Diagnosis...

She sat on the examination bench in silent shock. As the doctor left the room, Beth entered, eager to hear the diagnosis.

Her voice cracked when she spoke.

"I... I'm pregnant."

Beth's sudden squeal of joy caught her by surprise, and Syl looked up just in time to find herself smothered in a hug.

She held her friend tight, as she started shaking. "This... this can't be happening. I'm not ready for this." She bit her lip to hold back a sob, but failed. As tears began to fill her eyes, she buried her face in Beth's shoulder. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to let this happen again," she whispered in a broken voice.

Symptoms...

The dawn was already bleeding through the window when she woke up and rolled out of bed. It was her brother's house, so she knew what to expect when 6am rolled around. By the time, she heard his footsteps in the hallway heading for her door, she was already dressed and ready for a morning run with him and Beth.

She just wished the queasy feeling in her stomach would go away.

Downstairs in the front hall, Faith spun on her roller blades while trying hard to balance a bright orange hockey ball on the curved end of her stick. When she heard the others come down the stairs, she grinned as she looked up, letting the ball fall to the floor.

"Hey, can we take the road instead of the beach?" she asked as she leaned down to pick up her ball. "The sand really sucks for roller blades." She looked up at her uncle for a moment with big, pleading eyes, like a puppy's.

Her expression dropped when she looked at Syl. "Are you okay, Ma? You don't look so good."

Her mother waved off her concern, putting on her best smile. "I'll be okay, love. If I start feeling sick again, I'll just slow down and take it easy. I'll be fine," she told Faith, reassuringly.