Surgeon Boss, Surprise Dad

Adam laid her on the sofa, waited for her to say something, anything, but when she didn’t he went outside to get her walker. When he returned, Liz’s eyes were shut, but she wasn’t asleep, just ignoring him.

While holding her, he’d been hopeful, had thought she might find it in her heart to forgive him. It was too soon. He’d hurt her too badly. But he’d never give up, never let her doubt his feelings for her again. For the rest of his life he’d make sure Liz knew she was what mattered most to him.

He put the walker within her reach, bent and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Liz, and hope someday you’ll trust me enough with your heart, our baby, that you can forgive me.”

Through the window, Liz watched Adam work. No matter how hard she tried she couldn’t regain her anger.

She wanted to, she realized. Because as long as she stayed angry, that provided a protective shield around her heart. A protective shield she desperately needed.

Listening to Adam talk about his MS, feeling the emotions in every word he said, she understood how he’d felt. Not that she agreed with his reasoning, she didn’t. But she understood that he’d wanted to protect her from what he’d seen as his bleak future.

She couldn’t deny that her heart belonged to him and she believed he hadn’t meant to hurt her.

Understanding didn’t bring trust or erase the pain she’d felt. Neither did it change his reaction to learning of her pregnancy.

So where did that leave them?

Adam laughed at the word Liz made up on the Scrabble board. He wasn’t sure “Podunk” was a real word or just Southern slang for a tiny, offbeat town. But he let her count it all the same. Seeing her smile was worth getting his butt kicked in a board game.

Two weeks had passed since the morning he’d cut her lawn. Two weeks where Liz no longer attacked him with every word. Two weeks where he did his best to show her how he felt about her. Two weeks where he continued his injections, was getting rest, and with each day that passed he felt a little stronger, a little more in control of his life.

Which could all be attributed to Liz’s tentative acceptance of his presence in her house, in her life.

Kelly still came by every day, Mona most days, too, but when Liz needed something that she couldn’t manage on her own, she’d ask for his help.

She was getting stronger with each day as well. At her last appointment with Dr Bell he’d told her to get rid of the walker and start using crutches. Before long she’d be recovered and back at work.

Back at work.

That morning Dr Winters released Adam to return to work whenever he felt ready, saying that unless Adam had a worsening of symptoms, he could return to a lighter schedule.

Liz had gone with him to the specialist’s office. He’d been surpris

ed but pleased when she’d asked to go.

Actually, he’d decided she’d had her own agenda in going with him. She’d asked about their baby, wanting to know all the statistics, research, and anything she could do to decrease the risk.

He’d sat on the exam table, feeling inadequate, ashamed that he’d done this to her, to their baby.

“Hello.” Liz snapped her fingers in front of his face. “It’s your go.”

“What’s your rush?” he teased, wanting to hang onto the peace between them. “You think if you give me too much time I’ll figure out a way to win?”

“Right.” She laughed. “You’ve caught me now.”

Adam studied the Scrabble board and chose his letters, his word, wondering if fate had caused him to look at his game pieces and see only one possible word to be made from his squares.

He arranged the pieces on the board.

Liz stared first at the word, then at Adam.

The moment stretched awkwardly between them before a tear trickled down her face. “Adam?”

His gaze connected with hers and he hoped she saw everything she was to him. His whole world.

She glanced down at the board, her gaze soaking in the word he’d spelled. “Baby”.

“There’s something I have to tell you.” She leaned forward, her eyes soft, her expression yearning. “I’m pregnant.”