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She is truly, completely oblivious.
“Liv…” I stand, still buck naked myself, and go hold her hand and look at her closely in the eye, “All you have to do is buy a drugstore test.”
She blinks. I go on “Though I can take you to a laboratory, the results are more accurate.”
“How…” Liv is making an effort to speak. “How can you know?”
“I’ve been here before, Liv!” I say, going to the drawer for a pair of boxer shorts. “When Rebecca got pregnant with Harlan it was the same thing!”
While fitting herself inside each jeans leg, Liv looks at nothing with an empty stare.
“Oh. My. God,” she lets out, shocked.
“Calm down… It could be just a bug,” I say, fitting myself inside a pair of cargo pants.
“I could have died while pregnant, Alex!” She brings both hands to her chest. Then deposits gentle closed-hand slaps on my back. “Andyou! You could have lefttwochildren orphaned, you idiot!”
“Liv.” I reach inside the closet for a long-sleeved tee. “We didn’t know. Of course, we would have been more careful if we did.”
“And what about Harlan?” she goes sit on the edge of bed to put on her shoes.
That question guts me. “Liv… I was so blind out of fear of losing you that I didn’t think. All I knew is that Harlan had Bella would be fine with all the money I’d left him. I saw red and had to save you.”
I feel a catch in my throat and Liv notices. As she hugs me from behind and I hold back tears, she says in a very small voice, “Are you sad because he never speaks about his mom?”
“I think so…” I caress her hands. “Kid is so well adjusted, so much I think it bothers me.”
“Why?” Liv continues, her face pressed against my back.
“Huh…” I leave her side to go fetch my wallet. “I guess I’m not as well-adjusted as him.”
I watch as Liv tenses up her shoulders, and smiles sadly, wringing her hands in front of her body.
“But you never really talk about your late wife either,” she says. I hide my face under one of my palms out of shame. “It still hurts?”
“Hurts less now,” I look at her and smile. “Thanks to you, everything is easier now. Oh! If you are pregnant, I promise I will give you and our baby the world!”
I run to her, whisk her off her feet, and give her a kiss that embodies all of my bliss and joy.
“And what if I’m not pregnant?” Liv looks at me, daring me to give her an answer.
“Nothing changes,” I say, deadpan. “I’ll still ask you to marry me.”
“Alex! Be serious!” She slaps my chest and walks over to the mirror to put on a pair of earrings.
“Iambeing serious!” I say, arms open in self-defense. “I looked into the future, and you will be my wife!”
“Pft!” she looks at me with disdain. “Okay, Mr. Clairvoyant, what are our Saturday morning plans?”
“We get Harlan dressed, go to the laboratory, and then go out for pancakes, to celebrate either way,” I say, gesturing widely.
She takes a deep breath, mustering the courage to face the music.
“Okay, big guy, let’s go!” Liv says, waving a hand for me to follow.
We do as I suggest, and Harlan has a few dozen questions as we get there.
“Why are we here?” he asks as we enter the lab, looking around in confusion.
