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He took a deep breath. Stay calm. His heart wasn’t cooperating at all, nor was his stomach. Everything in his body was on edge. Why now? Why this?
Anna sent a reply. Went to the bathroom and saw the blood.
Good God. Just when things were getting better. Don’t worry. Be there soon.
He sent a text to his driver, instructing him to be ready to get them to the hospital as quickly as possible. Jacob would have to wait until he got somewhere private to call Dr. Wright’s office. He couldn’t announce in a crowded elevator that Anna Langford was in danger of losing a pregnancy. Nobody but Adam even knew that she was pregnant.
On Anna’s floor, he stormed past the receptionist and down the hall, rushing inside her office. “I’m here. Let’s go. The car is downstairs.” His heart was still pounding—seeing Anna and the panic on her face turned everything into an even harsher reality. They could lose the baby.
Anna nodded, putting on her coat. He put his arm around her shoulders, ushering her out of the office. They didn’t stop to say a thing to anyone. There was no time for explanations.
“I called Dr. Wright,” she whispered as they waited for the elevator. “They’re expecting us. She told us to come up to her office. Not the emergency room.”
“Good. Okay. It’s going to be okay.” He had no business guaranteeing anything, but he had to believe it. They were so close to putting things back together. He rubbed her shoulder—anything to calm her, let her know that he was there for her.
Jacob got Anna down to the car and they were quickly whisked through the city, his driver breaking a few traffic laws while dodging taxis, cyclists and buses. Jacob put his arm around Anna’s shoulder, pulling her close. She sank against him, turned into his chest, wrapped her arm around his waist. It was the only comfort he could take in that moment. They had each other. Whatever the future held for the two of them as a couple, or the three of them as a family, they would get through it. They had to.
When they arrived at the hospital, Jacob wasted no time getting Anna through the lobby and up to the sixth floor. The nurse was waiting for them and quickly showed them back to an exam room. Anna changed into a gown. Dr. Wright was in moments later.
“Ms. Langford. Mr. Lin. Before I say anything, I want to tell you both to take a deep breath.” She motioned with both hands for them to calm down. “I know you’re worried, but this isn’t always a bad thing. Let’s see what’s going on.”
Anna leaned back on the exam table and Jacob took her hand. She tilted her head, looking up at him as if he held all of the answers. He’d never felt so helpless in his entire life—the two things he cherished most in the world were right here, Anna and the baby—and there was very little he could do to truly keep them safe. How he longed to tell Anna that everything was going to be okay and to be certain of it.
Dr. Wright wheeled back on her rolling stool. “The good news is that your cervix is closed up tight. Let’s listen to the heartbeat and make sure there’s no sign of fetal distress.”
Fetal distress. Those two words felt like a death sentence. The thought of their child in distress brought the most sickening feeling up from the depths of his gut. He hoped to hear that beautiful whoosh. Please God, let us hear the whoosh.
“Before we do this,” Dr. Wright started. “I want you both to understand that this is very early days. If the baby is in trouble, there’s not much we can do. I want to remind you that you’re both so young. You have your entire lives ahead of you. Today doesn’t have to be the end.”
Jacob’s gaze dropped to meet Anna’s. Tears streamed down her cheeks. They welled in his as well. He couldn’t even remember another time when he’d cried, but he couldn’t have stopped it if he’d wanted to. His dream of a life with Anna could still happen, but it would be different if they lost the baby. Neither of them would ever be the same. He would still want her if the worst happened, but would she still want him? She’d worried that he might not be around for the long haul, but the reality was that the same could be wondered about her. Without this child binding them together, and with every mistake he’d made, would she want to walk away? He couldn’t fathom how empty his life would be if that happened.
“We understand. Go ahead,” Anna said to Dr. Wright.
Jacob nodded reluctantly. “Yes. Please. Go ahead.”
The static and pops had a distinctly different tone to them this time—it was hope at odds with itself, a moment born of desperation while clinging to what you already have, not focused on what might be. He’d never piled so many wishes on a single moment before. Jacob looked right into Anna’s eyes. If they were going to receive the worst of news, they would experience the pain of that instant together. She would not be alone. Anna clung to his hand, squeezing tight. Static buzzed. The speaker popped. Frantic crackles echoed.
