GLENN RICE - AUTHOR

Pepper set the pregnancy tester on the counter and stared at the small blue dot.  Her heart rate doubled and her skin went cold as she continued to stare, but still she was not able to comprehend the meaning of the blue dot.  She knew it meantpregnant, that much she understood, but how and why her were what she questioned more than anything.  Classic denial, she thought to herself, then she shook the cloudy thoughts from her mind.  Oh dear, what am I going to do now, she wondered to herself.  How will I tell my dad? He will be so disappointed with me.  And poor Braxton, 3000 miles away fighting in Afghanistan… how do I tell the guy that I just dumped that he is going to be a daddy, she questioned herself deeper.  Why, why did I chase him away?  Why couldn’t I just accept his short time away and trust him?  Classic fear was now trumping the denial and her mind began to spin.  Still staring at the little blue dot, she shuddered under the overwhelming emotions, then she frowned.  This is a wonderful thing, she thought, but at the right time, not now!  How, she demanded to herself, how could I allow this to happen?  Anger now trumped the fear which had trumped denial.  Her head spun more, then she felt nauseous.  Quietly she sat down and thought again, this is the wrong reason for us to be together!  Then she brought her hands up to her face and bawled.  After a few minutes, she steeled herself together enough to begin making some somewhat rational decisions.  Braxton, she thought inwardly, must certainly be told, but not until he returns home.  Then, perhaps, he would find it in his heart to forgive me.  She sniffled some more, then wiped the tears away from her face.  She stood and stared at herself in the mirror, then frowned at what she knew she had to do first: I have to sit and tell the most important man in my life what I’ve done.  She crumbled back to her sitting position and cried; oh daddy, please don’t hate me for this!  I’m so sorry.