“Okay. We also talked about what we should do moving forward. My dad suggested—well, he suggested to Mom and me—that we meet with our pastor tomorrow, if he has time. Just to get an impartial opinion and figure out how to handle all this. What to do next.”
“Okay…”
Bryce’s voice tightened, and she heard it.
He was trying not to let the frustration leak out.
“Are we going to talk after that?” he asked. “So, you can tell me how it went—and what you guys decided?”
The edge in his tone was unmistakable. He wasn’t used to being left out of decisions—and he didn’t like it.
“Wait—you think…” Beth’s words tumbled out in a rush. “No, Bry—I mean, Dr. Jensen—what I meant by we… I meant you and me, not me and my parents. This doesn’t concern them. Well, it does, but I meant…”
She sighed, then tried again, her voice softer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it sound like you weren’t included—because you are. My dad actually suggested that we—you and I—talk to my pastor tomorrow, if he’s available. Would you be willing to come to church with me and do that?”
She hesitated, her voice trailing off. “I wasn’t trying to decide everything without you. This affects you as much as it does me. Almost.”
Silence stretched between them, her words still hovering in the air.
There was a pause on his end—then a slow, audible breath. The tension in his voice melted, replaced by something softer. Warmer.
“What church? What time?”
“I don’t have a time yet. I’ll call Pastor Steve in the morning and see when he’s free. It might not even be tomorrow. I attend New Hope Fellowship.”
“Call me when you know. I’ll be there. But Lizzy…”
“Yeah?”
“I’m only coming if you stop calling me Dr. Jensen.”
“Okay. I’ll try. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Lizzy.”
The line was already dead.
CHAPTER 6
Before seven the next morning, Beth sat on the edge of her bed, squinting at the fine print on the home pregnancy test she’d picked up the night before. Supposedly, it could detect pregnancy within hours of conception—but as a nurse, she wasn’t convinced.
“Do I even want to know yet?” she muttered, placing a palm over her flat abdomen. “If there is a little person in there, they’re going to learn their mom talks to herself a lot.”
She walked to the bathroom door… and froze. Her body hovered in the doorway. The toilet stared back at her. So did the test.
“Nope. Not ready.” She pivoted toward the kitchen. “I think I’ll call and leave Pastor Steve a message first.”
She walked into the kitchen and started making coffee, scrolling through her phone for the church number.
“New Hope Fellowship, this is Pastor Steve Ambrose.”
Beth flinched. She hadn’t expected him to answer on the first ring.
“Oh—um—hi. It’s Elizabeth Stoner. Sorry, I thought I’d get the machine.”
“Beth! I’m surprised anyone’s calling this early—especially on a Saturday. Guess now I know why I’m here. What can I do for you? Or should I hang up so you can leave a message?” he asked with a warm laugh at his own joke.
“No—don’t hang up. I was calling to see if you were free today and if... if you’d have time to meet with me. Well, not just me, but with us. I made a bad—like really bad—decision while I was out of town for the conference. It’s... complicated. I don’t even know what to call it exactly. But we’d really like to talk with you about it.”
