“Then I didn’t try hard enough.”
“You’re suspiciously philosophical for a guy who once showed up to work in two different sneakers.”
“My girl comes first.”Yeah.The bastard had insinuated he was tied up in Sherry that morning and ran off when he realized how late he was.In the process, he grabbed the wrong sneaker.“Look, I'm sure you’ve gotten all the unsolicited advice you can handle, so I’m not here to give you more.But I will say, as someone who had a shitty dad too.Once I made the decision to stop letting him control how I live my life, life became much happier for me.Just something to think about.”
“Sure as hell sounds like advice to me.”
“Call it what you want, but it’s the truth.”Ben rested his hand on the doorframe.“Do me a favor.Next time you want to scream-sing, can you do something a little cooler like Bohemian Rhapsody?”
“Total Eclipse of the Heart is a banger.”
He tapped the wall, and with a laugh, he left me with the lyrics ofBohemian Rhapsodyon repeat in my mind.
The doctor's office was as stark and empty as my heart.I’d made an appointment with a doctor two towns over just to make sure no one saw me.The last thing I needed was Wyatt finding out before I could tell him.Being so far from Vine Valley just made me feel that much lonelier.
Sherry offered to go with me, but she had an appointment with a potential bride, and Char had to help with something for Brady’s dad.As much as I knew they would have dropped everything to be here with me, I insisted I was okay doing this alone.
Part of me felt like it was my punishment for pushing Wyatt away.If I hadn’t, he would have been here with me, holding my hand, rubbing gentle circles with his thumb, cracking ridiculous jokes and assuring me everything would be alright.
I looked at my phone, checked my notifications, and replied to a few comments on the vineyard's socials.The pictures Wyatt and I had taken were a massive hit.The shares were hitting new records, and people were mimicking our poses, making the post go viral.
A smile burst free, and I took a screenshot.I pulled up Wyatt’s text thread, ready to send it off, but my finger hovered over the screen.The bubble of excitement slowly deflated.We weren’t…thatanymore.Whatever that was.Sharing this with him would feel like we were still a team, still in this together, and we weren’t.
The door clicked open, and a woman in a white coat with short brown hair, probably around mid-fifties, walked in.She had a calming presence as she looked at her chart and then at me with a kind smile.
“Rose?”she asked, confirming my name as she eased the door closed.
I nodded, unable to speak around the sudden ache clogging my throat.Wyatt should be here.He should be going through the whole process with me, and I was denying him it.I had to tell him.Once I found out everything was okay here, and after the wedding this weekend, I would tell him.
“Just you?”the doctor asked, and I appreciated she didn’t assume the father was coming.
“Just me.”
“I’m Doctor Cameron.”She placed the chart down, turned to me, and smiled.“Congratulations, you’re pregnant.”
“I figured.That’s kind of why I’m here,” I said with a laugh, so she didn’t think I was being rude.
Doctor Cameron chuckled too, and I relaxed a bit.“I know, but we needed to make sure.Now there’s no doubt.”
I fidgeted and forced my hands into my lap.“What now?”I did some research, but the internet could only give so much.Because I hadn’t told anyone other than Char and Sher, I couldn’t ask anyone anything without sparking curiosity.
“We’re going to go over some medical history, do a physical, do a little bloodwork, and a transvaginal ultrasound.”
My heartbeat kicked up, my palms started to sweat.It all seemed so overwhelming, and I didn’t have Wyatt here to break the heaviness with a joke or an inappropriate comment.Sometimes I would roll my eyes, but right now, I could really use one or three of those to get me through this.
“Are you okay?”
“A little overwhelmed,” I admitted.
“Of course you are.You’re going to have a baby, and it’s okay to feel like you have no idea what’s going on or what you’re doing.All first-time expecting mothers do.But that’s the thing about women… We learn as we go.We adapt.We rise to the occasion, no matter what it is.”She put her chart down, and her eyes held mine like she’d walked countless women through this same fear.“And the best part.You don’t have to have it all figured out today.”Confidence filled her tone as if this conversation was one she had often and full-heartedly believed.
She was the expert, and I was going to trust her.
“Let’s get started then.”
“Great.We’ll start with the ultrasound first.It’ll help us date the pregnancy accurately.”
I nodded and tried not to fall apart.
