“Where did you hear that?”
I shrug. “I think I saw it on TV, a movie or something. Anyway, what can I do?”
“You can let me do this on my own. I promise I’ll open the door as soon as I’m done.”
Her eyes are pleading, and I realize I’m invading her personal space but dammit, my gut tells me she’s pregnant and I refuse to miss it. Any of it. “Two minutes.” I pull my phone out of my pocket and check the time. “Two minutes and you have to swear to me that you won’t look at the results before you let me back in.”
“Chase, these things take a couple of minutes to do their thing. I promise I’ll let you back in. Just let me pee in peace.”
“Fine. I love you. Two minutes and I’m coming back in.”
She shakes her head, a small smile playing at her lips. “I love you too.” Standing on her tiptoes, she kisses the corner of my mouth. “Now go.”
Doing as she asks, reluctantly, I turn to leave, and she smacks me on the ass. Glancing over my shoulder, she shrugs, grins, and then pushes me out of the room, closing the door behind me.
In a few long strides, I’m on the other side of the room, looking down at my nephew. “Hey, buddy. Guess what? Aunt Gabby might be giving you a baby cousin. Would you like that? Someone to grow up with?” My heart pounds in my chest as I think about what’s going on behind that bathroom door.
I might be a father.
For real this time.
With the woman I love.
Closing my eyes, I tilt my head back. “Please let her be pregnant,” I whisper. I want this. I want her, and this crazy life we’re going to build together, and I want Milo to have lots of cousins. The door opens and she stands there with a stick in her hand.
“How long was I?” she asks.
“I don’t know.” I was so lost in my own thoughts I forgot to look. Milo cries, so I pick him up and snuggle him to my chest before walking to where she stands in the doorway of the bathroom.
“This one says wait five minutes.”
“Okay, it’s been what two? Three?” I ask.
“Probably.”
“Let’s look and see if we can see anything.”
“It’s a word. It will say pregnant or not pregnant.”
“What do you want it to say, Gabs?”
“What do you want it to say?” she counters.
“How about this, on the count of three, say yes if you want it to be yes, and no if you want it to be no? We’ll say it at the same time.”
She nods. “Okay, but you better do it.”
“One. Two. Three. Yes,” I say at the same time she does.
Her eyes shimmer with tears, but her blinding smile tells me they’re happy tears. “Look at the stick, Gabs,” I say, stepping closer.
My eyes stay glued to her hands as she lifts the stick and holds it out between us.
Pregnant.
We’re having a baby.
I’ve never thought about being a dad, not really. Sure, I assumed Gabby and I would get there one day. Now, with Milo showing up on my doorstep and this positive pregnancy test, babies are all I can think about. We’re growing our family and I couldn’t be happier.
“Oh my God,” she breathes.
“Not God. Chase,” I say, wrapping my free arm that’s not holding my nephew around her waist and pulling her close. She buries her face in my neck and wraps her arm around my waist.
“So full of yourself,” she says, smacking playfully at my chest.
“Damn right. Harrison isn’t the only one with super swimmers,” I boast. I can’t wait to give my best friend shit.
“I’m like minutes pregnant, Chase. We really shouldn’t be telling anyone.”
“What? Why not? I want to shout it from the rooftops.”
“Well, it’s still early. There’s always a chance in the first trimester that I could lose the baby.”
“Say we don’t say anything and that—” I swallow, not wanting to repeat her words. “—happens, then what? We mourn in silence? We don’t share our pain or the loss of our unborn child with those we love?”
“No, we would, but it would be hard.”
“Gabby, it’s going to be hard regardless if that’s what happens. Besides, Gwen and Harrison already know, or they have a good idea.”
“Okay.” She nods. “You’re right. If that happens, we’ll need their love and support.”
“I love you, baby mama.”
She chuckles and pulls away. “Come on, Milo, let’s get ready to go see Grandma and Grandpa.” She takes him from my arms and moves around me to get him changed.
“I’m going to go make some bottles and pack up the diaper bag. I’ll meet you in the kitchen?”
“Sounds good.” She stops what she’s doing and looks up to find me watching her.
“You’re going to be an incredible mother, Gabby.”