ways. The three months they had spent together suddenly seemed like no time at all.
The three months they had spent together? An uneasy feeling prickled at the base of her spine, and she rolled over, wide awake all of a sudden. She could only remember having her period once during that time. In fact, now she thought about it, she could not remember the last time it had arrived. Not for some weeks, she was sure of that much.
In a sudden fit of concern, she raced out of bed, cycled down to the local shopping mall and searched the shelves of the first pharmacy she came to for a pregnancy kit.
She looked all over the store, but she could not find one. A sales clerk hovered at her shoulder ready to help, but her mouth was too dry to frame the words to ask for what she wanted. After ten minutes of fruitless searching, she left empty-handed.
Finally, at the third pharmacy she visited, she saw what she was looking for on a high shelf behind the counter.
The sales clerk glanced up from the filing of her nails. “Can I help you?” she asked in a stentorian voice.
“I want one of those,” she said quietly, pointing.
The sales clerk looked in the direction she was indicating. “You want a pregnancy test kit?” Her voice bellowed like thunder through the quiet shop.
Verity winced at the noise, and turned her head to scan the space behind her nervously, hoping no other customers had heard. It was not her lucky day. An old lady waiting behind her shot her an evil look and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘silly little slut’ under her breath.
The loud-voiced sales clerk was holding up the kit in plain sight, and drumming her fingernails loudly against the counter as she waited for an answer.
Verity nodded briefly, wishing the ground would open her up and swallow her whole.
Her face was burning and her fingers shook as she handed over the money to the sales clerk and slunk out of the store again.
Not that she was particularly worried about the possibility of being pregnant. There was most likely a perfectly benign reason why her period was late – stress or something , she would like to bet . After all, they had used condoms nearly every time they’d made love. Still, she just wanted to put her mind at rest by eliminating the nagging doubt.
Once the kit was safely tucked away in her backpack, she cycled home again and tucked the uneasy feeling away in the back of her mind. The worst part was over now that she had dealt with the embarrassment of buying the kit. She would get around to testing herself sometime later today, once her mother and grandmother were safely out of the way. Some things she just did not feel comfortable sharing with her mother – like the fact that she and Taine were making out like rabbits whenever they got a chance.
Her mother was still pottering around the kitchen when Taine drove up in his truck and tooted a short blast on the horn.
She gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek. “Bye, Mum. I’ll be back for dinner.” And she was off.
Three more days of summer left. She felt tears prick the back of her eyelids as she climbed into the truck next to the man she loved with all her heart, and she willed herself firmly not to cry. There would be plenty of time for tears when they were apart. She would not spoil the moment by being melancholy now.
Taine leaned over and kissed her deeply on the mouth. She welcomed his touch, clinging on to him with desperate longing. She was not sure she could do this after all. She was not sure she could let him walk away from her.
They were both breathing hard when he finally pulled away. “Mom asked if you want to come round and have lunch with her and Dad today.” For the first time she had known him, he almost sounded a bit uncertain of himself. “If you don’t have anything else you’d rather do.”
“Lunch? With your
The three months they had spent together? An uneasy feeling prickled at the base of her spine, and she rolled over, wide awake all of a sudden. She could only remember having her period once during that time. In fact, now she thought about it, she could not remember the last time it had arrived. Not for some weeks, she was sure of that much.
In a sudden fit of concern, she raced out of bed, cycled down to the local shopping mall and searched the shelves of the first pharmacy she came to for a pregnancy kit.
She looked all over the store, but she could not find one. A sales clerk hovered at her shoulder ready to help, but her mouth was too dry to frame the words to ask for what she wanted. After ten minutes of fruitless searching, she left empty-handed.
Finally, at the third pharmacy she visited, she saw what she was looking for on a high shelf behind the counter.
The sales clerk glanced up from the filing of her nails. “Can I help you?” she asked in a stentorian voice.
“I want one of those,” she said quietly, pointing.
The sales clerk looked in the direction she was indicating. “You want a pregnancy test kit?” Her voice bellowed like thunder through the quiet shop.
Verity winced at the noise, and turned her head to scan the space behind her nervously, hoping no other customers had heard. It was not her lucky day. An old lady waiting behind her shot her an evil look and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like ‘silly little slut’ under her breath.
The loud-voiced sales clerk was holding up the kit in plain sight, and drumming her fingernails loudly against the counter as she waited for an answer.
Verity nodded briefly, wishing the ground would open her up and swallow her whole.
Her face was burning and her fingers shook as she handed over the money to the sales clerk and slunk out of the store again.
Not that she was particularly worried about the possibility of being pregnant. There was most likely a perfectly benign reason why her period was late – stress or something , she would like to bet . After all, they had used condoms nearly every time they’d made love. Still, she just wanted to put her mind at rest by eliminating the nagging doubt.
Once the kit was safely tucked away in her backpack, she cycled home again and tucked the uneasy feeling away in the back of her mind. The worst part was over now that she had dealt with the embarrassment of buying the kit. She would get around to testing herself sometime later today, once her mother and grandmother were safely out of the way. Some things she just did not feel comfortable sharing with her mother – like the fact that she and Taine were making out like rabbits whenever they got a chance.
Her mother was still pottering around the kitchen when Taine drove up in his truck and tooted a short blast on the horn.
She gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek. “Bye, Mum. I’ll be back for dinner.” And she was off.
Three more days of summer left. She felt tears prick the back of her eyelids as she climbed into the truck next to the man she loved with all her heart, and she willed herself firmly not to cry. There would be plenty of time for tears when they were apart. She would not spoil the moment by being melancholy now.
Taine leaned over and kissed her deeply on the mouth. She welcomed his touch, clinging on to him with desperate longing. She was not sure she could do this after all. She was not sure she could let him walk away from her.
They were both breathing hard when he finally pulled away. “Mom asked if you want to come round and have lunch with her and Dad today.” For the first time she had known him, he almost sounded a bit uncertain of himself. “If you don’t have anything else you’d rather do.”
“Lunch? With your
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