Emmanuel Taye

She kept the test result in her bag for four days before she told him. The clinic had confirmed she was eleven weeks pregnant. They had agreed, two years earlier, that they would not have another child. He had said the two they already had were enough. She had agreed at the time. She had not agreed when she stopped taking the pills. She had not told him she stopped. He read the result twice. Then he asked when she had decided. She said she had not decided. She said it had simply happened. He looked at her for a long moment and said nothing else. That night he slept in the living room. In the morning he made breakfast for the children and did not speak to her about the paper still lying on the table. Three days later he told her he needed time to think. He said he would stay in the house but he would not pretend he was ready. She asked if he wanted her to end it. He said he would not ask her to do that. He also said he would not celebrate it. She nodded. They continued to move around each other carefully. The children noticed the quiet but did not ask questions. She still cooked. He still paid the bills. Neither of them mentioned the pregnancy again for two weeks.