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I lifted my head. “Really? No. Not even a little. I wanted to tell you at the Singles’ Ball, but…you said we had all the time in the world.” My voice caught as more tears poured down my face. “You lied about that.”
“I didn’t lie, Thea,” he chuckled. “I’m fine. A little banged up, but fine.”
“I’m not sure you’re a qualified judge of your health right now,” I said, suddenly aware that I should have called someone. I groped around on the bed for the remote with the nurse call button before Ben’s hand covered mine.
“Back up for a minute, because I think maybe I hit my head. We’re having a baby?” he asked, his lips quirking into a smile. “You and me?”
“I mean, I’ll be doing most of the work for the first nine months, but if you wanted to tag in after that, I’d appreciate the help.” I smiled, the tears clearing as Ben’s grip tightened on my hand.
Despite the wires and the monitors and the dingy blue bedding, Ben sat up a little straighter. His sickly greige pallor cleared as his eyes sparkled. His grip on my hand tightened. “I love everything about that plan. How long have you known?”
“Yesterday. Well, the night before. I would have called but…”
But yesterday, we had all the time in the world. Plenty of time to tell him face-to-face. Time to work up the nerve to admit I loved him, too.
“I didn’t know you’d get yourself worked over by a moose. Now, we should probably call the nurse. Or the doctor? Definitely your parents,” I stammered.
He let my hand go long enough to shove the call button behind him and held his arms open. “Not yet. Come here.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I said, casting a worried glance at the door.
“Impossible.”
I carefully sat beside him on the bed, wrapping my arms around him and burrowing my face into the crook of his neck. The scent of Betadine and plastic gave way to pine trees and open air. “I love you, Benny. And you’re the only person I want to be with. I shouldn’t have waited to tell you that.”
He exhaled, firm muscles relaxing underneath me. “No more dating events?”
“Never again.”
“And we’re telling everyone? Mom, Dad, our friends?”
“We can shout it from the rooftops. Although, you’re probably in no state to go on rooftops right now.”
“So you’ll take care of that for me?”
“I’m not sure pregnant women should clamber up roofs, either, but if that makes you happy, I’ll ask Jim about a ladder.”
“Well, I already told Len, and that leaves Mom and Dad. I think we can break the news without resorting to heights.”
I jerked my head up. “Wait, you told Len?”
“I love you, too, Thea.” He kissed me, stale breath and chapped lips and absolutely perfect. When he pulled away, he cupped my cheek, thumb brushing my cheek.
“Excuse me?” I pulled away from Ben, eyes on the door to the room and a very annoyed nurse, hands on her hips. “Were you going to mention he woke up or just make out for the rest of the evening?”
I called Benny’s parents while the nurse contacted the doctor.
“We’re going to tell them, right?” Benny asked. He had a goofy smile plastered on his face, his eyes sliding from me to my stomach. The nurse had called the neurologist, worried his sudden giddiness might be a sign of a brain injury.
“I think everyone’s focus will be on you right now, so why don’t we wait?”
“But shouldn’t we have you checked too? Stress isn’t good for expectant mothers, right?”
“I think we both know the same amount of expectant mothers and that’s zero. I’m fine. In fact, I’ve been too worried about you to pay attention to my morning sickness. It’s been nice.”
“You’ve had morning sickness? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I shrugged. “I thought it was allergies or food poisoning or something. How was I supposed to know you knocked me up the first time we had sex?”
