Bryce

Chapter 26

Samantha walked into the doctor’s office alone. Meka was the only one scheduled at the bookstore, so she had to be there, and she didn’t quite feel comfortable asking Rayelle. After all the years married to Brandon, she was used to doing things solo. A routine OB appointment wasn’t any different.

“Good morning,” she said walking up to the intake desk.

The woman behind the desk was a bit older and greeted her with a warm smile. She checked her in, looked over the information on the computer, then told her to have a seat. Same as last time, she’d barely sat down when a nurse was calling her back.

“Mrs. Tate, please step on the scale so we can get your weight,” the young nurse requested.

The name grated on her, because she knew they assumed she was still married to Brandon. As she looked at the reading of the scale, she reminded herself to stop at the desk and make sure they had all of her information updated. It was almost a relief that Bryce hadn’t come with her. She would have been mortified to correct all of the emergency contact information with him standing there. How did one explain her situation, anyway?

“Thank you,” the nurse said before leading her to the exam room. “Here’s a cup. We need a urine sample. We’ll need one for every appointment. If you could just collect a sample and then leave it in the restroom, I’ll get it. The doctor will be with you shortly.”

Samantha followed the nurse’s instructions and left a urine sample before returning to the exam room to wait for the doctor. Although she was telling the truth when she told Bryce it wasn’t a big deal that he couldn’t make the appointment, she wasn’t thrilled to be there alone. Walking past other couples waiting for the doctor reinforced what she was missing. It would have been nice to have Bryce’s hand to hold while she waited.

“Hello, Mrs. Tate,” the doctor greeted after what felt like forever. “Your urine looks great. If you want to lay back on the table, I’ll do a quick exam.”

Once she laid back on the exam table, the doctor asked that she move her shirt out of the way before feeling her abdomen. The doctor said nothing as she poked and prodded before grabbing a small device and holding up a bottle filled with blue liquid.

“I know you’ve already had an ultrasound, but I would like to try to listen to the heart rate. Don’t get upset if we don’t hear anything. This is a little early, but you never know.”

After squirting a healthy amount of gel, she placed the end of the doppler on her stomach and began moving it around. Samantha tried not to hold her breath, but before long, a rhythmic sound resounded over the device. They stopped to listen to what she knew was the heartbeat. She knew it was her baby’s heart from the very first sound. Tears pricked her eyes as she listened carefully.

“You hear that?” the doctor asked after a moment. “That’s your baby.”

Those last three words were enough to send her over the edge. Tears streamed down her face, and she used everything she had to keep from breaking down completely. She’d waited so long for this experience, but she had to enjoy it alone. Shaking the feeling of self-pity, she returned her attention to the joy of hearing the sound of her baby’s heart.

“The heartbeat is strong,” the doctor said softly, “and the rate is perfect.”

The doctor picked up a towel and wiped the gel from Samantha’s stomach before putting the equipment away. That was her baby. As if the ultrasound didn’t drive home reality, this definitely did. There was really a baby growing inside of her.

“Who do I speak to, to edit my chart?” she asked.

The doctor looked up at her with a face filled with curiosity. “Well, that depends,” she answered slowly.

After clearing her throat, Samantha dove head-first into it. “I need to update my emergency contact, and the information about this baby’s father. I feel horrible because last time I was here it was with my late husband and now I’m here with someone else,” she rushed on before pausing for a breath. “Sorry. I’m rambling, I’ve just been dreading this conversation. I figure it’s no secret since we already went for a paternity test, but still.”

The doctor smiled, her brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “There’s no need to explain yourself. You’ll never find any judgement in this office. We have people from all walks of life here. Not everyone even has a relationship with the father of their child. Life happens. We get it. As long as you’re healthy and happy, who cares?”

Samantha felt a wave of relief at the doctor’s words. “I guess I didn’t even think about that. You’re right. Life happens. I just never thought I’d be in this situation. I was married for a long time and assumed that’s who I would have children with. Now, here I am with someone I haven’t known for very long.”

The doctor chuckled. “That’s nothing. You would be surprised at all the things we see. Trust me, this is not a big deal. We had one woman a few years ago who had a few different men who were related to each other and could have been the father. What a mess that was. But it all worked out. She was happy and healthy.”

Samantha choked. It took her a moment to catch her breath, but when she did, she croaked out her question. “Why was that a mess?”

“Well, the paternity test isn’t that simple when the question is between closely related men. They typically only check a certain amount of markers which is perfect for ruling out against unrelated men. But close relatives share similar DNA so the testing facility has to do things differently and preferably test all the relatives in question. It wasn’t a huge deal, it just took some time to get the results back, but like I said everything worked out.”

Samantha’s vision began to go dark, beginning with her peripheral and working its way in. Slow deep breaths were doing nothing to calm her. As her breathing increased, so did the nausea.

“Samantha? Samantha, are you okay?” The doctor called to her from what felt like miles away.

By the time she dragged her way back from the dark fog, she found herself surrounded by the doctor and several nurses. There was an oxygen mask on her face that didn’t seem to be connected to anything. Clumsily, she was able to lift her arm to remove the mask from her face.

“Samantha, are you back with us?” the doctor asked.

After once again looking around the small exam room and the concerned faces looking down at her, she answered wearily. “Yeah. What happened?”

“You came close to passing out. You were hyperventilating, so we put the oxygen mask on you to try to slow your breathing down. What happened there? Is the father related to your late husband?” she asked gently.

A sob escaped Samantha’s mouth before she was able to cover it. Her biggest nightmare could be coming true. The relief she felt upon reading the paternity test results was huge. The stress-induced nausea had even dissipated. Those results allowed her to finally envision a life of happiness. A life with Bryce.

“His brother,” she whimpered.

“Okay. That’s okay. The tests are highly accurate when testing against siblings. You have nothing to worry about,” the doctor reassured her.

After taking several moments to regulate her breathing so she didn’t pass out, she finally uttered the words she dreaded to say aloud. “They didn’t know. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t realize it was a big deal. We went in and I was so nervous I didn’t even read over any of the paperwork. We just signed where it said sign. God, I’m so stupid. Brandon was right. I’ll always have the life I deserve.”

A firm hand grasped her shoulder, and she looked up to see the doctor had stooped down to meet her gaze at eye level. “Don’t talk about my patient like that. You aren’t stupid and you deserve all the happiness the world has to offer. We’ll get this sorted out. I’m going to send you to a lab that specializes in paternity testing and has experience ruling out siblings. Can you get there tomorrow morning? I’ll send the paperwork over. Don’t you worry. Whatever happens, you’re a strong woman. You’ll get through it.”

Once again reduced to forcing herself to go through the motions of every task, she updated her information at the desk and collected the laboratory information on her way out. With each step she took, she stuffed her emotions further and further away from the surface. She had a performance that night. And she would more than likely have to face Bryce as well.

She’d rather keep him out of the loop, but she needed him for the DNA testing. As bummed as she felt when he couldn’t make it to her appointment, she now felt relieved that he wasn’t there for it. And that was the only relief she felt. Relief that she could have a moment to think. A moment to figure things out. A moment to be.

Bryce hesitated in front of Samantha’s door for several minutes. She’d given him a key weeks ago, but for obvious reasons he’d never taken it upon himself to use it. Hopefully surprising her was a good idea. He hadn’t spoken to her since letting her know he couldn’t make it to her appointment.

Placing the key in the lock, he slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. The place looked the same as it had the last time he was there. She had a performance that night, so he brought over fruits and veggies to cut up along with the flowers which were the actual surprise. He hadn’t planned anything big, just a way to show her he’d been thinking of her and wasn’t bailing on her even though he couldn’t make it in time for her appointment.

Being in her place reinforced his need for them to find a place together. Before Samantha, he spent most of his time alone. When he wasn’t alone, he was with Rayelle and Dominic whenever he was in town. He’d avoided serious relationships, not because he wasn’t interested in settling down, but because he hesitated to let people get close to him. His teenage years were tough, and his brother had been the closest person to him. The person Brandon had become shortly before their mom died made him realize it was possible to be close to someone without really knowing them.

Bryce allowed the memories of his childhood to take over his thoughts as he chopped up the fruits and veggies. Brandon had been a sweet child. They were inseparable when they were young. If Bryce was somewhere, everyone knew Brandon wouldn’t be far behind. They were only a few years apart in age, but Bryce had taken on the role of caregiver even before his mother needed the help.

Their mother had mood swings for as long as Bryce could remember. She was never mean, but some days she would have lots of energy. She’d smile and do crafts with them, not caring how big of a mess they made. Brandon’s face would light up with happiness when their mom was in one of those moods, and Bryce would do everything to keep that smile there. Unfortunately, he knew those days were often followed by the days when their mom would sleep the day away. If she wasn’t sleeping, she would sit at the kitchen table and stare off into space, only acknowledging the boys long enough to feed them, if that.

It didn’t take long for the sweet little brother who looked up to him, to become withdrawn and angry. When their mom was in one of her good moods, it seemed Brandon would do everything possible to make her miserable. When she finally was miserable, he’d get angry and talk down to her. Calling her lazy and worthless before disappearing for sometimes days on end.

The funeral was one of the last times he’d seen Brandon. He’d changed. No longer withdrawn, but still distant. To an outsider, he seemed like a success story. The troubled teenager who was immediately made better by moving away. But Bryce knew otherwise. His smile hid malice and bordered on a sneer. The funeral was a bother. He couldn’t be sure Brandon wasn’t relieved that their mother was dead. As the only constant in his life for so many years, Bryce was devastated to look into his brother’s eyes and see that the old Brandon wasn’t coming back. And now that was a guarantee. Time had run out. There was no longer the hope for a reunion. All that was left was a path of destruction.

Brandon dropped the knife, barely missing his foot, at the sound of Samantha’s yelp. He’d been so lost in the memories that he hadn’t heard her come through the door.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, chuckling softly as he bent to retrieve the knife.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Standing, he finally looked up and got a good look at her face. Her skin was blotchy and her eyes and nose were red as if she’d been crying. His heart sank.

“I feel like I should be asking you the same thing. Is the baby okay?”

“Yeah,” she answered with a nod, feigning cheerfulness. “But, seriously, you look terrible. Is everything okay?”

He hadn’t considered his appearance when she walked in. “I just don’t do well with being in here. I was thinking about some things. I’m okay.”

Her eyes softened. “I know being here pisses you off. That’s why you scared the shit out of me. I wasn’t expecting to find you in here.”

“I’m not pissed. Brandon and I were close once—when we were little, before all the shit happened with my mom. I was just thinking about the way things were back when we were kids. Now,” he continued after a pause, “are you going to tell me why you’ve been crying?”

She looked up at him, and before he knew what was happening, she had her arms wrapped around him as sobs shook her body. There was no warning. No sniffles. No blinking back tears. The dam immediately broke. After wiping his hands on his jeans, he wrapped his arms around her slender frame, holding her close as she continued to cry.

“It’s okay,” he soothed. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.”

Those words seemed to make things even worse. He nearly stumbled forward when her legs gave out, giving him all of her weight. Scooping her into his arms, he carried her to her bed as she continued to cry without any signs of slowing down. When he climbed in next to her, she immediately turned and tucked herself into his side. He stroked her neck and shoulders in what felt like an inadequate attempt at soothing her.

After what felt like hours, her tears finally slowed. He passed her a tissue from her nightstand, and she finally turned over to look at him, wiping her splotchy face dry.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.

She took an unsteady breath. “I don’t think the baby is yours.”