She rolled her eyes. “No. My period.”
I stared at her.
A slow grin started to pull at the edge of my mouth. “You think?”
She gave a half-smile, uncertain. “Maybe.”
I didn’t say anything right away. Just reached for her hand and held it against my chest, over the place that still felt like I couldn’t believe any of this was real.
My girl. Our house.Maybea baby.
The clock was ticking, and for once, I wasn’t afraid of the time we had left. I was counting every second of it.
CHAPTER 86
AVA - A WHOLE HERD
I stared at the wrapper in my hand like it had personally betrayed me.
The little red mark on the calendar felt like a slap. Like a whisperednot yetthat left me aching and tired in a way I hadn’t expected.
It had only been a few months. I knew that. I knew it could take time. That stress could throw everything off. That nothing was wrong.
But I’d let myself hope.
And hope always cuts the deepest when it didn’t land.
I tossed the wrapper in the trash and splashed cold water on my face before heading back out into the clinic. The smell of fresh coffee brewing and the sound of Remi singing to herself grounded me.
She was in her office, the door cracked open. She looked up as I leaned against the frame.
Her face softened instantly. “It came?”
I nodded.
She held out her arms. “Get over here.”
I walked into her arms like I had a hundred times before. She wrapped me in a hug that said everything I didn’t have to.
“I know,” I murmured into her shoulder.
“I know you do,” she said back, rubbing a hand over my spine. “Still sucks.”
We pulled apart, and I sat on the edge of her desk while she perched on the arm of her chair, sipping her tea. The office was warm and cozy, scattered with client files, notebooks, and a half-eaten granola bar.
“You want to get checked out?” she asked gently. “Just to be sure?”
“I don’t think it’s that,” I said. “I mean, it’s only been a few months since I went off the pill.”
“We work stressful jobs. And we haven’t exactly had a low-stress year,” she added, with a pointed look.
I let out a breath. “Fair.”
She nudged my knee. “It’ll happen, Ava. Maybe when you least expect it. Maybe when you finally stop tracking it on that damn calendar.”
I gave a small laugh. “I just… I thought maybe this was it. I don't think I have ever wanted something this bad...”
“Picture it,” she said. “Our kids. Running around, stealing muffins from the staff fridge, asking too many questions, driving us absolutely insane…”
