A Mother's Secrets (Parent Portal 4)

“We need to celebrate.” Jamie could hardly get a hold of his thoughts as he and Christine exited the doctor’s office together. They had a list of dates, future appointments. She had prescriptions that needed to be filled. The plethora of information they’d been given regarding what to expect, what to watch for, when it would be necessary to call the doctor’s office—all of it reverberated through his mind, needing to be put on a spreadsheet of some kind.

“No.” Christine smiled as she shook her head. “You need to celebrate. I imagine Tom Sanders will be thrilled with the news,” she added.

Tom! He hadn’t even thought about his father-in-law! Yes, Tom was going to be overjoyed at the prospect of being a grandfather. Even though he didn’t think Jamie had made the best decision for himself.

Why hadn’t he thought of Tom?

Or worse, why wasn’t he thinking of Emily? They’d just reached the culmination of their dreams.

Thanks to the woman walking beside him.

“The blood test results won’t be back for a few hours,” he told her as they exited the building. “And I’ve got some houses to look at. How about if we meet at your office right before four?”

Dr. Miller had said she’d call Christine with the results at four.

He was going to be a father.

A father. For real. Not just in plans.

She’d stopped just outside the door, standing in the shade of the large awning covering the entryway.

“That’s the second time you’ve mentioned looking at houses.”

A statement. Not a question. “I’ve got my place on the market.”

Her frown was unexpected. “You’re going through all of this to have the baby you and Emily created, but you’re moving from the home you shared with her?”

“I wanted to move from that place when she was alive,” he told her, too het up to pay much attention to her remark. “It never felt like a home. And it’s dropping in value so isn’t a good financial risk, either.” He brushed off her questions, wanting first to solidify the location of their four o’clock appointment.

To take her out to a fancy dinner and celebrate their humongous accomplishment. And to make a nonalcoholic toast to the future.

They’d brought an embryo to life.

They were embarking on a partnership. There was so much to talk about. Visitation to discuss. He was to spend time with the baby while in utero so that it would know his voice when it was born, for one thing. Plans to make. Schedules to set.

And all that the doctor had just said about birthing choices. Natural. Epidurals. Assisted. Midwife. Classes.

He was familiar with most of the rhetoric in theory.

In practicality, he knew nothing.

Hadn’t discussed any of it with Christine ahead of time, which seemed remiss of him.

“So, your office just before four?” he asked when his thoughts slowed enough to allow him coherent conversation.

She nodded.

“And then dinner?” He’d taken a step toward the parking lot. She was right beside him. “We can go out,” he said, hearing the supersonic energy in his voice. Hoped he didn’t sound as frenetic to her as it felt to him. “Nothing personal. Just business. We have so much to discuss...”

When he glanced at her, she was grinning. And nodding. “Fine. We can go out. But Jamie...”

“Yeah?”

“Call your father-in-law. You shouldn’t be celebrating this alone.”

He wasn’t alon

e.