AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rae isn’t just having a hard period. It was also two weeks late.
Fuck.
My heart is pounding in my ears, but I push everything away. If this is what I think it is, she’ll need me more than ever.
“Okay, we need to do a pelvic exam and get some labs,” the doctor says to the nurses. Then he turns to me. “Mr. Cooper, I’m going to have you wait in the hall.”
“What?” Rae squeaks, as I growl, “Why?”
The doctor looks at me calmly. I want to punch his stupid, calm face. “Because we need room to conduct the exam. It’s best for you to wait in the hall. It’ll only take a few minutes, and you can come back in as soon as we’re finished.” He walks over and puts a hand on my shoulder. “I know this is difficult, but it’ll just be a few minutes. A quick pelvic exam and a blood draw.”
“Fine,” I grumble. Then I turn back to Rae. Her cheeks are stained with tears and I’m about to—as she likes to say—sew my skin to hers so I don’t have to leave, but I’m sure making a scene would only make this worse. Leaning down, I rest my forehead against hers. “You’ve got this, babe. Lay back, put your feet in those fun little stirrup things, and take a quick rest. I’ll be back in here with you before you know it.”
“I love you,” she mutters.
“I love you too, Beautiful.” I quickly kiss her lips, then reluctantly walk out of the room.
Sarah and Joel are standing in the hallway outside her room when I step out. I walk over and lean against the wall, standing between them. Joel puts his hand on my shoulder.
“How is she?”
“She’s scared. They’re doing a pelvic exam and a blood draw.” I swallow hard and rest my head against the wall. Reaching over, I wrap my hand around Sarah’s. “You think she’s having a miscarriage, don’t you?”
She doesn’t say anything for a moment, but she squeezes my hand. Her voice breaks when she speaks. “Yeah. I think she might be.”
A sob quakes through my chest, and I close my eyes tighter.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.
“We weren’t even trying…” I mutter, barely loud enough to hear. “I don’t know what to do now.”
“Be there for her, and we’ll all support you through it,” Joel says.
I nod, still not opening my eyes.
Miscarriage.
It wasn’t supposed to go like this. We were going to start trying in October. We didn’t even know. There was no joy. No moment of celebration. Just finding out she was pregnant while figuring out she’s losing the baby. I don’t know how to take that.
Some people let this shit roll off their backs. It wasn’t meant to be. It wouldn’t be a healthy pregnancy. That might be true. But this is—or was, I don’t even know—our first baby. The first baby with the girl I’ve loved my whole damn life. An inkling of the future we talk about having together. We didn’t even get a second to enjoy it before it was ripped away.
A tear streams down my cheek, but then I suck in a breath and force the pain back. I need to support her now. That’s what matters.
A few minutes later, the latch clicks on her door and my eyes fly open. I step forward, as the doctor and a nurse and the person who was drawing her blood walk out.
The doctor walks over to me. “You can go back in now.”
“Is she okay?” I ask, shaking like an addict in need of a fix. What Ineedis to get to Rae.
“She’s resting. There’s a nurse in there finishing up some notes. I’ll be back in a few minutes to talk with you both.”
I don’t say anything. I barely nod as I tear past him, needing nothing more than to get back to my girl.
Chapter eleven
Holding Back
Rae
