ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ

The results are in

Zoe smiled and pulled out her phone. “I’ll look up where the nearest drugstore is.”

"Have you taken one before?" Sofia asked.

"I may be a lesbian Sofia but I'm not dead. Of course I have, haven't you?"

Sofia looked away, embarrassed, and Zoe's jaw dropped.

"Sofia..... is Xavier your first?"

"I'm not talking about this here."

"Ok ok"

Together, they made their way to the drugstore, and Zoe helped Sofia pick out a pregnancy test. They paid for it and headed back to Sofia's apartment, where they waited anxiously for the results.

When the timer went off, Zoe and Sofia approached the test, their hearts pounding in their chests.

Sofia’s mind was racing as she looked down at the pregnancy test, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t know what to do or who to turn to. She didn’t want to burden Zoe with her problems, but she also didn’t want to go through this alone.

“I’m sorry, Zoe. I don’t think I can go through with this. Can we just forget about the test?” Sofia said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Zoe furrowed her brows in confusion. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

Sofia hesitated for a moment, “The test came back negative. I must have just been feeling sick from something else.”

Zoe looked skeptical but didn’t push the issue. “Are you sure?”

Sofia nodded, feeling guilty for lying to her friend, but also relieved that she didn’t have to deal with the pregnancy just yet. “Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks for being there for me, Zoe.”

Zoe gave her a small smile. “Of course. I’m always here for you.”

The two friends hugged, but Sofia couldn’t shake the guilt she felt for lying to Zoe. She knew that the truth would come out eventually, but for now, she just wanted to push it to the back of her mind and pretend like everything was normal.

Just then, Zoe's phone vibrated, and they pulled away. "Crap, it's Lala. She needs me to come pick her up."

"Go. It's fine." Sofia smiled.

"Are you sure? I don't want to leave if you're not." She pressed.

"No. I'm fine. Go, really."

"Okay, but text me if you need me, ok?" Zoe told her as she headed towards the door.

"I will. Thank you, Zoe."

After Zoe left, Sofia sat on the edge of the bathtub, staring at the pregnancy test in her trembling hand. Two pink lines. Positive. She couldn't believe it.

Without even thinking, she jumped up and ran out of the bathroom, grabbing her keys and purse on the way out. She needed more tests. She needed to be absolutely sure. She drove to the nearest drugstore and practically ran inside, heading straight for the family planning aisle.

She grabbed several different brands of pregnancy tests and rushed to the checkout. The cashier gave her an odd look.

"Do you want a fucking cookie pendejo?" She asked angrily.

"S-sorry ma'am."

Sofia didn't care. She just needed to know for sure. She sped back to her apartment, barely taking the time to lock the door behind her.

Once inside, she tore open the boxes of tests and frantically began taking them one after the other. As each one came back positive, her panic grew. She couldn't be pregnant. She wasn't ready. She didn't even have a stable job anymore.

Suddenly, everything felt like it was closing in on her. She started hyperventilating, and her heart raced. She collapsed onto the couch, tears streaming down her face as she tried to catch her breath. This couldn't be happening.

After a few minutes, she managed to calm down a bit. She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath. She knew she needed to talk to someone about this. Someone who could help her figure out what to do next.

Sofia sat there, tears streaming down her face as she held her phone tightly in her hand. She knew she needed to call her mother, but she didn't know how to tell her the news she had just found out.

Taking a deep breath, she dialed her mother's number and waited anxiously for her to pick up.

"¿Hola, mija? ¿Qué pasa?" her mother's voice came over the line.

"Mamá," Sofia sobbed, "I'm pregnant."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before her mother spoke again. "Oh, Sofia. That's wonderful news!
A baby is a blessing from God. Why are you crying?"

Sofia took a deep breath, steeling herself. "Mamá, there's something else you need to know..... The father of the baby is Xavier.... He's married, and I've been having an affair with him."

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, and Sofia could almost feel her mother's shock and disappointment.

"Mija, how could you?" her mother's voice was stern, but there was also a hint of sadness in it. "You know better than that. You know the pain that infidelity can cause, and now you're the one causing it."

Sofia hung her head in shame, tears still streaming down her face. She didn't want to bring up the blackmail Jenna was holding over her. "I know, mamá. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

Her mother let out a long sigh. "Sofia, you need to tell Xavier's wife. She deserves to know the truth. And you also need to think about what you're going to do about this baby. Are you going to keep it? Are you going to tell Xavier?"

Sofia nodded, even though her mother couldn't see her. "Yes, mamá. I know I need to do the right thing. I just don't know how."

Her mother's voice softened. "It's okay, mija. We'll figure it out together. I love you, and I'll support you no matter what."