Francine’s sly little smile indicated that she might already be aware why Maddie wanted alone time with him.
Maddie smiled back.
Hoping that some extra time would enable him to get resettled once PT was done, she sat with Francine until twelve thirty, then made a beeline for Windemere. But when she stepped into the room, Kevin and Taylor were there.
“Hey, Maddie.” Kevin was the first to speak. “Nice to see you again.” He sat in the chair where she’d sat earlier.
“Hello, Maddie,” Taylor said from her post at the cabinet that held medical items she’d apparently been examining.
Rex smiled; his cervical collar was still in place, and he looked worn-out.
The avocado rumbled in Maddie’s tummy. Could she stand to wait another minute? And, with Francine soon to be there, Rex’s room would turn into party central and Maddie would never have a chance to tell him about the baby, maybe not for another day.
No!her insides cried.
So she cleared her throat and said, “Hi, everyone.”
Kevin stood up and offered her the chair.
“Yes, thanks,” she said. But before sitting down, she added, “And I think you’ll both understand if I ask you to do something that’s important to me.”
Kevin pressed his lips together, no doubt so he wouldn’t smile.
Taylor merely leaned against the cabinet, watching Maddie.
“Could you please give me a few minutes alone with Rex? I need to talk with him in private, and I’ve waited a long time.”There, she thought.I said it.
Kevin was the first to speak. “Come on, Ms. T.,” he saidin the way he often addressed his wife. “Let’s leave these two alone.” Guiding Taylor from the room, he turned and gave Maddie a salute. “Take your time,” he said.
The door closed and Maddie was left, still standing, with Rex still reclining in the bed.
“Wow,” he said. “I’m starting to think this is serious.” His voice was steady. But if he was conjuring potentially bad scenarios, his calm expression didn’t reveal it.
She dragged the chair close to the bed and sat down as she had earlier.
“It is,” she said. “But it’s a good serious. At least, I think it is.” At that point her courage started to slide. Could she do this? Could she truly tell him? Should she wait …
And then …
“You were right,” she blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”
His face sagged a little; his chin started to quiver. “Oh?” was all he said.
She gave him a minute. Or maybe it was only five or ten seconds. “Oh?” she asked. “That’s it?”
He closed his eyes.
Her heart plummeted to her toes.
“That must be exciting for you.”
Exciting?
“What?” she asked.
His eyes opened again but they were on the bedsheets, not on her. “Hey, it’s what I get for being gone so long.” He ran a finger around the top rim of the giant collar as if it had become too tight. “I’m happy for you, Maddie. And I hope the guy you found is nice.” He flashed a glance her way. “If he’s not, he’ll have me to answer to.”
She blinked. “What the hell are you talking about?”
