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“So, Emma, how are you feeling, dear?” she asks, still giving me that warm smile. Dr. Greene is always nice but she is usually a straight shooter. The fact that she is even in here to talk to me is weird. Most of the time, the nurse just gives me my birth control shot.

“I’m fine. What’s going on?”

“Well, you’re pregnant,” she states in her usual no-nonsense tone. I choke on air and gape at her.

I’m pregnant? How? I’m religious about my shot. I’m never late and I never miss.

“I…uh…what?” I can’t wrap my mind around what she said. God, how will Nix react? Will this freak him out?

“I know this is probably a shock, Emma, but no birth control is one-hundred percent effective.”

“Holy shit,” I whisper, my mind spinning but somehow blank at the same time. The timing couldn’t be more awful. Ryan is still out there and he could get me.

“It’s going to be all right, dear. We’ll do an ultrasound to see how far along you are and go from there.”

“No!” I yell and she jumps. “Sorry. It’s just…my boyfriend is in the waiting room and he should be here for this. And I need some time to tell him.”

“Oh. Of course. What’s his name? I’ll have one of my nurses go get him.”

“Phoenix.”

“Okay. Be right back.”

She leaves the room and I drop my head as my mind begins to race again. God, how am I supposed to tell him that we’re going to have a baby? The last word gets stuck in my head and all I can picture is a sweet little baby. I’m going to have a baby. A stupid grin slowly spreads across my face as I lay my hand over my belly. A wave of love and warmth flows through me as I think about the child growing inside me at this very moment.

“Hey, little one, it’s your mama,” I whisper and run my hand across my belly. Tears build in my eyes and I laugh as they spill down my cheeks. I hear voices through the door and my tears quickly vanish as I start to worry about telling Nix. We’ve only been together for a few months and this was obviously not planned. Will he be mad? Happy? Jesus, we haven’t even talked about kids or marriage. I have no idea what he is going to think.

Just then, the door opens and Nix walks in. As soon as he sees my face, he charges over to me and holds my face in his hands. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“I’ll give you two some time.” The nurse leaves, closing the door behind her.

“Em, what’s going on?”

“I’m okay.” I don’t want him thinking that there is something wrong with me. Sure, at first, I was shocked but I’m quickly coming around to the idea and I want him to be excited about this.

“What’s going on? I can tell you were crying.” I look up into his eyes and a picture of a little boy with matching ones fills my mind. “Em, please tell me. My imagination is running crazy over here.”

“I’m pregnant,” I say and he jerks in shock. Biting down on my lip, I watch him nervously, waiting for his reaction to the news.

“What?” he asks, like he didn’t hear me the first time.

“We’re going to have a baby.” He looks a little bewildered and I can’t say that I blame him. It was a shock to me, too. Frankly, I’m surprised that I’m handling it so well right now.

“We are?”

“Uh-huh.” A smile slowly spreads across his face and I breathe a sigh of relief. “You’re not upset?”

“Hell no, I’m not mad!” he exclaims, shaking his head. “Why the hell would I be mad? This wasn’t exactly my plan but I could never be upset.” He lays his hand on my belly and grins. My heart expands at the simple but powerful gesture.

“But we never talked about anything like this and now it’s happening.”

“Sweetheart, I never talked about it because I didn’t want to push you and scare you off but I want it all with you. I want you to be my wife and I want us to make lots of beautiful little green-eyed babies, and I want to grow old with your hand in mine. You’re it for me, Em. You’re my lobster.”

“Nix,” I sigh, tears welling up in my eyes again.

“I love you, Emma. So much.”

“I love you, too.”