Chapter Eighteen

                                    

                                          
Brad was anxiously waiting for Paige, unable to do anything other than stare at the door leading into the waiting room and ruminate on all his worrying thoughts. 
When she finally emerged, he could tell instantly she had been crying. He was to her side in a second. 
I should have gone in with her, he thought. 
He didn't ask what was wrong in the waiting room, but rather ushered her out as quickly as possible. 
When they hit the parking lot, he asked, "What is it?"
"I'll tell you at home", she said, choking back a sob. 
He was terrified. He let her in the passenger side and she scooted over to the middle seat to sit right next to him. She hadn't done that before. She kept her hand on his driving leg with steady pressure the whole way and he drove as quickly as was safe to do. 
When they arrived, he jumped out and escorted her in. 
"I need something in my stomach real quick", she said, "so I don't throw up while I'm talking to you". 
"Does she know what's causing that?", Brad asked. 
"Yep", Paige said, not meeting his eyes. She grabbed some crackers and a cheese stick and sat at the table. She ate quietly and sipped some water. Brad stood, watching her, every nerve on edge. 
"Paige", he pleaded, motioning with his hand for her to get on with it. 
"Sit", she said quietly. 
"I'm okay", Brad said, hovering near the table. 
"I need you to sit", she said, quietly yet firmly. 
Brad sat, feeling worse by the second. 
JUST TELL ME!, he thought. 
She reached across the table and put both her hands on his folded arms.  Her eyes were shining a deep emerald. She looked worn down but determined and focused. 
"Brad, I love you", she started. 
"Baby, I love you, too", he replied, instantly. 
"I love you more than I've ever loved anyone or anything", she continued, "until yesterday". 
"Yesterday?", he asked, puzzled. 
"When I brought the water issue up to the doctor, she asked some other questions as well...which ended up with her running a test on me"....her grip tightened on his arms but she didn't look away. 
"The test yesterday told me I'm pregnant". 
He sat immovable and silent for at least a full minute while the shock of this statement and it's implications reverberated through his brain and sent shock waves throughout his body. 
We're having a baby?
He couldn't wrap his mind around it. 
"I thought".... "But this was".... "How?"
He stumbled to form words and sentences. 
"It's really a miracle", she said smiling a little, her eyes large and worried, searching his face. 
She's happy, he thought, but she thinks I'm going to be upset. 
"Look, babe", he said, "I've told you a million times I'm not going anywhere". 
Her face fell and she started to pull her hands back. 
He grabbed them and continued, "This is much sooner than I would have thought possible, but we didn't think it was possible for you to be pregnant at all, so this must be meant to be. We'll get through this together. It will be okay".