Tabitha reached across the table and laid her hand on her granddaughter’s trembling hands. She smiled her ever so slightly crooked smile and the lines of time around her eyes scrunched up in a way that just made Ellie feel happy all of a sudden.

On the table to Ellie’s left lay the test; how could a minute take so long to come around? As long as there was no blue line she could carry on with her life and David need never know; if he ever called again anyway.

Ellie’s mind wandered to that night. Why had she been so desperate to have him? It was not as though he was going to settle down and be her boyfriend; she knew that he was a player. If that blue line did show up he was not going to change – why had she risked all of this for such a fraction of a man? She had no idea, but this was scaring her enough that she felt sure she would never be so careless ever again. She was just so thankful for her grandmother, she had not judged her at all.

Tabitha picked up the plastic wand and stopped smiling.