The next two weeks were spent trying my best to avoid Mikkos attempts to talk to me. He had tried everything from stopping me in the hallway at work to coming to my hotel room and knocking on the door for what felt like hours. I ignored what seemed like hundreds of text messages he sent me; it got to the point that I just changed my number to make them stop. Why couldn’t he just get it through his head that I didn’t want anything to do with him anymore?

          I was called for a job interview by a company in Texas; and after a long phone interview I was hired on the spot. I made arrangements for my plane ticket and a hotel room to stay at until I was able to get settled in Dallas and find an apartment to stay at. All the planning helped keep me busy and keep my mind off of Mikko; as much as I hated him right now for cheating on me there was still part of me that wanted him back; I wasn’t going to let that part of me win, I needed to stay strong and just forget about him.

          Once I arrived in Texas I only had a day before I would start my new job so that didn’t really give me much time to look for apartments; I did manage to grab a paper from a local diner after I had dinner and took it back to the hotel with me. The next morning I started the new job; it was really fast paced so it didn’t give me time to think about anything else. Once back in my hotel room I scanned through the paper and called a few places that I thought looked interesting.

          I had so much going on at work that week that I didn’t have a chance to look at apartments until the weekend. The first three I went to look at were basically dumps and there was no way I would be living there. I called the last number on my list and an elderly lady answered the phone and offered to show me the small two bedroom house that she had for rent. We walked in to find freshly painted walls and newer looking carpet, just those two things alone sold me on the house; compared to the apartments I looked at earlier this place was a gem.

          I signed the one year lease agreement and went back to the hotel to pack up my few belongings. Once I was back at what was now to be my home I got set on unpacking my bags; it took a whole twenty minutes due to my lack of having anything. I made notes of things I would still need to get but after filling up a whole notebook page I just decided to give up; I had never thought of all the things you would need living on your own, it looked like it was take out and fast food for me for a while.

          The second week at work was a little better; I was starting to feel like I fit in and was getting a schedule down for myself. The work was basically the same thing I had done at Stronghold just with different accounts so it wasn’t that hard to get everything down pat but it seemed like there was a much heavier work load here. By the time I would get home each night all I would have the energy to do was order food and watch some TV then head off to bed.

          I had been working for the new company for a month now and it still seemed like I was stressed to the max each night when I came home. Not only was work stressful but I noticed that I was gaining weight due to all the take out and junk food I was pouring into my body each night. My head was pounding from all the added stress so I made my way to the bathroom to find some medicine to help relieve the pain. Opening the medicine cabinet my box of tampons fell out and I quickly picked them up off the floor and shoved them back in the box; I was about to set them back on the shelf when a thought came to mind, when was the last time I had my period?

          My mind started working counting back the days from my last period as I sunk down to the floor in disbelief; it had been a little over six weeks! I had ended my period just a few days before Mikko and I got into our fight; and no doubt we had sex both of those days. No, no, no, no, no, this cant be, I thought to myself; Mikko said that he couldn’t get me pregnant, there has to be some mistake. I stood back up on wobbly feet and pulled my shirt up to look at my tummy in the mirror; there was a slight bump on my belly but that had to just be from the junk food, right?

          I knew that there was only one way to find out and I immediately ran out of the house in search of the nearest drug store. My hands were shaking so bad as I picked up the pregnancy test from the shelf that I couldn’t read what was written on the box; the letters just blurred together as my hand shook violently in fear. I tossed three of the tests into my basket and made my way up to the check out; I had to be sure and I wasn’t going to trust just one test. The woman at the register gave me a sideways look as she rang up all three tests and placed them in a bag; I quickly handed her the money and grabbed my bag not waiting for my change.

          Once back at home I peed on the first test and paced back and forth in the living room waiting for the timer to go off on my phone indicating that it had been three minutes. The alert sounded and I stood at the bathroom door afraid to open it and see the results; once I had built up enough courage I opened the doors and picked up the test. The letters on the test showed up in bold print; no mistaking what it said ‘PREGNANT’. I cursed at myself as I pulled out another test and tried it again; after going through all three boxes with the same result I sank down in my one chair that I had in the living room to think about what I just learned.

          I had worked so hard my whole life to get to where I was in my career and now I was risking throwing it all away because I was stupid enough to believe that Mikko couldn’t get me pregnant. I doubted that the new company would keep me on knowing that I would need some serious time off in the near future to care for my new baby; they would just tell me that it wasn’t working out and find some new employee with more sense than to go out and get pregnant by a lying cheating asshole like I did.

          I cried myself to sleep that night not knowing where my future would lead me after this. I was sure that I was pregnant but I knew that the only way to confirm it would to be to go to the doctor. The next morning I made an appointment with a local clinic and they were able to get me in the same day. After a series of questions and taking a blood and urine sample the doctor returned to the room to give me the news that I was already expecting.

“Elena according to the results we have here you are indeed pregnant. We will need to do an ultrasound so we can get a better idea how far along you are.” The doctor said and asked me to lie back on the table while he wheeled a machine to my side. After a few clicks and drags of his mouse he came to a conclusion.

“It appears that you are about two months along.” He said clicking a few more buttons on the machine and a printer started running on the other side of the room.

“Two months?” I questioned him; it had only been a few days over six weeks since my last period.

“Yes, looking at the size and weight of the fetus I am sure that you are close to two months if not a little bit more.” He said handing me some freshly printed photos of what appeared to be a jelly bean.

“Umm ok. Is there anything I need to do or change?” I asked not knowing the first thing about being pregnant.

          He handed me a stack of pamphlets and said I should be able to find everything I needed in them, he also provided me with a prescription for some vitamins that he instructed me to take daily. I went back out to the main office and they set me up with another appointment with a different doctor for six weeks later. I walked slowly back to my house as all the information I was given started to sink in. Once back home I fell into an uncontrollable crying fit until I fell asleep.

          I thought about calling Mikko a few times over the next month and a half but every time I went to dial his number I couldn’t bring myself to make the call. I knew that I needed to tell him, it was only right that he know seeing that he was the father but I just couldn’t bring myself to face what he might have to say. He said that he couldn’t get me pregnant, did he really believe that? Would he call me a liar when I told him? Would he even believe me or think that it was some stupid plan to try and get him back? The more I thought about all the things that he would say to me the less I wanted to call and tell him; I decided to wait until after my doctor appointment to make the call.

          I sat nervously in the waiting room for the nurse to call my name; once I was seated in the room waiting for the doctor to come in I felt myself start to calm down a little. I was already over the whole shock factor of being pregnant and came to terms with the fact that there was nothing I could do about it but it didn’t change the fact that I was still scared. I hadn’t told anyone about it yet, especially not my parents. I could only imagine the fit my father would throw when he found out; that is if he would ever even speak to me again. I was raised in a religious family and having sex out of wedlock was considered a sin; god forbid having a child. No, I was no where ready to break the news to my parents, I would have to start with Mikko first.

          The doctor came in a few minutes after I was seated in the room and started with the normal series of questions and answers. Once we were finished with that he dragged out the machine and began clicking and dragging the mouse around the screen. He turned to me with a slightly confused look before speaking.

“It appears that the last doctor was a little off on how far along you are.” He started. It didn’t come as a surprise to me I knew that he calculated that I was further along than I was; I nodded and waited for him to continue.

“Looking at the new measurements we have here you are currently 4 months or 18 weeks along instead of three and a half.” He said clicking the mouse a few more times to print out the new photos.

“Wait, what?” I asked; that wasn’t right. If anything I should only be three months along not four; there had to be some mistake.

“Is there something wrong?” He asked looking up at me.

“You said that I am four months along that’s impossible; at most I should only be three.” I said looking down at the photos he handed me.

“There’s no mistake; the baby is developed to a full four months.” He said standing from his chair to move the machine back to its place.

“Is it possible to have your period while pregnant?” I asked thinking that maybe that would explain things.

“There is a possibility of some very light bleeding but nothing like a full period.” He replied making a few more notes on his computer screen. I definitely had a full period 12 weeks ago, not light bleeding; this just wasn’t making sense.

“Here is your next appointment Ms. Benton; I will see you then.” He said handing me a paper with a date on it before walking out the door. What the hell; I wasn’t even done asking questions yet.

          I just couldn’t wrap my head around how I could be four months pregnant when I knew I had a period three months ago; there was just no way that was possible, right? So many questions made their way into my head but none of them that I knew the answer to. I knew what I had to do to get answers but I really wasn’t looking forward to doing it. Once I made it back to my house and placed the new ultrasound photos on the counter I pulled out my phone and dialed Mikkos number; my finger lingered over the send button afraid to make the call. Knowing that I had no other option if I wanted the answers I was looking for I let my finger fall on the send button and listened to the ring.

“Mikko.” The hard angry sounding voice came from the other end; the sound of his voice made me freeze unable to speak.

“Hello?” He said again sounding annoyed that no one was answering him back.

“Mikko?” I managed to spit out though the words were shaky and just above a whisper.

“Elena, is that you?” He asked; his voice now sounding low and soothing.

“Yes.” I said; my voice was still a little shaky.

“It’s good to hear your voice.” He replied. Really, that’s all he had to say to me after all this time?

“Look I have something I need to talk to you about.” I said trying to get straight to the point, but not really sure of the best way to break the news to him.

“Elena I’m sorry about what happened but it’s not what you think. That day in the…” He started to try and explain what happened but I didn’t want to hear it; it really didn’t matter at this point.

“I didn’t call you to talk about that.” I said interrupting him mid sentence.

“Can I just explain?” He asked.

“I’m pregnant.” I blurted out not knowing any other way to phrase the words.

“What?” He asked sounding a little angry.

“Mikko I’m pregnant with your baby.” I said once again.

“No your not.” he replied. What the hell? Was he accusing me of lying?

“Yes, I am!” I stated back firmly.

“It’s not my baby, that’s impossible. You called the wrong person Elena but I can clearly see that you have moved on.” He said sounding like he was ready to end the conversation.

“I didn’t call the wrong person; you are the only person I have been with.” I said back upset that he would accuse me of trying to pin a baby that wasn’t his on him.

“You can’t be pregnant with my baby! I don’t know what kind of sick joke you are trying to play on me but this is not funny! I know that I hurt you but you didn’t need to call me and rub the fact that you moved on in my face!” He said before I heard the distinct beeping sound in my ear letting me know the call was ended.

          I threw the phone across the room pissed off that Mikko had just treated me the way he did. He was the one that cheated on me and broke my heart not the other way around; what right did he have to call me a liar and hang up on me like that? I sat in my little chair fuming about the conversation I just had with Mikko before stomping back over to pick up my phone from where it landed. I pulled up my call log and hit redial on Mikkos number; he was going to hear me out whether he liked it or not.

“What?” He yelled into the phone when he answered.

“Mikko you are such an asshole I can’t even believe that you just hung up on me like that!” I started off on my little rant; he was about to get a piece of my mind.

“You call me with some bullshit about you being pregnant with my baby when I know it’s not possible and you want to call me an asshole for hanging up on you? How about you being a bitch for trying to hurt me more than I already am by you having some others guys child?” He spit back at me causing me to gasp in surprise at his words.

“If you don’t fucking believe me then that’s fine; I just thought that I would give you the courtesy of letting you know that you were going to be a father. I thought that I could call you for answers to my questions but clearly that’s not going to happen!” I said before I abruptly ended the call hanging up on him this time.

          If he didn’t want to accept that I was having his baby then fine; I would figure out the answers I needed on my own. Silent tears started rolling down my face as I tried to wipe them away with the back of my hand. My life was not going as planned; no that’s an understatement, my life had done a ninety degree turn and was headed in a direction I never imagined it would go. Not only was I not going to have support from my baby’s father but I still hadn’t found the courage to call and tell my parents; they would for sure disown me and never want to speak to me again. My phone ringing broke me out of my thoughts and I looked down to see Mikkos number on the screen.

“What?” I answered mocking the same tone he used with me last time.

“What do you mean ‘answers to your questions’? He asked. His question threw me off a little as I tried to think about what I had even wanted the answers to in the first place; I decided I would just throw out the main thing that was bothering me.

“Maybe you could start by telling me how I am four months pregnant when my last period was three months ago.” I said then silently waited for his reply; the line was silent for what felt like hours though only minutes had passed.

“Where are you?” He asked.

“What?” I said back confused by his answer; that didn’t tell me what I wanted to know. Why would he care where I was, it’s not like my geographical location would have any effect on my pregnancy.

“Where are you; I need to come see you.” He stated sounding a little urgent.

“No, I don’t want to see you; just answer my question.” I said wanting to get back to the subject at hand.

“Elena tell me where you are so that I can come and get you. We need to talk about this.” He replied now sounding more agitated than anything.

“You are not coming to get me! Why don’t you just say what you have to say?” I replied. What was he thinking; coming to get me? I’m not leaving; why would he think that I would want to go with him anyways?

“Are you going to tell me where you are or do I need to find out myself?” He asked.

“Mikko stop messing around and just answer my question.” I replied done playing his little games.

“I will come for you tomorrow; pack your bags and be ready to leave.” He replied sounding confident with his words.

“What the hell are you talking about? I am not going anywhere!” I said back shocked that he just assumed I would jump at his commands.

“This is not up for discussion.” He said before once again my phone beeped letting me know that he ended the call.

          What the hell just happened? That is not what I was expecting to come out of this phone call. Was he serious about coming to find me; did he have the capability of finding me? That was a stupid question, of coarse he did. Not only was I sure that the company I was working for would have called Stronghold to confirm that I did my internship there but he also had an enormous amount of money; money can buy anything, including your home address.

          I headed off to bed wondering what would await me the next day when Mikko found me.