Yes? No? I mean, I see him every day. Butin the picture?
“He’s… around,” I manage. “But not in, like, an involvedway. I mean, he’s not a bad guy or anything…” Or is he? I don’t even know who Sasha is outside of work. Or if thereisa “Sasha outside of work.”
She nods again, then jots a quick note.No baby daddy, I imagine it saying.
“I understand—it’s complicated. But you’ll need support. And prenatal care, of course. That’s assuming you want to keep the pregnancy.”
“I do.” The words shoot out of me suddenly, with an intensity that surprises me. But I know they’re true. Iwantthis baby.
She smiles. “Very good. We have an excellent OB/GYN on staff. But you’re under no obligation.”
“I will. I mean, that sounds good. Let’s do that.”
“Perfect. If you like, I can introduce you to Dr. Marquez now. She’s seen it all, so you’re in good hands.”
“That’d be amazing. I just… I don’t know what else to do.”
Dr. Park hands me a tissue, a gesture of kindness that makes my eyes sting with tears. “For now, just breathe. Letyourself feel whatever you need to feel. We can set up a follow-up appointment today.”
“That sounds good. Thank you so much.”
Another smile. “Happy to help. And whatever happens, it’s going to be OK. Trust me—I’m a doctor.”
She winks, and I manage a small laugh, a relieved laugh. Then Dr. Park gives my shoulder a squeeze.
“I’ll go get Dr. Marquez. Sit tight.”
When she leaves, the vibe in the room suddenly feels heavier than before. My phone buzzes, Sasha’s name lighting up the screen. The reality that I’m going to have to keep this pregnancy from him for the time being takes hold.
I don’t answer the phone. Instead, I press a shaking hand to my stomach. It’s strange—almost like I can feel little he or she in there already.
Then I glance down at the phone again. The first call attempt ended, and another one started. What if he’s spying on me, has a bug in this room, andknowssomehow already?
It sounds insane, but at the same time, not.
Either way, I’m going to have to tell him, eventually. That night was a month and a half ago, which means I’ve got, what, three months before I start showing? He’s a smart guy—he’ll put two and two together.
I get up and wash my face at the little sink. My reflection in the stainless steel looks back at me—tired eyes, flat mouth, droopy hair. For the first time in a long time, I have no idea what I’m going to do.
CHAPTER 6
GABBY
Two weeks later…
“I’m officially worried about you, Gabs. You look like you’re in a crypto death cult or something.”
My best friend, Angie Manning, is seated across from me at Le James, the coffee shop down the block from work, where we so often find ourselves commiserating with each other over lattes.
She’s a marketing analyst by trade and professional meddler by temperament. Best of all, she works a floor below me at AngelCorp. Angie’s the kind of friend who keeps you sane by refusing to take your insanity too seriously.
I roll my eyes in frustration, sinking deeper into my leather chair. “That’s easy for you to say. You’re sitting there with all the calm of a woman who’s not single-handedly saving the company.”
“Hey, I save the company in my own way. What good is a logistics empire if there are no customers?” She leansforward. “And come on, you have to know he’s just saying that.”
“Just saying what?”
“All that stuff about how everything’s riding on you, how AngelCorp might not make it unless your report is 100 percent perfect, all that crap.”
