Mother by Chance

Chapter 1: The unexpected 

Alexandra "Alex" Thompson stared at the tiny white stick in her hand, her mind reeling with the two pink lines that seemed to mock her. Pregnant. The word echoed in her head like a cruel joke.

How could this have happened? She was always so careful, always prioritized her career and independence. A baby was never part of the plan. Alex's life was a meticulously crafted puzzle, with every piece carefully placed to ensure a perfect picture. This...this was a rogue piece that refused to fit.

As she stood there, frozen in shock, Alex's thoughts flashed back to that one fateful night six weeks ago. The night she'd let her guard down and allowed herself to get swept up in a whirlwind romance with a stranger. They'd met at a coffee shop, bonding over their shared love of literature and music. The conversation had flowed effortlessly, and before she knew it, they'd spent hours talking.

What was his name again? Ethan? Evan? She couldn't even remember. All she knew was that their chance encounter had left her with a souvenir she never wanted. Alex's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with memories of that night. They'd been responsible, hadn't they? She was almost certain they'd used protection.

Alex's gaze drifted to the calendar on her kitchen wall. Six weeks. She was already six weeks pregnant. How was this possible? She thought back to her last period, trying to recall any unusual symptoms. There'd been some fatigue, but she'd attributed that to her hectic work schedule.

Panic began to set in, her breath coming in short gasps. What was she going to do? Alex's mind whirled with questions and fears. How would she raise a child on her own? What would her friends and family think? Would she have to give up her career ambitions?

As the reality of her situation sunk in, Alex felt her world spinning out of control. She needed to sit down, to collect her thoughts and come up with a plan. But her legs felt like jelly, and her mind was a jumbled mess.

With a shaking hand, Alex reached for her phone and dialed the one person she knew she could count on – her best friend, Sarah.

"Hey, girl, what's up?" Sarah answered on the first ring.

Alex took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "I need to talk to you about something," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What is it?" Sarah's tone turned serious. "You're scaring me."

Alex closed her eyes, the words tumbling out of her mouth like a confession. "I'm pregnant."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, Alex wondered if Sarah had hung up on her.

Then, Sarah's voice came back on the line, calm and reassuring. "Okay, we'll figure this out together."

Alex felt a lump form in her throat as she smiled, a sense of gratitude washing over her. She knew she could count on Sarah to be there for her, no matter what.

But as she looked down at the positive pregnancy test in her hand, Alex couldn't shake off the feeling that her life was about to change in ways she couldn't even imagine.