When a positive pregnancy test is a negative

I have this friend. Let’s call her “Denise.”

Denise is a great woman. She is caring and kind. Sweet and funny. But she has this issue where once she falls for someone – she falls hard. Like, “I love you”s exchanged in under three weeks, her wrists are sore from texting him so much and she spends all night dreaming about her new love.

Most of the time she’s been able to walk away unscathed when the relationship turns to crap. But not this last time.

Right before the relationship combusted, she was feeling kind of sick. Took a pregnancy test just to calm her fears. No such luck.

Pregnant.

Still high on love, she figures it will be no big deal to tell her boyfriend. After all, he loves her. He says it every day.

So she’s surprised when he freaks out. Says he’s not ready to be a dad.

“What do you want me to do?” she asks through tears.

“I just know I’m not ready to be a dad,” he repeats.

“What do you want me to do?” she asks again. This time, her voice is clear.

“You do what you need to do.” He sounds distracted. Is he even listening to her?

“I want to have the baby,” she says. “I thought you would be happy.”

“Why would I be happy? We barely know each other.”

She slams the phone down and lets the tears flow.

Click here to continue reading this post, originally published for The Pushback, a blog that shows what young parenthood really looks like.