The Bouquet

Chapter 1

It was a mistake, it really was but now that mistake had resulted in a major consequence. You were pregnant. You weren't perfect, in fact, you were far from it. Another drunk night that you had spent with some guy you didn't know had left you spiraling in the downward slide of your hangover. At first, you didn't notice a difference. It was when your period was two weeks late that you put two and two together.

The cashier sent you a knowing look as she handled the pack of pregnancy tests, the sympathy was reflected in her eyes. She took one look at you and understood the situation. There wasn't a ring settled on your finger, your eyes held deep sleepless bruises beneath them, your hair was wild, and your clothes were wrinkled in your rush to put them on. She worked in silence as she cashed you out and gave you a soft smile as she handed you the plastic bag. You squeaked out a quick thank you and walked out of the automatic doors so fast it looked like you were being kicked out.

A quick drive and a panic attack later, you found yourself in your bathroom. You sat on the closed lid of the toilet, your elbows propped on your knees as your hands cradled your face in fear. Your fingers tapped the crown of your head anxiously as you waited, refusing to even glance in the direction of the little purple sticks. For once in your life, you hoped you would fail a test.

The alarm on your phone spurred you to stand but still, you didn't approach. You stood still, the only movement in the small room being the rapid rise and fall of your chest. Your eyes slipped closed as your hand rose to rest over your heart, you could feel it thumping through your ribs. With one deep breath, you opened your eyes again and looked down at the counter.

Positive.

Both of them said positive, the two thin lines on each test staring back at you. You were pregnant.

"Fuck." You whispered, your hand coming to rest against your forehead while the other settled on your lower back. You had really messed up this time, how were you ever going to care of another human being when you couldn't even take care of yourself? Your apartment was so small it couldn't have enough space for you and a baby, not to mention you had a job that was allowing you to just scrape by on your own. There was no way you would move back in with either of your parents, that just simply wasn't an option.

Looking in the mirror showed just how much of a wreck you were, you looked terrible. Your eyes trailed down your figure, ending at your lower abdomen. Curiously, you turned to the side and rolled your shirt up to the edge of your bra. Your stomach looked the same. It was hard to believe there was a tiny human in there, that your baby was in there. Your fingers delicately circled the skin of your stomach, your eyes scanning the expanse of exposed flesh.

"We're really screwed, buddy." You whispered to the pea-sized infant in the silence of your bathroom. You were scared shitless, but oddly it was comforting to think you technically weren't going through this completely alone. You had this tiny buddy who was stuck with you, and that made it a little less scary.

That night you laid curled up in your sheets, searching through job listings on your phone. There was no way you could make enough money with just one job to prepare for this baby. It was best to start looking as soon as possible, to save up for the coming events before they happened.

In the day you worked as a barista, resigned to dealing with some fairly polite customers as well as utter assholes who liked to think they were your boss and could flip out on you when they saw fit. It was a tiring job, you were constantly on your feet and running around to make and serve numerous drinks that varied from person to person. You couldn't fathom what it would be like when your belly was swollen and you couldn't see your feet anymore, you could only hope your boss would keep you on cash towards the end of your pregnancy.