Chapter 5 - 'Autumn...'

Clara's PoV

Suffice to say that after that day... He never appeared. I can't work out why. 'Clara are you okay? You look a bit spaced out' Adrien my best friend at Coal Hill asked me.

We were in the staff room because it was break and he handed me a cup of coffee. As soon as I smelt it, I bolted out the room.

'Agh. It was only coffee' I complained to myself. Thankfully he hadn't heard me throw up again and I contained myself enough to leave the room.

'I thought you said you were better? Because you still look pretty rough to me' he said. 'I thought I was better... But I just feel really ill again' I complained.

The more I thought about it, I had been tired, spaced out and scared. Mainly because he had never come back and I was really worried about him.

'Go home. Get some sleep. Come back tomorrow' Mr Armatiage said when Adrien informed him of my well being.

Some of the symptoms were troubling me and I realised quite quickly in the car what I hadn't had. It was only 5 days late, but I've never been late before in my life, and so that pretty much comforted it.

I swung by a drug store that wasn't in my town on the way home, because word spreads like flies everywhere.

If someone sees me purchasing a pregnancy test... People will jump to conclusions.

I figured that I was completely overthinking it. He was an alien and I'm a human. Surely were incompatible.

I assumed that's why we didn't use protection, but I never really thought to ask about it, and the moment was so heated that I didn't think.

I bought a litre bottle of water and drank it so I knew I would be able to pee when I got home, and then waited the most agonising two minutes of my life.

I didn't expect the response.

I thought it would be completely impossible, but I knew it had to be his... I haven't slept with anyone else in over two years.

I stood over the sink and looked at the smug double blue lines in front of me. I didnt know what to do first.

Scream or cry? I glared at it a for a few moments longer deciding that I had to talk to someone. So I called Nina.

N: 'Clara what can I do for you?'
C: 'Please. I need someone to talk to desperately. Any chance you can come over like now?'
N: 'sure thing gal. Be over in 10'

I was relieved that she had said she would come over. I was so worried about what to say.

'What's up Clara? What's the big hurry?' She asked as she walked in and I ushered her quickly towards the sofa.

'Hi Nina. Would you like a cup of tea? Sure Clara that would be deeply appreciated seeing as I dropped everything and came over here' she said sarcastically laughing.

'I'm pregnant!' I squeaked. 'Jesus.' She responded and she disappeared into the kitchen.

When she came back out... She had two cups of tea and some biscuits.

After a moments considerable silence, she came out with it. 'Are you sure?' She whispered hesitant.

I placed the white stick on the coffee table and she looked straight at it. 'Okay. So you are then' she said and sat back on the sofa.

'Got to be honest Clara, I didn't even know you have a boyfriend' she said confused, "have" being the optimal word. 'Had a boyfriend Nina Had... I said making it clear.

'Holy crap Clara. You get knocked up and he leaves you. Nice going' she said.

'Not helping... And anyway. He just didn't come back. I haven't heard from him, I don't even know where he is' I said and put my head in my hands.

'How far along?' She asked. 'At a guess... 5 maybe 6 weeks' I said.

'What are you gonna do?' She asked then. I knew what she was implying.

'Book a scan to make absolutely sure... Then, I don't really know. I'm only 25, I don't know anything about raising a child or looking after a baby' I said and broke down.

It's all I had wanted to do. She put her tea down quickly and pulled me into a hug.

'Shush. Clara... It's okay, it's all going to be okay. We'll book you a scan for next week, and we'll go together. Then we'll decide how your going to move forward' she said.

'Are you sure?' I asked. 'I shouldn't be dumping my problems on you' I added.

'I'm sure' she said.

I sat deliberating the paper work and the birth certificate... Do I put his name on?

It's illegal to not too, but he is an alien so it wouldn't matter too much anyway surely. You have 6 weeks after birth to name a child and I still wasn't sure what to call her.

I keep looking at her hoping a name might come to me, but it didn't want to.

'Come on Clara, give the poor girl a name. She's a week old' Adrien complained.

He was rocking her to sleep while I was sitting at the kitchen table not at all sure what to do. 'I don't know what to call her. That's just the problem' I complained to him.

'She's adorable Clara. There's so many names you can call her. I'll be 80 at this rate by the time she's a legal person. And anyway... You can't start claiming child support until you have a name' he said.

'Who said anything about child support. I to you... I don't know where he is. So I can't get money off him' I reiterated.

I stood up and took her into my arms again. I wandered the kitchen while Adrien finished sterilising bottles for me.

He's such a great friend. If it wasn't for him and Nina, there's not way I would have got through this pregnancy alive. I stroked her little head and then pushed her hair away from her forehead.

Then I had an idea.

'Hey what about Autumn' I said. 'What about Autumn?' He said clearly paying no attention.

'For a name. She has really brown, autumny hair... So how about Autumn?' I asked him.

'It suits her actually' he said approaching. 'Quick. Take her a minute, I need to write it down before I change my mind' I said and he laughed.

'How about that Autumn. A whole week and mummy finally comes up with a name' Adrien joked talking to her.

'Hey. She's opened her eyes properly' Adrien said excited and I ran over. 'Oh my god, there brown. She has my eyes' I said excitedly.

I didn't even hear Nina come through the door with her little boy.

Nina is married and little bit older than me. She has a son called Jack who is nearly two years old.

'What's all the commotion in here then?' Nina asked eying up the paper work on the table. She tried to glance over at the paper work, but I put a book on top of it.

I know she was trying to see the fathers name, but it wasn't written down yet anyway. 'Clara finally chose a name' Adrien said.

'Ooh let me guess... Something extravagant like Lesley or Nina maybe?'
She said a hint of hope in her voice.

'No I did not call her Nina. Her names Autumn. Autumn Eleanor Oswald' I said proud.

'Well. Welcome to the crazy world Autumn' she said and I slapped her chest.