“When I’m feeling better.” All the brown hues in her eyes were replaced by streaks of gold and green, indicating she was angry. “Now will you please leave?”
Reese shouldered his way into the house. “No. I’m going to fix something for you to eat, and then I’m going to call a doctor to make an appointment for you to see him.”
“I told you before I’ll see one when I’m feeling better.”
“You won’t need a doctor when you’re feeling better. You need one now.”
Cherie felt too exhausted from barfing a second time that morning to get into a debate with Reese. He was in full uniform, and that meant he was on duty. “Okay. You can make some soft scrambled eggs, and hopefully I’ll be able to keep that down.”
Reese followed her into the kitchen. “When did you start throwing up?”
“This morning.”
“Maybe you’re pregnant.”
“Very funny. You know I get my period every month. And after that first time, we’ve always used protection.”
“I was just thinking it may be a possibility.”
“Keep thinking.”
Reese intimating that she might be pregnant made her recall the time when she was pregnant. Since she’d first begun getting her period at twelve, it came on time like clockwork, and the first time she’d missed it, she’d known for certain she was pregnant without taking a home pregnancy test or having it confirmed by a doctor. She experienced morning sickness for the first three months, and then it went away completely.
Reese removed his gun belt, leaving it on a chair in the alcove, and washed his hands before taking out several eggs and bread. He quickly scrambled the eggs and made dry wheat toast and set the plate before her at the breakfast bar.
“I’m going to make you some tea; maybe that will help settle your stomach.”
She smiled. “Thank you.” Cherie ate everything on her plate and drank a cup of tea, which did make her feel better.
Reese kissed her forehead. “Go back to bed. I’ll clean up here.”
Cherie didn’t know why, but she felt like crying, something she’d rarely done in the past. Maybe falling in love had made her vulnerable, and she remembered what Parker had told her the day of the Super Bowl.And it’s only when you’re in love that you become vulnerable. Not only had she fallen in love with Reese, but she loved him unconditionally. He was everything she wanted and needed in a partner for the rest of her life.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“And I love your life,” Reese said, before kissing her forehead again. “I’ll text you later to see how you’re feeling. And if you need something, I want you to call me. Promise?”
She nodded. “Yes, I promise.”
* * *
The next day, Cherie did feel better when she saw her menses, but still decided to make an appointment with a gynecologist for a checkup. The receptionist gave her an appointment for the following week, two days before the start of the Memorial Day weekend and the beginning of the Seaside Café’s summer hours. Now, with the café opening seven days a week, she would no longer have a job because of the return of the restaurant’s summer help.
She filled out the necessary paperwork and gave a urine sample before a nurse took her vitals and then drew blood. Then she was led into a dressing room, where she exchanged her street clothes for a gown that revealed more than it concealed.
Cherie was sitting on an examining table when the doctor walked in with a nurse. “I’m Dr. Phillips, and I’ve scheduled a sonogram to determine how far along you are.”
“Far along? What are you talking about?”
“You’re pregnant, Ms. Thompson. I know you indicated you haven’t missed your period, but there are some women who have their menses throughout their pregnancy, and in your case, I need to know when you may have become pregnant.”
Cherie closed her eyes. “We had unprotected sex one time in January, but not since that time.” It was now the end of May, which meant she had to have completed her first trimester.
He flipped through pages in her file. “You indicated this is not your first pregnancy. Did you experience similar symptoms then?”
She shook her head. “No, the first time I missed my period, I knew I was pregnant.”
“Not all pregnancies are the same, so I want you to lie back on the table, and a technician will conduct the sonogram.”
