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“Let’s face it, Ollie, it would be strange if your news didn’t make me think of the baby I lost. Like I said before, something like thatshouldmark you. But that doesn’t detract from how positively ecstatic I am for you.”
His lips curled. “Marleigh will be relieved. She was so worried this would wreck you.”
I gently squeezed his hand. “I love you both for worrying, and I appreciate that you’d tell me in private in case it hit me hard. But I’m really fine. How far along is she?”
“Almost three months. We didn’t realize at first—she had no morning sickness, and her periods didn’t stop. But when she was craving coal, we knew something was going on.”
I almost did a double-take. “Coal?”
“Don’t worry, she didn’t eat any.”
Reaching across the table, I grabbed my untouched latte and then began peppering him with questions—how was she doing? Had they had a prenatal scan yet? Did they know the gender of the baby? And so on and so on.
“Jeez, sis, take a breath,” he said with a chuckle.
“I can’t, I’m excited. Who else knows?”
“No one. You’re the first to hear of it.”
“Mom and Dad are gonna bepsyched.Everyone will be.”
Humor lit Ollie’s eyes. “Not sure ‘psyched’ is a state Dad is familiar with, but he’ll definitely be pleased for me and Marleigh.”
“That he will.”
“I know the original plan was for she and I to get married next year, but I suggested to her that maybe we should do it before the baby is born. She doesn’t want to, though. She likes the idea of the baby being at the wedding, so …”
“Aw, they’ll make the cutest bridesmaid or page boy.” Seeing the pride and elation in his eyes, I couldn’t help but think …This could be me soon.If I said yes to Dax, I could be feeling what he’s feeling right now.
“Listen, don’t say anything about the pregnancy to anyone.”
“I had no intention of doing,” I assured him. “It’s your news to share. I’d never take that from you.”
His mouth curved. “Thanks.” He took a swig of his coffee. “Before I forget to ask, how’s Alicia doing?”
“Okay. She still won’t talk about what happened with Dario except to say that they’re definitely a thing of the past.”
Ollie grunted. “I never liked him.”
“Truthfully, neither did I.” I hadn’t anything to her until recently, respecting that he was her choice. “I felt she could do better.”
“She can,” he firmly declared. “And hopefully, she will.”
“Hopefully.”
We talked about this and that as we finished our coffees. Once done, we headed outside together, said our goodbyes, and parted ways. As I was in my car clicking on my seatbelt, I heard the rumbling of his bike engine as he whizzed by me.
Only then did I let my smile drop. I hadn’t lied to Ollie. I was delighted for him and Marleigh.Delighted.I didn’t feel bitter, and my loss didn’t—couldn’t—take away from the happiness I felt for them. But was hearing someone talk about a pregnancy something of a trigger? Yes. That wasn’t something I could avoid.
Every time it happened, I’d remember how happy I’d been on seeing the word “pregnant” on the test stick. I’d remember the first prenatal scan and how frantic the baby’s heartbeat had sounded. I’d remember the excited reactions of those around me when I’d told them my news.
And I’d remember the incident that had resulted in the miscarriage. Remember the screech of tires, the crunch of metal, the cries of pain, the smell of blood, the civilians who’d tried to help not only me but the passengers from the other cars.
Finally, I’d remember the doctor’s grim expression when he’d confirmed what I’d already known deep down inside before I’d even arrived at the hospital.
A sound snapped me out of the past. Knuckles wrapping on my window, I realized.
I looked up. And there was one of Dax’s brothers, Caelan, staring down at me. I cleared my expression fast, not wanting him to read my emotions. Only then did I press the button to electronically lower the window.
