Friend-Zoned (Friend-Zoned 1)

That’s odd.

Nat is a people person. Even on the worst day she’s at least mildly social. I decide to investigate.

I walk over to the store room and just as I’m about to knock I hear muffled crying come from behind the closed door.

My heart clenches painfully.

Oh God.

What if the doctor’s appointment went bad? What if she’s really sick? Or even dying?

My face pales and I start to sweat.

No way in hell I’m losing Nat without a fight.

I barge into the store room, close the door behind me and lock it.

Her back is to me and she’s quieted down a little but I can hear her sniffle. It takes a lot for Nat to cry. She isn’t a sooky baby like me.

I walk over to her and put an arm around her. She places her head on my shoulder and howls out uncontrollable sobs. Of course, this means I cry quietly right along with her.

Still sobbing she sputters, “I can’t…I can’t have them. I thought I was but then I wasn’t and now I can’t have them. ”

Uh, Wha…?

I hold her and coo to her until she calms and I try to decipher what she just said.

“What’s the matter, honey?” I ask quietly.

She straightens a little and replies, “I thought I was pregnant. Ghost would’ve been the father. ”

I balk.

Oh Em Gee!

Nat being pregnant would be awesome! She absolutely adored kids. I know she wants a lot of them.

I say, “Well, honey, that’s nothing be upset about. That’s…”

She interrupts me “No. It would’ve been fine. I would’ve been happy. But the doctor did an ultrasound. I’m not pregnant. But he found over eighty cysts on my ovaries, Tina. I have PCOS. ”

My face falls and I put a hand to my chest.

She isn’t pregnant. They did find something.

She tries to be strong but her lip is quivering. “The doctor says it’s a high probability that I won’t be able to have children. Like, ever. ” She looks at me through glassy eyes. “I’ll never have kids, Tina. And that sucks so bad. Eighty fucking cysts. That’s why my period didn’t come. ”

Oh, God. You totally suck sometimes.

I cry right along with her. I pull her close and coo, “Oh, honey. There are options for people who can’t have children. We’ll research everything we can. We’ll call specialists and doctors. We’ll go online and talk to other people with PCOS. We’ll figure it out! I promise. ”

She nods into me. After a minute I gasp lightly and smile.

I whisper, “I’ll have your baby for you. ”

Her body stiffens and she lifts her head. Her pretty face is distorted by sorrow and I don’t like it.

She whispers back, “You’d do that for me?”