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I shook my head, stunned.
Hearing the others outside the bathroom, and knowing they would be waiting for the results, I reached for the doorknob and opened the door.
Mila and Wren were the first to come into view. They sat on the nearest couch and looked at me.
“Oh, yay!” Wren clapped, grinning.
“Are you?” Mila asked.
Carina walked in. “Of course, she is. Look at her.”
I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t think. Joy and fear mixed in with excitement and dread and worry and hope. I was a mess of too many emotions.
Elena came back into the room with Brady right then. He chatted and talked a mile a minute, holding a few books. She raised her brows at me and seemed to struggle with what to say or do.
Clearly, I looked shocked, so they all knew.
But I had no idea how to mask this from Brady.
I only just found out and I had no clue how to break the news to him.
He’d know that something was up, though. He was too perceptive.
Wren shot to her feet, acting on my obviously panicked state. “Hey! You know what would be cool! Let’s look for the most perfect reading spot outside by that awesome pool.”
“Yeah!” Brady grinned, taking her hand as she steered him away from where I’d dropped onto the couch, sitting in a daze.
“Breathe,” Elena coached, sitting in front of me. Luka didn’t seem eager to be stationary, so Mila took him and walked with him. “Breathe, hon. Breathe.”
“I’m… I’m breathing.”
Carina sat next to me and hugged me. “She’s breathing.”
“I’m just… I’m so shocked.”
Carina cleared her throat, still hugging me. “But, it’s not, um, not like you were using anything for protection, right?”
I numbly shook my head.
“Then you can’t be that surprised.”
I blinked. “But I kind of am. My delivery with Brady was difficult and the doctor said I might have trouble conceiving again.”
“Might,” Mila said with a smile. “But not guaranteed…”
I nodded, the action just as vague as shaking it had been.
“Congratulations,” Carina singsonged.
Elena took my hand and smiled. “This is good news, right?”
I nodded, more sure about it that time. “Of course. To me, it’s wonderful news, but…” I whooshed out a deep exhale. “It’s big news. News I hadn’t counted on. I’m… I’m not even sure what Nikolai and I are doing.”
“I do.” Carina nodded. “You’ve been busy making a baby.”
Elena shot her a stern look, pressing her lips together.
“But we’re just… together. Dating? Living together? It feels so uncertain still.”