Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
“I’m taking lessons now,” she was saying. “You should dust off your clubs, sweetheart. We can play together. Aaron golfs, right?”
“Oh…sure. Aaron loves golf,” I repeated for his benefit.
He whirled around with one hand cocked on his hip. “Say what?”
I snickered, catching the cucumber slice he threw at my head and popping it into my mouth. “Absolutely loves it. He’s got a killer stroke too.”
Aaron gaped at me and whispered to Murphy, “Your dad is in so much trouble.”
I bit back a laugh just as an incoming call interrupted my mom’s plan to set a tee time. I checked the caller ID, forgetting this was Aaron’s phone.
Lena.
Another cucumber slice flew at my head and grazed my cheek. Aaron set the knife aside and raised his arms with a triumphant “Whoop,” oblivious to my sudden rapid heartbeat.
Stay calm. It’s not a big deal. She probably wants to know if we’re coming to her class tomorrow.
“Hey, Mom, I need to grab this. I’ll call you later, okay?” I didn’t wait for her reply. I pressed End and answered the new call. “Lena. How’s it going?”
“Matt? Oh…hi. I thought this was Aaron’s cell.”
“It is.” I put the call on speaker. “I was just—”
“Is Aaron there? Is he with you? Are you together…alone?” she asked.
Aaron froze. “I’m here, Lena. It’s just us…and Murphy. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m…” She sucked in a breath and released a jagged-sounding laugh. “I’m pregnant!”
We stared at each other in shock.
The words didn’t compute at first. Pregnant. What did that mean?
I blinked at the high-pitched screech on the line and studied Aaron. He put a hand over his heart and then his mouth, his eyes bright with unshed tears.
He was talking now, telling Lena how thrilled and grateful we were. His cheeks were wet, and Lena was definitely crying. And I didn’t know what to do about the wall of emotion stuck in my throat, but I should do something soon.
This was where I should warn him not to get excited. This was where I’d tell him it was too soon to celebrate, let alone share this with anyone. Anything could go wrong. Nothing was certain. Maybe it was a false positive, and that was okay. We’d try again or maybe not. Someone had to be practical, and that someone was always me.
“Any idea when you’re due?” I asked, interrupting their happy exchange. “I was just wondering if you should see a doctor soon or…you know.”
“I have an appointment on Friday, but I’ve taken three tests and they’ve all come back positive. According to my calculations based on my last period, the baby will be due February fourteenth.”
Aaron gasped. “Really?”
“Can you believe it? A Valentine baby!” Lena squeaked. We stared at each other, mouths open, unsure what to think or feel about that. It was a day like any other…no big deal, right? “Are you guys there? Did you hear me?”
“Yes, yes,” Aaron replied, eyes brimming suspiciously. “That’s amazing. My favorite day.”
“Mine too. You’re welcome to come with me on Friday. Check your schedule and…”
I tuned Lena out. I was too busy internally mulling over the cosmic math. Was this a blessing or an omen or—
“Matty.” Aaron was at my side, his fingers in my hair, pulling my head low. “It’s happening. This is real.”
I nodded. “I…maybe. We can’t get excited. This might not be anything.”
“Or it might be everything,” he countered gently. “It’s okay to hope.”
I wanted to argue that hope was not a strategy and that we’d had personal experience to back that claim, but…I couldn’t do it. Not when his hazel eyes brimmed with tears of joy as if every dream he’d ever dared throw out to the universe had come true. Every prayer, every wish, every fucking hope.
I wasn’t cruel and I wasn’t above giving in to the moment, fingers crossed and heart braced. ’Cause maybe…just maybe…this was the beginning.
seven
“Are you okay?”
Lena spared me a wan almost smile as she sank into the upholstered chair in the lobby of Dr. Gwinn’s practice. “I’m—no. Excuse me.”
Aaron and I watched helplessly as she disappeared behind the nurse’s station for the second time in twenty minutes.
“I’ll check on her,” he volunteered, wiping his palms on his perfectly pressed khakis.
I didn’t bother pointing out that Lena preferred to deal with her morning sickness on her own. We’d told her from the start that we’d be there for her through all the good, bad, and not-so-pleasant parts of pregnancy, and the past few weeks had definitely qualified as unpleasant.
Who knew morning sickness could be an all-day thing?
Okay, a lot of people knew, including Aaron. Me…not so much. But I’d done my research and according to the experts, the near constant nausea and vomiting would hopefully subside once she hit the twelve-week mark.
Geez, I’d have thought it would have tapered off by now. I couldn’t remember the last time Lena hadn’t looked like Casper the ghost’s sister. I mean…she’d been so sick, she’d lost weight. Only a pound, but still…that couldn’t be good.