He turns away again, moves to the corner, and neither of us say anything as I take off the gown, toss the paper drape, clean up, and quickly extract my underwear and bra from where they’re hidden in my folded jeans—something that has my lips twitching.
Then I’m pulling them on, doing the same with my jeans and shirt. “It’s safe,” I tell him as I sit down to put on my shoes.
Only as I reach for them, he beats me to it, slipping them onto my feet and double-knotting the laces.
I don’t know what to do with that, so I just stay quiet as he finishes and we walk out.
I make a pit stop at the desk to schedule my next appointment, and I don’t miss that Leo notes the date and time in his phone.
Something else I don’t know what to do with.
Then we’re walking to my car, and he’s pausing next to the driver’s side door.
“You working this afternoon?”
“No. Today’s my day off.”
“Good.” He shifts as though to touch me then stops. “You’ll be okay getting home?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
He steps back, and I open the door, climb inside.
But he doesn’t head to his car until I’ve buckled in and backed out of my spot.
“I don’t understand what’s happening right now,” I whisper as I force my gaze from the reflection of his retreating form in the rearview.
And I don’t gain any sudden insights as I drive home.
Nor when the doorbell rings and there’s a box on my porch?—
A box filled with those ginger candies and sports drinks to ward off dehydration and a gift card to a food delivery company.
He’s looking after me.
But why?
Regardless, I take the box inside and make a dent in the ginger candies, so much so that my stomach settles enough for me to use that gift card to order dinner.
And to actually not puke it—or the sports drink I have with it—up.
Small victories.
But they’re laced with confusion.
Confusion that doesn’t abate when he texts just before I go to bed.
LEO: How are you feeling?
“I don’t know,” I whisper.
But that’s not why I don’t message him back.
Sighing, I spread my planner out on the kitchen counter, pull up my spreadsheet, and start figuring out how I’m going to take time off after the baby is born.
I’ll make it work. I know I will.
But the tension is already creeping into my shoulders.
