Chapter 1

Chapter the first.

It all began in Sainsbury’s with Lara hunched over in the toilets. She was staring at the little blue line and she couldn’t quite believe it. Pregnant. She let out an audible squeak. Were these things ever wrong? She didn’t think so. A sickening feeling entered her consciousness and she became all too aware that she had just made a bizarre noise in a public toilet full of people she didn’t know.

She would have to leave. Quickly. But not too quickly so as not to arouse suspicion. She got ready to depart and then got into an awful lot of bother about what to do with the test.

Was this something one carried in one’s handbag? Or should she just stick it between the tampon bin and the wall?

She decided that she’d need the actual test as proof so wrapped the plastic rod in the last of the toilet paper and slipped it into her bag. After gathering her things together, Lara tentatively let herself out of the cubicle and was shocked to see a queue of unhappy pensioners in front of her.

It was then that she saw that the other two cubicles were out of order and she hadn’t left any loo roll. Neither had she flushed the toilet. With another peculiar sound, she scuttled out of the ladies and was glad to be away from all those accusing eyes that had heard her make some distressing noises.

She would have to stop doing that. She hadn’t washed her hands either. Sod it.

Suddenly Lara’s embarrassment passed and was replaced by the feeling of dread that she had felt just moments ago. A feeling that the bottom half of her body had fallen down a very deep hole and the only sensible thing to do was stay perfectly still.

She was pregnant.

There was a life form growing inside of her. Like some sort of parasite. What was she to do?

Lara was beginning to slump to the floor to take a moment when the toilet door swung open and the convoy of pensioners started to make their way out. She would tackle the pregnancy problem later.

She grabbed her bag and ran out of the shop. She moved rather fast. It must have looked like she was a shoplifter. The last time she recalled moving that quickly was when Aunty Mabel’s dog was chasing her up the stairs. Dear old Mabel. It was a shame that Uncle Derek left her. That’s what put her in the home. Lara was sure of it.

Still running, she unlocked the car and jumped into the driving seat. She felt like someone from a film. A criminal on the run. From some pensioners. Maybe not. She started the ignition and pulled out of the car park. She couldn’t bear 20 minutes thinking in silence so turned on the radio and spent the drive home contemplating if Scott Mills was gay. She had read that he was. She didn’t believe it.

Lara was still on this particular muse when she got home. She opened the door and dropped her keys in the little bowl on the table. She hung up her coat next to Alex’s and made her way along the hall. She was still procrastinating. It was only when she walked into the kitchen and saw Alex making breakfast that she remembered why she had gone to Sainsbury’s.

Alex was a wonderful man and didn’t deserve what she was about to say. She loved him so much and had never looked back since they’d tied the knot in Cyprus. Best day of her life. Only close family made it there (out of duty more than anything) so they didn’t have to put up with Aunty Dawn bigging up her precious daughter, Nicole (Nicole was actually a crack addict and had been for two years but of course, Dawn didn’t know) or Uncle Mark pretending he was totally cool with Jude when actually, it was clear that he resented the fact that there was a homosexual in the family.

“Alright? You get the soap you wanted?” Alex asked brandishing a spatula with a little bit of egg stuck to the end. His voice brought her back to the room with a nauseating thud. Lara was trying to think what to say next but hesitated a little too long.

“What’s happened? Is there something wrong?” His face had dropped to a look of concern with pangs of worry.

She couldn’t spring this on him now. They had just got on their feet and he was so happy right now. She’d sit him down later after Eastenders and tell him then.

“No…I’m fine. Just a bit tired. That’s all.” She said too cheerfully. He must suspect something.

“Well we’ve got the whole weekend ahead of us to relax”

Apparently he didn’t. Typical male.

“So how about me and you just stay in and take it easy” He walked over to her and took her in his arms.

“Sounds great” she murmured through his embrace. But it wasn’t. And they wouldn’t spend the weekend relaxing; they would worry about what to do. They would argue. This could break them.

Lara was not in for a good weekend.

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