Page 49 of Playing It Forward

“I can sleep at my dad’s tonight.”

“Not happening.” He focuses his attention on the doctor. “Could this have harmed the baby? Is there any way to check?”

Dr. Allens’ gaze sharpens on me. “Did you fall after being hit?”

“I lost my balance.”

“Did you lose consciousness?”

“No.”

“Did you hit your abdomen at all?”

“No.”

“Any cramping?”

“No.”

“Have you had any dizziness or fainting?”

“No.”

“What about a headache?”

I shake my head.

“Is the nausea worse than before?”

“I usually only feel nauseous in the morning now.”

She pats my hand. “A football to the nose isn’t going to hurt the baby.”

“But my history.”

Her eyes are full of sympathy. “A family history of miscarriage doesn’t automatically mean you’ll have complications. And without knowing the circumstances, there’s no reason to assume the same thing will happen to you.”

Nolan rushes to me. He grasps my hands. “Have you lost a child before, sprite? Why didn’t you tell me?”

The doctor clears her throat. “I’ll let you two discuss things. I’ll send in a nurse to clean up your face in a few minutes.”

The door closes behind the doctor and silence falls.

“Terri, sweetheart, please tell me. My mind is going crazy imagining all kinds of horrible things.”

I don’t want to tell him. I don’t want to admit my darkest, scariest fears. But his blue eyes are full of worry. It’s not fair to keep him in the dark.

“I’ve never been pregnant before.”

His brow wrinkles. “But the miscarriages?”

“My mom had a miscarriage when I was ten.” Memories of my mom flash through my mind. Her excitement when she was pregnant. Her absolute conviction the baby’s father would love her forever. Her joy at giving me a younger sibling.

I wish I could enjoy those memories but I can’t. Not with what came afterwards.

Nolan grabs a chair and drags it over to the bed to sit next to me.

“I’m sorry your mom had a miscarriage. It must have been hard for her.”