“What is Cy going to do?” she asked.
I shrugged. “It sounds like he plans to stay in Chicago for the long run. He said he’d come back for doctor's appointments and visits with the child until it's old enough to go visit him.”
April made a face. “That could be years. I don’t think he gets just how hard it’s going to be to stay involved while living so far away. Maybe Jude could talk to him.”
“No. Until his mom is well, I don’t want him having to worry about all this.”
April made a face. “Isn’t your trying to make his life easier why you’re in this situation?”
“I guess. But it doesn’t change his situation. His mother is sick and he has a fiancé. The logistics are the same.” I looked down into my tea, realizing I wasn’t drinking it and it was probably cold. “He offered to let me move into his house. He doesn’t think this place is adequate for a child.”
“It will work for a baby, but eventually, you’ll want a yard. More space,” April said.
I rested my head on her shoulder. “I have time and I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“Okay. What should we talk about?” She tilted her head to rest on mine.
“How is August? I haven’t seen him since Halloween.”
She laughed. “He asked a woman out on a date.”
“No kidding.”
I was glad April was able to let the topic of Cyrus go. I was mentally exhausted when it came to figuring out what to do about Cy.
A few days later, I was in the bakery and Libby and I were getting ready to close. I’d been feeling a bit off for the last few hours, but I chalked it up to physical and mental fatigue. As I locked the door, my belly cramped so hard I had to lean forward, putting my hand on the door for support. My breath whooshed from my lungs and piercing pain slashed through my gut.
“Petal?” Libby’s concerned voice called to me.
I tried to straighten, but couldn’t. I pressed my hand to my belly as terror filled me.
“Petal, what’s wrong?” Libby rushed to me.
“I think I need to go to the hospital.”
“Okay. Should I call 9-1-1?”
I looked at her. “Can you drive me?” I didn’t want to wait around if I could head to the hospital now. There was one not far from where we were.
“Yeah sure. Let me get my car and I’ll pick you up.”
Fifteen agonizing minutes later, she was walking me into the hospital. The cramping didn’t seem so bad now, but I was still terrified.
“Can I call someone?” Libby asked as we headed to the desk.
I thought about Cryus, but he was hours away. I considered my parents, but they were in Florida and I hadn’t even told them about the baby yet.
“Can you call April?” I told Libby her number and I figured April would be able to call Cyrus if necessary.
It felt like it was forever before a doctor saw me. My fear was heightened when I was asked to pee in a cup and discovered some blood. The doctor ordered a blood sample and a sonogram, both of which also took forever.
All the while, the nurses and doctors were noncommittal about what the problem could be. They said it could be nothing or a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. The last two sent a wave of dread through me. None of them showed signs of concern. Then again, they were probably trained not to look worried. The uncertainty was agonizing.
Finally, I was laying back with gel squirted on my belly and a kind looking woman pressed a wand to my belly.
“Take a deep breath, mom,” the woman said.
God, had I breathed since this started? I did as she said, inhaling and exhaling.