They say that time flies when you're having fun. Odd, how there's no saying to describe how time barely seems to move at all when you're not enjoying yourself or, say, waiting for a little strip to produce two blue stripes or just one. Despite a very enjoyable evening after they'd put their bed together, Beth and Jason had spent the following morning with a vague air of tension hanging over them. Thanks to their neighbor's unintentional jab at a sore spot, they needed to know if they were expecting or not, and that had to wait until they'd been to the store that morning and stocked up on what they needed, swinging by the ER so Beth could raid the stock cupboard for a test or three. So now they were waiting for three tests to complete their interminable three minutes and tell them conclusively whether or not there was a tadpole incubating in their lives.
Jason hadn't thought much about the prospect of children. He'd been too busy getting married and enjoying his honeymoon to think that far ahead yet, but he'd always believed he and Bethany would have a family when the time was right. Then again, was there ever a good time for starting a family, really' He wasn't quite sure, and though he was no spring chicken, Bethany had plenty of time ahead of her to have children. Neither was in any real rush, and yet, if they had been unexpectedly blessed with a child, he would welcome that child into their lives with all his heart. Three minutes seemed to take forever. Three minutes to find out if they were going to be parents or if they were going to have to wait a little longer. It seemed like the longest three minutes of his life.
Sitting on the edge of the bath in one of their many bathrooms, Beth couldn't help fidgeting. Whatever the outcome of this, they needed to talk, and she wasn't sure whether a positive result would help or hinder that. But hey, at least they were finding out together. That was good, right' She wasn't sure how she felt about the possibility of a positive result, either. Was she really ready to be a mom' Would she ever feel ready to be a mom' They'd find out soon enough. "How much longer?" she asked her husband, hoping he'd been keeping an eye on the time.
Jason was leaning in the doorway, staring at his watch as the second hand seemed to take forever to tick the minutes away. "Ninety seconds," he said. Had it really only been a minute and a half" He guessed there must be truth to the old saying that a watched pot never boils, or something like that. He was not quite as nervous as she was, prepared for either outcome. The only thing that worried him was the fact that he really wanted to give his mother a grandchild before it was too late, but he had not mentioned this to Beth, as he didn't want to put any undue pressure on her. They had only been married a few weeks and were just getting settled in a new home and sorting out their careers. One thing at a time.
One thing at a time, oh yes. Except those things were supposed to go in order. It hadn't been a part of the plan to do be having this long wait right now. But Beth was lost in thought, considering the last few weeks. She'd been enjoying herself so much on their honeymoon that she hadn't even stopped to consider if there might be something she was forgetting, and she knew she'd forgotten a certain little pill a few times, most notably on their wedding day. "You know, I don't think three minutes has ever felt this long before," she commented mildly, tapping her foot impatiently against the floor.
He wondered a little worriedly what her reaction would be if she was, indeed, unexpectedly pregnant. Would she welcome a child now, even if it did upset their plans a little" Would she resent the baby or him for making her pregnant' His mind was going in a thousand different directions, and he couldn't even hazard a guess at how she was feeling until those three minutes were up. "Sixty seconds," he announced.
Beth deliberately kept her eyes away from the sticks resting by the sinks in their master bathroom. She didn't want to watch as the lines created themselves, knowing that if she looked too soon, she'd have to deal with premature disappointment and/or relief before the result was true. And just as Jason was worrying about her reaction, she was worrying about his. Did he really want kids right now, right this second" He'd been so intense about it last night, but he hadn't really said whether or not he would have been happy if she'd told him then and there that she was pregnant. How was she supposed to feel during this wait without knowing how he felt about it"
The seconds ticked by slowly, each of them lost in their own thoughts and concerns about the outcome of the tests. Jason was convinced he was ready to have kids, but hadn't they talked about getting a dog first' Changing jobs" Settling in" And Beth, she was only twenty-four. God, he hoped she didn't ask him if she could terminate the pregnancy. He wasn't sure he could live with that, though he'd abide by whatever decision she made. It seemed their lives were just getting started and already they were facing what could amount to the most important moment of their lives. "Thirty seconds."
She sighed softly, pushing herself onto her feet. This was not how she had imagined spending their first morning in the new house, but if it had to happen now, there was no other place she would rather it happen. What was the old saying - new house, new baby' Stood to reason they'd be testing that platitude. "At least I'm out of the ER, or I will be by the end of the week," she said quietly. "If this is positive, that wouldn't be the best place to be working."
"I'll ask about the transfer again. I've been working Homicide long enough. It's the least they can do," Jason added, letting her know without saying so outright that he'd do anything and everything he could to support her, no matter how the tests came out. He didn't suggest that she quit her job, knowing that wouldn't go over so well. He lifted his head as the second hand passed twelve, signaling the end of the long three minute wait. "It's time," he told her.
"It's time?" Panic suddenly flared in Beth's eyes as she looked up at him, waving her clenched fists at shoulder height like an over-excited toddler, the butterflies in her stomach quite literally creating a minor hurricane of their own accord as she flushed in anticipation. "Okay, it's time. I guess that means look at the tests, right' Right." She took in a breath, and utterly failed to turn around, lifting her gaze to his with a very young smile. "I can't."
Jason hadn't thought much about the prospect of children. He'd been too busy getting married and enjoying his honeymoon to think that far ahead yet, but he'd always believed he and Bethany would have a family when the time was right. Then again, was there ever a good time for starting a family, really' He wasn't quite sure, and though he was no spring chicken, Bethany had plenty of time ahead of her to have children. Neither was in any real rush, and yet, if they had been unexpectedly blessed with a child, he would welcome that child into their lives with all his heart. Three minutes seemed to take forever. Three minutes to find out if they were going to be parents or if they were going to have to wait a little longer. It seemed like the longest three minutes of his life.
Sitting on the edge of the bath in one of their many bathrooms, Beth couldn't help fidgeting. Whatever the outcome of this, they needed to talk, and she wasn't sure whether a positive result would help or hinder that. But hey, at least they were finding out together. That was good, right' She wasn't sure how she felt about the possibility of a positive result, either. Was she really ready to be a mom' Would she ever feel ready to be a mom' They'd find out soon enough. "How much longer?" she asked her husband, hoping he'd been keeping an eye on the time.
Jason was leaning in the doorway, staring at his watch as the second hand seemed to take forever to tick the minutes away. "Ninety seconds," he said. Had it really only been a minute and a half" He guessed there must be truth to the old saying that a watched pot never boils, or something like that. He was not quite as nervous as she was, prepared for either outcome. The only thing that worried him was the fact that he really wanted to give his mother a grandchild before it was too late, but he had not mentioned this to Beth, as he didn't want to put any undue pressure on her. They had only been married a few weeks and were just getting settled in a new home and sorting out their careers. One thing at a time.
One thing at a time, oh yes. Except those things were supposed to go in order. It hadn't been a part of the plan to do be having this long wait right now. But Beth was lost in thought, considering the last few weeks. She'd been enjoying herself so much on their honeymoon that she hadn't even stopped to consider if there might be something she was forgetting, and she knew she'd forgotten a certain little pill a few times, most notably on their wedding day. "You know, I don't think three minutes has ever felt this long before," she commented mildly, tapping her foot impatiently against the floor.
He wondered a little worriedly what her reaction would be if she was, indeed, unexpectedly pregnant. Would she welcome a child now, even if it did upset their plans a little" Would she resent the baby or him for making her pregnant' His mind was going in a thousand different directions, and he couldn't even hazard a guess at how she was feeling until those three minutes were up. "Sixty seconds," he announced.
Beth deliberately kept her eyes away from the sticks resting by the sinks in their master bathroom. She didn't want to watch as the lines created themselves, knowing that if she looked too soon, she'd have to deal with premature disappointment and/or relief before the result was true. And just as Jason was worrying about her reaction, she was worrying about his. Did he really want kids right now, right this second" He'd been so intense about it last night, but he hadn't really said whether or not he would have been happy if she'd told him then and there that she was pregnant. How was she supposed to feel during this wait without knowing how he felt about it"
The seconds ticked by slowly, each of them lost in their own thoughts and concerns about the outcome of the tests. Jason was convinced he was ready to have kids, but hadn't they talked about getting a dog first' Changing jobs" Settling in" And Beth, she was only twenty-four. God, he hoped she didn't ask him if she could terminate the pregnancy. He wasn't sure he could live with that, though he'd abide by whatever decision she made. It seemed their lives were just getting started and already they were facing what could amount to the most important moment of their lives. "Thirty seconds."
She sighed softly, pushing herself onto her feet. This was not how she had imagined spending their first morning in the new house, but if it had to happen now, there was no other place she would rather it happen. What was the old saying - new house, new baby' Stood to reason they'd be testing that platitude. "At least I'm out of the ER, or I will be by the end of the week," she said quietly. "If this is positive, that wouldn't be the best place to be working."
"I'll ask about the transfer again. I've been working Homicide long enough. It's the least they can do," Jason added, letting her know without saying so outright that he'd do anything and everything he could to support her, no matter how the tests came out. He didn't suggest that she quit her job, knowing that wouldn't go over so well. He lifted his head as the second hand passed twelve, signaling the end of the long three minute wait. "It's time," he told her.
"It's time?" Panic suddenly flared in Beth's eyes as she looked up at him, waving her clenched fists at shoulder height like an over-excited toddler, the butterflies in her stomach quite literally creating a minor hurricane of their own accord as she flushed in anticipation. "Okay, it's time. I guess that means look at the tests, right' Right." She took in a breath, and utterly failed to turn around, lifting her gaze to his with a very young smile. "I can't."