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Chapter one
At Least a Turkey Baster
Miles
Deepbreath.Inandout.
My chest is so tight I can barely do that.
In and out.
“Miles?” Amelia’s voice cuts through my internal panic.
I look down at her. She looks exhausted. Her skin is pale and gray. Her eyes are filled with uncertainty.
She needs me.
Get it together.She. Needs. Me.
The tightness in my chest lessens enough to get a deep breath, then another. Reaching down, I take her hands in mine. “Sorry. Tell me what happened. How did you find out?”
How the fucking hell did this happen?I know that is not the right thing to ask right now, though. Grow up in a house with more women than men, and a mother who is commanding but also a therapist? Yeah, you learn when to hold your tongue.
She sighs, maybe out of relief, and looks around.
“You need to sit,” I say before she answers me, grabbing her water and guiding her to the couch.
When we’re both sitting, I look at her again, and after a sip of water, she meets my gaze.
“I told you I was going to the doctor today. She was concerned when I told her I was feeling worse despite her not seeing any signs of a sinus infection. I was already worried about that because my sinus issues had been clearing up, but I just didn’t feel good. Headache, run down, fatigue. I brought up the pain I’d been having.”
“What pain? You mentioned it earlier, but didn’t explain.”
“Uterine pain. It comes and goes throughout the day, and it’s gotten worse over the last week.”
“But you said you’ve had that for months.”
“Yeah. It started about a month after I got my IUD. Conveniently, shortly after a period with really hard cramps. Apparently, that can cause an IUD to move out of place. A key symptom of that is uterine pain. And a side effect of having the IUD out of place? You can get pregnant.”
“Shit.” I reach for her, my hand resting over her stomach as the reality sets in. We’re going to have a baby. Well, maybe…
I meet her gaze and find she has tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. You had no idea. We both made the choice not to use other protection. You don’t get pregnant without help, Amelia. You need a penis. Or at the very least a turkey baster. Maybe, on occasion, an act of God.” I give her a small smile. “What are you thinking?”
“I want to keep it,” she blurts out. “I always wanted to be a mom one day. I didn’t think it would be now, or like this, but I want to do it. You don’t have to be involved—”
“Are you kidding me? This is my child. There is no world in which I would ever walk away from you or our baby. From this moment on, we’re a team. We’re in this together. I’ve still got a few weeks left of school, but after that, I’ll be back here, and I’ll be at your beck and call. Whatever you need. You have the hard job, but I’ll be here to support you however I can—however you want me to be. No matter what, I’m in. All in.”
She sniffs, then blows out a shaky breath. “I never cry. Fucking hormones already.”
I run my hand up her thigh. “Have you told anyone else?”
She shakes her head. “No one else to tell.”
“What about Dani? Your mom? I thought you two were close.”
A look of pure anguish washes over her face. “I need to tell you something.”
