“Is everything going to be okay?” Reagan asks, her voice quiet.
This time, my hand finds Reagan's belly. Her hands fist beside her. I want to comfort her, but this isn't the time.
“Your blood pressure is too high, causing the pain tonight. Dr. Thomas is going to increase your dose—still safe for you and your baby girl—and put you on bedrest for the next two weeks. Hopefully that will bring it down.”
“A baby girl?” Reagan's watery eyes find mine. “We're having a girl?”
“Did you not know?” The doctor looks taken aback.
“No. We wanted to be surprised.” My voice is harsher than I realize.
“I'm so sorry. There were no notes in your file, so I wasn't aware.” Red creeps up her cheeks. “We're going to keep you for the rest of the evening to be sure your blood pressure comes down, and then you'll be free to go.”
The doctor runs out of the room, tail tucked between her legs.
“I can't believe we're having a girl,” Reagan whispers. Warm hands connect with mine, sending a familiar zing of electricity through my body. “I hope she looks like you.”
The sadness in her voice does me in. “Please come home with me. Let me take care of you.” Begging isn't becoming on me, but I’m past the point of caring.
“Leo.” Her voice is resigned. Not the hopeful tone I was hoping to hear. “Just because you're here in the middle of the night doesn't change our problems. I need you with me. All in.”
I can't even argue with her about it now. All I want to do is take care of them, but I don't want to add any more stress. I know all I'll do is fret over her, and that's the last thing she needs.
“Fine. Will you call me if you need anything?”
“Yes.”
“Promise?”
She nods her head. “I promise.”
“Good.” I drop a kiss onto her belly. “You be good to your mom, sweet girl. And tell her if I see her at work, I'll drag her home.”
Reagan laughs, the sweetest sound I've heard tonight. “Thanks, Leo.”
Lips pressed into a flat line, I give her a parting look before leaving the room.
“Everything okay?” Evelyn is waiting outside.
“She's been put on bedrest.” I drag a hand through my hair, no doubt a mess because of my own panic.
“I'll take care of her.”
“Thanks, Evelyn.”
Spinning on my heel, I leave the two most important people—and my heart—behind. I'll find a way to make this work between us if it's the last thing I do.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Reagan
Has that spot always been there? Fuck, I’m losing my mind. It’s been two weeks. Two long weeks since I left the hospital. Evelyn took me home and promptly told me that I couldn’t leave my apartment. It was fine when I was working. But now it feels like the walls are closing in on me.
I’m allowed maybe ten minutes a day of being up and walking around. Which means the bathroom, getting some water, and moving from my bed to the couch. And with how much this baby girl is kicking and moving around, it’s hard to sit still. No position is comfortable.
A girl. As much as I wanted to be mad at the doctor who told us the sex, I couldn’t be too upset. A baby girl. It’s taken every ounce of energy to not focus on the image of Leo cradling our baby girl. It’s so vivid in my mind. Of the kind of dad he would be.
I know it’s not good for my stress or blood pressure levels to keep rehashing that conversation the night I left Leo’s. But it’s all I can focus on.
