Discovering...Love?

I run into the bathroom at work after smelling Mary’s Chicken and Broccoli stir-fry. This had been happening for the past few days, it was weird, like I had some kind of bug or something. It had been really bad lately, it seemed like every time I smelled something I would get nauseous and I was so tired. I felt like shit, but I needed to stay in work today. I had already gone home early yesterday so I was behind. After I dump the little content that I managed to keep in my stomach from breakfast into the toilet I clean up and go back to my office. Shutting the door and opening the window, hoping to get the sickening smell out.

“Still sick?” Mary asks popping her head in quickly.

“Ugh, yeah. I think it might be from that one kid that came in with his bull dog the other day, he said he was feeling sick,” I say pulling out a folder and getting to work.

Bran studies me from his place on his dog bed. He was the only one that came with me today. It had been 3 weeks since his diagnosis and he was doing pretty well. He went everywhere with me, I wanted to keep him around me as much as possible.

Sid was coming home today from 2 day road trip, the season had just started the previous week. He would be getting home when I was still at work and I couldn’t wait to see him. It made the day go even slower.

Sid’s POV

I pull into the driveway, glad to be home after a 2 day road trip. We had had 2 games in a row, one against the Habs, the other against the Leafs. We had beaten the Habs, but fell to the Leafs. Not the best start of the season, but it wasn’t exactly easy having to travel for two days and have a game each day. I unlock the door and walk in finding that Caitlin had left most of the dogs at home. I smile as my hand passes over each of them as they fight for my attention. The house was packed. The pups were like bamboo, I swear they grew when I was gone those 2 days, they were already lab size. And Sam was there too; he always stayed when we were on road trips. I let them out and head to the kitchen, looking through the mail. I press the play button on the answering machine, finding 2 messages.

“Hi Sidney it’s Mom. I just wanted to congratulate you on you’re win against the Habs, you’ll get the Leafs next time. Call me when you get home. Love you.”

“Moms,” I sigh with a chuckle as I open some sort of bill.

The answering machine beeps and begins to play the next message.

“Hello Caitlin, this is John Garcia from DogTown. I called your office yesterday but your secretary said that you were at home sick. Hope you feel better. Anyway, I’m calling because I was wondering if you could reference anyone for the job I had offered you, we’re in a tight spot. If you could even just come up for a week and help us out that would be great. Alright, thanks.”

I stare at the machine not knowing what to feel. She was offered a job? Why didn’t she tell me? Was she going to tell me? At least she had refused it right? But what if she still left?

“I know, I see you,” I hear a female voice come from the living room. I walk out of the kitchen and see her juggling a few folders in her hands as she she tried to maneuver around the pile of dogs crowding to see her.

“Hey!” I smile walking over to her.

I see her eyes brighten a bit and she smiles as I take some folders from her hands. I bend down to kiss her but she turns her head at the last moment so that my lips connect with her cheek.

“Still not feeling good, eh?”

“No, I think a kid I helped the other day gave me this bug,” she sighs as she walks into her office. She puts the folders down and I set the ones in my hand down next to hers before I grab her waist pulling her to me.

I lower my lips down onto hers before she can stop me, feeling an static charge go through my body as they connect. She pushes me away quickly.

“Sid! You’ll get sick!” she starts walking out of my arms. She had been in a funk ever since she found out about Bran 3 weeks ago. I frown and lean against the edge of the desk, watching as she shuffles through some papers.

“Are you coming to the game tomorrow?”

“ I plan to,” she mumbles not looking up.

“Babe, what’s wrong?” I ask grabbing her hand and pulling her over to me.

She looks up at me with chocolaty doe eyes and I can tell something is bugging her. But as soon as I see it, it’s gone. She lets out a long sigh and steps into my arms.

“I just miss you,” she mumbles into my shoulder.

“And…” I push, to which she answers with another sigh. She hesitates and won’t look at me, her lashes fanned out against her cheeks as she looks at her hands.

“Caitlin, what’s wrong?” I ask gently. She hesitates before she sighs again.

“I had to turn back today and let Bran in the house. He couldn’t handle the jog,” she says so quietly I almost didn’t here.

“Come here,” I order gently. She plunges into my arms, but doesn’t shed a tear.

“He couldn’t keep up, but he was trying so hard. And he started dry heaving in the grass… I had to take him back,” she whispers, her cheek pressed against my chest, “I don’t want him to go Sid.”

“I know you don’t,” I sigh as she sniffs into my shoulder. She was finally beginning to let me in a little more, allowing me to see how much she was hurting. Sometimes I really had to pry the truth out of her, but she wasn’t shutting down anymore. For once she was letting me in, letting me take care of her and comfort her. As much as I hated how she was hurting and I didn’t want Bran to leave either, it was giving me a chance to be her partner.

I had been thinking of buying a ring, maybe asking Beth to help me pick it out. But it was tricky; this wasn’t the right time to do it. And every time I thought about putting a ring on her finger and officially making her mine, my thoughts drift back to the night of my birthday. I wanted to get it off my chest, to tell her and clear my conscious, but how could I? I just couldn’t do that to her. And now, with this job thing that she didn't tell me about. Why hadn't she told me?

Caitlin’s POV

I had taken the day off because I was feeling like shit, AGAIN! Ugh I was getting so sick of all of this nausea. I could hardly keep any food down, but I was constantly thirsty. I had already finished my second souvenir cup of ice water and it was only 10:30! I needed something sweet. I walk into the kitchen from my place on the couch; the dogs and I were watching Must Love Dogs.

What to eat, what to eat? I pick up a box of pop tarts, perfect. My mom always used to say she craved strawberry pop tarts when she was… oh my God. I feel myself pale and the packet of pop tarts I was holding falls to the floor. My hands come to my stomach… am I?

I grab my keys off the counter and run out the door and to the car.

I pace around the bathroom; this had to be one of the longest few minutes I had ever experienced. Bran sat by the door watching me pace. Finally my cell phone went off, telling me it was time. I take a deep breath, feeling my stomach full of butterflies. I hold my breath, as I get closer. I look at the plastic stick on the counter; very clearly it reveals a plus sign. My stomach falls, I feel my breath catch, and a small smile appears on my face.

“I’m pregnant,” I whisper with a smile to know one in particular.