“That wasn’t a panic attack. I’ve seen enough of yours to know by now.”
Alicia slumped against her chest. When her hand entwined with hers, she felt better. Not back on her feetbetter, but better. “Don’t make me live through it some more. Please.”
“If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I will make you get in that ambulance.”
At least she could afford it. Alicia remembered a time when she carried a card in her wallet that asked people to please not call the ambulance if something happened to her. Like she needed that much debt on top of everything else!
Did she look pathetic when she raised her eyes to Danica’s? “I think I’m pregnant.”
“What?” Danica pulled away from her in shock. “Are you sure? Already? Why does that mean you’re passing out?”
As nice as it was that she was so worried about her, Alicia didn’t need Danica’s anxiety piling on top of hers. “I know,okay?” The tenderness, the swelling breasts, the cramps… oh, and the discharge that freaked her out the first time she saw it.I’ve been ignoring it because of how stressed I am.The last thing Alicia needed was to be pregnant, even though she knew what she was getting into the day she married this woman.You don’t just forget a doctor putting somebody else’s egg in you.They just didn’t expect it to work on the first try.
“As soon as possible, we need to try for a baby,”Danica had said as they discussed the terms of their marriage.“Not only do we need something to show for the fake doctor’s report, but we must have a child as soon as possible. If you’re willing, I got my eggs frozen a few years ago. If you’re the one carrying it, you’ll have more claim to the name.”
No real wedding. No honeymoon. A surrogate for her wife’s genes? God, where was Alicia’s life going?
“We definitely need to get you to the doctor, then.” Before, Alicia wouldn’t have seen the signs that Danica was freaking out as much as she was. She was a master of a controlled demeanor and voice. Now, Alicia knew the signs. That throbbing of her throat. Sweaty palms. A slight pitch to her tone. “If nothing else, we need to have you tested.”
“I don’t think it’s been long enough to get an accurate test.”
“Even so!”
Alicia hobbled to her feet. Nope. Still too dizzy. She managed to make it to a chair before collapsing.
“I swear to God, Alicia, if you don’t willingly get in that ambulance, I will carry you onto it myself.”
Through the glass walls, she saw the shareholders milling about, mumbling, gesturing to her, to Russell. Her father-in-law could hardly contain his happy displeasure.
“Don’t look at them.” Danica stepped into her view. “Focus, Alicia. I’ll have Dee and Abby go with you to the hospital. I’ll finish the presentation and meet you there. All right?”
As much as she wanted her wife to go with her, Alicia knew it was more important for her to seal some deals here. “All right.”
The paramedics rushed through the office. Alicia was fully upright by the time they arrived in the conference room. After they took her vitals and confirmed who would be going with her, Alicia Moreau was wheeled through the private exit and to the nearest hospital – this one did, in fact, have a wing named after the Moreaus.
Chapter 11
Athree-day weekend was forced upon her. Alicia spent the rest of Thursday in a private hospital room, staring out the window and at the glowing green gardens her new family paid for. She waited – most impatiently – for her pregnancy results to come back, although the doctor warned her that they would probably be inconclusive.
Indeed, Alicia did not appreciate the indifference on the doctor’s face when he walked into her room. Dee stayed a respectable distance away, but at this point, she already knew about her charge’s supposed pregnancy.At least I have someone here who cares about me. Danica had texted her wife when she had the chance, but she still wasn’t present.
“Mrs. Moreau,” the doctor said, handing her a copy of her test results. “I’m sorry. It’s too early. We suggest you come back for a test a few days after your period is supposed to start.”
Two more weeks? Alicia would go crazy waiting that long. “Anything else?”
“All I can suggest is a few of my mental health colleagues to help you deal with all the stress you’re facing. Unfortunately, panic attacks and anxiety are entirely too common among your colleagues. I want to make it clear that there’s nothing wrong with you in that regard…”
He went on to give her a speech about taking care of one’s mental health and how a good therapist could help her navigate the murky waters she now found herself in.Spare me.Alicia was more interested in her future than her present. Could a therapist help her with her father-in-law? Not likely.
Danica showed up half past five, giving Alicia a terrible flashback to the last time they met in the hospital like this. Even though she covered her in kisses and demanded she accept the dozen red roses Sarah Clayborn brought in, Alicia couldn’t get excited.I love that she’s here. I wish she weren’t here. She should be either at home or at the office, taking care of business.
“How did the talk go?”
Her wife sighed. “We were a bit distracted. Yet they managed to barrage me with questions I’ve never faced before. You would’ve thought I was defending my thesis in business school, or embarking on my first venture like this. I’ve never had them so against me before.” Danica took her hand. “I don’t want you worrying about that, though. I’ll deal with it. I’m more worried about you right now.”
“If you spend every moment of your life worrying about me, we would get nothing done. You need to think long-term.”
“What do you think I’m doing right now? For God’s sake, Alicia, all I’ve been able to think about today is how you’re doing. The whole time I was giving that presentation, I had you echoing in the back of my head.‘I think I might be pregnant.’Come on! How do you think that’s going to hit me?”
