I was pregnant.
After all those years, after all that silence, I was pregnant.
I spent the rest of the day planning how to tell Bruce. I picked up his favorite lemon cake, made the short ribs he loved, and put the positive test into a small gift box lined with tissue paper.
All evening, I pictured his face when he opened it and thought about the version of us that had wanted this so much it hurt.
When Bruce got home, he looked tired but happy enough. He loosened his tie, kissed my cheek, and smiled at the table.
He sat. He smiled as he lifted the lid.
“This is either very romantic,” he said, “or I forgot something important.”
“Sit down,” I said.
He looked at me more closely. “That serious?”
“Just open the box.”
He sat. He smiled as he lifted the lid.
Then he saw what was inside.
