment, and now that it was here, she didn't know if she was ready. Gerald seemed to sense her anxiety, and he pulled her close. "It's going to be okay," he whispered. "We'll face this together." The doctor came in a few minutes later, a friendly smile on her face. "Good morning, Ashley. Good morning, Gerald. I'm Dr. Lee. I understand you're here to see if Ashley might be pregnant?" Ashley nodded, feeling her heart racing. Gerald let go of her hand and stepped back, his eyes fixed on the doctor. Dr. Lee nodded. "Okay, let's get started then. Ashley, I'm going to ask you to pee in this cup, and then we'll do a blood test. We'll get the results back in about 20 minutes." Ashley nodded, feeling a sense of trepidation. She did as the doctor asked, and then sat back down on the bed. Gerald stood by her side, his arm around her shoulders. Twenty minutes passed slowly. Ashley felt like she was on edge, waiting for the results. Dr. Lee came back into the room, a kind expression on her face. "Okay, let's take a look at the results." She pulled out a piece of paper and scanned it. Ashley's heart was racing. What did it say? Was she pregnant? Dr. Lee looked up, a smile on her face. "Well, it looks like the test is positive. You are pregnant, Ashley." Ashley felt like she had been punched in the gut. She was pregnant. She looked over at Gerald, and saw a mix of emotions on his face. He looked shocked, but also... uncertain. Ashley felt a pang of worry. Was he going to be okay with this? Was he going to be a good father? Gerald took a deep breath, and then turned to her. "We need to talk," he said, his voice low. Ashley nodded, feeling a sense of trepidation. What did he want to talk about? Was he going to tell her he didn't want the baby? The doctor smiled. "I'll leave you two to talk. I'll come back in a few minutes to discuss the next steps." As the doctor left, Ashley turned to Gerald. "What do you want to talk about?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Gerald took a deep breath, his eyes searching hers. "I want to talk about what this means for us," he said. "For our future." Ashley felt a sense of uncertainty looming over them, and she knew that their conversation was just beginning.