Chapter 6

Olivia lived in a daze, and soon, half a month had passed. One morning, she took a pregnancy test to the bathroom. She had used it a couple of times now, so she had become familiar with the process. She felt ashamed and uneasy as her hands trembled while holding the manual, making it difficult for her to read. During the anxious and excited few minutes of waiting, she stared at the result. When she saw the clear single line on it, she didn't give up. She followed the instructions and tested again. When the same result appeared before her eyes, she closed her eyes while standing in the bathroom, her expression devastated. Why did this happen? No, she was still not pregnant. As if she had lost her soul, she went downstairs. Mrs. Jones jumped up from the couch when she saw her and rushed over. "How did it go, Olivia? Did you take the test?" Worry filled her voice. Olivia remained silent for a moment. Mrs. Jones urged her, holding her hands. "Are you pregnant?" “No.” She then handed the pregnancy test to her. Mrs. Jones felt as if something heavy had crushed her when she saw the single line on the test. She stepped back involuntarily. In the end, she mumbled, “What do we do now?” Olivia shared the news with Naomi when she arrived at the hospital. Disappointment clouded her sister's pale face upon hearing the news. Olivia didn't know what to say. She could only stammer out an apology. "I'm sorry, Naomi." Naomi mustered a weak smile and comforted her gently. "It's okay, Olivia. Don't stress too much." Tyler happened to arrive at the hospital at that moment. Mrs. Jones was waiting at the door and approached him when she saw him. “Tyler, she’s still not pregnant.” Her words caused him to furrow his brows, and he appeared somber. She continued, her voice trembling, "Tyler, Naomi can't wait much longer... I don't think you want to lose her too." “I know. Please calm down.” Olivia immediately looked over when she heard the conversation outside. She saw Tyler talking to Mrs. Jones with his head down. She shuddered and averted her gaze. After some more conversation, Mrs. Jones entered the ward and said, "Olivia, Tyler would like to talk to you." Olivia clenched her fists and nodded. She left the ward and walked over to where Tyler was waiting for her at the door. Suddenly, he extended his arm, taking her by surprise as she didn't know what he was going to do. Unbeknownst to her, he closed the door behind them, shielding their conversation from Mrs. Jones and Naomi's view. "Did you take the test this morning?" He spoke first after shutting the door, his gaze lowered, and his eyes remained gentle. Olivia struggled to respond, saying, "Yes." He asked again. “How many times did you do it?” “Twice,” she answered, still looking down. "I've been taking supplements, but I'm still not pregnant." Tyler tried to comfort her, saying, "It's okay. It has nothing to do with you, it’s my problem.” She fell into silence after his words. As a young woman, she had only been in a relationship once. She and Jacob had never engaged in any intimate activities, so she didn't immediately grasp what he was implying. She merely looked up at him with confusion. "I understand that you didn't want this, so I didn't push you earlier because I didn't want to frighten you," he said with a hidden meaning. Her realization was slow, and she only recalled what Mrs. Jones had mentioned. "Do you mean we haven't spent enough time together?" she asked, her voice as soft as a mosquito's.