While I'm Alive

Her mood had been everywhere that week. She tried to control herself as much as she could but in all honesty she was confused by it. She had never felt such a rollercoaster of emotions. She could blame it on her period but Norma hadn't even started yet.
"Did you want to pick out the fabric for the curtains today?" Alex asks, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
Norma glances over at him, her hand still working on scrambling the eggs on the pan with her spatula.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah I think i'll do that." she agrees softly, her mind stuck on the anger she can feel building up inside of her for no reason. She turns off the stove, satisfied with the look of her scrambled eggs.
"I gotta go. I'll see you in a bit, love." Alex says, placing a kiss on her temple before stepping away from her.
Norma turns on her heels, grabbing Alex's shirt and pulling him back to her with need. Her lips crash against his with passion as she begins to push him back until his back hits the wall.
Alex, shocked by the sudden attack, pulls away enough to look at his wife with confusion.
"Everything alright?" he asks her.
Her dark blue eyes glance from his eyes down to his lips and back. Her lips pull up into a smirk as her hand travels down his chest and dips into his pants.
Alex gasps and tenses up as she grabs him in her small hand. Her lips resume their attack on his neck, her teeth nipping at his skin while she begins to move her hand on him.
"N-Norma, I...Im gonna be...late." Alex manages to gasp out, grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand out of his pants.
The hurt was evident on her face almost immediately. Her cheeks turned a light shade of red and she steps away from him.
"I'm sorry." she says softly, looking like she might cry.
Alex stares at her with confusion, never having seen Norma get hurt so easily. Usually her defensive mood was anger so this new sudden sadness was strange for him.
"I...It's just that I might be late and-"
"No it's fine, Alex. I'm sorry." she says again harshly, turning back to the stove. Alex nods, glancing back at her once more before leaving for work.
Norma leans against the counter, tears running down her cheeks. She sighs and walks to the bathroom to retrieve tissues.
As she is reaching for the tissues, she stumbles upon her box of tampons. She hesitates, grabbing the box as she tries to remember when her last period was.
And that's when it hit her.
She was late.
She was supposed to start her period almost a whole week ago. Her heart skipped a beat as she thought of the last time she and Alex had been intimate. They hadn't been using condoms since their discussion a few months back.
After having rushed to the nearest drug store, Norma found herself sitting on her toilet with a pregnancy test between her legs.
"Come on. Come on." Norma whispers as she paces the floor of her bathroom with the stick in her hand.
"Please say yes. Please, please." she begs the stick. She takes one last deep breath before looking down at the stick.
Her lips pull up in a smile as she lets out a shaky breath. The plus sign on the stick looked back at her, letting her know that a baby was growing inside of her.
"Oh my god." she says, her hand slowly reaching up to rest on her flat stomach. Tears of joy fell from her eyes as she rubbed her belly.
"Hi, baby." she whispers.
"Norma?" Alex calls out to her, having just arrived home from work. She quickly hides the test, wanting to plan a unique way to tell him that they were pregnant. She wipes her cheeks dry before answering.
"Coming."
Alex hangs his jacket on the coat rack before glancing up the stairs to watch his wife descend. She smiles widely at him, a welcome change in mood from when Alex had left her that morning.
"Hello, honey." she tells him before placing a kiss on his lips.
"Hey. How are you?" he asks, cupping her cheek as he looks into her eyes. Staring at her blue orbs was his favorite pastime.
"I'm good. A little tired." she says honestly.
"Me too. How about we order some takeout and watch a movie?" Alex suggests as he plays with one of the curls that sits on her shoulder.
"Okay." she agrees.
Normally she would object and insist on cooking for them but the news she had just received wore her out emotionally, making her physically tired as well.
"I'm just gonna step outside to get some air really fast." she tells him.
"Okay. Ill call in the order." he tells her.
Once Norma is outside, she grabs her phone from the pocket of her dress and makes her way down toward the motel while dialing Emma's phone number.
"Norma? Is everything alright?" Emma answers.
"Why does everyone always assume something is wrong when I call them?" Norma asks, noticing a pattern.
"Uh, I-I don't know. Is nothing wrong?" Emma asks.
"Nothing is wrong but...I do need your help. And your word that you'll keep quiet about what I am about to tell you." she tells the young girl.
"Okay."
Norma takes a deep breath, her hand absently rubbing her stomach.
"I...I'm pregnant." she says, the words bringing an unfamiliar rush of joy and pride.
She had been pregnant before but both times the circumstances were difficult. With Dylan, she felt utter terror and disgust because of who his father is. With Norman, she was afraid to bring a child into a household of hate and abuse. She loved both of her boys dearly and wouldn't give them up for anything.
But now, the chance to bring a child into the world while she stood beside such a loving man like Alex...it overjoyed her.
"P-Pregnant? Oh my god! Oh my- Congratulations!" Emma says with excitement.
"Alex must be so excited!" she continues.
"He doesn't know." Norma says quickly.
"You haven't told him yet? What are you waiting for?" Emma asks with shock.
"I want to make it special. It's his first kid. That's why I am telling you. I think we should plan something big." Norma says in hushed tones as she glances around to ensure there are no listening ears.
"I'm in." Emma agrees quickly.