Second Hand Waitress

Kira shook her head. Becky gave her a thoughtful look before turning her attention to Lexington, who was busy washing the dishes.

“I wanted to ask your opinion about a dress I bought recently,” Becky said suddenly, changing the subject. Kira looked at her in surprise, while Lexington glanced up from the sink.

“What dress?” he asked.

“It’s a surprise. You’ll see it at our anniversary dinner next week,” Becky replied with a teasing smile. She gave him a playful look over her shoulder, and he reacted immediately, looking completely taken in by her charm. Kira looked away, wishing she hadn’t witnessed that moment between them. Becky grabbed Kira’s hand and pulled her towards the stairs, leading her up to her and Lexington’s spacious bedroom, which had buckets and pots scattered around to catch the dripping water from the leaky roof. She shut the door behind them.

“This dress better be worth all that dragging, Becky,” Kira muttered, rubbing her sore shoulder. “I think you nearly pulled my arm out of its socket.”

“Forget the dress,” Becky said, waving off the comment. “How are you feeling after dinner? Any nausea?”

“Not at the moment,” Kira answered while still massaging her shoulder.

“What about stomach problems? Anything unusual?”

“That’s disgusting. No,” Kira said with a frown.

“No fever? No headaches? Just nausea and dizziness?”

“Why are you repeating everything?” Kira asked sarcastically. Becky gave her a pointed look.

“I’m getting to something,” she said impatiently.

“Well, get to the point already,” Kira snapped.

“Fine! But don’t yell at me when I ask my next question.”

“Oh, stop being so dramatic,” Kira said, rolling her eyes. “How did my sensible cousin end up with someone so over-the-top? Just ask.”

“When was your last period?”

Kira froze. Her knees felt weak, and she sank onto the bed. Becky’s question hit her like a punch, and suddenly, she understood exactly what her friend was hinting at.

She quickly tried to remember, counting backward in her head. The realization hit her like a wave—she couldn’t even recall the last time she had her period! She had been so caught up with work, feeling unwell, and—most frustrating of all—missing Tesah Clover more than she ever thought she would. Tesah, of all people. And now, there was a chance she was pregnant with his child.

“Kira?” Becky asked in a softer voice. “Is it possible that you’re pregnant?”

Kira covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide with fear.

“It’s possible,” she whispered. “But not likely. I mean, we used protection.”

“Condoms aren’t one hundred percent effective,” Becky reminded her, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “It’s just a guess. It could still be a stomach virus.”

But now that Becky had planted the thought in her mind, Kira couldn’t see it being anything else.

“I haven’t had my period in a while,” she admitted.

“If you don’t mind me asking…” Becky hesitated before continuing. “If you are pregnant, who’s the father? You haven’t been seeing anyone, have you?”

“That doesn’t matter,” Kira mumbled, feeling overwhelmed. “If I am… If there is…” She trailed off, shaking her head, unable to say the words. “He won’t be involved.”

Becky was quiet for a moment before saying, “Let’s not jump ahead. First, we need to find out for sure if you’re actually pregnant.”

“Right,” Kira murmured. She felt numb, but beneath that, a deep sense of dread and confusion. How was she supposed to handle this? She would be a terrible mother. She didn’t know the first thing about raising a child. What if she forgot to feed the baby? What if it got sick and she didn’t even realize something was wrong? Her salary barely covered her rent and food—how could she afford baby clothes, diapers, and everything else a baby needed?

“Oh, Becky,” she whispered, a sob escaping her lips. “How can I be a mother? I can’t even take care of myself properly. What if I mess everything up? I don’t make enough money. How will I afford all the things a baby needs? Babies need a lot, don’t they?” Her voice rose in panic with each question, and Becky pulled her into a reassuring hug.

“Calm down, Kira. First, let’s go to a doctor and find out for sure. After that, we’ll figure everything else out. You have choices, but you don’t have to think about them all at once, okay? Just breathe.”

Kira buried her face in Becky’s shoulder and cried, wanting so badly to believe her words—that everything would be fine—but knowing deep down that nothing would ever be the same again.

“Please don’t tell Lexington,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Not yet.”

“I won’t,” Becky promised. “It’s your decision when and if to tell him.”

“I’m sorry about your dress,” Kira mumbled, feeling miserable.

“When has shopping for a new dress ever been a bad thing?” Becky said with a playful grin.

But Kira knew that Becky and Lexington had been saving every penny for their wedding. She gave Becky a look, but Becky simply smiled and hugged her again.

“Go wash your face before Lexington sees that you’ve been crying. And please stay here tonight. I don’t want you driving in this weather. It’s raining so hard outside, the roads are practically flooded.”

Kira nodded weakly and got up to wash h

er face, knowing she needed to pull herself together before facing her cousin.