I stared at the double lines on the pregnancy test. How could such a seemingly small thing – an extra faded blue line – hold so much meaning??

Since I couldn’t wait until I got home to know, I had run down to the Walgreens across the street from the office. Oh, the humiliation of peeing on a little stick, awaiting the biggest news of my life, while the guy in the stall next to me was dropping a deuce. Thank God he had left before those two blue lines came into focus because I literally dropped down on my knees and began to dry heave when I realized the reality of the situation.

The feeling was unlike any I had ever felt. On the surface, I was terrified of everything and what it meant: What about my job? What about money? But most of all: What would Jordan think about all of this? Even if I had been willing to try to work on the relationship, this sure put an intensity level on the situation that made the worry of ‘what will everyone in the office think?’ look like a kiddie ride in comparison. Still, there was something deep down inside me that was absolutely elated. The idea of having a family with Jordan was the only peace in the series of logistical obstacles that had been consuming my mind for the last five minutes since reading the results of the test.

As calmly as possible, I stood up from the cold bathroom floor, opened the stall and walked over to the sink. The water from the faucet felt warm against my freezing cold hands, so I took a moment to let it wash over me, giving my skin the solace it was seeking.

Inadvertently, I glanced up at the mirror. My own reflection looked distant and unfamiliar; not unpleasant…just different. I was looking into the eyes of someone who was pregnant; someone who was going to be a dad. I watched as the crease of my mouth began to turn upward, causing my single dimple to deepen. True, I had no idea how this would all play out but, in the end, I’d have a baby I never knew I had always wanted.

The lights in almost all of the offices were off and the cleaning guy was beginning to empty the trash receptacles throughout the cubicles. However, as I walked by Amy’s office, I noticed that she was still at her desk, sifting through paperwork.

I needed to talk to someone – anyone. Since her door was ajar, I gently tapped on the side of the wall, alerting her to my presence before entering.

“Hey Amy, how’s it going?”

Her gaze rose up and over the glasses that were perched atop the end of her nose. “Oh, hi Mason. Honestly? Not great. I’ve got work piling up faster than I can take care of it. How is it going with you?”

I took that as an invitation to come in, which I promptly did, settling myself into the leather chair opposite her side of the desk. “I’m alright. Hey…how long have you been working here?”

She seemed annoyed at the question and quickly lowered her eyes back down to her desk, continuing to shuffle through papers. “I don’t know. Uh, 12 years, I think.”

“Do you have family at home?”

“Family?” She asked, beginning to chuckle. “No. I never had time for a family. There was just too much to do here. I joined the company back when it was just Dominic and a couple of the other founders. We had to work our asses off to make this company what it is.”

I leaned in closer. “Do you regret choosing the job over a family?”

At this, Amy looked up again, placed the paper she was holding onto the table and sat back in her chair.

“Let me answer your question with a question: Are you asking me this because this is something you’re looking at within your own life?”

“Yes.”

She took a deep sigh. “I try not to have regrets in my life, Mason, because there’s no way to know where any other path would lead me. I have so many great things going for me so I try to appreciate that and not look back at other choices I could have made. That said, I never gave myself the benefit of asking myself the question you are asking yourself. I just sort of fell into this business and never came up for air long enough to make a choice. Life chose for me. I suppose, if you are asking the question, then you probably already know the answer…and as much as I’d hate to deter you from choosing anything but our company as your #1 priority, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I don’t think that’s what you really want.”

Never had I thought that such profound and selfless words of wisdom could come from such a seemingly self-seeking person. I knew exactly what I needed to do.

Quickly, I hopped up out of my chair and bolted for the door. Just before I exited, I turned back around to see Amy with a slight look of sadness on her face. “Thanks, Amy. I really appreciate this.”

“Uh, yeah. Don’t mention it,” she brushed me away as though she wanted to be sure to pretend she hadn’t just shown me what a kind and helpful person she was capable of being.

With that, I grabbed my jacket, turned off my computer and headed for the elevators. I needed to get to Jordan’s house ASAP.