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Holly curled up under the comforter in the living room, her knees pulled up to her chest. It was 11:00 am, and she didn't have the emotional or physical stamina to get up and take a shower or get dressed.
Miss jumped up next to her, and she buried her nose in the calico's silky fur.
"I've gone and done it this time, Moo," she whispered, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I've gone and done it good."
Pregnant.
God, how in the hell did this even happen? She was late taking her pill one time, and only by a few hours.
The tears slipped down her cheeks and down onto the top of Missy's head.
How on earth was she going to tell Eli she was pregnant?
And when?
The last thing he needed right now was news like this. Not during the playoffs. He'd dealt with his mother's issues, meeting his absentee father, and meeting sisters he never knew he had. And now she was supposed to drop this bomb on him?
It was too much. Hell, it was too much for her, too.
Terror swept through her at the thought of telling him she was pregnant. Especially since he was adamant that he never wanted to be a father. The conversation they'd had after meeting Hunter at Castle's Cupcakes was still fresh in her mind.
"I don't even know what I want to do about the pregnancy," she told Miss, giving her a hug. "I don't know if I'm ready to be a mom right now. It might not even be safe for me to have a child."
The doctor had mentioned that pregnancy was a risk factor for a Myasthenic Crisis. It was something she needed to discuss with him, and soon. She didn't want to jeopardize her health, or the health of her future child, if she decided to keep it.
Was it even fair to bring a kid into the world when she had this disease? What if it progressed further as she aged? And could she raise a child on her own with this diagnosis? Because based on how Eli felt about kids, if she kept this baby, she was going to be a single mother.
"I can't tell him until the playoffs are over, Moo. I just can't."
Miss climbed up onto her chest and lay down, purring loudly. She closed her eyes as Holly stroked her head.
Sighing, she picked up her phone and searched for information on Myasthenia Gravis and pregnancy.
"Shit," she muttered, scrolling further down on a medical website. Possible risk of a Myasthenic Crisis, just like her doctor had said. More scary things on the list of risks included respiratory failure, difficult deliveries due to exhaustion of muscles, and a ten to twenty percent chance the baby could be born with a transient, short-lasting form of MG.
"Right. No worries there." She tossed her phone down on the fluffy rug next to the couch.
Her finances were another huge problem. Her job situation atThe Lucky Bouncewas precarious at best thanks to Lyla, and she wasn't having any luck with her freelance submissions. If she was going to go through with this, she had to have decent health care coverage. The money she'd get for the feature would be helpful, but it wasn't going to be enough to make a huge difference. She needed a stable, regular income.
Ugh. This was a total clusterfuck.
Miss snored softly, cuddled up on her chest, and the warmth and weight of the chubby cat was reassuring and familiar.
Holly's eyes grew heavy, and she stifled a yawn. A nap sounded like a great idea right now. Thinking about all of this had worn her out, and worrying wasn't getting her anywhere anyway.
Besides, there would be plenty of time for that later.
* * *
"Holly? Are you home?"
She came awake with a start. "Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm in the living room."
She swiped her phone off the floor. Ugh, it was past 1:00 pm. How had she slept for so long?
Miss had moved and was now curled up at her feet, still snoring away.
"Hey," Eli paused in the doorway and held up a bag. "I brought you soup from Castle's Cupcakes."
